MSAP 2017

snowflakesrule

So y'all bishes, that msap thing yesterday...

I was wondering what the general impression of it was, especially for anybody who downloaded the practice test or sat a "pre-msap" - did y'all find it more difficult than those?
On Friday eve I timed myself with the practice test - I figured I'd paid €18 for it and it would be a waste of money not to try it before the test. Found Module 2 very doable within an hour, and I got 34/35.

No such luck yesterday. I had 4 bubbles left to fill in when she gave the order to put down our pencils, so I hastily filled these in randomly.
Out of the bubbles I DID fill in, I'm fairly certain some were right, but I might have gotten about 6 or more wrong, which would then be 10 questions wrong altogether conservative estimate, giving me only 107 out of 150 based on that being 4/7 ( if that's how it's marked ? )
I have to say, that in UCC, the desks were far too close together and the invigilators marching up and down constantly between them made me lose my concentration at least 4 times while trying to read those passages.
There was one particular guy who I felt would have been in his element as an SS officer in a Nazi concentration camp. He brushed past me several times menacingly. I actually tried to give him a warning look, but he really seemed to be enjoying himself.
And with the desks further apart, the invigilators passing by would be less imposing and jarring, also it would be more difficult for people to see others' work, if that what they were trying to prevent by constantly marching up and down between the rows like that.

The woman in charge giving the announcements was strict but fair, I have to say. My one criticism was that when she announced 10 minutes left, she kept talking for at least half a minute, and I was still trying to focus, so I blocked my ears and hunched over the desk, which is what I should have been doing all along while trying to read.
What I'm glad about is that I attended the premsap and timed myself taking the practice test - I'd have prolly panicked otherwise for the 2nd module, and when you panic you lower your expectations and could potentially completely screw it up.
Also, and I'm kind of proud of this but I'd be careful who I said it to - I had decided to wear a NAPPY!
( Always wear a nappy in an exam, people. Drinking water to hydrate yourself the morning of an exam gives you an advantage over those who are afraid they'll have to pee, and might lose precious minutes being frogmarched to the bathroom and back, with those Nazis probably trying to look at your junk ).
Ok so it was an Always pull-up pants thing, but I told my mates that I sat in the exam wearing a nappy ( and took a pee in it like a bawss ).

TMI?
Anyway, I think I did ok on the essay section - finished both. If I get a score in the 120's I feel like I will have acquitted myself nicely. I'd be over the moon with a score in the 130's, but I think that's probably too much to hope for given that I randomly filled 4 bubbles and wasn't sure of several others.
I'd be bummed if I got less than 110.

heno86

Also, and I'm kind of proud of this but I'd be careful who I said it to - I had decided to wear a NAPPY!
( Always wear a nappy in an exam, people. Drinking water to hydrate yourself the morning of an exam gives you an advantage over those who are afraid they'll have to pee, and might lose precious minutes being frogmarched to the bathroom and back, with those Nazis probably trying to look at your junk ).
Ok so it was an Always pull-up pants thing, but I told my mates that I sat in the exam wearing a nappy ( and took a pee in it like a bawss ).


What in the name of God did I just read..

snowflakesrule

I'm tellin' ya, nappies are the way to go in situations like that. ( I don't have a fetish either. Well, not much of a one anyway, you know. it just turned me on a little bit, like ).
So any comments from anybody on how hard/easy they found the test?

Micheller7

I did the MSAP in UCC Saturday and found it very tricky.. I was happy with my essays but not so happy with my attempt at the questions ... I also did the MSAP in 2015 and thought I did quite well but my results didn't reflect that !! So this time round I'm expecting that I didn't do any better than the last time and I won't be attempting it again!! To be very honest I don't agree with university's basing their mature student intake on the MSAP exam as it is an unfair reflection of a persons abilities!!

snowflakesrule

Agreed - I'm sure a lot of very bright people who went in there thinking they'd be well able for it panicked at module 2 and weren't able to focus under those jarring conditions.
I'd be happy in my nappy with a score in the hundred-and-teens actually, even though a lot of people would say that's only average.

snowflakesrule

MSAP results this week b1tches!

Wanderlust91

Anyone get their results, got called for an interview to UCC but no results

snowflakesrule

No e-mail yet - we are getting e-mails about it, right?
But when I do get my e-mail I will prolly piss myself and won't be able to open it ( luckily, I will be wearing a nappy )

Wanderlust91

Haha, I assume it would be emailed this week. UCC were sent my results nonetheless

rryanstud

hey,

has anyone got their results ?
i've been checking my emails every ten minutes all week... i know its Easter weekend at all but 6 weeks is 6 weeks

did any of you do the third section? buying the extra practice paper didn't really help me. went in with a false belief that I can do it no problem but when i got the paper it was much harder than the once i've seen before.
anyways...
good luck to you all

Wanderlust91

No results yet, I know their office is based in Melbourne. I wonder if the booklets are sent their for correction and then probably entered into a database for Colleges in Ireland. Id say it will be this week due to the Easter weekend. I had an email last week from UCC for an interview for Social work (the course I applied. I reckon they might have been released to colleges late last week maybe. Best of luck, I agree, nothing can help with the MSAP :eek:

Edit, no I didnt do the third section

rryanstud

ah yeah that make sense. i just presumed when they said 6 weeks it is up to six weeks. fingers crossed they email it onto us early this week. best of luck with your interview. Im sure you'll get in if you you could tackle the msap

snowflakesrule

I went to the website

https://msap-ireland.acer.org/results1

" Universities will have electronic access to MSAP Ireland test results after the test sitting."

