UMAT: Frequently Asked Questions

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• When should I start preparing for the exam?
• What are the important dates for the UMAT?
• What can I bring on exam day?
• What should I do with reading time?
• How much time do I get per question?
• How should I approach the paper tactically?
• How many questions should I look to be getting right?
• How is the paper marked?
• What do results mean, and when do they come out?
• What are the criteria for undergraduate universities?

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• Should I start preparing for the exam, and if so how and when?
• no simple answer
• personally, I started preparing 3-4 months before the exam, which led to a
result I was pleased with and that secured several interviews. I felt as though my
improvement had started to plateau towards the end of that period, but that
there were still things I could have improved on.
• though rare, I have seen people achieve scores upwards of the 80th percentile
without any preparation, and equally I have seen people prepare for 6 months
and not secure interview-range scores – basically, natural ability factors into the
final result in a big way, so while preparation helps it’s no guarantee.
• for someone serious on doing well in UMAT, I would recommend 6-12 months
of preparation.
• also remember that you can only sit UMAT when in year 12 or later.
• as for how to prepare, various methods including workshops, resources, videos,
notes and tutoring are all available – personally I think resources such as practice
papers are the most valuable.

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• What are the important dates for the UMAT?

* not specific dates as they change each year

•registrations open: early December

• registrations close: early June
• late registrations close (+ late fee): mid June
• exam day: late July
• results released: late September

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• What can I bring on exam day?
You are allowed to bring/you must bring:

• printed UMAT ticket

• ID: one of either your passport, driver’s license, keypass or proof of age card
• HB pencils
• sharpener
• eraser
• clear bottle of water
• analogue wristwatch

All other objects are not allowed and must be placed at the front of the room or
under your desk, depending on instructions.

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• What should I do with reading time?
• There is 10 minutes of reading time at the start of the paper.
• You already know what the structure and general nature of the exam is, so
flicking through the paper generally won’t provide you with much additional
information.
• Instead, it’s probably preferable to spend reading time doing a few questions in
your head so that when writing time begins you can fill in your answers.
•In 10 minutes of reading time, you can realistically get through 5-10 questions,
which effectively puts you 5-10 questions ahead of those who don’t use reading
time effectively, allowing you to allocate more time per question for the
remainder of the exam.
• I tend to recommend section 2 questions as the best for reading time given
you can generally work out answers without the need for pen and paper.

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• How much time do I get per question?
• 134 questions
• 180 minutes
• 1 minute and 20 seconds per question.

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• How should I approach the paper tactically?
• There are two main options:
• going through section by section: this method is best used by people who stay in
the same frame of mind for longer periods of time, those who are far better/worse
at some sections than others, and those who are looking at applying to universities
that place different weightings on each section. If you use this approach, you need
to be careful to fill in your answer grid correctly despite jumping back and forth
through the paper.
• going through the paper from q1 ---> q134: this method reduces time spent
flicking back and forth between the paper and reduces the chances of making a
mistake on the answer grid, but gives you less control over the types of questions
you do at different time points.
• Regardless of which method you use, remember to use your reading time effectively by
doing a few questions in your head(as discussed previously).
• It may also be a good idea to keep track of your progress by seeing how many questions
you’ve done at different time-points (22/23 questions per half hour or 45 per hour is
ideal).

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• How many questions should I look to be getting right?
• No way of knowing for certain as the results you ultimately receive don’t resemble the
raw number or percentage of questions you got correct.
• From what I’ve seen and from what is advised at many UMAT workshops, getting 70%
questions right puts you in range of a good score.
• In reality, given the pressures of the day and the difficulty of the real exam, this may be
an overestimate. Additionally, the scores required for each section will likely differ.
• The important thing to appreciate is that you don’t need anything close to 100% to get
an interview-range score.

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• How is the paper marked?
• Again, this is a question that is difficult to answer given the lack of transparency from
ACER.
• It is thought that each question is worth a different amount based on how many people
get it correct – more points are awarded for those which less people get right.
• Additionally, not everyone receives the same paper, and some questions are just ‘trial
questions’, and are thought to be discounted in the final score.
• Ultimately, a score for each section is devised and each section is weighted the same.

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• What do results mean, and when do they come out?
• A score for each section of the paper is determined through the method described on
the previous question. This score will correspond to a percentile for that section, which
you’ll be able to see on the graphs provided. The total of the three section scores give
your total score, which again corresponds to a percentile, which will be provided on the
certificate.
• The percentile your overall score corresponds to is the most meaningful piece of
information you receive – much of the rest is arbitrary.
• Results tend to come out in mid to late-September via the ACER website, without
warning.
• Results are currently valid for a year.

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• What are the criteria for undergraduate universities? (1/2)
* For standard entry (i.e. not bringing into consideration factors such as rural background, mature age etc).

• James Cook University: JCU states an OP of 6 or better is required (ATAR >90). UMAT does not factor into JCU’s
criteria for medicine. Interviews are undertaken in a panel style, and there is also a written application.
• Bond University: Bond advise an ATAR of 97+ is required to be competitive. As of 2016, the UMAT is not
required. Interview is MMI style.
• JMP (Universities of Newcastle and Armidale): ATAR and UMAT just act as ‘hurdles’, after which admissions are
given based on interview performance. ATAR hurdle is 94.30, UMAT hurdle is Section 2 and 3 scores both above
50th percentile, and Section 1 generally above 85th-90th percentile. Interview is in MMI style.
• UWS: The ATAR or equivalent academic performance score is simply a hurdle, with a cut-off of 93.5 for GWS
(greater Western Sydney) applicants and 95.5 for non-GWS applicants. For UMAT, half of the Section 3 score is
removed to give a weighted overall score (S1+S2+(1/2)S3). Though not published, it is thought the GWS cut-off was
most recently approx 150 and the non-GWS 155. If both of the ATAR and UMAT hurdles are passed, applicants
undergo an MMI interview. Places are given based mostly on this interview but also UMAT scores.

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• What are the criteria for undergraduate universities? (2/2)
* For standard entry (i.e. not bringing into consideration factors such as rural background, mature age etc).

•UNSW: ATAR, UMAT and interview are weighted equally. Though ATAR cut-off is technically 96+, the median is
approximately 99.70. UMAT score requirements depend on ATAR, though are generally above 80th percentile.
Interview is in the panel style.
• Monash University: very similar to UNSW in terms of competitiveness, with median ATAR 99+. UMAT cut-off for
interview tends to be in the low to mid-90 percentiles. Interview is in MMI style.
• University of Tasmania: due to very small number of interstate places, applicants from outside of Tasmania must
generally have very UMAT scores. Lower UMAT requirements for Tasmanian applicants, though minimum section
scores of 50, 60 and 45 for Sections 1,2 and 3 respectively are required. Minimum ATAR of 95 required, though
realistically may be higher. No interview undertaken.
• University of Adelaide: Adelaide weight their criteria as follows: 40% interview, 40% ATAR and only 20% UMAT.
The minimum ATAR is 90, though the median is far higher. A UMAT score in the 80th percentile + is required.
Interview is in the panel style.

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