With only a few days to go before the UMAT 2012, candidates have entered a frenzied preparation stage so that the ultimate dream of cracking the UMAT turns into a reality. They want to make optimal use of the time they have left, and will do well to note some last minute suggestions to deal with UMAT section 1 of the question paper. The first section of the paper, dealing with Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving, is perhaps the most feared part of the paper. The reason for this is generally a perceived difficulty in solving the kind of UMAT questions that constitutes this particular section. But you have to understand, before doing anything else, that unless you stop being afraid of the questions, you cannot solve them competently enough. The trick is to think patiently and then begin to analyse. The logical progression when handling a question in this section of the paper should be: read, think, analyse and solve. You should be able to apply your logical reasoning in the second and third stages  of this kind of problem-solving instead of beginning on the wrong foot and being scared of it at the first stage itself.
In addition to these four steps in problem solving, here’s another tip that might be very useful to you when you are answering a UMAT paper. When you answer a question in the first section of the paper, read it very carefully because chances are, you will find a hint burined somewhere in it and it will multiply your chances of getting at the right answer faster.
Do not forget that the questions of section 1 are basically meant to test your ability to comprehend things. The questions will follow information provided to you in a graphical illustration. Your answer should be strictly confined to the piece of information upon which the question has been based. Do not commit the mistake of assuming things. It is strictly logic that is required to solve questions like these. Remember no question is impossible to solve.

The UMAT office will not grant your request for a rechecking of your paper even if you can cite a valid reason for having done poorly in the test, for instance having fallen ill on the day of the test, having had an accident and suchlike. The UMAT office explicitly states that while marking your scores, they will be taking into account nothing else but your performance on the day of the test. No other factor, no matter however genuine, is brought under consideration while marking your papers.

Once the UMAT Statement of Marks have been released, you can appeal for a rechecking of your marks if you feel that something does not add up. Once the application is received, the answer sheets of the concerned candidate are rescored individually. After thid, the reviewed scores are tallied along with the original scores- which are computer generated.

However, do keep in mind that the remarking procedure does not yield very satisfactory results, given that an extensive and exhaustive checking and calculation of marks is undertaken before the results are released. In case there is indeed an error in the marking, the candidate is informed in due course, and also the universities s/he has applied to are sent a notification. Sending of the reviewed scores to the universities follows the same procedure that is followed while notifying the universities of the original scores.

Do remember that the provision is only available for those candidates who are able to present before the officials some kind of ‘demonstrable illness’, as stated in the UMAT official website, and not for some minor illness that, although slightly hazardous, will not seriously jeopardize a candidate’s chances of appearing and taking the test.

If you have fallen seriously sick and will definitely not be able to sit for the test on the specified date, please notify the UMAT authorities as soon as possible. Notifications stating inability to appear for UMAT are accepted up to a week before the test, but the earlier you do it, the better. Provide adequate documentation authenticating your condition. Ensure that the medical certificate is detailed and that it has been procured from a certified doctor. The words ‘unspecified illness’ on the certificate will lead to a prompt cancellation of your request.

Notification of the problem through a phone conversation is not acceptable. It must be in writing; either in the form or an application letter via post or an email or fax at the most.

In case you have fallen sick on the day of the test and have not been able to appear, ACER must be notified within three working days from the day of the test. After that, no application for an alternative test date will be considered by the UMAT authorities. Along with the application, provide ACER with written evidence of the illness or whatever that prevented you from taking the test. A statutory statement outlining the reason for absence will be acceptable.

Considering the application for an alternative test date depends on the UMAT officials. Only the most deserving candidates will be allowed to take the test at a later date.

Rule #1: You can not only take anything from outside, barring yourself, from into the test room, but you also cannot carry anything from the room outside with you, no matter how innocuous it may look. It will immediately be confiscated even if it is something as inconsequential as a blank sheet of paper.
Rule #2: You must not pass anything to a fellow examinee while in the UMAT test centre. While passing a sheet of paper which happens to have answers written on it will certainly attract a lot of attention, handing across something like a calculator or an mp3 player will guarantee no less a complication.
Rule #3: You simply must follow the instructions of the examiner to the letter. Even if you have completed a particular section of the test way before the stipulated time, do not start on another until and unless the instructor says you can. If required, check your answers over and over again in that extra time you saved.
Rule #4: Put down your pencils as soon as the instructor announces the end of the exam. In the UMAT, there is no last minute writing and squeezing in a few more points before the examiner snatches the paper away from you; you might be allowed to write down what you want to, but at the cost of a severe penalty.
Rule #5: Do NOT attempt to register for the exam if you haven’t yet reached the final year of your schooling. This step will be considered unethical behaviour even before you get to reach the test center.
Rule #5: Be as quiet as a mouse while you are in the test room. Speak only to the examiner if you require any assistance. Communication with a fellow candidate will get both of you in a whole lot of trouble. Make sure that you are not doing anything in the test room that might be disturbing any of the fellow candidates.

