Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for the Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA) | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

TARA instructions ask you to evaluate an argument, solve a problem from the supplied information or develop a written case. Read the exact job first. A question about what weakens a conclusion requires different evidence from one about which plan fits all the rules.

The numbered bank includes question directions, response formats and vocabulary for interpreting the task. Use the official instructions for the paper or test version you are taking.

Exam requirements · Worked examples · Fencing Method

TARA modules and critical-thinking question stems

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
1	Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions	Use UAT-UK’s three-module format and check your course requirement.
2	Critical Thinking	Evaluate arguments and evidence using the information supplied.
3	Problem Solving	Use the constraints and data to work out the requested result.
4	Writing Task	Choose one prompt and develop a clear written argument.
5	22 questions	Use the official count for each multiple-choice module.
6	40 minutes per module	Use the published standard time for the relevant module.
7	Choose one of three prompts	Select one Writing Task question and stay with it.
8	750-word limit	Keep within the maximum stated by UAT-UK for the Writing Task.
9	No calculator	Use mental or written methods where numerical reasoning is required.
10	No subject-specific knowledge	Use the information and reasoning required by the item without revising a specialist syllabus for it.
11	Main conclusion	Identify the claim the argument is ultimately trying to establish.
12	Intermediate conclusion	Find a supported claim that then helps establish another claim.
13	Argument flaw	Find the exact step that does not follow from the evidence.
14	Underlying assumption	Identify what the argument needs to take for granted.
15	Additional evidence	Choose the information that changes how strongly the conclusion is supported.
16	Strengthen the argument	Find evidence that makes the stated conclusion more plausible.
17	Weaken the argument	Find evidence that reduces support for the stated conclusion.
18	Principle	Identify the general rule that supports the specific decision.
19	Parallel argument	Find reasoning with the same relationship between premises and conclusion.
20	Inference	Choose what follows from the stated facts and conditions.
21	Constraint	Identify a rule that excludes otherwise possible answers.
22	Feasible option	Check that the option meets every requirement.
23	Find a counterexample	Look for one allowed case that disproves a universal claim.
24	Work backwards	Start from the stated outcome or an option and test whether it fits the earlier conditions.

Problem-solving constraints and Writing Task directions

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
25	Schedule the tasks	Apply the timing and ordering constraints to the same timetable.
26	Minimum possible	Find the lowest value that satisfies the complete set of rules.
27	Maximum possible	Find the highest value allowed by every rule.
28	Exact total	Add the values belonging to the group named in the question.
29	Missing information	Identify a fact needed to settle the decision that the item does not yet provide.
30	Sufficient evidence	Check whether the supplied facts settle the exact question.
31	Rate versus total	Check whether the task asks for an amount or an amount per unit.
32	Common basis	Convert quantities to the same unit, time period or group before comparison.
33	Selection rule	Apply the named criterion to each candidate or option.
34	Compare two plans	Evaluate both plans against the same constraints and goal.
35	Trade-off	Explain how one benefit may come with a cost on another criterion.
36	Direct response	Give the answer to the question before adding background.
37	Position	State the view you intend to defend.
38	Reasoned case	Develop the connection from evidence and reasons to your conclusion.
39	Relevant objection	Choose an objection that tests a central part of the case.
40	Reply to an objection	Explain how the objection affects or limits the position.
41	Qualified judgment	State where the conclusion applies and what exception matters.
42	Keep within the scope	Use the people, cases or time period named in the question.
43	Economical wording	Use the available words to develop the argument without repeating points.
44	Scored multiple choice	Check which modules produce provider scores.
45	Writing response sent to universities	Treat the essay as work institutions can review separately under their own procedures.
46	Review your choice	Check the stem, evidence and requested response before finalising.
47	Apply the ordering rule	Check which task must come before or after the other.
48	Necessary assumption	Test whether the argument still works when the proposed assumption is denied.
49	Find the bottleneck	Identify the step that constrains the earliest possible completion.
50	Satisfy both conditions	Reject an option when it meets one rule but fails the other.
51	Check the capacity	Compare the required total with the available places or resources.
52	Remaining allocation	Subtract the assigned portion before allocating the remainder.
53	Solve by elimination	Remove options that violate a condition until the admissible choices are clear.
54	Confirm the assumption	Identify what could test the relationship on which the conclusion depends.
55	Separate evidence and recommendation	Use the data for the factual finding and explain the additional reasoning behind a proposal.
56	Bound the answer	Find a lower and upper limit before calculating or choosing a precise result.

