Pre-UCAT Discussion 2024

[Dank_Watu]

Are there any websites that offer free practice tests, resources, etc., other than University Clinical Aptitude Test for Australia and New Zealand (UCAT ANZ) | UCAT ANZ Consortium

I'm not sure if this violates the rules but (content removed) and passmedicine has free mocks.

 

[law123]

I am finding it difficult to gage at what my full mock average is for the UCAT when using some of the online resource banks, due to varying scores. Sometimes for a score of 30/36 in QR I will score 750, however other times that might be more of 800-830 range. This is similar w/ all other subtests. I try my best to not look too deep into the scaled score that they provide me, but will they scale down due to being an easier mock? I have just been using the medview/medicmind raw score conversion table to give me a better average of my raw scores. Most often scoring me higher than what i have been scaled on the online question bank website. Therefore, sometimes i may get a scaled score of 2800 for my full mock exam, however when compared with the conversion tables it is more corresponding to 3000-3100. Any advice on how people generally gage there performance? TIA

 

[A1]

Sometimes for a score of 30/36 in QR I will score 750, however other times that might be more of 800-830 range. This is similar w/ all other subtests. I try my best to not look too deep into the scaled score that they provide me, but will they scale down due to being an easier mock?

I haven't looked into UCAT scoring to be sure. Back in UMAT days it was evident a question could be worth more marks than others if it was more difficult (i.e. relatively fewer students got it correct).

On that assumption if your 30/36 consist of 25 easy/medium + 5 difficult ones, it'd be worth more than a 30/36 with 28 easy/medium + 2 difficult ones.

The raw-score conversion table you use is only indicative as it would not know the easy/difficult composition of your correct answers.

 

[Arcadia]

On that assumption if your 30/36 consist of 25 easy/medium + 5 difficult ones, it'd be worth more than a 30/36 with 28 easy/medium + 2 difficult ones.

That's not how it works .

It's to do with the unmarked question set in VR/DM/QR

And in any case 30/36 being 750 is pretty accurate if you were to get that QR score in the UCAT

 

[DrDrLMG!]

That's not how it works .

It's to do with the unmarked question set in VR/DM/QR

And in any case 30/36 being 750 is pretty accurate if you were to get that QR score in the UCAT

UMAT had unmarked (‘trial’) questions and scaled individual question scores. Like A1, I’ve not looked too much into UCAT scoring, but it is explicitly stated that all marked questions are worth the same?

 

[A1]

It's to do with the unmarked question set in VR/DM/QR

The OP said 30/36 in their mock tests. Do you think mock tests also include unmarked questions?

That's not how it works .

Let me show why it is for UCAT too.

DM has 29 questions, say it has 3 unmarked + 26 marked (you can use other combos the principle is the same).
900 marks / 26 Qs = 35 marks per question.

If one applicant scores 700 DM, and all questions are equal, the next higher must be 735 (rounded down/up to 730/740). Then the next higher again is 770 etc.

If I show you DM marks of 710, 720, 750, 760 it means the questions must have different worths. Otherwise multiples of 35 cannot land in 710, 720, 750, 760. Agreed?

 

[Successful3229]

The OP said 30/36 in their mock tests. Do you think mock tests also include unmarked questions?


Let me show why it is for UCAT too.

DM has 29 questions, say it has 3 unmarked + 26 marked (you can use other combos the principle is the same).
900 marks / 26 Qs = 35 marks per question.

If one applicant scores 700 DM, and all questions are equal, the next higher must be 735 (rounded down/up to 730/740). Then the next higher again is 770 etc.

If I show you DM marks of 710, 720, 750, 760 it means the questions must have different worths. Otherwise multiples of 35 cannot land in 710, 720, 750, 760. Agreed?

Maybe it has to do more with the percentile rather than the number of questions right. The percentiles past the 90th~92nd boost the score very well by having big jumps in the grade. I don't know if questions are marked equally, however; I hope so since that what every UCAT practice platform claims.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[A1]

Maybe it has to do more with the percentile rather than the number of questions right. The percentiles past the 90th~92nd boost the score very well by having big jumps in the grade.

Leave the percentile aside since it bears no relations to the marking. The percentile is basically ranking of the marks, *after* the marks have been determined.

I don't know if questions are marked equally, however; I hope so since that what every UCAT practice platform claims.

I think these platforms just repeat what UCAT says
"Questions are worth 1 mark each. Questions with one correct answer are worth 1 mark. Questions with multiple statements are worth 2 marks."

It's true to that point. If it stops there we would end up with marks around 10 to 50 each section, not 300 to 900.
So there's another step UCAT converts the questions raw marks to the 300-900 range. It's where I believe the different worths occur.

Because if they are all equal they'd be 20+ marks each. Mathematically we cannot have section scores 10 marks apart like I see in the Post UCAT 2023 thread DM 690-700-710-720-730 (unless UCAT gives 10 marks to half-correct answers but we know that's not the case).

 

[Successful3229]

Leave the percentile aside since it bears no relations to the marking. The percentile is basically ranking of the marks, *after* the marks have been determined.


I think these platforms just repeat what UCAT says
"Questions are worth 1 mark each. Questions with one correct answer are worth 1 mark. Questions with multiple statements are worth 2 marks."

