NMAT: Required and Prohibited Items

REQUIRED ITEMS

1. Long transparent plastic envelope.

This is where you’ll place your personal valuables and other items that are allowed. They will be placed in one corner of the room during the exams.

2. NMAT ID form.

3. Transcript of Records or Certified True Copy of grades.

If you’re not yet a graduate or your transcript is not yet available for release, you can ask for the certified true copy of grades instead. You do NOT need both. Just one.

4. Exam permit

5. Pencils (no. 2 or HB) and/or erasers.

You can bring as many pencils as you’d like but I only used one. You can bring an eraser and a sharpener too.

6. A government-issued ID or a school ID

PROHIBITED ITEMS

1. Electronic devices

2. Calculators

3. Books, printed materials, etc.

4. Bags of any kind

What about watches?
According to CEM, watches are allowed as long as they're analogue watches. However, although our watches were analogue, the proctors made us remove them. It’s better to be prepared in case they ask you to remove them too. Some proctors ask you to remove them, some don’t.

How Long Does It Take to be a Doctor in the Philippines?

How many years does it really take to be a doctor? As soon as you've finished your senior high, here's what happens:

1. 4-5 years of pre-med
I wrote 4-5 because there are courses that take 5 years to finish, like architecture and dentistry. After graduating, you can decide if you'd want to start working or if you want to pursue your dream to become a doctor. If you choose to become a doctor, you have to take the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT).

NMAT FAQs | NMAT Tips

2. 4 years in med school
The first 3 years are spent in the classroom. The last year is known as clerkship where you'll be spending a year rotating in different hospital departments.
After you've completed these four years, you can finally graduate but you're not a doctor yet.

3. 1 year internship
After graduation, you'll have your internship. It also involves spending time and working in the hospital under supervision. This part is required.

4. 6 months review
After your internship, you'll have to take the physician licensure examination. You're given a few months to half a year to review for this. Upon passing, you can finally call yourself a doctor and start working as a general practitioner. General practitioners usually work in clinics.
You can stop here, or like what most do, further your career.

5. 3-6 years residency
The number of years you'll spend during residency depends on the specialization you want.
3 years: anesthesiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, ophthalmology, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine
4 years: ENT-HNS, ObGyne, orthopedics, pathology, psychiatry, radiology
5 years: surgery

Medical residents are given around PHP 15,000 - 50,000 monthly, depending on where they are training.

6. Certifying exam
Yet another exam to know if you are worthy. After passing the exam, you can choose to stop here or keep going further.

7. 2-4 years fellowship
This one's for those who want to become a cardiologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, geriatrician, oncologist, hematologist, nephrologist, pulmonologist, or rheumatologist.

8. Exam, again

Medical Schools in the Philippines: Tuition Fees

Angeles University Foundation
As of 2018 = P123,000

Ateneo de Manila University
As of SY 2017-2018 = P140,564.40

Far Eastern University - Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation
As of 2018:
1st year = 132,000
3rd year = 140,000

Mindanao State University
Without miscellaneous fees = P12,000

Our Lady of Fatima:
As of SY 2017-2018:
1st year = P106,909
2nd year = P111,376
3rd year = 110,727

Saint Luke's College of Medicine
As of SY 2018-2019, 2nd semester
1st year = 139,095.62
2nd year = 140,575.62
3rd year = 140,475.62
4th year = 285,251.24
5th year = 299,513.80

Xavier University
As of 2019, for 1st years = P167,193

To be continued...

Tips for the NMAT

TIPS WHILE STUDYING FOR THE NMAT:
Just a short background about me: I got a line of 9 during my first take and without attending a review center. I’m not bragging but I just want you to know that it is not impossible. I didn’t graduate with honors and was not a part of the top performing students during my premed years so if I can do it, so can you!

Now, for the list:

1. Make a schedule and follow it! We each have our own time when we feel the most productive. Make sure you’re studying during those times. If you’re a night person like me, make sure you adjust your body clock a week before the exam date, just so you won’t be staying up late the night before the exam.

Some people claim that matching your review schedule with that of the exam is effective. For example, study for Part I during the AM and for Part II during the PM. I didn’t follow this but you could try it if it makes you more comfortable.

2. Get review materials. If you have tons of them, it’s better to focus on one thing at a time. I found the CEM Practice Set the most helpful but the MSA Reviewer helped too.
I am currently selling a compilation of NMAT reviewers. The set contains 53 files and includes e-books and practice sets. It also includes the rationale I made for the questions given by CEM and more personal tips and test-taking tricks I used to be able to answer questions faster (like how to answer questions faster without computing too much). To find out more and see a preview, click here.

3. Understand. If you see that you’ve answered a question wrong, find out why you were wrong. If you’re reading something you don’t understand, look for ways that could help you understand. Ask a friend, read other books, etc. Don’t just ignore it.

4. Take breaks because a mind under too much stress could be detrimental. It’s okay to be a bit anxious and stressed, just not too much!

5. Get rid of distractions. Seriously. If you think you should get that phone out of your room, do so. The NMAT is one of the things that would help you get accepted to you dream school. Take it seriously!

There are some apps available that could prevent you from opening that social media app for a set amount of time. I used the Forest app and it was really helpful (you can check out other apps if you don’t want this one).