However, it is advisable to wait for a while before you start panicking and preparing for the interview. Do not plunge headfirst into it as soon as your UMAT is over; give yourself some time to relax. For one, not much will be absorbed by your already exhausted brain after the extensive amount of pressure it has endured before and during the test. More than anything, what you really need after the test is a short period of stress-free life.

Once you feel fresh, you can get down to preparing for the interview. Not much studying goes into this, given that the interviewers are not likely to ask you too many theoretical questions. Basically, the interview is conducted by the universities to test what the written UMAT can’t: the capability of the candidate to absorb all that will be imparted to him/her over the years. Moreover, the universities will also test you for the level of dedication you display, and also your understanding of the human psychology in various situations.

You will get quite an amount of interview material if you look for it.  It is, of course, best if you are lucky enough to be in touch with someone who has answered a UMAT interview.

It is usual to see that candidates are often sacred of the questions. What is it that makes them think that it is a difficult  paper to solve? Is it the length of the question paper or the sections that the paper comprises? Actually both the factors act in favour of it. However, it is the structure of the questions that puts anxiety in the minds of the test-takers. Take a glance at the questions and you will know why. The questions are of the multiple choice question pattern which is why they seem to appear all the more confusing. Even if one or two options can be easily eliminated there often occurs confusion between the remaining two. Therefore, the easiest way to make calculated eliminations and guesses is to make sure you have enough practice at solving UMAT’s MCQs.

While solving the UMAT sample you must not make the mistake of taking it lightly. Often students take it casually thinking that it has no importance. They feel the final UMAT exam is what matters. But remember, the sample test is the first step that you take in your whole preparation course. It is the best way to judge your existing skills for it will point out the areas you need to work on. Sample tests basically give students a feel of the pattern of the question paper and make them familiar with the kind of questions they will be required to answer in the exam hall. Therefore, every candidate should see to it that they take sample tests before they start with their preparation.

But what is even more stressful is that you must go through the entire set of 38 confusing questions within such a short span of time, and must get most of them, if not all, correct.

There is only one thing that can see you through this horror, and that is practice. Loads of it. The best part about this section is that you can, indeed, get a lot of help for this section. For one, there are loads of books on non verbal reasoning available. In fact, if you look closely enough, you will see that even books on puzzles and brain-teasers contain these questions.

Section 3 of the UMAT paper is divided into three sections: Next in the Series, Fifth in Series and Missing Segment. In each of these sections, you would have to either complete the series, find out the sequence that the patterns follow or determine what the missing part of a whole would be.

The biggest problem that you might face in this section is that there is absolutely no verbal cue given along with the patterns. Unlike the other sections, there is just no direction, no explanation of the patterns, which might seem, initially at least, to follow just a random path. For this reason, this section of the papers puts your reasoning skills like no other. In order to ensure that you handle this section as best as you can, you must make sure that your observation and logical senses are at their keenest.

However, if scores are a big worry for you, you can do some detective work on your own. If you know anyone who has cracked the UMAT or has at least taken the UMAT, contact him or her. Better still if that person went to the university that you plan to go to. That way, you can get an idea as to what the cut off score will be at the school. Do keep it in mind that none of these universities will have a fixed cut-off score; they are bound to change every year. Of course, it is mandatory, so the information you get might turn out to be accurate.

Remember that if you truly wish to undertake an investigation regarding the cut-off criteria for the medical universities, you are taking upon yourself a mammoth task. They are different for each university, and they are not likely to remain the same for two years in a row. So, you must be prepared to do a lot of research that might as well eat into the time you have set aside for study.

So it would be best to use that time for studying instead. Just keep in mind that the UMAT scores will not be the only thing that the university will look into while considering your application; they will also take into account your academic qualification so far and, of course, your interview performance.

It is only with more and more practice that your skills will get sharpened, raising your aptitude level, something that is acutely tested through this exam. Therefore, neglecting the practice questions is certainly going to mar your dreams of becoming a doctor. It is solely through the practice method that your fears will start disappearing.