One week to go: UMAT questions, advice and discussion

[Joseph41]

Ask all of your questions here!

How is everybody feeling one week out?

[Quantum44]

Ask all of your questions here!

How is everybody feeling one week out?

Should be good fun. I've done a few practice exams and done ok, so hopefully I won't do embarrassingly poorly on the actual thing. I was thinking of going Section 2 --> Section 1 --> Section 3 on the day, anyone else going to do it in a particular order?

[tinagranger]

Hi  I posted a thread last night with a whole heap of questions but no one's replied yet…I'm getting a bit anxious not knowing the answers to them..so I was hoping people could help me here?

1. The main thing I am really confused about is what the 'even-odd rule' is. Med Entry says that this is the best method to differentiate separate elements when there are 2 of the same element in a sequence - do you agree, and if not, what method do you use to separate out identical elements? (Because when I map all 10 letters on one map I get really overwhelmed and don't know where to start.)
I have re-read the med entry guide for the even-odd rule numerous times and it doesn't make any sense to me, so I was wondering if you could possibly break it down for me/offer me a tried and true alternative for these sorts of questions?
 
2. I read the student feedback from last year's UMAT on Med Entry and people talk about flow chart questions appearing? I have no idea what they mean about this and was wondering if you could give me some examples and talk me through what methods you are meant to use to work through these questions?
 
3. How do you find the average temperature from a line graph? (Also from the student feedback from last year's UMAT)

4. Do the questions that look completely new in the UMAT count? I have heard they don't, so should I just completely skip the S3 questions that look completely new? (I wouldn't do this for S1 or S2 because it would be harder to recognise which questions are 'new' or not)
 
5. My admission ticket says arrival time is 1:30 but there is no start time anywhere. I am wondering what time the test actually starts? Am I right in saying that they don't have a set start time, they just start when everyone is in the hall? Should I arrive before 1:30 just to be safe? Like at 1:15pm?

6. Do you have any tips on battling nervousness/being in top psychological condition on the day/general exam strategy?

7. I have found it really difficult balancing Year 12 with UMAT prep this year so have only done 6 full exams on Med Entry, so that's why I am feeling quite anxious, even though I know everyone is in the same boat! I usually get a raw score in the low 80s - do you know what this would translate to in percentile?

8. Section 1 is by far my weakest and I have found it really difficult to improve, so do you have any really effective tactics you could give me?

Thanks guys 

[Quantum44]

Hi  I posted a thread last night with a whole heap of questions but no one's replied yet…I'm getting a bit anxious not knowing the answers to them..so I was hoping people could help me here?

1. The main thing I am really confused about is what the 'even-odd rule' is. Med Entry says that this is the best method to differentiate separate elements when there are 2 of the same element in a sequence - do you agree, and if not, what method do you use to separate out identical elements? (Because when I map all 10 letters on one map I get really overwhelmed and don't know where to start.)
I have re-read the med entry guide for the even-odd rule numerous times and it doesn't make any sense to me, so I was wondering if you could possibly break it down for me/offer me a tried and true alternative for these sorts of questions?
 
2. I read the student feedback from last year's UMAT on Med Entry and people talk about flow chart questions appearing? I have no idea what they mean about this and was wondering if you could give me some examples and talk me through what methods you are meant to use to work through these questions?
 
3. How do you find the average temperature from a line graph? (Also from the student feedback from last year's UMAT)

4. Do the questions that look completely new in the UMAT count? I have heard they don't, so should I just completely skip the S3 questions that look completely new? (I wouldn't do this for S1 or S2 because it would be harder to recognise which questions are 'new' or not)
 
5. My admission ticket says arrival time is 1:30 but there is no start time anywhere. I am wondering what time the test actually starts? Am I right in saying that they don't have a set start time, they just start when everyone is in the hall? Should I arrive before 1:30 just to be safe? Like at 1:15pm?

6. Do you have any tips on battling nervousness/being in top psychological condition on the day/general exam strategy?

7. I have found it really difficult balancing Year 12 with UMAT prep this year so have only done 6 full exams on Med Entry, so that's why I am feeling quite anxious, even though I know everyone is in the same boat! I usually get a raw score in the low 80s - do you know what this would translate to in percentile?

8. Section 1 is by far my weakest and I have found it really difficult to improve, so do you have any really effective tactics you could give me?

Thanks guys 

I'm hardly an expert at the UMAT by I'll try to answer some of your questions.

4. Even if they look completely new, they still could count. There's no real way to determine if a question is a trial by ACER so to be on the safe side give it a go but don't waste too much time on it if it takes too long.

5. Yes, as far as I'm aware there is no set start time as it is unpredictable as to how long it will take for everyone to be seated. If you want to arrive early, it won't harm you but you being first in line to enter will probably mean you have to wait ~30 mins sitting at a desk waiting for other people to enter.

