Please send any questions you may have to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 1300 974 187.

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See UCAT 2022 Date

Candidates taking the UCAT ANZ in 2022 for entry to universities in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 should note these key dates (deadline times are in AEST - Australian Eastern Standard Time): 

Students will have to apply to each individual university by the published deadline, which is usually by late September. Some universities might have a different deadline date, and hence students are highly encouraged to do their research early.

The medical interview offers usually begin to progressively come out from mid-October onwards. Different universities will have specific dates for releasing the interview offers, as well as when the interviews will be held for the local and interstate applicants.

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The following UCAT ANZ test fees apply in 2020: 

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See UCAT Format

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The UCAT ANZ is a compulsory entry requirement for our Australia and New Zealand Consortium universities.  You are required to sit the test by 31 July 2020 if you are intending to apply for entry in 2021 to a relevant course or programme listed below. UCAT ANZ results cannot be carried over from one year to the next.  For example, results from UCAT ANZ 2020 can only be used to apply for courses commencing in 2021.

Some pathways to medicine/dentistry/clinical sciences will not require the UCAT ANZ. For some applicants, a different test may be required. You should always check the entry requirements for each course or programme using the websites of the universities to which you intend to apply before booking a test. 

There are no general exemptions from the test. 

(Reference: ucat.edu.au 2020)

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UCAT is held once a year in July.

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UCAT usually opens in early March. 

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UCAT score is required by most of the universities in Australia and New Zealand offering undergraduate medicine and dentistry.

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Universities which offer Undergraduate Medicine without the requirement for UCAT are: 

• James Cook University (Medicine/Dentistry) - the selection is based on ATAR, Application, and the Interview. Read more...

• Bond University (Medicine) - the selection is based on ATAR, Bond Psychometric Test, and the Interview. Read more...

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Below you will find some guidance about the UCAT scores and how the UCAT Scoring system might possibly be used by Australian and New Zealand Universities for 2020 medical entry.

The exact information on how Australian and New Zealand consortium universities will use the UCAT scores within their admissions process will be published on the university websites later in 2019.

In general, when you leave the test centre you will be given details of how you can log-on to the Pearson VUE system and retrieve your UCAT Score Report.   Results are valid for the 2019 university admissions cycle only (for entry to university in 2020).

Delivering UCAT Results to Universities

After the university application deadlines have passed VUE then communicates your test result directly to our UCAT ANZ Consortium universities, usually in early September. You do not need to pass your test result to your universities yourself.

For clarity, VUE does not and cannot pass your mark onto any universities outside the UCAT ANZ Consortium.

You will have your test result before the university application deadline so please ensure you use this to help inform your university choices, otherwise, you might be wasting an application. 

Please note, that the below UCAT scoring system is based on the current UKCAT scoring system and is provided in order for you to gain an understanding of how the UCAT might be scored. The exact information on how the UCAT scores will be used by the universities will be released later in 2019.

Same as with the UMAT, there is no negative marking for incorrect UCAT answers. UCAT scores will be based on how many questions you will answer correctly, and in some instances, you will also be able to score marks for giving partially correct answers.

UCAT is made up for 5 subtests, four of which are cognitive, and one is non-cognitive.

The UCAT scores differ between the cognitive and non-cognitive subtests.

UCAT Cognitive Subtest includes Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning.

UCAT Non-cognitive Subtest is Situational Judgement Questions.

Read more on the scoring of Cognitive and Non-cognitive UCAT Subtests...

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In 2018 UMAT was held for the last time. While UMAT got replaced by the UCAT, it is important to understand the vast similarities and also some of the difference between the exams. The purpose of both exams, the UMAT and the UCAT is the same, that is,  assess the skills and abilities developed over the course of your education and life experience that are considered by the universities to be important to the study and practice of medicine and the health sciences. To operate most effectively in these career areas graduates will need to be flexible, to have good thinking skills (critical and analytical), to be able to respond quickly to new situations and problems, and to have a well-developed ability to understand and respond to patients’ needs and individual situations. For these reasons UMAT and UCAT (both are psychometric aptitude tests) have been developed as a test that are not based on learned academic curriculum or study of particular subjects, but as a test of your response to a stimulus that will not necessarily be familiar.

