Potential masters and PhD students are already aware that they must pass the Unified Entrance Exam or UEE. For some reason, this comprehensive test scares everyone, especially one of its parts – the General Knowledge Test. Our experts have taken the GKT more than 10 times, so we decided to collect their tips and share them with you! We have also prepared a demonstration version for you based on the materials of the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment – follow the link and try your hand!

About the structure of the TKT

It will consist of two components:

💡 Verbal-communication (reading the texts, finding differences between them, correctly inserting words into the passage according to their meaning, choosing opposite expressions, etc.)

💡 Logical and analytical (logical thinking tasks using combinatorics).

The entire test contains 27 tasks in two forms:

💡 Tasks 1-4, which consist of filling in the blanks in microtexts (subtasks 1-10).

💡 Tasks 5-27 are multiple-choice questions with one correct answer.

You will have 75 minutes to complete the test.

About the assessment of the TKT

All tasks are scored out of 0 or 1:

✅  1 mark for the correct answer;

❌  0 points if you provide an incorrect answer or do not answer the question.

The maximum number of points that can be scored by correctly completing all test tasks is 33 points, i.e. 10 points for tasks 1-4 (subtasks 1-10) and 23 points for tasks 5-27.

The results are converted into a scale from 100 to 200, and this is the score that will be used when applying for a master’s or PhD programme.

Verbal and communicative block.

The first 4 tasks are microtexts consisting of 1-5 sentences. There are 1-4 gaps and 4 answer choices for each gap.

Important points: Microtext.

📌 Each gap in the microtext corresponds to an independent question. Choosing an answer for one gap does not affect the others.

📌 Do not try to go through all possible combinations of answers.

Algorithm

1. Read the entire microtext to understand its overall meaning. Identify key words and phrases.
2. Try to fill in the gaps with your own words that restore the meaning of the sentence.
3. Look at the answer choices and choose the one that best matches the style and content of the text.
4. Make sure that the passage is logically coherent, grammatically correct and stylistically consistent.

You do not have to fill in the blanks in sequence. You can start with the one that seems easiest to you. Then move on to the next one.

The next part is text comprehension. You will be given two fairly large texts – about a page each or 400-450 words. The texts will contain 8 tasks, where you need to choose one correct answer out of 4 offered. The main thing here is to critically analyse, interpret and evaluate the information – to be able to find the difference between the texts, what the authors agree or disagree with each other about. The texts can be different – natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, business, art, everyday life. Usually these are real texts from the media or books. But the texts you will be given will be linked by a common theme.

Important points: Select the answer that is the best.

📌 Choose the answer that most accurately and completely answers the question.

📌 Tasks may include:

          📍 The main idea and purpose of the text, the author’s position.

          📍 Microthemes and keywords.

          📍 The relationship between different ideas in the text.

          📍 Explicit and implicit information.

          📍Structure, principles of information systematisation and argumentation.

Algorithm:

🔶 Read each question carefully to understand it accurately.

🔶 Answer the questions only on the basis of the information provided in the texts.

🔶 Do not use your own knowledge and experience that is not supported by the texts.

🔶 Pay attention to the fact that the author’s text may contain several different opinions.

Successful completion of the tasks in this unit demonstrates a high level of language proficiency, analytical skills and the ability to work with information.

Logical and analytical block.

Logical thinking.

This unit contains 6 tasks – microtexts of up to 125 words and multiple-choice questions. You will need to recall argumentation (induction, deduction, analogy), identify a thesis and evaluate its validity, the ability to find common and different things in statements or reasoning, establish cause and effect relationships, determine necessary and sufficient conditions. Also, to logically draw conclusions, find errors in reasoning, use logical operations on statements (“and”, “or”, “not”, “follows”, “equivalent”) to determine/form new statements or their negations and/or establish their truth. We recommend that you recall or take a short course in formal logic – most of the problems in this unit are from this subject. But even if you have never studied logic, you will be fine, don’t worry!

Algorithm:

1. Read the task carefully. Make sure that you clearly understand the meaning of the condition, the requirements of the task and each answer choice.
2. Pay attention to the requirements, e.g., “complete”, “accurate”. Paraphrase the condition given in the microtext. Identify the logical constructions that combine the individual statements. For example: if …, then; … then and only then …; … and …; … or …; not …
3. Pay attention to the words used in the tasks and answer choices: “all”, “each”, “some”, “exists”. There are general statements that will apply to all objects and partial statements that will apply only to certain objects.
4. Distinguish between direct and inverse statements, necessary and sufficient conditions.❗️If A, then B (direct statement): A is a sufficient condition for B; B is a necessary condition for A. If B, then A (converse). If NOT A, then NOT B (converse). If NOT B, then NOT A (converse).

Successful completion of the tasks in this unit requires a clear understanding of logical principles, the ability to analyse information and draw reasonable conclusions.

Analytical Thinking.

This section contains 9 multiple-choice questions. There will be 3 situations, each of which is accompanied by 3 tasks with 4 options. You need to choose one correct answer.

In these tasks, you will demonstrate that you are able to apply a given system of conditions that defines the properties of sets, their elements and the relationships between them, as well as analyse and verify conditions and establish cause and effect relationships. You will be asked to perform simple combinatorial, probabilistic and statistical calculations and create mathematical models (also simple). The tasks will also include analysing information presented in different formats: numerical, tabular, and graphical. You will triple your ability to transform information, determine the (in)sufficiency of data, and make predictions.

Important: Important:

🔴 All tasks in the unit are independent of each other.

🔴 Use only the initial conditions of the situation when solving.

🔴 Base your answers only on the information given in the condition, commonly known facts (e.g., the number of days in a month/year), and your mathematical knowledge.

🔴 Do not use additional information from other sources, even if it is relevant to the context of the task.

Algorithm

1. Situation 1:

🟡 Read the conditions carefully and make sure you understand them clearly.

🟡 If necessary, formalise the terms in a diagram or table to make your work easier.

2. Situation 2:

🔵 Think back to what you know about mathematical modelling.

🔵 Use the formulas and concepts to solve the problems.

3. Situation 3:

🟠 Apply your logical and mathematical knowledge and skills to solve problems. This situation involves working with data (analysing and interpreting graphs, charts (bar and pie charts), diagrams, tables, infographics.

🟠 Select the main data, check for consistency.

🟠 Be careful when converting data – calculating percentages, converting from one unit of measurement to another, etc.

🟠 Do not rush to answer, think carefully about all possible options.

🟠 Use your knowledge of mathematics and logic to justify your conclusions.

We hope that we have been able to help you understand. However, the best way to try your hand at it and understand what gaps you have in your knowledge is to take the GKT tests. One of the demo tests is available on our website – follow the link and test your logic skills!