UCAT ANZ in New Zealand: a guide for parents

How do students get into medicine in New Zealand?

Through a first year at university, not straight from school. Two New Zealand universities are on the UCAT ANZ list, the University of Otago and the University of Auckland. Both select medical students from people who have completed first-year study, or a degree.

That changes how a family should think about the UCAT ANZ. In Australia the test is a Year 12 event. In New Zealand it is tied to the year of application, which for most students is the first year of university. The two universities are also moving in different directions on it.

Can my child sit the UCAT ANZ while at school?

Only in Year 13. The test is open to students in their final year of secondary school or later, and the official FAQ states that a student in New Zealand Year 12 cannot sit it.

A Year 13 sitting is allowed, but check what it would be used for. A result lasts for one round of applications only. Otago requires a result from the year of application, which for most students is their first year at university. A Year 13 result would not count for that.

A Year 13 sitting may make sense for a student who is also applying to Australian universities straight from school. The universities guide lists the Australian courses that use the test.

How does entry work at the University of Otago?

Most students enter through Health Sciences First Year, a one-year programme taken in Dunedin. Otago describes it as the required first step towards its professional degrees, including Medicine and Dentistry.

The outline, from Otago's own guidelines for admission:

• Students apply for Medicine during the first year. Otago says students apply for the professional programmes after the first semester.
• The required papers must all be passed, with a minimum average. Otago publishes the standard.
• Domestic applicants need a UCAT ANZ result from that same year. The result must reach a threshold level that the Medical Admissions Committee sets annually.
• Academic results decide the final ranking. For an applicant who has met every requirement, Otago states that the final determining factor is academic score.

So at Otago the test works as a hurdle to clear, and first-year grades do the ranking. Admission to second-year Medicine is competitive and depends on achievement in that first year.

Otago also has a Graduate category, for people who have recently completed a degree at a New Zealand university, and an Alternative category for domestic applicants. Its UCAT page says a UCAT ANZ score is not required in the Alternative category. The same page sets out changes to who must sit the test over the next two years, so read it for your child's intake.

How does entry work at the University of Auckland?

School leavers cannot apply directly to medicine at Auckland. The University's medicine page advises them to apply through First Year entry. A student completes the required courses in the first year of an eligible Auckland degree, then applies for medicine.

Shortlisted applicants take part in a Multiple Mini Interview. Auckland's interview page describes a series of short stations completed online, each with one scenario.

Auckland also admits graduates, under separate rules on the same page.

Is Auckland dropping the UCAT ANZ?

Auckland's medicine page says so for entry in 2028. It states that applicants for 2027 entry sit the UCAT ANZ in the year they apply, and that applicants for 2028 entry sit a different situational judgement test, called Casper, in the year they apply.

In practice that means a student starting a first-year programme at Auckland in 2027, and applying for medicine that year, should expect Casper and not the UCAT ANZ. The page also lists a wider range of eligible first-year programmes for 2028 entry.

Selection criteria can change from year to year, and Auckland says so. Confirm the requirement on the University's page for the year your child will apply. Otago's pages continue to require the UCAT ANZ.

When would my child sit the test?

For Otago, in the middle of the first year at university. The test is sat in July or early August, and Otago's applications for Medicine open and close in the same part of the year.

The booking steps and exact dates are the same as for Australian candidates. They are in the fees and dates guide, with one difference to note: the concession fee is for holders of certain Australian cards only.

Your child registers for the test personally on the UCAT ANZ website. The university does not do it for them.

What does this mean for Year 13?

Year 13 is about getting into the first-year programme with good study habits. The contest for a medical place is run on university results, so the first year matters more than anything done at school.

Useful things to do in Year 13.

• Check the entry requirements for the first-year programme. Each university publishes them.
• Choose where to apply. Otago's first year is in Dunedin. Auckland's is in Auckland. The two systems differ, as set out above.
• Look at the test, without pressure. The test format guide and the free official practice questions show what it asks.
• Plan the money and the move. A first year away from home is a large change, and a settled student studies better.

Serious test preparation can wait until the university year begins. The official practice materials are free, and they are the right place to start.

What if my child misses out after first year?

There are other routes, and both universities describe them. A student can finish a degree and apply in a graduate category. Otago notes that Health Sciences First Year leads into the second year of several bachelor degrees, and at Auckland the first year is already part of a degree.

Our page on what to do if medicine doesn't work out covers the choices in more detail.

Sources

• UCAT ANZ Consortium, Eligibility
• UCAT ANZ Consortium, Frequently Asked Questions
• UCAT ANZ Consortium, Universities
• University of Otago, Medicine: Guidelines for Admission
• University of Otago, Health Sciences First Year
• University of Otago, UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test)
• The University of Auckland, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
• The University of Auckland, MMI Interviews: Key Information

Each university's own website is the authority on its course. Selection rules change, so check the page for the year your child will apply.

MyelinMed is not affiliated with UCAT ANZ, the UCAT Consortium, Pearson VUE or any university.

Facts checked 13 Oct 2026