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Australian Medical school comparison

Charles Sturt (Rural) vs Curtin

Charles Sturt (Rural) and Curtin are both Australian medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Charles Sturt (Rural) is in New South Wales while Curtin is in Western Australia. State of origin matters here: several schools rank local applicants ahead of interstate ones. Charles Sturt (Rural) uses UCAT-ANZ; Curtin uses UCAT-ANZ and CASPer.

That mismatch means either preparing two assessments or choosing the school whose test suits you.

Side-by-side comparison

Charles Sturt (Rural)

Orange

Quick comparison

Location
Orange, Australia
Entry pathway
Undergraduate
Admission tests
UCAT-ANZ
GAMSAT
-
UCAT-ANZ
JPM era: UCAT weighted at 100% for the interview-selection stage. Indicative UCAT cut-off for interview invitations (2024) ~3090 on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile).
ATAR
ATAR hurdle (JPM era 2024-2026): Metropolitan 95.50; Greater Western Sydney 93.50; Rural (RA2-5) 91.50.
Interview format
Multi-Mini Interview (~8 stations)
Post-interview chance
~50% interview-to-offer among eligible applicants.
Decision date
January

Curtin

Bentley

Quick comparison

Location
Bentley, Australia
Entry pathway
Undergraduate
Admission tests
UCAT-ANZ + CASPer
GAMSAT
-
UCAT-ANZ
No official Curtin-published cut-off. Curtin ranks total UCAT score, not a fixed threshold. Aggregator-derived competitive score ~2970 for local WA applicants (2024-2026 entry, old /3600 scale). Interview shortlist ratio 35 ATAR : 35 CASPer : 30 UCAT (per MedEntry / Curtin official Q&A — Fraser's 35:35:40 reporting is an error). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are exempt from BOTH the UCAT ANZ and the Casper test.
ATAR
Minimum ATAR (WA applicants) 95.00 (inclusive of bonus points); minimum ATAR (non-WA applicants) 92.00. TISC 2025 (Dec 2024 round) for CUMBS: min rank n/a, lowest n/a — selection is NOT solely on ATAR.
Interview format
Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations)
Post-interview chance
Not publicly disclosed.
Decision date
December-January
Compare different schools

Charles Sturt (Rural) vs Curtin - in detail

Admission tests compared

UCAT-ANZ cut-offs. Charles Sturt (Rural) — JPM era: UCAT weighted at 100% for the interview-selection stage. Indicative UCAT cut-off for interview invitations (2024) ~3090 on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile). Curtin — No official Curtin-published cut-off. Curtin ranks total UCAT score, not a fixed threshold. Aggregator-derived competitive score ~2970 for local WA applicants (2024-2026 entry, old /3600 scale)…

Timing shapes the choice as much as the score. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sits in March and September; UCAT-ANZ is mostly undergraduate and sits in July. A few schools run their own selection model with no national test at all.

ATAR and academic profile

Charles Sturt (Rural) requires ATAR 95.00+ (standard rural pathway 2025); UCAT-ANZ; MMI; rural origin verification (MM2-7 residency); bonded service.

Curtin requires ATAR 95.00 (WA-domiciled) / 92.00 (non-WA), plus UCAT-ANZ + CASPer; 35:35:30 shortlist ratio (ATAR : CASPer : UCAT-ANZ).

ATAR. Charles Sturt (Rural) — ATAR hurdle (JPM era 2024-2026): Metropolitan 95.50; Greater Western Sydney 93.50; Rural (RA2-5) 91.50. Curtin — Minimum ATAR (WA applicants) 95.00 (inclusive of bonus points); minimum ATAR (non-WA applicants) 92.00. TISC 2025 (Dec 2024 round) for CUMBS: min rank n/a, lowest n/a — selection is NOT solely on…

Read every ATAR figure as a selection rank, not a raw score. Educational access bonuses, rural-origin uplift and Indigenous pathways all adjust it, so the published number is rarely the one that decides your application.

Interview formats

Both Charles Sturt (Rural) and Curtin use MMI interviews, so the underlying prep approach is the same — practise ethics frameworks, Australian health-system topics (Medicare, rural workforce, Indigenous health) and (for MMI) structured station responses against a timer.

That said, the specifics differ slightly: Charles Sturt (Rural) runs multi-mini interview (~8 stations); Curtin runs multi-mini interview (8 stations). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Charles Sturt (Rural) interviews in November-December; Curtin in October-November.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a Integrated-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: 5-year undergraduate joint program (BMedSci + MD). Years 1-2 foundations at Orange campus; years 3-5 distributed clinical placements across Central We 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). Years 1-2 foundations and clinical skills at Bentley with early community place

Intake size: Charles Sturt (Rural) — 2024-2026 (JPM era): ~120 places combined with WSU. 2027 standalone CSU program: ~47 CSP places; ~80% rural-pathway, ~15-20 non-rural.; Curtin — 2024 intake ~110 places (CSP + BMP combined). Curtin 2024 Domestic Admissions Guide.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Charles Sturt (Rural): ~50% interview-to-offer among eligible applicants. Curtin: Not publicly disclosed.

Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.

What makes each distinctive

Charles Sturt (Rural): The first Australian medical program established explicitly and exclusively for rural-origin applicants. Joint delivery between Charles Sturt University and Western Sydney University. All places are bonded to rural service. Strong placement network across the Central West NSW LHDs.

Curtin: Curtin is one of the newest Australian medical schools (first intake 2017) and runs a 5-year undergraduate MBBS for outer-metropolitan Perth, rural WA, and Indigenous workforce service. CASPer required alongside UCAT-ANZ and ATAR — one of only 2 AU med schools using CASPer (other: Notre Dame Fremantle/Sydney).

Pre-interview ratio 35 (ATAR) : 35 (CASPer) : 30 (UCAT) per MedEntry/Curtin official. ATSI applicants exempt from CASPer.

Which is right for you?

Start with the admission test: Charles Sturt (Rural) needs UCAT-ANZ, Curtin needs UCAT-ANZ and CASPer. Preparing for one well beats splitting your time across two. Check your state of origin before you apply — Charles Sturt (Rural) draws heavily on New South Wales applicants and Curtin on Western Australia, and an interstate application often faces a materially higher bar.

Your preference list should ultimately weight: which admission test you can realistically score well in, whether your state of origin gives you a bonus at either school, and where you'd actually want to live for four to six years.

Common questions

Charles Sturt (Rural) uses UCAT-ANZ. Curtin uses UCAT-ANZ and CASPer. The test mismatch means you may need to prep two assessments simultaneously, or you can pick the school whose admission test you're stronger in. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sat in March/September; UCAT-ANZ is undergraduate-leaning and sat in July; some schools (notably Bond and JCU) run their own selection model with no national test.

Where to go next

Charles Sturt (Rural)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in fullCurtinEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 25 August 2026.