6. I think psychological condition only really affects section 2, so just make sure you don't get into any arguments or become agitated on the day of the UMAT as it could throw you off understanding people.

7. Most of my friends have only done 2-3 practice exams so you're very well prepared. I also get ~80/134 on the medentry exams which is usually in the 60s percentile wise. I'm not sure how that will translate in the real thing, hopefully above 80th.

8. I usually get around 90th percentile in S1 of medentry exams and I find it works best to give it time and just work through the questions logically. I tend to spend 75 mins on S1 and I do it after S2 so I feel relaxed but not pushed for time. Data analysis is just a matter of patient trial and error, working through the options until one fits the data. Problem solving is tough but I think most people struggle with it so the key is to stay optimistic and cut your losses if it takes too much time. Logical reasoning is about taking logical steps to obtain the answer, never make assumptions and look for logical flaws in the answer.

Sorry I can't help with 1-3

[pikachu975]

I'm hardly an expert at the UMAT by I'll try to answer some of your questions.

4. Even if they look completely new, they still could count. There's no real way to determine if a question is a trial by ACER so to be on the safe side give it a go but don't waste too much time on it if it takes too long.

5. Yes, as far as I'm aware there is no set start time as it is unpredictable as to how long it will take for everyone to be seated. If you want to arrive early, it won't harm you but you being first in line to enter will probably mean you have to wait ~30 mins sitting at a desk waiting for other people to enter.

6. I think psychological condition only really affects section 2, so just make sure you don't get into any arguments or become agitated on the day of the UMAT as it could throw you off understanding people.

7. Most of my friends have only done 2-3 practice exams so you're very well prepared. I also get ~80/134 on the medentry exams which is usually in the 60s percentile wise. I'm not sure how that will translate in the real thing, hopefully above 80th.

8. I usually get around 90th percentile in S1 of medentry exams and I find it works best to give it time and just work through the questions logically. I tend to spend 75 mins on S1 and I do it after S2 so I feel relaxed but not pushed for time. Data analysis is just a matter of patient trial and error, working through the options until one fits the data. Problem solving is tough but I think most people struggle with it so the key is to stay optimistic and cut your losses if it takes too much time. Logical reasoning is about taking logical steps to obtain the answer, never make assumptions and look for logical flaws in the answer.

Sorry I can't help with 1-3

In the 80s is above 70 percentile. I did exam 1 medentry and got 82/134 and it turned into 79 percentile.

[Quantum44]

In the 80s is above 70 percentile. I did exam 1 medentry and got 82/134 and it turned into 79 percentile.

Well it depends. I got 82 for exam 2 medentry and it was 66th percentile.

[atar.notes.user]

hey guys, what i'm currently struggling with is the pick the middle questions? I watched a lot of vids and understood the methdod and all, but almost no one explained on how to choose where u begin? Like which letter/shape/corner do i start my pattern from?

[Calebark]

hey guys, what i'm currently struggling with is the pick the middle questions? I watched a lot of vids and understood the methdod and all, but almost no one explained on how to choose where u begin? Like which letter/shape/corner do i start my pattern from?

Hey!

It's a bit easier to explain with examples. However, since I can't share copyright materials, I've made my own UMAT-style question to help explain it. I'll be posting it all in a spoiler to avoid clogging the thread with images.

Spoiler

Here is the question:


Okay, looks a bit scary. Let's break it down:
>Decagon
>Moving circle
>Circle shifts from white to grey

Fantastic. Because the circle is shifting colours, we can see there is a 3-2 pattern. This means that one of the 3 will have to be in the middle. Visual representation shown.


This puts us in a good position. Now, let's find the pattern of the moving circle. To do this, draw a rough image of the decagon, and track where the circles are.


Now, THIS is your starting point. Try to find a pattern going from red to blue to red to blue to red. I hope that makes sense, haha. This is the best 'starting point' you'll get. Just pick any red one.

You said you've got the method down after this, so I'll leave it to you to give it a go If you don't wish to try (I mean, I'm no expert haha) or once you have an answer, I'll post the answer + solution. Good luck!

[atar.notes.user]

Hey!

It's a bit easier to explain with examples. However, since I can't share copyright materials, I've made my own UMAT-style question to help explain it. I'll be posting it all in a spoiler to avoid clogging the thread with images.

Spoiler

Here is the question:


Okay, looks a bit scary. Let's break it down:
>Decagon
>Moving circle
>Circle shifts from white to grey

Fantastic. Because the circle is shifting colours, we can see there is a 3-2 pattern. This means that one of the 3 will have to be in the middle. Visual representation shown.


This puts us in a good position. Now, let's find the pattern of the moving circle. To do this, draw a rough image of the decagon, and track where the circles are.


Now, THIS is your starting point. Try to find a pattern going from red to blue to red to blue to red. I hope that makes sense, haha. This is the best 'starting point' you'll get. Just pick any red one.

