Mental Arithmetic Shortcuts

Speed is the defining challenge of the UCAT Quantitative Reasoning subtest. With only ~42 seconds per question, the difference between reaching for the on-screen calculator and performing a quick mental calculation can be the difference between finishing comfortably and running out of time. This lesson equips you with the essential mental arithmetic shortcuts that save seconds on every question.

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Why Mental Arithmetic Matters

The on-screen calculator is operated by mouse clicks. Each calculation takes approximately 5-8 seconds including navigating to the calculator, clicking the numbers, and reading the result. For a simple operation like "200 × 3," this is wasted time — you can get the answer mentally in under a second.

Over 36 questions, saving even 3-4 seconds per question through mental arithmetic gives you nearly 2 extra minutes — enough time for 3 additional questions.

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Multiplying and Dividing by 5

Multiply by 5: Multiply by 10, then divide by 2

This works because 5 = 10 ÷ 2.