21 November 2023
By email
: [email address], fyi-request-24544-
[email address]
Tēnā koe Mar
I refer to your two information requests dated 24 October 2023 and 27 October 2023 made under the
Official Information Act 1982. You requested:
“I am wondering why the Decision-Making UCAT threshold for BDS 2024 entry under the HSFY
General Category, has been set at a score of 630, when the median for this years score
increased to a score of 640.
There are numerous cases this year where BDS applicants under the HSFY General Category
have not been offered to interview with meeting the Verbal Reasoning threshold of 22nd
percentile, but have achieved a Decision-Making score of precisely 630, thus not correlating
with the apparent Decision-Making threshold of '630'.
I would appreciate clarification of this matter.”
As your two information requests were for the same information, we have combined these requests
together. Please see our response to your request below.
The UCAT thresholds set by the Dental Admissions Committee are minimum thresholds. Achieving the
UCAT thresholds does not guarantee an interview. While we are unable to comment on individual
student cases,
the entry requirements for the BDS programme via the HSFY category state that:
• Applicants must have enrolled in HSFY at Otago and passed all the prescribed papers for this
programme, at first attempt, and have achieved a minimum average of 70%, with no paper
grade less than 65%;
• Applicants must have a UCAT result obtained in the year of application and have a score in all
five of the UCAT sections at a threshold level determined annually by the Dental Admissions
Committee.
• Applicants must have passed the HSFY English Diagnostic Test or have passed the ENGL128
paper.
Approximately 300 applicants across all admissions categories (HSFY, Graduate, and Alternative) are
invited to undertake an interview. The final determining factor for selection to the programme for an
applicant who has met all three admission criteria will be academic score.
I trust that this information will be helpful.
Yours sincerely
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