Evidence, quantitative checks and argument development

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
57	Author’s central claim	Find the main assertion the author wants the reader to accept.
58	Explicit statement	Identify a proposition directly stated in the passage.
59	Implicit assumption	Identify a premise the reasoning uses without stating it directly.
60	Warranted inference	Choose an inference that has adequate support in the text.
61	Overstatement	Identify wording that extends further than the evidence supports.
62	Least supported	Choose the option with the weakest support under the stated criterion.
63	Closest in meaning	Match the expression’s meaning in the passage rather than its most familiar sense.
64	Best captures the passage	Choose the option that represents the main point at the right scope.
65	Function of the example	Explain which general idea the example develops, illustrates or limits.
66	Role of a paragraph	Identify how the paragraph contributes to the passage’s overall reasoning.
67	Writer’s attitude	Infer the author’s position from emphasis, tone and qualification.
68	Reported position	Attribute the argument to the person or group expressing it.
69	Argument structure	Identify the relationship between reasons, objections and conclusions.
70	Line of reasoning	Connect each major claim to the reason or evidence that supports it.
71	Distinguish fact and judgment	Separate what is reported to have happened from how it is assessed.
72	Evidence and conclusion	Check whether the evidence actually establishes the conclusion offered.
73	Evaluate a claim	Use relevant criteria and explain the strengths or limits of the reasoning.
74	Justify a view	Give a reason that supports the specific position you take.
75	Defensible position	Present a view you can support with relevant reasoning and examples.
76	Extent of agreement	Say how far you agree and explain where the position needs qualification.
77	Consider a counterargument	Address a plausible objection to the position you intend to defend.
78	Respond to an objection	Explain why the objection changes or leaves your conclusion intact.
79	Concede a point	Accept a limited part of another position while explaining the overall judgment.
80	Policy proposal	State an action and reason about its consequences or feasibility.
81	Competing values	Identify priorities that pull the decision in different directions.
82	Fair comparison	Judge alternatives on the same relevant criteria.
83	Contextual meaning	Use the surrounding text to decide which interpretation fits.
84	Relevant example	Give an example that demonstrates the reason rather than only mentioning the topic.
85	Opening position	Give the reader a clear answer to the issue at the start.
86	Conclusion follows	Check that the final judgment is supported by what precedes it.
87	Scope of a term	Check which cases the word or expression includes.
88	Unstated exception	Test whether the passage supports limiting the claim to particular cases.
89	Specific objection	Name the exact reasoning or claim you are challenging.
90	One best answer	Choose the option most fully supported by the question and passage.
91	Circular reasoning	Recognise when the reason effectively assumes the conclusion.
92	Author’s attitude	Infer the writer’s stance from wording, emphasis and qualification.
93	Relevant perspective	Use the viewpoint that bears on the issue in the writing prompt.
94	Quantifier scope	Check exactly which people, cases or claims are covered by all, some or none.
95	Inference from silence	Identify a conclusion drawn only because the passage leaves a matter unstated.
96	Comparison group	Ask which group would provide a fair test of the claimed difference.
97	Normative claim	Recognise a claim about what ought to happen.
98	Descriptive claim	Recognise a claim about what happens or has happened.
99	Support gap	Find the step that is assumed between the premises and conclusion.
100	Complete the argument	Choose the conclusion or missing proposition that follows from the stated reasoning.
101	Consider both positions	Check what each speaker claims about the same proposition.
102	Rule out a candidate	Find the condition that makes an option impossible.
103	Position on an issue	State what you think about the exact claim in the prompt.
104	Reason and example	Show how the example demonstrates the point made by the reason.
105	Reasoning flaw	Locate the exact step where the evidence fails to support the conclusion.
106	Author’s assumption	Identify a premise the argument relies on without stating directly.
107	Strength of support	Judge how directly a detail bears on the exact claim.
108	Complete the reasoning	Choose the statement that follows from the premises.
109	Main purpose	Identify what the text as a whole is trying to accomplish.
110	Most directly supports	Pick the evidence with the clearest connection to the named claim.
111	Author’s claim	Find what the named author argues or asserts.
112	Point of agreement	Find what both sources would endorse based on the evidence.
113	Cause and effect	Choose a link that shows one event producing or explaining the other.
114	Textual evidence	Choose a detail from the source that supports the precise claim.
115	Scope	Check the population, time frame or range covered by the claim.
116	Logical relationship	Identify whether adjacent ideas add, contrast, explain or exemplify.
117	Author’s reservation	Identify a stated hesitation, exception or limit on the main claim.
118	Point of view	Identify the standpoint influencing how the source presents events.
119	Scope of the claim	Match the answer to the people, period or cases the passage actually discusses.
120	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
121	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
122	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
123	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
124	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
125	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
126	Relevant	Connected to the specific question or criterion.
127	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
128	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
129	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
130	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
131	Reason	The basis for a statement, choice or result.
132	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
133	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.
134	Context	The surrounding information that helps determine meaning.
135	Support the claim	Give evidence that bears on the exact claim in the question.
136	Specific passage detail	Use a concrete detail that directly supports the proposed interpretation.
137	Qualification	Limit or refine a claim where the evidence supports a more precise position.
138	Counterargument	Present and address a plausible competing interpretation.
139	Support an argument	Connect the example or document to a reason for accepting the claim.
140	Deductive reasoning	Show how a conclusion follows from premises or prior results.
141	Counterclaim	Present a plausible position that challenges the claim.

