Assessment of personal qualities

The Joint Medical Program's selection process includes an assessment of your personal qualities. Your personal qualities are just as important and influential to the learning and practice of medicine as your academic abilities.

To assess your personal qualities, you must sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ). Based on your results, you may be eligible to receive an invitation to the Joint Medical Program Assessment. You must attend the assessment day to be considered for final selection into the Joint Medical Program.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ)

The UCAT ANZ test is designed to assess your general skills and abilities that are considered to be important to the study and practice of medicine. The test isn't based on learned academic curriculum or study of particular subjects. Intensive preparation is not advisable or necessary. UCAT ANZ scores are valid only for admission in the year following the test.

UCAT ANZ comprises 5 subtests – details regarding each of the subtests is available here. The JMP will calculate an aggregate score based on the scores achieved in the following subtests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning. It is this aggregate score that will be used to rank candidates for invitation to JMP Assessment (refer below for additional information). The fifth subtest, Situational Judgement, will not form part of the JMP selection process for admission 2025.

UCAT ANZ does not work with commercial preparation companies or endorse the use of materials offered by these companies.  It is strongly recommended that you prepare for the test using the free practice materials which have been developed by the UCAT ANZ Consortium. The UCAT ANZ Consortium has also provided a preparation plan video which contains advice on how best to go about preparing to sit the UCAT in 2024.

The UCAT ANZ cut-off for invitation to JMP Assessment will not be determined until after direct University applications have closed. The cut-off for rural and non-rural applicants will differ as the UCAT ANZ cut-off is dependent upon the performance of the particular applicant cohort.  Note: there is no threshold requirement attached to the subtests.

You're required to provide photographic proof of identity on the day you sit the UCAT ANZ test. Additional information is available on the UCAT ANZ website.

Please note: There are two external tests currently used in selection processes for admission to medical schools in Australia: UCAT ANZ (for selection to undergraduate-entry medicine and dental programs) and GAMSAT (for selection to graduate-entry medicine and dental programs). The two tests are different and applicants cannot claim an exemption from sitting one test by citing a score in the other.

Joint Medical Program Assessment

Invitations to attend the Joint Medical Program Assessment will be based on UCAT ANZ test results. Applicants who haven't been contacted by mid-November should assume their application wasn't successful.

The Joint Medical Program Assessment must be conducted in person during the designated testing period at either the University of Newcastle or the University of New England. If you're invited and don't attend, without adequate written explanation, we'll assume you have withdrawn your application.

Proof of identity: As with UCAT ANZ, applicants are required to provide photographic proof of identity when they attend for interview (see UCAT ANZ website). Applicants who fail to present acceptable photographic identification will not be able to undertake the MSA or PQA.

The Joint Medical Program Assessment has two parts:

1. Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA)

The PQA is an online test designed to assess a range of personal qualities that are considered to be important for the study and practise of medicine. You must complete the online PQA on the same day as your allocated MSA session.

Visit the PQA website for more details.

2. Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA)

The MSA is made up of eight, eight-minute rotating stations. At each station, you'll discuss various scenarios and undertake activities with the assessor.

You'll be assessed on your:

  • capacity to thrive within the Joint Medical Program learning environment
  • ability to make everyday and important decisions affecting yourself and others, often without certainty about the outcome
  • interpersonal and communication skills
  • degree of personal desire and driving force to be a doctor.

When you fill out the online Joint Medical Program direct university application, you must indicate your preferred MSA location: either the University of Newcastle (Callaghan) or the University of New England (Armidale).

We try to match students with their preferred MSA location, but this isn't guaranteed. Where you sit your test doesn't determine your final enrolment location. Interviews will not be conducted at an alternative location, via telephone, via teleconference or outside the set periods.

When%3F

NSW, QLD, ACT and all rural applicants: late November - early December 2024

All other non-rural interstate applicants: mid January 2025

Where%3F

Newcastle or Armidale (location doesn't influence enrolment location)