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 wideranging 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.

Computation of Scores
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.

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

Computation of Scores
An examinees 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.

Computation of Scores
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.

Computation of Scores
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.

Computation of Scores
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 individuals
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: Bachelors
Degree
An aspirant to the medical course
must possess a bachelors degree
with credits in the following
Subject Minimum Credits
Biology
15 units
Chemistry
10 units
Mathematics
9 units
Physics
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 UniversityDr. Nicanor Reyes

Medical Foundation

40

Fatima Medical Science None

Foundation, Inc. College
of Medicine
Manila Central
University Filemon
Tanchoco Sr. Medical
Foundation

None

Source: Dean/ Registrar OfficesascitedbyPaulBisnarMDinFilipinoMDsblog

http://doktorko.com/_blog/index.php?mod=blog_article&a=91&md=897

Medical Schools
Pamantasan ng Lungsod
ng Maynila College of
Medicine

CUT-OFF GRADE
45

Saint Lukes Medical

Center William Quasha
Memorial Foundation

65

San Beda College of

Medicine

None

University of the East

55
Ramon Magsaysay
Memorial Medical Center:
College of Medicine
Source: Dean/ Registrar OfficesascitedbyPaulBisnarMDinFilipinoMDsblog
http://doktorko.com/_blog/index.php?mod=blog_article&a=91&md=897

Medical Schools
University of Perpetual
Help Rizal Jonelta
Foundation School
ofMedicine

CUT-OFF GRADE
None

University of the
Philippines College of
Medicine

90

University of Santo
Tomas Faculty of
Medicine and Surgery

65

Source: Dean/ Registrar OfficesascitedbyPaulBisnarMDinFilipinoMDsblog

http://doktorko.com/_blog/index.php?mod=blog_article&a=91&md=897

***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: Applicants
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?