13 February 2023
By email:
[FYI request #21550 email]
Dear Whom It May Concern
I refer to your information request dated 11 January 2023 made under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). You have requested information in relation to entry to the 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 General category.
We set out our responses to each of your questions below.
1. The grade statistics for the General (excluding Māori/minority, Rural entry, etc)
Graduate entry including the mean, median, upper quartile, lower quartile, maximum
and minimum (weighted) GPA
With regards to the information you have requested for this item of your request, we note that
the admissions process for the 2023 MB ChB and BDS programmes are still underway, and the
University’s Medical School and Faculty of Dentistry have not yet confirmed final numbers for
the 2023 MB ChB and BDS programmes. This includes final admission numbers under the
Graduate General category, and the weighted GPA statistics you have requested.
We are happy to grant your request and provide you with the information you have requested,
however the data will not be known and therefore will not be available until the end of March
2023 – as student offers continue through the first few weeks of teaching in Semester 1. The
reason for late offers relate to students declining entry to the programmes after they have
commenced (which is permitted providing it is done by the specified deadline) or having to defer
for unanticipated reasons. Once this information is available, we will be able to provide you with
the weighted GPA statistics you have requested.
2. The thresholds used for the UCAT test
MB ChB:
The MB ChB UCAT criteria is set annually by the University’s Medical Admissions Committee. For
entry to the 2023 MB ChB programme, the thresholds were set as follows:
• Verbal Reasoning: threshold set above the lowest 10th percentile
• Situational Judgement: threshold set at or above the 20th percentile
• Scores for Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not
considered
BDS:
The BDS UCAT criteria is set annually by the University’s Dental Admissions Committee. For entry to
the 2023 BDS programme, the thresholds were set as follows:
• Decision Making: score of 630 or above met the threshold
• Verbal Reasoning: threshold set at the bottom 22nd percentile
• Scores for Situational Judgement, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning were not
considered
3. If the GPA has been influenced by the COVID-related grade bumps and online exams
over 2020 – 2023 period
The University accounted for disruptions created by COVID-19 by introducing grade increases for
papers and/or assessment completed under lockdown. These included:
• 5 mark increase to final grades for papers completed in Semester 1 2020;
• Final grades of 47, 48 or 49 bumped up to 50 (pass) for papers completed in Semester 2
2020;
• 5 mark increase to students in full year papers to each of their assessments completed in
Semester 1 2020; and
• 5 mark increase to eligible internal assessments completed or submitted between 18 August
2021 and 27 August 2021.
We also note that there are occasions where a department has the discretion to make changes to a
mark due to issues with exam content, or a technical issue due to online delivery
. Special
Consideration is also available to students who experience unexpected or significant impairment in
relation to assessment.
Any of the grade increases noted above will have only been applied to Graduate category applicants
who studied at the University of Otago. Graduate category applicants from other New Zealand
universities may or may not have had grade increases for papers and/or assessments completed
under COVID-19 conditions. In order to be considered for admission under the Graduate category,
applicants must have completed, normally in the minimum academic time and within three years of
the date of application, the requirements of a degree awarded by a university in New Zealand.
4. The number of applicants in the 2023 cycle and the number of offers being given out
for General Graduate entry
The number of applications to the 2023 MB ChB programme via the Graduate General category is
269.
The number of applications to the 2023 BDS programme via the Graduate General category is 150.
With regards to the information you have requested for “the number of offers being given out” for
entry to the 2023 MB ChB and BDS programmes via the Graduate General category, our response is
as per our response to question 1 above. We will be in touch with regards to the number of
applicants to receive offers to enter the 2023 MB ChB and BDS programmes via the Graduate
General category once this data has been confirmed and is available.
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.
Yours sincerely
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