This would certainly suggest that the colleges get the results before the students do. Which is balls.

snowflakesrule

rryanstud wrote: »

hey,

has anyone got their results ?
i've been checking my emails every ten minutes all week... i know its Easter weekend at all but 6 weeks is 6 weeks

did any of you do the third section? buying the extra practice paper didn't really help me. went in with a false belief that I can do it no problem but when i got the paper it was much harder than the once i've seen before.
anyways...
good luck to you all

I only did sections 1 and 2 but section 2 was more difficult than either the practice paper or the pre-msap. More long passages to read, less graphs/cartoons, etc to interpret - seemed to be designed to be tricky and to leave people insufficient time to finish it.

snowflakesrule

I got 121 - and I'm quite happy about that.

Only 87 percentile though and I don't know what the percentile cut off is for the courses I applied for.

amazed at my individual scores:

They marked my essays down to 118, and that was what I thought I'd done well in. I'd love to know how they mark those - what are the criteria that they give/take marks for.

123 in section 2 - what I thought I'd get around 107 in.

Anyway - I RELIEVED myself when I saw my results

rryanstud

hi,
well done. seems like you did well so!
does anyone know the cut off percentile for UCD?

cannex

My heart was racing this morning when I saw the email and I just got my results:
Written English - scaled score 136 - Percentile - 92
Critical Reasoning -scaled score 101 - percentile - 65
Overall scaled score - 118
Overall percentile - 84

Thought I'd do better on the critical reasoning, that really let me down, thought I'd do better at that but at least I did well in the written English.
I hope its enough to get into UCC FIlm & Sreen Media
Fingers crossed.

Norzy101

Congratulations on your results! You should get in no problem! Sadly I didn't do as well as I'd hoped! Clearly the pressure of the day took its toll 😢 It's so annoying because I submitted those two essays that they grade for you to see where you stood, and I got 153! Exams clearly hate me... or their online grading is definitely off! Thank god I've been accepted into Maynooth University because I'm not holding out for a UCD offer! Best of luck to everyone day!

snowflakesrule

rryanstud wrote: »

hi,
well done. seems like you did well so!
does anyone know the cut off percentile for UCD?

It depends what course but for Arts, looking at the posts about it from last year, if you got over 100 scaled score you'd have a good chance of getting a place.
I freaked out first because I thought you needed a percentile of 90+ to get into most courses, based on one person's post. but that's not it - you need a scaled score of 90+ big difference.

Corner127

Hi everyone,

I got a percentile score of 92 - and I'm just wondering if anyone knows if that would be good enough to get an interview for Psychology Level 8 in UCC? I've heard some people have already been called for interviews but I have no idea if that's to study Psychology.

snowflakesrule

Corner127 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I got a percentile score of 92 - and I'm just wondering if anyone knows if that would be good enough to get an interview for Psychology Level 8 in UCC? I've heard some people have already been called for interviews but I have no idea if that's to study Psychology.

I don't know but your score is a bloody disgrace if you ask me! When are you going to start APPLYING yourself?! :mad::P

Corner127

:P I don't know... I just hope to get an interview but there's so much competition with mature student places!

snowflakesrule

Hmm. Somebody last year got 123 and that was 86th percentile. I got 121 and it's 87th percentile, which must mean that in general people performed worse on this year's test.
Only my scaled score showing up on my CAO, not percentile. what up with that.

Anapmurphy

Just wondering if there's anyone that took modules 1 and 3.
My scores were MUCH better than I thought they'd be:
Module 1: 126; 85%
Module 3: 109; 79%
Overall: 118; 92%

I took it for UCD human nutrition. Anyone have any experience with cut off numbers and acceptances?

Also could someone explain how my overall is higher than the average of the two. It seems that some of you scored higher overall on the scaled scored but got lower percentiles than I did. Was I scored only against people who only took modules 1 and 3?

rryanstud

Hi,
I took module 1 and 3
my scores were also higher than I thought they'd be. not as good as yours though... well done.
Module 1: 122; 77%
Module 3: 106; 74%
Overall: 114; 87%

it is strange how the percentiles vary.

snowflakesrule

Proper happy in my nappy today to get an e-mail saying that I was selected for a place on my 1st choice course! ( Now I just have to sort grant for fees ).
Anybody else get good news

rryanstud

well done, great news! no news from UCD yet...

Corner127

@snowflakesrule That's great news! Where did you apply?

snowflakesrule

Thanks y'all! I applied to UCC so anybody who applied there will probably get word soon if they haven't already. Wasn't expecting to be told yet , proper chuffed !

Corner127

Hopefully will hear from places soon! Congrats btw What course are you doing?

cannex

yay just got accepted to ucc too