What is the UMAT?
UMAT is developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the UMAT Consortium universities. The test is used specifically to assist with the selection of students into the medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs at undergraduate level at the universities listed below.
Participating Universities:
- The University of Adelaide
- The University of Auckland
- Bond University
- Griffith University
- La Trobe University
- University of Melbourne
- Monash University
- University of Newcastle
- University of New South Wales
- Oceaniamed
- University of Otago
- University of Queensland
- University of Tasmania
- University of Western Australia
- University of Western Sydney
Who can sit the UMAT?
UMAT is available to any candidate whose educational level at the time of sitting the test is their final year of secondary schooling, or higher. Candidates registering for UMAT2011 should have already completed, or plan to complete their final year of secondary schooling in 2011 (ie Year 12 in Australia; Year 13 in New Zealand).
About the UMAT:
The UMAT is forever changing as are the ways in which it is used. The number of courses it relates to also grows each year.
The evidence in favour of UMAT preparation is clear. Exposure to the many types and the continual practicing of questions indicitave of the real UMAT exam will profit students and improve their chances of success.
Even students with high enter / op scores may fare poorly in the UMAT exam, missing out on a place in the course of their choice, due simply to not being sufficiently prepared.
Familiarization, awareness, strategy development and practice are a part of appropriate preparation for anything requiring discipline. UMAT is no different to any other test, assessment or performance. In many cases, preparing for UMAT has proven to be the deciding factor in successfully being offered an interview. For future medicine hopefuls the UMAT exam may be the toughest and most important exam of their lives - be prepared!
UMAT Myths and Lies:
1.You can not prepare for UMAT.
This lie is fiercely promoted by ACER and the universities. Fact is that most successful med school students do sit prep courses and most admit happily that the prep did improve their scores. Furthermore ACER themselves now provide numerous practice books so that students can prepare and their official annual Handbook has been changed to: "we do not recommend preparation". It had originally stated: "you can not prepare". Hypocritical!
2.UMAT is just like any other test.
UMAT is a highly speeded psychometric test... have you ever sat one of those before?
3.You're smart at school so you will be ok in the UMAT.
UMAT engages strategies, reasoning skills and mental gear-shifting unlike any of your academic studies. Being smart at school has no correlation with the UMAT.
4.UMAT isn't that important.
During 2007 only the top 15% or so were offered UMAT interviews based on their UMAT. In 2008 around 10% were offered interviews. You can have a perfect Yr12 score but with out a top UMAT score you have no chance at all of entry. In Fact it is so critical to some universities that they actually place more importance on the UMAT than the whole of your Yr12.
5.The universities will know if you do a prep course.
Institutes like umatNewZ have their student records protected by legal privacy laws and policies.The only way the universities will know is if you tell them.
6.Doing a prep course can jeopardise your entry.
It will only help, unless you do a course that misleads you. So be aware of who the teachers are and what the course content is.
7.UMAT is a valid and fare assessment tool.
No! Yr12 students are already under enough pressure. The exam favours intelligence types, not intelligent people or even empathetic people. The whole process is unfair and unreasonable. Hence umatNewZ has no ethical qualms in giving it's students an unfair advantage.
8.UMAT relates to medicine.
One of the most misunderstood myths. The UMAT has nothing to do with medicine. Take some sample questions to your Doctor, we guarantee that most Doctors will struggle with the UMAT. UMAT is a precisely nasty selection aid designed to get rid of 90% of the applicants mid year. It legally protects the universities when they say 'NO' to thousands of students.
9.Prep courses need to be associated with Doctors.
As mentioned above, UMAT has no relevance to medicine and any prep course that promotes an association with Doctors or has Doctors as teachers is simply pulling the wool over your eyes and is playing on the myth that UMAT relates to medicine. It doesn't!