UCAT SJT Appropriateness Questions: How Examiners Rate Each Response
Situational JudgementUCAT ANZ
Appropriateness questions describe a situation, often involving a medical or dental student, and ask how appropriate each response is: very appropriate, appropriate but not ideal, inappropriate but not awful, or very inappropriate.
The priorities examiners look for
Safety: anything that protects patients or the public is likely to be appropriate.
Honesty and integrity: admitting mistakes, not covering up.
The right person: raising concerns with someone who can act, such as a supervisor.
Proportion: a measured first step usually beats an extreme reaction.
Respect and confidentiality: treating colleagues and patients with dignity.
Telling the middle two apart
Appropriate, but not ideal: helpful, but not the best timing, person or method.
Inappropriate, but not awful: unhelpful or poorly judged, but causes no serious harm.
💡 Ask "If a sensible senior doctor saw this, would they be pleased, mildly unhappy or alarmed?" The answer maps neatly onto the scale.
Try it now
✏️ Practice question 1Situational Judgement
Leah, a medical student on placement, notices that a fellow student has written the wrong date on a patient's chart.
How appropriate is it for Leah to point out the mistake to her colleague straight away so it can be corrected?
✏️ Practice question 2Situational Judgement
Leah, a medical student on placement, notices that a fellow student has written the wrong date on a patient's chart.
How appropriate is it for Leah to correct the chart herself without telling anyone?