Bond Psychometric Test and Bond University Medicine Admission

If you missed out on a place in medicine at one of the public universities, you should consider medicine at Bond University. Note that medicine at Bond University is a full-fee paying course, however, it can be cheaper than attending other full fee programs such as those at public universities like Macquarie or Melbourne University, particularly when you consider the opportunity cost involved.

The first step when applying to Bond university is to sit the Bond Psychometric Test. If you perform well in this test you will be invited to an interview.

The process and the key dates to apply are shown at the end of this blog.

What is the Bond Psychometric Test?

Bond University, in order to distinguish themselves from other universities’ entry criteria, has chosen to use a Psychometric test. ‘Psychometric test’ is a very broad term and can include a test of both cognitive and non-cognitive attributes. What Bond University uses for their medical program is the non-cognitive type: that is, it assesses personality.

The Bond Psychometric test, which is undertaken by candidates at no cost to the university, reduces the expense to the university by reducing the number of students that they need to interview.

The Bond Psychometric test is like no other test you would have faced and most people who attempt the test say “it was weird”. The only test which comes close to the Bond Psychometric test is section 2 of the UMAT (precursor to the UCAT). The UCAT Situational Judgement test, although helpful, is very different.

What types of question can I expect in the Bond Psychometric Test?

There is a wide variety of questions in the Bond Psychometric test.

Here are some examples of questions that you can expect in this test:

• In an argument, I stick up for myself.
• I tend to listen to my heart rather than my brain.
• I occasionally tell strangers things that seem to me important, regardless of whether they ask about them.

How much is each feeling below expressed in this picture? (Rate from 1 to 5)

Happiness
Sadness
Fear
Anger
Disgust

Many more example questions, and advice on how to answer them, are provided in MedEntry’s Bond Psychometric Test Training session.

Are there 'right' answers to the Bond Psychometric test?

The test designers, test administrators and some psychologists will tell you that the questions don't have any 'right answers', and that you should go with your ‘gut instinct’. This is as helpful as and is analogous to saying to a young Wimbledon championship hopeful: “Just play the way you like”.

Since only half of those invited to sit this test end up receiving an interview offer, how does Bond University determine your eligibility?

The answers they are looking for are pre-chosen to generate a specific character profile and personality type. Those who are near this ideal personality type are selected, and those who deviate most from it, are rejected. Broadly, the attributes Bond University is looking for, are the same attributes that they use for selection during the interview.

The test administrators rely on the fact that most people, in their self-assessments, inflate their cognitive abilities by a small margin, but tend to inflate their non-cognitive abilities by a significant margin (hence don't see the need to prepare).

It is important to note that if you fail the Psychometric test, you can't resit in the following year. You have to wait for two years. This is another reason to ensure you perform your best by undergoing training offered by MedEntry.

How can I prepare for the Bond Psychometric Test?

MedEntry has over two decades of experience in training for emotional intelligence and personality assessments. We engage academic psychologists with extensive expertise in cognitive and non-cognitive assessments when developing our preparation resources.

Our focus is not on 'gaming' the Psychometric test: rather, it is about recognising desirable attributes and gradually adjusting your personality. This not only helps with assessments such as interviews and the Bond Psychometric test, but will also help you to become a better person and doctor. The trainability of Emotional Intelligence is well established in Psychology (J Intell, 2020, 8, 18).

What are the key dates for entry into Bond University Medicine?

What services does MedEntry offer for Bond University entry?

MedEntry offers the following four services to help students with the Bond Psychometric Test and Medical Interview:

• Bond University Psychometric Test session (5 February), which discusses how to answer the questions presented to maximise your chances of progressing to the interview stage
• Medical Interview Strategy Day with Dr Ray (22 February)
• Bond University Mock Interview with feedback (about 4 hours) on (various dates and times available)
• Interview Guides and Resources: a 9-module, comprehensive interview curriculum, an interactive MMI Question Bank to practice your skills and exclusive university-specific interview information
• Module 9 specifically deals with the Bond Psychometric test with practice questions, detailed information and guides, recommended reading, etc. You are advised to complete this module before attending the MedEntry Psychometric Test training session. 

PREPARE FOR BOND