Conditional Rules

Conditional rules represent a step up in complexity from standard compound rules. Rather than two independent conditions that both must hold, a conditional rule takes the form: "IF [condition A], THEN [condition B]." The second condition only applies when the first condition is met. These rules are among the hardest to spot in UCAT AR because they create an inconsistency that looks like randomness unless you recognise the "if-then" structure.

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The Structure of a Conditional Rule

A standard compound rule says: "X is always true AND Y is always true."

A conditional rule says: "IF X is true, THEN Y is also true. If X is not true, Y may or may not be true."

Rule type	Example	How it works
Compound	"All shapes are black AND there are exactly 3 shapes"	Both conditions always hold
Conditional	"IF a circle is present, THEN it is always black"	The circle-is-black rule only applies when a circle exists. Boxes without circles can have any shading.

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Why Conditional Rules Are Hard to Spot

Consider this Set A: