If you want to get into medicine in 2020 registrations for the UCAT are now open.
Two West Australian universities have switched from the University Medical Admissions Test (UMAT) to the University Clinical Admissions Test (UCAT) for the 2020 intake:
- Curtin University is the only one to offer school leavers direct access to medicine as an undergraduate degree. The UCAT is now the external exam that is part of the application process.
- UWA – Direct Entry to Medicine and Dentistry. A limited number of students with an ATAR of 99 will be offered direct entry to medicine or dentistry. Those who are confident of an outstanding ATAR score must do the UCAT as part of their application process. Direct Entry students undertake an undergraduate degree before starting medicine.
The University of Notre Dame is the other West Australian university to offer medicine. Applicants must have successfully completed a degree as part of the application process and they undertake an external test for graduates (GAMSAT)
The UCAT seems better than the old UMAT.
It is a 2 hour, multiple choice, competency based test that seeks to determine your innate suitability to become a doctor. It can be done at any time in July but must be done by the end of the month.
The test is done in your final year of school and you can only do the test once per year. The 2019 test is only for entry to medicine in 2020.
There are 5 elements to the test – Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Situational Judgement. There is an abundance of information about the tests on the UCAT site.
Why UCAT is Better
Students from regional and remote schools don’t have to take time off school during term time to do the test.
There has been a lot of consideration given to applicants who have a medical condition or disability and modified tests are available for those applicants.
There has been a lot more work done to prepare students for the tests. There are practice tests, videos, tutorials, question banks…. everything they can think of to help you to perform well, has been provided.
UCAT’s attention to providing information and coaching on techniques and timing is the best way to prepare for the test. You must do the preparation that is provided on the UCAT site if you hope to be competitive in the test.
Further Information
As this is the first time the UCAT has been run in Australia there will be little knowledge to share among applicants but Whirlpool and Medstudentsonline are two social media sites where you can chat to other applicants around Australia.
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