HAM-Nat

The Hamburger Naturwissenschaftstest ( HAM-Nat) is a study ability test or mathematical-scientific multiple choice test for the study of medicine in Germany, which was developed in 2008 at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.

The HAM-Nat is part of the university selection process (AdH) from currently (February 2020) three universities: University of Hamburg , University of Greifswald and University of Magdeburg . The study places for dentistry at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and at the University of Greifswald are also awarded based on the average grade in the university entrance qualification in connection with the result of the HAM-Nat.

The HAM-Nat uses multiple-choice questions to test medically relevant knowledge in the subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology at school level. The test also contains questions about logical thinking. The topics are summarized in a topic catalog. The difference to the Abitur grades, in which the mastery of this subject is also included, is the comparability of the results and independence from grading standards between federal states or school types.

The approximately three-hour test will be held simultaneously at all three universities in mid-March. Anyone can register independently of their high school diploma on the page wahltestzentrale.de

For the selection process for studying human medicine, the University of Hamburg also introduced the Situational Judgment Test , which is written at the same time as the HAM-Nat and 20% of which is included in the evaluation.

Test setup

The HAM-Nat begins at around 9:00 a.m. and lasts until 1:30 p.m. (admission, greeting, handing out of test documents, etc. included). The pure test time for the science test in Hamburg was around 130 minutes in 2016, in which 87 multiple-choice questions were asked.

The four natural science subjects biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics are tested using MC questions. The current catalog of topics and two self-tests can be found on the website of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. The topic catalog is identical for all three universities. On the online learning campus viaMint there are learning modules for preparation and original HAM-Nat tasks.

A knowledge test is highly trainable, whereby the level of knowledge acquired is useful for future studies and better performance is taken into account for admission to study. Since very intensive training or previous knowledge from previous training can also contribute to a high level of knowledge, a statement about the underlying skills is only possible indirectly. Other study aptitude tests directly measure the cognitive functions that are part of the requirements of a degree (e.g. test for medical degree programs ) and more strongly predict the ability to acquire new knowledge during studies. The measured knowledge content is also included in the Abitur grade, which is taken into account in the admission. The knowledge test creates a better comparability by z. B. Not included are grading differences according to regions or school types.

Topic catalog 2016

The following areas of knowledge are queried:

Mathematics: powers of ten and prefixes basic arithmetic operations, logarithms, percentages, rule of three, area and volume calculation, word problems e.g. B. Calculation of amounts of substance, concentrations and dilutions, probability calculation and statistics
Physics: quantities and units, mechanics: basic quantities and laws of mechanics translation, rotation, work and power; Waves: harmonic oscillations and waves, acoustics; Thermal theory: temperature, work and heat, main principles of thermal theory, gas laws; Electricity: charge, current, voltage, electrostatic field, Ohm's law, Coulomb's law, Kirchhoff's law, electrical power, electrical work, amplitude and frequency of alternating current, electromagnetic waves; Optics: geometric and wave optics, eye
Chemistry: atomic structure, atomic nucleus, electron shell, atomic numbers, atomic mass, electronegativity, periodic table of elements, radioactivity, states of matter, phases and transitions, substances, mixtures, solutions hydrophilic / hydrophobic, chemical bond, ionic bond, atomic bond (covalent bond), hydrogen bond, Van der Waals bonds, elements and molecules, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and their simple compounds, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, aromatics (benzene), carbohydrates, proteins, fats, isomerism, calculation of molar masses and concentrations, chemical reactions, formula notation, exothermic / endothermic stoichiometry, law of mass action and equilibria, reaction speed, activation energy, catalyst, acid / base, pH value, acids / bases according to Brönsted, autoprotolysis of water, acid strength, frequently used acids, Bases, salts, buffers oxidation / reduction, redox reactions, oxidation ns numbers, galvanic element, voltage series
Biology: cytology, prokaryotes, eukaryotes, cell structure and organelles, viruses, principles of metabolism, glycolysis, citric acid cycle, respiratory chain, enzymatic reactions, energy transfer through ATP, principles of regulation, hormones, nerve stimulus conduction, genetics, Mendelian rules, genes and inheritance, evolution, Cell division, mitosis, meiosis, germ cells, structure of the genome, endosymbiotic theory, mutations, DNA: structure, replication, repair Protein biosynthesis: transcription, translation, genetic engineering (e.g. polymerase chain reaction), cloning

literature

Acquisition of dental skills in preclinical technique courses: influence of spatial and manual abilities Schwibbe A, Kothe C, Hampe W, Konradt, U., Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2016.
Multiple mini-interviews: same concept, different approaches. Knorr M, Hissbach J. Med Educ. 2014.
Cutting costs of multiple mini-interviews - changes in reliability and efficiency of the Hamburg medical school admission test between two applications. Hissbach J, Sehner S, Harendza S, Hampe W. BMC Med. Educ. 2014.
Prediction of performance in preclinical laboratory courses - the return of wire bending for admission of dental students in Germany. Kothe C, Hissbach J, HampeW. GMS Z. Med. Training. 2014.
The Hamburg Selection Procedure for Dental Students - Introduction of the HAM-Nat as subject-specific test for study aptitude. Kothe C, Hissbach J, Hampe W. GMS Z. Med. 2013.
Suitability of the HAM-Nat test and TMS module "basic medical-scientific understanding" for medical school selection. Hissbach J, Feddersen L, Sehner S, Hampe W. GMS Z Med Ausbild 2012.
Dimensionality and predictive validity of the HAM-Nat, a test of natural sciences for medical school admission. Hissbach JC, Klusmann D, Hampe W. BMC Med Educ. 2011.