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NIE is Australia’s oldest and most reputable training organisation in our industry. With a proud history rooted in academia and quality education, NIE was founded in 1999, twenty years ago, with one goal in mind: to provide excellent assistance to medical applicants, medical students, medical specialists, and medical organisations, in partnership with career advisory and education networks throughout Australia and New Zealand.

We invest in our clients and their families, because our clients are the future of healthcare in our country. We also provide experienced support for doctors in medical specialist fields who may require medical interviews, psychometric testing, or high quality university or workplace applications, to help them attain the medical role they aspire to. With consistency in our quality services across the medical education training industry, we arrive at work every day dedicated to empowering the next generation of doctors.

We hold ourselves to the highest levels of accountability, and work hard to maintain our place as Australia’s Number 1 provider of medical interview training resources, courses, coaching and information. Our tried and tested principles include consistency, authenticity, transparency and student empowerment, with our training and teaching techniques incorporating the latest research in neuroscience, emotional intelligence, memory retention, educational design, public speaking, self development and psychometrics.

Our personalised and family-centred service has enabled us to help more aspiring medical applicants achieve entry to medical school than any of our competitors.

“NIE is an Australian institution in medical entry admissions. They helped my father gain entry to a medical program 18 years ago; they helped me do the same last year; and now they are preparing my little sister for a future in medicine as she finishes up Year 11. We feel like they are part of our family, and they support us every step of the way to reaching our dreams.”
~ Edward Tan

School Careers Advisors refer to NIE as ‘turnkey medical education training providers’ – because we look at the big picture for you and your family, and we guide you through the confusing waters of medical entry right from initial concept, through work experience and UCAT, and beyond university applications, medical interviews and psychometric testing. Our specialists travel throughout Australia, presenting at high schools on behalf of career advisory services, encouraging students to prepare for medical entry the correct way, rather than leaving their admission up to chance.

Our most meaningful moments are in following the accomplishments of our students as they progress from high school to medical school and beyond, and when clients of ours return to us as fully qualified medical practitioners, ready for guidance into their medical specialty, our whole team of experts is behind them, supporting them and cheering them on.

The first question we ask any family that engages us is the same: Are you ready to achieve your dreams of a career in medicine? And do you have what it takes?

NIE Specialist Services

National Institute of Education is renowned for our following services:

• One-on-One Medical Interview coaching (online and in person)
• National medical entry workshops
• Simulated UCAT Days (SUDs)
• Simulated MMIs (in coaching and workshops)
• Interviews Skills Advanced Studios – immersive training experiences
• Medical entry ‘Confidence Webinars’ – psychological help for addressing self doubt
• UCAT resources
• KAPLAN training
• Psychometric Test preparation
• GAMSAT resources
• GAMSAT interview and preparation assistance
• Medical program application preparation assistance
• Parent information sessions – Support for getting your child into Medicine
• High school information evenings – Medical Careers Advice
• Industry Talks and Round Tables – Medical Admissions

Being established in the industry as Australia’s oldest and most trusted provider, our valued families return to NIE again and again as parents progress through the professional echelons of medicine, and children and siblings then rise to the same challenge. We believe in supporting whole families, and we do what it takes to ensure that our applicants, where possible, gain offers from multiple university medical and dental programs.

As written about us in My Health Career, National Institute of Education’s “– sound educational ethos of specific distance education supported with ongoing teacher access and finalised with the excellent NIE face-to-face workshop and tuition, has been proven year after year as a well-structured, clear, concise, practical and effective preparation tool.”

We speak throughout Australia at career development events and have ongoing relationships with some of Australia’s best schools and educational institutions to train their emerging talents for medical entry. Please do not hesitate to call our NIE Medical Career School Advisory Service if you would be interested in applying to have our doctors and medical entry specialists come to speak at your school.

