Extreme Statements and Generalisations

Extreme statements — those containing words like "all," "every," "never," "always," "none," "only," or "the most" — are among the most predictable question types in UCAT VR. They are predictable because extreme claims are very hard to support. Unless the passage itself uses extreme language, an extreme statement is almost never "True." This lesson teaches you to spot extreme language instantly and use it as a reliable decision-making shortcut.

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Why Extreme Statements Are Usually Not "True"

Consider the logical standard:

• For an extreme statement to be True, the passage must support the claim in its entirety — no exceptions, no qualifications
• For an extreme statement to be False, the passage must contradict it — even one exception is enough
• For an extreme statement to be Can't Tell, the passage must be insufficient to confirm or deny the absolute claim

Because passages are typically 200–400 words long, they rarely contain enough information to support absolute claims. This means extreme statements are disproportionately likely to be False or Can't Tell.

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Recognising Extreme Language

Absolute Quantifiers