You said you've got the method down after this, so I'll leave it to you to give it a go If you don't wish to try (I mean, I'm no expert haha) or once you have an answer, I'll post the answer + solution. Good luck!

Alright, thanks heaps!
My solution:

Spoiler

So, the only pattern I found so far is 4 steps (sides) forward, 2 forward, 4 backward and then 2 backward. So when I start from C, my pattern is CBADE, thus A is in the middle.
To confirm this, I started from another red letter following the pattern I found and got EBADE.

A is in the middle again

So, im guessing A is the answer?

[Calebark]

Alright, thanks heaps!
My solution:

Spoiler

So, the only pattern I found so far is 4 steps (sides) forward, 2 forward, 4 backward and then 2 backward. So when I start from C, my pattern is CBADE, thus A is in the middle.
To confirm this, I started from another red letter following the pattern I found and got EBADE.

A is in the middle again

So, im guessing A is the answer?

Happy to help!

Spoiler

The answer is indeed A! However, I'm clearly not cut out to be a professional UMAT question maker, haha, as that was not the solution I intended -- perhaps I tried too hard to make it tricky.

The intended order was C-(2 steps)B-(4 steps)-A-(8 steps)-D-(16 steps)E.

[atar.notes.user]

Happy to help!

Spoiler

The answer is indeed A! However, I'm clearly not cut out to be a professional UMAT question maker, haha, as that was not the solution I intended -- perhaps I tried too hard to make it tricky.

The intended order was C-(2 steps)B-(4 steps)-A-(8 steps)-D-(16 steps)E.

damn, wow :"))

Also, does anyone here know how to access the answers for the UMAT practice test 1 ACER gives us?

[Calebark]

damn, wow :"))

Also, does anyone here know how to access the answers for the UMAT practice test 1 ACER gives us?

From the ACER FAQ:

Q. Where are the answers for the preparation materials?
A. Answers to all questions are given at the end of all practice tests.

[tinagranger]

Thanks so much Quantum!! Still hoping someone knows the answers to my questions 1-3:

1. The main thing I am really confused about is what the 'even-odd rule' is. Med Entry says that this is the best method to differentiate separate elements when there are 2 of the same element in a sequence - do you agree, and if not, what method do you use to separate out identical elements? (Because when I map all 10 letters on one map I get really overwhelmed and don't know where to start.)
I have re-read the med entry guide for the even-odd rule numerous times and it doesn't make any sense to me, so I was wondering if you could possibly break it down for me/offer me a tried and true alternative for these sorts of questions?
 
2. I read the student feedback from last year's UMAT on Med Entry and people talk about flow chart questions appearing? I have no idea what they mean about this and was wondering if you could give me some examples and talk me through what methods you are meant to use to work through these questions?
 
3. How do you find the average temperature from a line graph? (Also from the student feedback from last year's UMAT)

[mtDNA]

Hey!

It's a bit easier to explain with examples. However, since I can't share copyright materials, I've made my own UMAT-style question to help explain it. I'll be posting it all in a spoiler to avoid clogging the thread with images.

Spoiler

Here is the question:


Okay, looks a bit scary. Let's break it down:
>Decagon
>Moving circle
>Circle shifts from white to grey

Fantastic. Because the circle is shifting colours, we can see there is a 3-2 pattern. This means that one of the 3 will have to be in the middle. Visual representation shown.


This puts us in a good position. Now, let's find the pattern of the moving circle. To do this, draw a rough image of the decagon, and track where the circles are.


Now, THIS is your starting point. Try to find a pattern going from red to blue to red to blue to red. I hope that makes sense, haha. This is the best 'starting point' you'll get. Just pick any red one.

You said you've got the method down after this, so I'll leave it to you to give it a go If you don't wish to try (I mean, I'm no expert haha) or once you have an answer, I'll post the answer + solution. Good luck!

Just to continue this question regarding ‘pick the middle’, I understand the mapping method involved to get answers with shapes and whatnot; however, at times the mapping method doesn’t work in some cases, particularly when you have questions which don’t have shapes, but instead use pictures, or if the shapes can’t really be superimposed (such as that flower question in the UMAT app).
For these instances, how would you go about solving these questions? (I guess another question: are there any other rules apart from the 3-2 rule/mapping method?)

Thanks in advance

[Calebark]

Just to continue this question regarding ‘pick the middle’, I understand the mapping method involved to get answers with shapes and whatnot; however, at times the mapping method doesn’t work in some cases, particularly when you have questions which don’t have shapes, but instead use pictures, or if the shapes can’t really be superimposed (such as that flower question in the UMAT app).
For these instances, how would you go about solving these questions? (I guess another question: are there any other rules apart from the 3-2 rule/mapping method?)

Thanks in advance

Hmm, I can't actually think of any questions that I wasn't able to solve by mapping (or some crude version of it) or the 3-2 method. What app is this? I might need to try and have a look at the flower question to better understand