Still Australia’s Number 1 Medical Education Training Provider

NIE gets more students into medicine than any other provider, and we have experienced consistency in our success rates for twenty years, despite the many changes to the medical admissions industry. Our students’ entry results, UCAT results, and the success of our NIE referral system speaks for itself. Families dedicated to successful medical entry engage NIE to help them navigate the ever-changing environment of medical admissions.

NIE is internationally recognised, safety accredited, and is a member of Australia’s peak national body representing tutoring organisations and educational tutors nationally, the Australian Tutoring Association (ATA). As members of ATA, we endeavour to work alongside lobby groups and raise the standards of tutoring in Australia using industry research, tutoring trends, best practices and the highest quality resources. ATA also contributed to the development of the Child Safe Standards in relation to the legislation that took effect 1st January 2017, and all our trainers hold WWCC cards, having completed Working With Children Checks and police clearance.

Our gold standard is emphasised in NIE’s position as official Kaplan Certified Education Providers, gaining recognition in 2019 as official partners of KAPLAN Global, worldwide leaders in UCAT preparation.

After twenty years of excellence, we have attracted to our NIE team industry specialists in Medicine, Health, Advanced Science, Education and Teaching, Psychology, Adolescent Development, Test Performance, and Gifted and Talented Education. Our staff are dedicated to the NIE ethics of diversity, accessibility, excellence, transparency and care – and we collaborate openly with our NIE families to share best practice across all aspects of our business, because your success is our success.

NIE’s one-on-one Interview Training Sessions are the only Medical Interview Coaching program in Australia that gives aspiring medical students up close access to their own educational or psychological consultant specialising in medical program admissions, who creates a tailored and personalised coaching program based on each applicant’s own aptitude, experiences, key strengths and universities of interest. We know that success begins in the mind, and many of our students gain lifelong awareness of their own capabilities during personalised training sessions.

We invest in the latest technologies to enable high quality training online from any place in the world, making you feel like you are in the same room with leaders in the medical program entry field. With advanced speaking, strategic, psychological and memory-retention skills that we humbly share with our students, we give you the option to gain excellence in medical interviews from the comfort of your own home over the internet, in our NIE offices, or in an immersive, group environment. We work in partnership with our NIE families to do whatever works best for you.

NIE are committed to excellence – to our clients, to our NIE families of clients, to our partner organisations such as KAPLAN, and to the future of the Australian and New Zealand medical industry. We hope you join us on the journey into the future of quality healthcare.

Psychometric and Interview Training for Medical Specialists

Australian medical specialists who are progressing to the next level of their education of career may wish to enquire about our psychometric and interview training packages for aspiring medical specialists.

As many medical entry interviews now ask high school leavers and undergraduate medical school applicants about their aspirations for speciality medicine, this list can also serve as a great reference for our younger clients to choose from, should they wish to focus any parts of their medical interview training on the specialty of their choice.

• Anaesthetist – administers anaesthesia and monitors patients during surgery, and treats chronic pain syndromes
• Cardiologist– treats heart conditions
• Dermatologist – treats skin conditions, including some skin cancers
• Endocrinologist– treats conditions of the endocrine system, which is a group of organs in the body that make hormones
• Gastroenterologist– treats digestive disorders
• GP – general practitioner
• Gynaecologist– treats conditions of the female reproductive system and genital tract
• Haematologist– treats conditions of the blood and blood-forming tissues
• Neurologist– treats conditions of the nervous system
• Neurosurgeon – performs surgery on the brain and nervous system
• Obstetrician– treats women during pregnancy and childbirth
• Oncologist– treats cancer and other tumours
• Ophthalmologist– treats eye injuries and conditions
• Oral and maxillofacial surgeon– surgically treats conditions, injuries and birth defects of the hard and soft tissues of the face, mouth and jaws
• Orthopaedic surgeon– treats injuries and conditions of the musculoskeletal system
• Otolaryngologist– treats conditions of the ear, nose, throat and neck
• Paediatrician– treats infants, toddlers, children and teenagers
• Plastic surgeon– restores, reconstructs, corrects or changes the shape and appearance of facial and body features
• Psychiatrist– treats people with mental and emotional health issues
• Radiologist- uses medical imaging technologies to diagnose and treat injury and disease
• Respiratory physician– treats conditions and diseases of the lungs
• Rheumatologist– treats rheumatic conditions characterised by inflammation, muscles soreness or joint pain
• Urologist – diagnoses and treats the urinary tract and the male reproductive system.

