A comparison of the United Kingdom clinical aptitude test (UK-CAT) with a traditional admission selection process.
BACKGROUND
The United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test (UK-CAT) was introduced for the purpose of student selection by a consortium of 23 UK University Medical and Dental Schools, including the University of Aberdeen in 2006.


OBJECTIVE
To compare candidate performance on UK-CAT with local medical student selection outcome.


METHODS
We compared the outcomes of all applicants to Medicine, University of Aberdeen (UoA), in 2006 who undertook the UK-CAT. The candidates were selected into one of five outcomes (academic reject, reject following assessment, reject following interview, reserve list or offer). The candidate performance in the UK-CAT was compared to candidate performance on the UoA selection.


RESULTS
Data are reported on 1307 (85.0%) students who applied to UoA in 2006 and undertook the UK-CAT. Total UK-CAT scores were significantly correlated with local selection scores. However, of 314 students offered a place following the conventional selection process, only 101 were also in the highest scoring 318 on the UK-CAT.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from this study indicate that UK-CAT scores show weak correlation with success in our medical admissions process. It appears therefore that the UK-CAT examines different traits compared to our selection process. Further work is required to establish which better predicts success as an undergraduate or as a doctor.
Fernando
Nishan
N
Medical Education Unit, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK. n.fernando@abdn.ac.uk
Prescott
Gordon
G
Cleland
Jennifer
J
Greaves
Kathryn
K
McKenzie
Hamish
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001077:Aptitude Tests; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012577:Schools, Medical; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult