UCAT Score Use by Med and Dent Schools

[ABT123]

BIG update:

UNSW won't be considering SJT this year.

View attachment 2837

Source: Local applicants | Medicine

A1 says : I told y'all not to sweat about SJT

Damn, I’d inquired previously and they made it seem as if SJT was a factor of high importance, which made me a bit worried. But tbh though, I’m glad they changed it to just sections 1-4.

 

[A1]

So this means we have confirmed non-use of the SJT from a significant portion of the unis, and no confirmed actual use as of yet. Is this consistent with how it's used in the UK?

From memory about one third of the UK schools don't use the SJT, one third disqualify the bottom band (~20-25%). A few use it but in a very different fashion - they don't use the Overall score but divide the section scores into bands eg. 800-900= 9, 700-800= 8 etc and give SJT 4/3/2/0 for its four bands, then total up the band scores.

 

[ucatboy]

Monash's exact use of SJT is still TBD for the time being then? Which other unis still haven't fully revealed how they're using the subtest?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Monash's exact use of SJT is still TBD for the time being then? Which other unis still haven't fully revealed how they're using the subtest?

See page one of this thread (deduce from there).

 

[wobblepong]

Just got in touch with support at Western Sydney Uni about whether or not they are using the 75% MMI/25% UCAT weightings for offers, and this is what they responded with. Looks like they're going with a 50/50 approach.

 

[yop234]

Just adding onto the post above - this is what I got from my chat with them:

Thanks for getting in touch with us at Western.
The university assesses applicants on academic rank and UCAT to offer a place into the MMIs. There is no specific UCAT threshold as many people ask each year, however, each university selects questions in the UCAT that they would like applicants to answer correctly and select them from there.

Following this, interviews are conducted and marked.

The admission team then assess applicants on their MMI and UCAT score (whilst its not exactly 50:50, it is close with greater emphasis put on MMI scores but UCAT being used as a further defining criteria for applicants who are equal in MMI score and Academic Rank/ATAR).

So essentially, UCAT and MMI are not equal but are assessed equally when applicants rank the same in certain components

I then asked about whether the selected questions meant actual questions or whether they meant sections (Ex. VR, AR, etc.) and they responded:

Great, I am glad to hear. It is such a convoluted system and can understand how confusing it is.

Essentially, the universities are able to view the UACT (previously UMAT) exams and assess each section and select questions that are more applicable to the cohort of students they would like. E.g - one year may require more quantitative reasoning questions, another year may require more verbal reasoning etc... It changes every year and we have no idea what they want in advance.

Then asked for further clarification bc it sounded like in the first msg that maybe ATAR was competitive and they said:

That's okay, I'm more than happy to help.

Essentially the academic rank and ucat is used as a hurdle at first to get offered a spot in the MMIs. After the MMIs are marked, if there are many students tied, they will then assess them based on their UCAT scores/questions they got correct then their academic rank

 

[ponyswordz]

What email did you guys use to contact WSU? I have tried emailing but they still haven't responded to me.
Just out of curiosity, how do they arrange for which section of the UCAT gets weighted more than other sections? Different candidates sat different versions of the UCAT exam (where each version has a slightly easier section 1 and 2 for example and a harder section 3 and 4 and the opposite also applies vice versa). Sounds strange for them to allocate interview offers according to weighted sections rather than a total sum (eg. someone could get 3200 UCAT: 900 for section 2+3+4 and 500 for section 1 hypothetically with a total UCAT sum at the very top percentile and still not get an interview offer (if WSU decides to weigh section 1 at like 90% and all other sections at 10% combined). Sounds pretty unfair to me.

Thanks!!

 

[gmd]

What email did you guys use to contact WSU? I have tried emailing but they still haven't responded to me.
Just out of curiosity, how do they arrange for which section of the UCAT gets weighted more than other sections? Different candidates sat different versions of the UCAT exam (where each version has a slightly easier section 1 and 2 for example and a harder section 3 and 4 and the opposite also applies vice versa). Sounds strange for them to allocate interview offers according to weighted sections rather than a total sum (eg. someone could get 3200 UCAT: 900 for section 2+3+4 and 500 for section 1 hypothetically with a total UCAT sum at the very top percentile and still not get an interview offer (if WSU decides to weigh section 1 at like 90% and all other sections at 10% combined). Sounds pretty unfair to me.

Thanks!!

Yeah hopefully they are aware of this.

 

[medhopeful2001x]

Just adding onto the post above - this is what I got from my chat with them:

Thanks for getting in touch with us at Western.
The university assesses applicants on academic rank and UCAT to offer a place into the MMIs. There is no specific UCAT threshold as many people ask each year, however, each university selects questions in the UCAT that they would like applicants to answer correctly and select them from there.

Following this, interviews are conducted and marked.

The admission team then assess applicants on their MMI and UCAT score (whilst its not exactly 50:50, it is close with greater emphasis put on MMI scores but UCAT being used as a further defining criteria for applicants who are equal in MMI score and Academic Rank/ATAR).

So essentially, UCAT and MMI are not equal but are assessed equally when applicants rank the same in certain components

I then asked about whether the selected questions meant actual questions or whether they meant sections (Ex. VR, AR, etc.) and they responded:

Great, I am glad to hear. It is such a convoluted system and can understand how confusing it is.

Essentially, the universities are able to view the UACT (previously UMAT) exams and assess each section and select questions that are more applicable to the cohort of students they would like. E.g - one year may require more quantitative reasoning questions, another year may require more verbal reasoning etc... It changes every year and we have no idea what they want in advance.

Then asked for further clarification bc it sounded like in the first msg that maybe ATAR was competitive and they said:

That's okay, I'm more than happy to help.

Essentially the academic rank and ucat is used as a hurdle at first to get offered a spot in the MMIs. After the MMIs are marked, if there are many students tied, they will then assess them based on their UCAT scores/questions they got correct then their academic rank

This sounds kinda absurd. So they take specific questions from the sections. Ok, what about the fact that there's at least 3 variants of each section that people have sat. Sounds like a nightmare trying to standardise which questions to use from each subtest in a way that's still equitable to people across the board.

 

[yop234]

What email did you guys use to contact WSU? I have tried emailing but they still haven't responded to me.
Just out of curiosity, how do they arrange for which section of the UCAT gets weighted more than other sections? Different candidates sat different versions of the UCAT exam (where each version has a slightly easier section 1 and 2 for example and a harder section 3 and 4 and the opposite also applies vice versa). Sounds strange for them to allocate interview offers according to weighted sections rather than a total sum (eg. someone could get 3200 UCAT: 900 for section 2+3+4 and 500 for section 1 hypothetically with a total UCAT sum at the very top percentile and still not get an interview offer (if WSU decides to weigh section 1 at like 90% and all other sections at 10% combined). Sounds pretty unfair to me.

Thanks!!

I talked to them through the online chat on their website! (try mon-fri 9am-5pm/sat 10am-2pm?)

I too think its really weird what they're doing. I have no idea how they're arranging to weigh each section of the UCAT in an equal way and like gmd said, I'm not really sure they'll disclose that information :/ as hard as it sounds like it'll be for them to assess the sections and questions for the UCAT equitably, i really hope they do it in a way that doesn't result in anyone being disadvantaged!

 

[Totolier]

is there any likelihood that UON/JMP is gonna weigh verbal reasoning very high like wsu

 

[Logic]

is there any likelihood that UON/JMP is gonna weigh verbal reasoning very high like wsu

They've stated that it will simply be the aggregate score used --> "UCAT ANZ comprises 5 subtests. The JMP will calculate an aggregate score based on the scores achieved in the following subtests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning. It is this aggregate score that will be used to rank candidates for invitation to the Assessment of Personal Qualities (refer below for additional information). The fifth subtest, Situational Judgement, will not form part of the JMP selection process for admission 2020." and A1's note: Apparently JMP has confirmed they will simply use the overall score" and "A1's note: Apparently JMP has confirmed they will simply use the overall score."



Source: UCAT Score Use by Med and Dent Schools

 

[A1]

Just adding onto the post above - this is what I got from my chat with them:

Essentially the academic rank and ucat is used as a hurdle at first to get offered a spot in the MMIs. After the MMIs are marked, if there are many students tied, they will then assess them based on their UCAT scores/questions they got correct then their academic rank

We have now got FOUR official versions of how WSU rank applicants for place offer:

- WSU website says both MMI and UCAT are used, with higher emphasis on the MMI

- WSU's reply in this post says 50/50 > UCAT Score Use by Med and Dent Schools

- WSU accreditation report says 75% MMI / 25% UCAT

- The bolded quote above means it's 100% MMI with UCAT as tiebreaker (tiebreak is when there are many students tied).

They are just telling you fibs to shoo you away

 

[aspiringlol]

Does anyone have any new information for how Monash will be using the UCAT?

 

[_Anonymous_]

Like the UMAT, do universities weigh certain sections more heavily than the other 4? If so, any examples of which universities do so?

Thanks.

 

[Some guy]

It varies between unis, and they don't generally release details of how any weighting is applied. As an example based on observation of interview offers, WSU weighted VR pretty heavily this year while JMP may not have weighed any section..

This far out from the test I'd say just practice everything.There's no guarantee the 2019 weightings will still be the same this year.

 

[bdreamcatcher]

Hey, any information for Otago NZ?
im gona be in the alternative category applicant.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hey, any information for Otago NZ?
im gona be in the alternative category applicant.

Alternative category applicants don’t sit UCAT at all though, so the weighting/use is irrelevant for you, isn’t it? Is that changing?

 

[woodstock]

Hi, I read last year that WSU put a heavy focus in VR when sending out interview invites. Is it likely that it will be the same this year? Has WSU always consistently prioiritized one section when it used to be UMAT as well?
Thanks

 

[A1]

Has WSU always consistently prioiritized one section when it used to be UMAT as well?

With UMAT they were consistent with the sections but did change the relative weighting ratios. Before my year 2015-16 it was rumoured to be S1+S2 + 50%S3, then gradually reduced S3 further to the point for 2018-19 it looked like S1+S2 + just 10%S3.

With this trend likely they will continue to weight VR heavily, but more or less than last year is anyone's guess.