If you are interested in a specialty that is not on this list, please mention it to our friendly staff when you book your medical interview training session on 1300 974 187.

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Read about UCAT Fear Campaign

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We would like to emphasise that at NIE we never hire trainers or tutors who are simply past UCAT  candidates or students, even if they scored highly in the test. Remember, scoring 100% in the UMAT does not mean the student got 134/134 in the test - in fact not even close to it. NIE's comparative analogy has always been that if you or your child got 100% on the Learner's Driving Test, does that mean they can now teach someone else to drive? More importantly, would you trust that tutor's experience in training your child for the upcoming critical test? Do not forget, to have the knowledge is completely different to being able to teach that knowledge. Teaching is an Art and requires special skills. Having knowledge in something does not mean it can be taught successfully unless the teacher has the skill of effective, motivational teaching and understanding of the student's individual learning needs.

All NIE teachers are academics and mature professionals with a minimum of two degrees behind them. NIE is also a member of the Australian Tutoring Association (ATA), and we are proudly accredited by KAPLAN to run KAPLAN UCAT preparation classes, which means our teachers have undergone hundreds of hours of training and assessment before proceeding with teaching the students. If you do your research you will find that this is very important, and is also recommended by the Australian Department of Fair Trading when hiring a tutor. Last, but not least, all NIE teachers are holders of the Working With Children Checks (WWCC).

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Department of Fair Trading in Australia sets guidelines when choosing a course or a tutor. Some of their points are as follows:

Tips for parents:
Tutoring can help enhance your child’s performance at school. However, choosing the tutoring service that’s right for your child can sometimes prove a little challenging. It is essential that parents do some research beforehand.

Questions to ask:
Parents should think carefully before signing up and/or paying for any tutoring service, no matter how good it sounds. Asking a range of questions about the service is a good way to help you decide if it is the right service for you and your child:

• How long has the tutoring service been in business?
• Does the service belong to a relevant industry association with an enforceable code of conduct eg. the Australian Tutoring Association? (Note: UCAT NIE is the UCAT preparation provider who is a member of the Australian Tutoring Association and has the teachers accredited by the association. UCAT Kaplan training is taught by NIE teachers who have undergone hundreds of hours of training and have been accredited by KAPLAN).
• Have the tutors been interviewed face-to-face by the tutoring service?
• What are the qualifications and experience of the tutor who will be tutoring your child?
• Are the tutors trained specifically in the subject area in which they are tutoring?
• Have reference checks been conducted on the tutors?
• Does the tutor hold the appropriate Working With Children check?
• If the tutoring service is at a specific location is there an opportunity to visit the location?

Bogus offers:
Question any deal, including tutoring services, that sounds too good to be true because it probably is. In particular:

• be wary of overseas or interstate institutions promoting their services on the internet
• be cautious when dealing with a company that relies on web-based communication and doesn’t offer telephone numbers or teachers' contact details. 

False and misleading advertising:
Be wary of high-pressure sales tactics as well as false advertising. Advertising can be a useful source of information but it can also mislead the unsuspecting.

You should receive accurate information about the tutoring service you want to purchase. It is illegal for the tutoring service to:

• make misleading or deceptive claims about their services
• advertise products or services with false endorsements
• claim benefits they simply do not have
• make false representations about the standard, quality or value of the services

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