The Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT /ˈjuːmæt/ YOO-mat) was a test previously administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in Australia and New Zealand to assist in the selection of domestic students for health science courses, including most medical (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) and dental degree programs, as well as other health science practical studies such as physiotherapy and optometry.
[citation needed] UMAT did not reliably predict academic performance in university medical programs.
[3][citation needed] Before the introduction of the UMAT as a component of university entrance requirements, the sole criterion for entry into medical or health science degrees in Australian universities was final year high school (Year 12) results.
A consortium of universities found this criterion too restrictive, as it did not reflect all the qualities required to successfully study and practice medicine.
These qualities include: critical thinking and problem solving, ability to understand people, and abstract non-verbal reasoning.
The following universities were members of the UMAT Consortium:[5] Due to its inclusion as a mandatory admission requirement into medical and health science courses, as well as the highly competitive nature of entry into such courses, there has been some controversy regarding the UMAT's relevance,[7] structure and necessity.