Welcome to Medical Entrance via UMAT

Q: What is the UMAT?
A: The UMAT is a collection of standardized questions which aim to rank the students’ logic and reasoning ability, interpersonal skills, and abstract non-verbal reasoning. Hence the UMAT eliminates irrational prejudice against particular groups of students

Q: Who was the UMAT developed by?
A: The Undergraduate Medicine & Health Admissions Test (UMAT) was designed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on the behalf of the UMAT Consortium as a method of assessing possible entrants into medicine and other health science courses at the undergraduate level.

Q: What does the UMAT examine?
A: The UMAT examines the student’s logic and problem solving skills, empathy and interpersonal skills and spatial and non-verbal reasoning skills.

Q: Is the UMAT curriculum-based?
A: The UMAT evaluates general skills and attributes from previous experience and learning and is not curriculum-based.

Q: How is the UMAT structured?
A: The UMAT consists of three sections. Section I of the UMAT consists of 44 questions. Section II of the UMAT consists of 36 questions. Section III of the UMAT consists of 30 questions.

Q: How much time will be allocated to each of the three sections of the UMAT?
A: The UMAT candidate will be given 65 minutes to complete Section 1 of the UMAT, 45 minutes for Section II of the UMAT and 40 minutes for Section III of the UMAT.

Q: Why was the UMAT introduced as part of the selection criteria for Health Science courses?
A: The UMAT was introduced to satisfy a community’s need for empathetic health professionals with an ability to communicate with patients. As part of the selection criteria, UMAT works in conjunction with an interview in most medical schools to assess qualities not often reflected in an academic record.

Q: For which Health Science course is the UMAT a prerequisite?
A:

The UMAT is a prerequisite for Medicine at the University of Adelaide, Bond University, the University of Melbourne, Monash University, the University of Newcastle, the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland, the University of Tasmania, the University of Western Australia, the University of Western Sydney, the University of Auckland and the University of Otago.

The UMAT is a prerequisite for Dental Surgery at the University of Adelaide, and at the University of Otago.

The UMAT is a prerequisite for Oral Health at the University of Adelaide, Griffith University, and the University of Melbourne.

The UMAT is a prerequisite for Dental Science at the University of Melbourne, and the University of Western Australia.

The UMAT is a prerequisite for Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne.

The UMAT is a prerequisite for Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Otago.

Q: Who can undertake the UMAT?
A: UMAT can be undertaken by students who are in their final year of secondary schooling or higher. Students who are in year 11 or lower are not eligible to sit for the UMAT. This includes year 11 students who are undertaking one or more year 12 subjects.

Q: Are my high school results more important than success in the UMAT?
A: The UMAT is a prerequisite for Medicine and a number of Health Science Courses at most Australian universities. Success in the UMAT is thus vital for gaining acceptance into one of these courses. Furthermore, in many Health Science courses the UMAT is equally weighted with the high school results and the interview.

Q: Is the Medical Interview more important than success in the UMAT?
A: Some Universities favour the UMAT in the selection process above the interview. However other universities favour the interview or performance in high school exams. The UMAT candidate is thus advised to prepare well for all three components of the selection criteria.

Q: When will the next UMAT take place?
A: UMAT will be held on Wednesday 29^th July 2009.

Q: When can I register for UMAT?
A: Registrations for UMAT open in mid April and close on the 9^th June.

Q: How do I register for the UMAT?
A:

The completed registration form and payment must be received at the UMAT office by 5.00pm AEST on 9^th June. Late registrations will be accepted for up to two weeks after the closing date with an additional late fee.

You may register online or using the hard copy registration form in the envelope in the centre of the UMAT Info Book. If you are registering online, you must pay online with a credit card. If you are registering by mail, it is important to complete the form according to the instructions given in the UMAT Info Book. Include the payment in the envelope.

Q: Will I be able to contact the UMAT office to enquire if my UMAT registration has been received?
A: If you live in Australia, you may complete and stamp the acknowledgement of receipt card, which will be sent back to you when your registration is processed. The UMAT office discourages UMAT candidates from contacting the office regarding receipt of their UMAT registration.

Q: What is the cost of undertaking the UMAT?
A: The UMAT registration fee is $150 (AUD).

Q: If I wish to submit a late UMAT registration, is there an additional cost?
A: For late registrations, a fee of an additional $55 will be accepted for up to two weeks after the closing date.

Q: I wish to sit for the UMAT overseas. Is there an additional cost to the UMAT registration?
A: If you wish to sit for the UMAT overseas, in London or Singapore, an additional $165 (AUD) to the registration fee is required.

Q: I have a concession card. Does the full UMAT registration fee still apply to me?
A: For holders of a Health Care Card the UMAT registration fee is $60, provided that a signed copy of the Health Care Card is included with the registration. All payments must be in Australian Dollars.

Q: If I decide to cancel my UMAT registration, can I get a refund?
A: You may request to cancel your registration and to obtain a refund within 2 weeks after the closing date. The cancellation must be made in writing and the administrative charge for this is $30.

Q: If I am unable to sit for the UMAT on the test day due to illness or other misfortune can I still undertake the UMAT?
A: An alternative date will be provided for UMAT candidates who suffer from serious illness or misfortune on the day of the UMAT. This provision does not apply for UMAT candidates who suffer from a minor illness such as a cold.

Q: How do I contact the UMAT office regarding my inability to sit for the UMAT due to illness or misfortune?
A: The UMAT candidate must contact the UMAT office in writing at least one week prior to the UMAT and provide a medical certificate with a detailed explanation regarding the nature of the illness from a registered health professional.