Know more about the NMAT cut-offs here.

6. Keep practicing and work on the subjects you know you’re weak at. It’s okay to ask for help and there are so many resources available now that could help you understand whatever you’re hard up on. Practicing is really important, especially for the Part I subtest.

BEFORE THE EXAM:

1. If you can visit your testing site, do so. Know where the ins and outs of the building, and especially where the comfort rooms are.

2. Get enough sleep. Early to bed, early to rise. The earlier you get to the testing site, the better. Expect a line as early as 6:00 AM.

If you want quality sleep, avoid blue light (like those light from electronic devices) at least two hours before you sleep.

3. Don’t cram! Review some formulas and quick notes, but avoid trying to look for new things to learn.

4. Prepare everything you need. It’s better to prepare them a few days before the exam so in case you suddenly realize you lack this certain requirement, you still have time to get them. Read: What you need for the NMAT.

5. Set alarms and if you’re using a 12 hour clock, make sure they’re set to AM! If you have a parent, a sibling, or a roommate who could shout at you to wake you up, ask them to.

DURING THE EXAM:

1. Eat breakfast. It’s hard to concentrate on an empty stomach. Your brain needs fuel! But don’t eat too much either and try to avoid diuretics like coffee. You wouldn’t want urine all over the place and I’m sure your test mates wouldn’t want that either.

2. Relax. Take slow, deep breaths. Again, some anxiousness is expected. Just keep it manageable. Try to avoid those who are so negative that they start to affect you negatively.

3. Prioritize. Answer the easiest ones first. Trust me. And don’t spend too long on one question.

4. If you don’t know the answer, eliminate the choice answers that are obviously wrong. If you’re left with two answer choices, at least you’d have a 50% chance of getting it right.

Remember that for the NMAT, time is your enemy.

Read more: NMAT FAQs

NMAT Reviewers

I have made a few reviewers to help you with your NMAT review. These are the ones I used to get a 90+ rank.
This set includes the following:

• the rationale for the CEM Practice Set (Part I - 19 pages, Part II - 46 pages)
• a document filled with test-taking strategies that I used to save time (33 pages)
• two more practice sets for Part I (I noticed there aren't much questions for the Perceptual Acuity subtest, so I made a few)
• two documents with math problems
• some notes; and
• an answer sheet that you can print for practicing

Here’s a preview of the PDFs for the rationale and the strategies:

And a preview of other practice sets:

The set only costs PHP 250.00. You can purchase this by sending me an email, by texting my number (0919 7276 278), or via Carousell. I will send you the files via email.

Get a high percentile rank without spending thousands!

NMAT Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When can I take the NMAT?
You can take the NMAT if you're already a graduating student or have your bachelor's degree. The NMAT happens twice a year (March and October) and is always scheduled on a Sunday.

When can I register?
The registration period for the NMAT is usually 1-2 months before the examination date.

Where does the exam take place?
On March, the exam takes place in Manila, Cebu, and Davao only. On October, various test centers become available. Visit this link to view them.

How many times can I take the NMAT?
There's no limit as to how many times you can take it but the less, the better.

Is there a failing grade?
No, but the lowest NMAT score required that I found is 40. If you get lower than that, they might ask you to retake the exam.

What score should I aim for?
It depends on your target school, but I suggest you aim for a line of 9, despite your target school. The higher you get, the better your chance of getting accepted.

View the NMAT cut-offs here.

I don't have a TOR yet. What should I do?
If you're a graduating student, you should have your Certified True Copy of Grades available. You're also required to have a form signed by your dean, confirming that you are a graduating student.

What do I need to bring to the exam? What can't I bring?
Read this post.

How long does the exam take?
You're given 3 hours in the morning for Part I, and 2 hrs and 30 minutes for Part II. It all happens in one day.

When will the results be released?
I got my results online exactly one month after the exam date. I took the exam on October 21 and got my results on November 21. They started sending the physical copy around December 18.

What does my score mean?
If you got 80, for example, it means you performed better than 80% of the examinees.
Let's say you took a 360-point exam, along with 199 other examinees. Your final score is 300, but your fellow examinees got more than that. Then you'll have the lowest percentile rank, 1% (but for the NMAT, I think 30% is the lowest you can get).
But let's say your final score is 100 and your fellow examinees got less than 100. Your percentile rank would now be 99, despite the failing score.
It's like a score that represents how better or smarter you are than the others.

Is it true that it's better to take the exam during October?
Not necessarily. There are usually more examinees during October and the more examinees, the higher your chance of getting a high score if you studied better than them.

Medical Schools in the Philippines: NMAT Cut-Offs

This post is a list of several medical schools in the Philippines and their corresponding NMAT cut-offs.

Ateneo de Manila University: 90
Cebu Doctors' University: 60
Cebu Institute of Medicine: 70 (90 for foreign students)
De La Salle: 80
Emilio Aguinaldo College: 40
Far Eastern University - Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation: 40
Metropolitan Medical Center: 40
Mindanao State University: 45
Our Lady of Fatima: 40
Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila: 45
Saint Louis University: 40
Saint Paul University Philippines: 40
San Beda University: 55
Silliman University: 60
University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC): 75
University of the Philippines Manila: 90
University of Santo Tomas: 85
West Visayas State University: 60
Xavier University: 60