Core instructions and answer checks

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
142	Recognise	Find a familiar feature in a new example.
143	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
144	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
145	Match	Pair each item with the option that corresponds to it.
146	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
147	Label	Attach the correct name to the indicated part.
148	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
149	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
150	Record	Write the result in the space and form provided.
151	Answer	Respond directly to the question being asked.
152	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
153	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
154	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
155	List	Set out the requested items separately.
156	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
157	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
158	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
159	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
160	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
161	Compare	Set the items side by side on the same relevant feature.
162	Analyse	Break down the evidence and explain how its parts relate.
163	Predict	Use available evidence to say what is likely to happen.
164	Suggest	Offer a plausible answer suited to the information given.
165	Justify	Give evidence for the claim and explain how that evidence supports, qualifies or defends it.
166	Assess	Judge the extent, value or strength of something using evidence.
167	Discuss	Develop a structured response that considers the relevant issues.
168	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
169	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.
170	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
171	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
172	Calculate	Use numbers or other given information to work out a result.
173	Estimate	Find an approximate answer using the available clues.
174	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
175	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
176	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
177	Classify	Assign each item to a category using the stated rule.
178	Group	Put items with a shared feature together.
179	Order	Sort items by the criterion given in the prompt.
180	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
181	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
182	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
183	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
184	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
185	According to	Use what the specified source says.
186	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
187	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
188	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.
189	Condition	A requirement that must be satisfied.
190	Criterion	A standard used to choose or judge an answer.
191	Except	Identify the choice that fails the stated rule while the others meet it.
192	Paragraph focus	Make each paragraph develop a particular part of the answer.
193	Practice interface	Use the official simulator to learn navigation and answer entry.
194	Mutually exclusive cases	Check whether the two outcomes can both occur under the rule.
195	Purpose	Identify why a text, study or source was produced.
196	Perspective	Explain the viewpoint from which a claim or event is presented.
197	Role of the named passage detail	Decide whether the part illustrates, supports or limits a claim.
198	Text 1	Keep the first text’s position separate when comparing sources.
199	Text 2	Identify the second text’s response to the precise claim being compared.
200	Overlap between claims	Identify what both positions assert before considering where they disagree.

