nmat orientation

NMAT Orientation

By the Academics Committee of the Medicine Student Council

About the NMAT

What is NMAT?

• The National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) is an instrument designed to upgrade the selection of applicants seeking admission to Philippine medical schools

Is taking the NMAT required?

• Medical Act of 1959, DECS Order No. 52 series 1985

• Board of Medical Education (BME), under and in consultation with the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges (APMC), required the NMAT as a prerequisite for admission in all medical schools nationwide beginning school year 1986-87.

Is taking the NMAT required?

• While there is no current national cut-off score for NMAT, the UP College of Medicine cut off score for admission is 90.

Description of the Test

What composes the NMAT?

• The NMAT is a two-part test: Part I consist of tests of mental ability and Part II tests of academic proficiency.

Part I of the NMAT

• Part I has four subsets: Verbal, Inductive Reasoning, Quantitative and Perceptual Acuity

• The four subtests that compose Part I measure aptitudes that were found to have significant correlations with academic performance of medical students, while

Part I of the NMAT

• Verbal . This subtest consists of two types of test items, namely, word analogies and reading comprehension, which measure verbal ability in English. – Items in reading comprehension are based on the

content of portions of published materials covering a wide range of topics, e.g., social, scientific, medical, philosophical, literary

Part I of the NMAT

• Inductive Reasoning . This subtest consists of number, letter, and figural series, and figure grouping items. – These items are known to measure induction,

which is the ability to form, and test hypothesis directed at finding a principle with which to identify an element fitting a given relationship

Part I of the NMAT

• Quantitative . This subtest consists of three types of items, namely, fundamental operations, problem solving, and date interpretation. – These items are intended to measure general

reasoning, which is defined as the ability to organize and apply knowledge of basic mathematics and reasoning to find solutions for them

Part I of the NMAT

• Perceptual Acuity. This subtest consists of three types of items, namely, hidden figures, mirror images, and identical information. – Solutions to these items involve accuracy in visual

perception, an ability linked to extensiveness of scanning , a cognitive style associated with meticulousness, concern with detail, and sharp, yet wide-ranging focus of attention

Part II of the NMAT

• The four subsets of Part II of the NMAT are: Biology, Physics, Social Science, and Chemistry

• The four subtests that compose Part II measure subject proficiency in areas which are part of the academic background required of applicants to the medical course.

Part II of the NMAT

• The items in the four subtests are limited to the content coverage of the areas that are common and basic to the curricula of the degree programs considered as premedical courses– Social Science includes items in psychology,

sociology and anthropology

Part II of the NMAT

• These four subtests measure complex mental abilities because solutions to the items require the use of the different cognitive skills of knowledge, comprehension, application (process), analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Test Scores

Test Scores

• Part I of the NMAT yields five scores, one for each of the aptitude subtests and their summative score, the APT Composite

• Part II yields five scores, one for each of the four special subject areas and their summative score, the SA Composite

Test Scores

• The General Performance Score, or GPS, is the summative score derived from the eight subtests.

Computation of Scores

• The results on the test are converted to standard scores from normalized scales, which have points ranging from 200 to 800 and midpoints of 500.

• These scales were mathematically derived from the NMAT performance of the norm group. The test, therefore, is norm-referenced.


• The test results of examinees are automatically compared to that of the norm group, which has mean scores of 500 (coincident to the midpoint 500) and a standard deviation of purposes of ranking.


• This scale has points ranging from 1- to 99+ with a midpoint of 50 which corresponds to the midpoint of 500 in the normalized standard score scales.


• An examinee’s raw score or number of correct answer in a subtest is converted to its equivalent standard score.

• The eight subtests have a common normalized scale. This makes possible the comparison of reported scores across the eight subtests.


• The APT Composite and SA Composite are the summative raw scores of Part I and Part II, respectively, which are then converted to their equivalent standard scores from a common normalized scale.


• The general Performance Score (GPS) is the summative raw score of the eight subtests, which is converted to its equivalent standard score and corresponding percentile rank.


• The three standard scores are independent scores although they yield to the same interpretation of standard scores and percentile ranks.

Test Results

Test Results

• Your NMAT score will be printed in the Examinee Report (ER). The original copy of this form will be mailed to you six weeks after the test date.– To safeguard the authenticity of the results, your

score will also appear in the masterlist of test scores.

Test Results

• To maintain confidentiality, the ER is given only to examinee himself. – Phoned in inquiries on an individual’s scores will

not be entertained

Test Results

• In case an examinee needs a second copy of the ER, he may file a written request for a second copy of the Examinee Report. – (ER) may be filed at CEM after two weeks from the

release of the test results. A minimal retrieval fee is charged for every copy of the ER

Test Results

• The Center for Educational Measurement does not entertain rechecking of NMAT answer sheets. – The results contained in the NMAT masterlist are

official and are guaranteed free of discrepancies. – Medical schools and Higher Education Regional

Offices must, therefore, refer only to the masterlist for official scores.

Requirements and Procedures for Admission to Philippine Medical

Schools

Prerequisite 1: Bachelor’s Degree

• An aspirant to the medical course must possess a bachelor’s degree with credits in the following

Subject Minimum CreditsBiology 15 unitsChemistry 10 unitsMathematics 9 unitsPhysics 5 units

Prerequisite 2: National Medical Admission Test (NMAT)• Applicants to medical schools in the

Philippines are required to take the NMAT.

• The NMAT scores obtained by a student at any given examination year are deemed sufficient and valid as basis for evaluating applicants for admission to a college of medicine.

Prerequisite 2: National Medical Admission Test (NMAT)• There is no cut-off score on the NMAT;

however, each school may independently set its own cut-off score on the test.

Medical Schools CUT-OFF GRADE

Cebu Institute of Medicine 40

Far Eastern University- Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation

40

Fatima Medical Science Foundation, Inc. College of Medicine

None

Manila Central University Filemon Tanchoco Sr. Medical Foundation

None

Source: Dean/ Registrar Offices as cited by Paul Bisnar MD in Filipino MD’s blog http://doktorko.com/_blog/index.php?mod=blog_article&a=91&md=897


Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Medicine

45

Saint Lukes Medical Center William Quasha Memorial Foundation

65

San Beda College of Medicine None

University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center: College of Medicine

55



University of Perpetual Help Rizal Jonelta Foundation School of Medicine

None

University of the Philippines College of Medicine

90

University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery

65


***REMEMBER: NMAT cut-off for UPCM is 90%.

Prerequisite 3: Certificate of Eligibility for Admission (CEA)• The CEA application form may be obtained

from the regional offices of the Commission on Higher Education.

Prerequisite 3: Certificate of Eligibility for Admission (CEA)• Foreign students may apply at the

Commission on Higher Education located at the National Engineering Center Building, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Prerequisite 4: Applicant’s Acceptance in Medical School• The CEA does not automatically assure the

applicant of a slot in any of the medical schools in the country. – A student who has been issued a CEA is given full

acceptance only upon meeting the other requirements of the admitting medical school, such as passing the interviews.

ANY QUESTIONS?

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