Q: If I experience unanticipated illness on the day of the UMAT, what should I do?
A: If the UMAT candidate experiences unanticipated illness on the day of the UMAT, he or she must provide the UMAT office with a written explanation of the circumstances, no later than 3 working days after the UMAT.

Q: When will the alternative UMAT date be held?
A: The alternative test date will be scheduled within 2 weeks of the main test date and this will be the only alternative test date available.

Q: I have a visual impairment but I would still like to sit the UMAT. Do I get special consideration?
A: If you suffer from a physical disability, a hearing or a visual impairment, which might interfere with your ability to undertake the UMAT, you should write a letter regarding this and send it to the UMAT office with your registration and payment. Your registration must include a letter from a registered health professional, supporting your statement. The UMAT office will provide you with appropriate testing conditions on the day. However you will not receive special consideration for your test results.

Q: Why are the UMAT scores scaled?
A: UMAT scores are scaled to compensate for differences in difficulty of the UMAT from year-to-year.

Q: What is the percentile score of the UMAT?
A: The percentile score for each section of the UMAT indicates your performance in that section compared to all other UMAT candidates. Percentile scores are valid for one year.

Q: What is the maximum UMAT result that I can achieve?
A: UMAT scores are between 0 and 100.

Q: When will I receive my UMAT results?
A: The UMAT results will be posted to each UMAT candidate in late September.

Q: If I am unhappy with my UMAT results, can I ask for a remark?
A: The UMAT candidate may apply for a remark of their exam paper if they believe that it was not marked correctly.

Q: Do I need to pay a fee for remarking of my UMAT paper?
A: An $85 fee is necessary for this service and this must be sent with a written request no later than 20^th October.

Q: What happens if a scoring error has been found on my UMAT paper?
A: If a scoring error is found, the re-mark fee will be refunded.

Q: If I have a physical disability or if I suffer a misfortune prior to the UMAT, can I ask for special consideration to be applied to my UMAT results?
A: It is not possible to receive special consideration for the UMAT results under any circumstance, regardless of the nature of the illness or the misfortune. If the UMAT candidate experiences an illness or a misfortune prior to or on the day of the UMAT, he or she may apply to sit the UMAT on an alternative test date.

Q: For how long is my UMAT score valid?
A: The UMAT scores are valid for 2 years.

Q: I have been told that my UMAT score is valid for 2 years. What does this mean?
A: This means that if the UMAT candidate sits for the UMAT in 2007, his or her UMAT scores will be available to be used in 2008 and 2009.

Q: If I sit for the UMAT twice, which UMAT score will be included in my application?
A: If the UMAT candidate sits for the UMAT twice, only the most recent score will be used.

Q: Will my percentile scores also be valid for two years?
A: Though the UMAT scores are available for two years after taking the UMAT, the percentile scores will be valid for only one year.

Q: Why will my percentile scores only be valid for one year?
A: This is because the percentiles are determined by comparing the UMAT candidate’s score with the scores of the other UMAT candidates for each section. Hence, if a UMAT candidate sits for the UMAT in 2007, his or her UMAT percentiles may be different in 2008 and 2009 because the UMAT candidate’s UMAT scores will be compared to the scores of a different cohort of UMAT candidates in the two years.

Q: How many times can I sit the UMAT?
A: You may undertake the UMAT as many times as you like.

Q: What should I bring with me on the day of the UMAT?
A: On the day of the UMAT, you must bring your UMAT Admission Ticket, photo-bearing ID, pencils (medium soft HB or No. 2) and an eraser.

Q: Can I bring my mobile phone or wallet with me into the UMAT examination room?
A: All equipment such as pens, pencil cases, rulers and scissors are prohibited. Equipment such as mobile telephones, calculators, any recording devices and dictionaries are also prohibited.

Q: Why have I been advised to only bring the most essential items with my to the UMAT testing centre?
A: There will be limited storage space available at the UMAT test centre and your wallet and essential items may be left while you are in the examination room. However UMAT candidates are advised to only bring the essential items with them on the day of the UMAT.

Q: What is the UMAT ID number?
A: Once your registration is processed, you will be issued with a UMAT ID number and this number will be on your UMAT Admission Ticket which you will need to bring with you on the day of the UMAT.

Q: Why do I need to keep a record of my UMAT ID number?
A: You will need to keep a record of your UMAT ID number as this should be quoted on your university applications.

Q: What is the UMAT Admission Ticket ?
A: The UMAT Admission Ticket will be issued to the UMAT candidate approximately two weeks prior to the day of the UMAT. The UMAT Admission Ticket contains the UMAT candidate’s personal information as well as their UMAT ID number.

Q: Why is the UMAT Admission Ticket important?
A: You will not be able to attend the UMAT unless you can present your UMAT Admission Ticket on the day of the UMAT. The UMAT admission ticket will tell you where and at what time you need to report on the day of the UMAT.

Q: What form of identification can I bring with me to the UMAT?
A:

Your identification must contain a recent photograph, your name, your date of birth and your signature.

The acceptable ID documents are a current passport, a photo-bearing driver’s or a learner’s permit, an 18+ Card or a Proof of Age Card or a Keypass.

Q: If I do not have a driver's licence or a learner's permit, an 18+ Card or a Proof of Age Card or a Keypass. what other means of ID will be accepted at the UMAT testing centre?
A: If you do not have any of the above forms of ID, you may obtain a certified letter of identification from your school, another educational institution or workplace.

Q: What should the letter of identification contain?
A: The letter of identification should include your name, date of birth, a passport photo glued to the letter with the institution stamp overlapping, a signature and title of the person who has issued the identification letter and your signature.

Q: What will happen if I do not present appropriate ID on the day of the UMAT?
A: If you do not present any of the acceptable forms of identification, you will not be able to undertake the UMAT.