6 September 2023
By email
: [FYI request #23814 email]
Tēnā koe J
I refer to your information request dated 13 August 2023 made under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). You have requested information in relation to entry to the 2020 – 2023 Bachelor of
Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programmes at the
University of Otago via the Graduate category.
Please see below our response to your request.
1. What was the minimum, mean and maximum weighted GPA scores for Graduate entry into
MB ChB and BDS? Please include all sub-categories (Māori, Pacific, Rural, Refugee etc.)
2. What was the number of applicants, applications considered, offers made, and offers
accepted for the 2020 – 2023 cohorts (including all sub-categories)?
Subject to the following comments, please see the attached spreadsheet which contains the
information you have requested. Please note that there are three pages in the spreadsheet (one for
MB ChB, one for BDS, and one for the number of applications.
• the information is provided by entry year – e.g., the 2020 data is in relation to applicants
applying in 2019 for entry to the programmes in 2020.
• it is the University’s standard practice to not report on information where it relates to fewer
than five individuals and we consider that such disclosure could affect an individual’s privacy
and wellbeing. Where the numbers are very low, there is a risk that the identity of these
individuals could be determined or inferred, and that their personal information could be
revealed. Accordingly, where there were fewer than five applicants to apply, receive offers, or
be admitted to the BDS or MB ChB programmes via a specific sub-category, we have withheld
this information, as well as the maximum, mean and minimum weighted GPA scores –
pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of the Act.
• please note that there were no applications to the 2020 MB ChB or BDS programmes via the
Graduate socioeconomic sub-category.
• please note that not all applicants who receive offers to enter the programmes may accept
their offers to enter the programmes. For example, applicants may have applied to more than
one programme or tertiary education provider.
3. What was the UCAT threshold for General Graduate entry applicants and the respective sub-
categories of entry for the 2020 – 2023 cohorts?
MB ChB:
The MB ChB UCAT criteria are set annually by the University’s Medical Admissions Committee. Where
UCAT was used as a threshold for admission, the thresholds for entry to the 2020 – 2023 MB ChB
programmes were as follows:
• 2020:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 20th percentile.
o Situational Judgement: threshold set at the bottom 10th percentile.
o Scores for Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not
considered.
• 2021:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 20th percentile.
o Situational Judgement: threshold set at the bottom 10th percentile.
o Scores for Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not
considered.
• 2022:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 20th percentile.
o Situational Judgement: threshold set above the bottom 10th percentile.
o Scores for Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not
considered.
• 2023:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at or above the 20th percentile.
o Situational Judgement: threshold set at or above the lowest 10th percentile.
o Scores for Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not
considered.
BDS:
The BDS UCAT criteria are set annually by the University’s Dental Admissions Committee. Where UCAT
was used as a threshold for admission, the thresholds for entry to the 2020 – 2023 BDS programmes
were as follows:
• 2020:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 20th percentile.
o Situational Judgement: threshold set at the bottom 10th percentile.
o Decision Making: threshold set at the 57th percentile.
o Scores for Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not considered.
• 2021:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 25th percentile.
o Situational Judgement: threshold set at the bottom 10th percentile.
o Decision Making: score of 640 or above met the threshold.
o Scores for Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not considered.
• 2022:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 22nd percentile.
o Decision Making: score of 630 or above met the threshold.
o Scores for Situational Judgement, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning
were not considered.
• 2023:
o Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 22nd percentile.
o Decision Making: score of 630 or above met the threshold.
o Scores for Situational Judgement, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning
were not considered.
I trust that this information will be helpful.
In the above cases, we consider that good reasons exist for withholding information, and this is not
outweighed by other considerations which would make it desirable, in the public interest, to make the
information available. If you are not satisfied with our response to your information request, section
28(3) of the Act provides you with the right to ask an Ombudsman to investigate and review this
response. However, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns with you first.
Yours sincerely
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
