7 August 2023
Laura Black
By email:
[FYI request #23439 email]
Kia ora Laura
I refer to your information request dated 8 July 2023 made under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act). You have requested information relating to entry into the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
programme for the past five years (2018-2022 application years), as follows:
“1)
How many people applied through the “graduate” category (excluding sub-categories)
for Dentistry?
2)
Lowest GPA for successful graduate applicants (excluding sub-categories) for Dentistry.
3)
Highest GPA for unsuccessful graduate applicants (excluding sub-categories) for
Dentistry.
4)
Of those individuals who applied, how many received an interview invite?
5)
Of those individuals who received an interview invite, how many received an offer?
6)
Interview UCAT cutoff for graduate applicants for Dentistry each year.”
Subject to the following comments, please see below the information you have requested:
•
The information is provided by entry year e.g. applications received in 2018 for entry into the
programme in 2019.
•
With regard to question 3,
you will note that GPA scores of highest unsuccessful applicants are
higher than the lowest successful applicants, this is because in order to receive an offer,
applicants must meet all other requirements for entry to the BDS programme i.e. UCAT and
interview thresholds. Further information abou
t entry requirements for the BDS programme
can be found on the University of Otago website.
•
With regard to question 4, the numbers provided include all applicants who were invited for
an interview however this number could include invitees who did not attend their interview.
•
With regard to question 6, the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) was not used by the
University of Otago as an admissions test in 2019. The University used the Undergraduate
Medicine and Health Science Admission Test (UMAT) during this period. The University
started using UCAT in 2020.
1.
How many people applied through the “graduate” category (excluding sub-categories) for
Dentistry?
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Number of General Graduate Category
(Excluding Sub-category) Applications – By Entry Year
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
165
141
167
107
150
2.
Lowest GPA for successful graduate applicants (excluding sub-categories) for Dentistry
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Lowest Successful General Graduate Applicant
(Excluding Sub-category) GPA Score – By Entry Year
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
7.13
7.51
7.00
8.13
8.63
3.
Highest GPA for unsuccessful graduate applicants (excluding sub-categories) for Dentistry.
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Highest Unsuccessful General Graduate Applicant
(Excluding Sub-category) GPA Score – By Entry Year
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
8.63
7.65
7.54
9.70
9.43
4.
Of those individuals who applied, how many received an interview invite?
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Number of General Graduate Invited to Interview
– By Entry Year
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
64
45
70
40
73
5.
Of those individuals who received an interview invite, how many received an offer?
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Number of General Graduate Offers – By Entry Year
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
36
24
38
13
16
6.
Interview UCAT cutoff for graduate applicants for Dentistry each year
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) General Graduate UCAT Thresholds – By Entry Year
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
See comment
Verbal
Verbal
Verbal
Verbal
above.
Reasoning:
Reasoning:
Reasoning:
Reasoning:
threshold set at
threshold set at
22nd percentile
22nd percentile
the bottom 20th
the bottom 25th
or higher.
or higher.
percentile.
percentile.
Decision
Decision
Situation
Situational
making: Score
making: Score
Judgement:
Judgement:
630 or higher.
630 or higher.
threshold set at
threshold set at
Scores for
Scores for
the bottom 10th
the bottom 10th
Situational
Situational
percentile.
percentile.
Judgement,
Judgement,
Decision
Decision
Quantitative
Quantitative
Making:
making: Score
Reasoning, and
Reasoning, and
threshold set at
640 or higher.
Abstract
Abstract
the 57th
Scores for
Reasoning were Reasoning were
percentile.
Quantitative
not considered.
not considered.
Scores for
Reasoning and
Quantitative
Abstract
Reasoning and
Reasoning were
Abstract
not considered.
Reasoning were
not considered.
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I trust that this information will be helpful.
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.
Ngā mihi
Jenny Shaw
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
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