It's true to that point. If it stops there we would end up with marks around 10 to 50 each section, not 300 to 900.
So there's another step UCAT converts the questions raw marks to the 300-900 range. It's where I believe the different worths occur.

Because if they are all equal they'd be 20+ marks each. Mathematically we cannot have section scores 10 marks apart like I see in the Post UCAT 2023 thread DM 690-700-710-720-730 (unless UCAT gives 10 marks to half-correct answers but we know that's not the case).

But percentiles play a big important role in the final mark because not every test is the same; tests are scaled based on how relatively every student did in that subtest. So if the highest person scored 30/36 in QR, shouldn't their score be in the high 800s?

 

[A1]

tests are scaled based on how relatively every student did in that subtest.

From reading UCAT website I'm pretty sure this "scaling" relates to the different numbers of subtest questions
ie. based on every question worth 1 mark, 29 DM marks scale to 900
whereas you need 50 AR marks to scale to 900.

So if the highest person scored 30/36 in QR, shouldn't their score be in the high 800s?

I don't think UCAT scales the highest person to near 900 irrespective of how many correct answers.

If they did that we wouldn't see the large differences in 90th %ile of VR 680 - DM 750 - QR 810 - AR 830.

 

[Bethl]

Flinders is 99.95 (including UES boost) + around 92%ile, for a place offer.

Iirc Adelaide has gone up to 97%ile for non-SA, 80ish %ile for SA, for interview invite.
No meaningful UCAT cutoff for offers since it also depends on ATAR & interview scores.

Hello! I was wondering; if you or anyone can clarify! I am a NZ high school results applicant; however I now live in Adelaide, would I be considered a SA applicant, or because my school results are from NZ I would be considered only as a nz applicant?
I enquired with both Adelaide and SATAC and they said that ‘there are no UCAT cutoff scores we advertise because the UCAT results is what determines an interview spot, which there are a set number of. Therefore, for the ~600 interview spots, the top ~600 UCAT scores will be invited for an interview.’
that’s the only clarification given in regards to my query!

 

[Successful3229]

From reading UCAT website I'm pretty sure this "scaling" relates to the different numbers of subtest questions
ie. based on every question worth 1 mark, 29 DM marks scale to 900
whereas you need 50 AR marks to scale to 900.


I don't think UCAT scales the highest person to near 900 irrespective of how many correct answers.

If they did that we wouldn't see the large differences in 90th %ile of VR 680 - DM 750 - QR 810 - AR 830.

Yeah that makes sense.
I guess that's why mocks from UCAT practise companies scale slightly differently than the actual UCAT (which is what they said themselves), which results in a slight misunderstanding of what the scores would be in the actual test apart from the fact that the cohort of the practise companies is more competitive.

A1 Since you scored 100%percentile on the UMAT, any tips on AR that are other than practise?

 

[JB04]

Hello! I was wondering; if you or anyone can clarify! I am a NZ high school results applicant; however I now live in Adelaide, would I be considered a SA applicant, or because my school results are from NZ I would be considered only as a nz applicant?
I enquired with both Adelaide and SATAC and they said that ‘there are no UCAT cutoff scores we advertise because the UCAT results is what determines an interview spot, which there are a set number of. Therefore, for the ~600 interview spots, the top ~600 UCAT scores will be invited for an interview.’
that’s the only clarification given in regards to my query!

Hey,

As far as I know, you'd be considered interstate as its based on where you took your HS exams. I'm currently in Adelaide Dent, and know of a few people in similar situations where they were considered interstate for dent, and I assume its the same for med.

 

[A1]

any tips on AR that are other than practise?

It'd be difficult doing face to face let alone via long distance MSO.

What I can suggest is familiarise yourself with the solving methods on typical types of questions/patterns. And thoroughly review / study the questions you missed in the mock to add to your knowledge bank. Good luck.

 

[movpin]

Is there a post UCAT discussion thread now that testing season has begun?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Is there a post UCAT discussion thread now that testing season has begun?

Post UCAT Discussion 2024

For all your post testing chatter! Good luck everyone!

medstudentsonline.com.au

 

[John539]

Hiya, I just finished my ucat with a 3260 (from Vic) , I was wondering if this was competitive enough for interstate uni’s such as UNSW or UON? Also when do percentiles come out? Thanks

 

[clairdelune]

What score should be aimed for an offer from Adelaide Med for a rural applicant (MM3). And does how rural you are (MM2-MM5) matter or is everyone within that range simply classified as rural (all on one level)?

 

[A1]

What score should be aimed for an offer from Adelaide Med for a rural applicant (MM3). And does how rural you are (MM2-MM5) matter or is everyone within that range simply classified as rural (all on one level)?

I'm not sure of Adelaide Med rural specifically, generally 60ish %ile UCAT for most schools. The higher the better of course.

For Adelaide it's rural or non-rural, they don't differentiate MM2-MM5 rurality.

 

[plshelpmeoutpls]

guys is 22 days enough to study for the ucat if i study for like 10 hours a day to get a 3000 score, lets assume im relatively smart thanks pls reply i hope im not screwed