How Will Medical Schools Use UCAT? Here's a Summary

How Will Medical Schools Use UCAT? Here's a Summary

1 month ago by Rob

A common question asked by medicine hopefuls is how UCAT will be used to select applicants into medical school.

Most universities use a combination of three factors when selecting students into medicine or dentistry. These include:

  1. UCAT ANZ scores (either cognitive subtests* only, or all UCAT subtests)

  2. Medical interview performance

  3. Secondary school performance (ATAR / IB) or GPA

*UCAT cognitive subtests include UCAT Verbal Reasoning, UCAT Decision Making, UCAT Quantitative Reasoning and UCAT Abstract Reasoning

Each university is different, and some universities change their medical entry requirements at short notice. Further, they are often not transparent about the weightings of various subtests of UCAT, UCAT/ATAR weighting for interview selection, and UCAT/ATAR/Interview score weighting for final offers.

Here’s a summary:

 

Course

How is UCAT used?

How is UCAT weighted?

How are students selected for interview?

How are students selected for a place?

Adelaide University
Medicine

Cognitive subtests only
(SJ used in the case of ties)

20% UCAT

Based on UCAT

20% UCAT

40% interview

40% ATAR

Auckland University
Medicine

All five subtests combined

15% UCAT

Based on GPA/CST

15% UCAT

25% interview

60% GPA/CST

Charles Darwin University
Bachelor of Clinical Sciences

Cognitive subtests only

10% UCAT

No interview

10% UCAT

90% ATAR

Curtin University
Medicine

Approx 90th+ percentile for standard applicants

40% UCAT

60% ATAR

(To select for interview)

Based on UCAT + ATAR

20% UCAT

40% interview

40% ATAR

Flinders University
Medicine

Cognitive subtests only,
equally weighted

10% UCAT

No interview

10% UCAT

90% ATAR

Griffith University
Dental Science
Approx 90th+ percentile for standard applicants 20% UCAT Based on UCAT

20% UCAT

40% interview score

40% ATAR/GPA

Monash University
Medicine

Approx 90th+ percentile for standard applicants

33% UCAT

December round: Based on UCAT only

January round: Based on UCAT + ATAR

33% UCAT

33% Interview

33% ATAR

Newcastle University
Medicine

Cognitive subtests only

100% UCAT

(to select for interview)

100% UCAT

Interview + PQA

University of New South Wales
Medicine

Overall cognitive subtest score;
at least 50th centile required (in reality 90th+ percentile needed for standard applicants)

33% UCAT

Based on UCAT + ATAR

33% UCAT

33% Interview

33% ATAR

Otago University
Medicine

Minimum score in each
subtest required

Threshold only

No interview

GPA

University of Queensland
Medicine

Cognitive subtest score,
SJ and VR used as secondary
and tertiary selectors, respectively

25% UCAT

UCAT

(2990 in 2021)

ATAR/UCAT: 25% each

Interview: 50%

University of Tasmania
Medicine

Cognitive subtests only

(cut off 50th percentile)

Threshold only

No interview

ATAR

University of Western Australia
Medicine

Approx 90th+ percentile for standard applicants

33% UCAT

UCAT and predicted/actual ATAR

33% UCAT

33% Interview

33% ATAR

Western Sydney University /
Charles Sturt University
Medicine

Approx 90th+ percentile

(lower for rural and GWS students)

100% UCAT

(to select for interview)

100% UCAT

(once academic threshold met)

UCAT + Interview

(greater emphasis on interview)

Note: Please ensure you check the relevant university website for the latest information, as changes can occur frequently and without notice.

 

Comprehensive admissions information relating to all courses (including dentistry and postgraduate medicine) can be found at https://www.medentry.edu.au/universities/university-admissions-guide

The Medical Entry Handbook has additional information.

 

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