Communication Within Teams — Assertive, Aggressive, and Passive Styles

Effective communication is the foundation of safe patient care. When healthcare teams communicate poorly, errors occur, concerns go unheard, and patients suffer. The UCAT SJT tests your understanding of how to communicate — not just what to say.

This lesson covers the three main communication styles (assertive, aggressive, and passive), explains why assertive communication is almost always the correct SJT answer, and provides frameworks you can apply to any team scenario.

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Why Communication Style Matters in the SJT

The SJT does not just ask "what is the right thing to do?" It asks "how would you do it?" Two candidates might both know that a concern should be raised, but one might describe doing so aggressively (shouting at a colleague) while the other describes doing so assertively (speaking calmly and clearly). The assertive approach will always score higher.

Communication style	How the SJT rates it
Assertive	Almost always appropriate — clear, respectful, professional
Aggressive	Almost always inappropriate — confrontational, undermining, damaging
Passive	Usually inappropriate — avoids the issue, fails to protect patients

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