nie.com.au the UMAT Facts and Figures, Myths and Lies

"Their cousin did the UMAT this year and she thought it was a shocker but no preparation etc, in fact her comment was that most people had no idea what the UMAT was all about!"

On the day, just hours before the 2009 UMAT some NIE students heard those who hadnt prepared with NIE discussing their preparation:
Girl 1: "Did you study?"
Girl 2: "I did a practice exam last night..."
Girl 1: "I did one this morning..."

Post UMAT 2009, referring to section 3, another student who had not prepared with NIE was heard to comment:
"last part I had 20 questions to go... I'm like what the ...."

Post UMAT 2009, some more non-NIE students discussing how they went:
Student 1: "I have no hope; no hope of doing any good..."
Student 2: "No me either."

Post UMAT 2009, another non-preparing student, flustered yet still hopeful, muses:
"It's amazing to see how many people were there.
Makes you realise how many people want to do medicine..."

Since 2002 the UMAT has been modified annually in both question style and content.

2005 realized the total eradication of the SII Scenario type questions but also a stabilising in the number of shapes type questions in SIII.

For 2006, the infamous SIII shapes questions were totally removed leaving only sequence type visual puzzles and SII was expanded to include some variations of the emotional type questions presenting more of a psychological nature.

2008 introduced more probability and math-based questions to SI, whilst taking from SIII the analogical 'this is to this..' type questions.

1.You can not prepare for UMAT.

This lie is fiercely promoted by ACER and the universities. Fact is that most successful med school students do sit prep courses and most admit happily that the prep did improve their scores. Furthermore ACER themselves now provide numerous practice books so that students can prepare and their official annual Handbook has been changed to: “we do not recommend preparation”. It had originally stated: ‘you can not prepare”. Hypocritical!

2.UMAT is just like any other test.

UMAT is a highly speeded psychometric test…have you ever sat one of those before?

3.You're smart at school so you will be ok in the UMAT.

UMAT engages strategies, reasoning skills and mental gear-shifting unlike any of your academic studies. Being smart at school has no correlation with the UMAT.

4.UMAT isn’t that important.

During 2007 only the top 15% or so were offered UMAT interviews based on their UMAT. In 2008 around 10% were offered interviews. You can have a perfect Yr12 score but with out a top UMAT score you have no chance at all of entry. In Fact it is so critical to some universities that they actually place more importance on the UMAT than the whole of your Yr12.

5.The universities will know if you do a prep course.

As a government accredited RTO, Institutes like NIE have their student records protected by legal privacy laws and policies.

6.The universities will know if you do interview prep.

YES! Unless you do the NIE program which is strictly designed to prepare students in a way that they will present in an extremely natural, open and proactive manner. Some courses are so obvious and deliberate in their interview prep that the students feel they must say what the panel wants to hear. These students are seen through very quickly. NIE has a 100% success rate with it’s interview training.

7.Doing a prep course can jeopardise your entry.

It will only help, unless you do a course that misleads you. So be aware of who the teachers are and what the course content is.

8.UMAT is a valid and fare assessment tool.

No! Yr12 students are already under enough pressure. The exam favours intelligence types, not intelligent people or even empathetic people. The whole process is unfair and unreasonable. Hence NIE has no ethical qualms in giving it’s students an unfair advantage.

9.UMAT relates to medicine.

One of the most misunderstood myths. The UMAT has nothing to do with medicine. Take some sample questions to your Doctor, we guarantee that most Doctors will struggle with the UMAT. UMAT is a precisely nasty selection aid designed to get rid of 90% of the applicants mid year. It legally protects the universities when they say ‘NO’ to thousands of students.

10.Prep courses need to be associated with Doctors.

As mentioned above, UMAT has no relevance to medicine and any prep course that promotes an association with Doctors or has Doctors as teachers is simply pulling the wool over your eyes and is playing on the myth that UMAT relates to medicine. It doesn’t!