UCAT ANZ 2020: SJT Scoring
3 years ago by Rob
UCAT ANZ Situational Judgement test performance will be displayed as a scaled score, and not as bands, as it was previously. In this blog, we will discuss what this change means for you.
What exactly is changing?
Previously, scores in the Situational Judgement Test of UCAT were provided in one of four bands, with band 1 being the highest:
- Band 1: excellent performance, similar judgement to a panel of experts
- Band 2: good performance, showing appropriate judgement frequently
- Band 3: modest performance, showing appropriate judgement in some questions
- Band 4: low performance, judgement differing substantially from ideal responses
In 2020, raw marks in the UCAT ANZ Situational Judgement test will be converted to scaled scores, which range from 300 to 900. That is, the UCAT Situational Judgement test will be marked in a similar manner to the cognitive subtests of UCAT (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning).
There will be no change to the way the UCAT Situational Judgement questions are marked. That is, as was the case previously, full marks will be awarded if your response matches the correct answer, and partial marks will be awarded if your response is close to the correct answer.
What’s the difference between a band and a scaled score?
The change simply represents a different way of expressing your UCAT Situational Judgement test raw score. Regardless of whether the UCAT score is displayed in a band or as a scaled score, your UCAT score will continue to be based on how you perform in relation to other UCAT candidates.
That is, for all UCAT subtests, your raw scores are compared to other students, and from this your UCAT score is calculated. For the UCAT Situational Judgement test, you are either placed in a band (previously) or will be given a scaled score (currently).
There are other factors which are taken into account when converting your UCAT raw scores to scaled scores, which are discussed in detail in the MedEntry UCAT Course.
What does this mean for me?
Essentially, this change means that the UCAT ANZ Situational Judgement test is even more important. Your score will be more easily comparable with other UCAT candidates, and Situational Judgement scores will be a better discriminator among students sitting UCAT.
Previously, anyone who achieved a score in the top 20% of UCAT candidates will have been placed in band 1. That is, if you were in the top 20% of candidates, or in the top 1% of candidates, you will have been placed in band 1. Now, your score can range from 300 to 900. If you score closer to 900, you will set yourself apart from other UCAT candidates.
This means that your performance in each UCAT Situational Judgement question has the potential to influence your score, so it is even more important that you perform to the best of your ability in these UCAT questions.
What is MedEntry doing to address this change?
When scoring Situational Judgement tests on the LMS, MedEntry will provide students with:
- A percentile ranking, which enables you to easily compare your performance to other students (for example, a percentile of 80 means you have performed better than 80% of candidates, and 20% of candidates have performed better than you)
- An estimated scaled score ranging from 300 to 900
This comprehensive feedback will allow you to track your progress and see how you are performing in relation to other UCAT candidates.
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