What the examination requires

Three compulsory 40-minute modules

UAT-UK lists Critical Thinking and Problem Solving with 22 multiple-choice questions each, followed by a Writing Task. The Writing Task asks you to answer one of three essay-style questions within a 750-word limit. The provider says specialist subject knowledge is unnecessary. Calculators and dictionaries are unavailable, and incorrect choices do not lose marks in the two multiple-choice modules.

Critical Thinking focuses on reasoning

Find the conclusion and its support before reading the alternatives. If the stem asks for an assumption, check what the reasoning depends on. If it asks what would weaken the argument, choose information that reduces support for that particular conclusion.

Problem Solving uses stated data and conditions

Identify the required quantity or decision. Keep track of constraints such as timing, order, membership or maximum cost. When comparing plans, put them on a common basis and check all the requirements before making your choice.

The writing response is handled separately from the two scores

UAT-UK reports separate Critical Thinking and Problem Solving scores. It sends the Writing Task response to relevant universities without awarding it a provider score. Confirm your course’s current requirement and use the official specimen to practise timing.

• Identify the action the question asks you to perform.
• Check the evidence, constraints and response format.
• Use the exact question and current paper instructions when checking the answer.

Worked examples of common examination instructions

These original examples show what belongs in a response when a question asks for a different action.

Find the assumption behind a plan

An original argument says that moving a library’s opening time earlier will increase use because more visitors can come before work. It assumes enough prospective visitors are available at that time. Evidence that most interested users cannot get there before work would weaken the rationale.

Apply every condition in a timetable

An invented problem says an inspection must come after packing and before collection. Packing ends at 10. Collection is at 11. A proposed inspection at 10.30 can fit. One at 9.45 fails the first condition even though it is before collection.

Use a common unit in a cost question

One plan charges £12 for three sessions and another £15 for five. They cost £4 and £3 per session respectively. The second has the lower unit cost. If the question asks for the lower upfront payment, the first is lower. Read which comparison is requested.

Qualify a written judgment

A practice prompt asks whether universities should require all first-year students to complete a group project. A response could favour group work where collaboration is a course outcome and explain why individual assessment may still be needed in other courses. The condition makes the policy more precise.

Use the Fencing Method to practise instructions

Start with one accurate answer or statement. Add a precise detail, then explain the connection the task asks for. Use a new question to check that you can perform the same action again.

1. The plan may increase library use.
2. It may increase use by people who can visit before work.
3. The reasoning depends on enough prospective users being able to reach the library during the earlier hours.
4. Use a different proposal. Identify the claim, the mechanism and the assumption it depends on.

Read the eduKate Fencing Method for Vocabulary.

Practise and check your answers

Use the question stem to decide which evidence matters

Review an official Critical Thinking item by naming the conclusion and then reading the stem again. Explain why a tempting option may be relevant to the topic while failing to perform the exact job, such as weakening the conclusion.

Practise a reasoning plan for the writing response

State your position, add two reasons and identify a serious objection. Decide whether it changes the conclusion or limits when it applies. Use the word limit to keep each paragraph focused on the answer.

Practice 1. What does an assumption question ask you to find?

Find the proposition the argument needs in order for its evidence to support its conclusion.

Practice 2. A plan costs less but misses the deadline. Can it be the cheapest feasible plan?

No. Compare costs only among plans satisfying the deadline and all other constraints.

Practice 3. How many Writing Task questions should you answer?

Choose one of the three and stay within the stated limit.

Practice 4. What helps when a stem asks which statement follows?

Test whether the statement must follow from the facts rather than merely being possible.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to revise a particular school subject for TARA?

UAT-UK describes TARA as non-subject specific. Use official materials to learn its question styles.

Does the Writing Task receive a UAT-UK score?

The provider sends it to relevant universities. The two multiple-choice modules receive separate scores.

What is the Writing Task limit?

The published limit is 750 words. Follow the instructions on the current test.

Official sources and next reading

• UAT-UK TARA modules, timing and marking
• UAT-UK TARA question guide and practice materials

Related guide in this series · LNAT examination instructions

Read eduKateSG’s 200-word vocabulary guide for more ways to group and practise vocabulary.

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