BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) Guide
Everything you should know before taking the BMAT and how to be successful!
**Please be aware that from the 2024 application cycle onwards, the BMAT has been fully withdrawn and Universities will be making alternative arrangements. Most Universities are replacing the BMAT with the UCAT, but be sure to check the university website for confirmation.**
WHAT IS THE BMAT?
The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is a comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate the scientific aptitude and critical thinking skills of aspiring medical students. In this blog, we will explore the significance of admissions tests, focusing on the BMAT, and provide valuable insights to help you prepare effectively and stand out in your medical school application.
WHO NEEDS TO SIT THE BMAT?
The BMAT is for applicants to medicine, veterinary, and some dentist courses at eight different UK universities and medical schools: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Leeds, Brighton & Sussex, Keele, and Lancaster. As per usual, we recommend that you check the relevant course webpages for the university/universities you’re interested in before applying just to make sure that you’ve got all the correct information to hand before applying!
HOW IS THE BMAT STRUCTURED?
The BMAT consists of multiple sections, each designed to assess different aspects of a candidate's abilities. The BMAT is made up of three sections in total. The first section is a 60-minute thinking skills test consisting of multiple choice questions designed to test general skills often required for undergraduate study. The second part is a half-an-hour section on Scientific Knowledge and Application. These questions are also in multiple choice format, and the questions are usually restricted to non-specialist Science and Mathematics courses in secondary education. The third section is a 30-minute writing task, in which students pick one out of three task prompts. This gives you the chance to demonstrate your ability to consider both sides of an argument and communicate your ideas in writing.
CAN I CHOOSE WHICH QUESTIONS I ANSWER IN THE BMAT?
In the third section of the exam, students may select one of the three task prompts offered to them in the 30-minute writing task.
HOW IS MY SCORE IN THE BMAT USED?
UK Universities and medical schools use the BMAT as a standardised format for assessing and benchmarking their applicants. The exam rewards problem solving over knowledge of particular scientific or mathematical knowledge, so that students taking different qualifications at school can access the syllabus.
Universities use students’ marks in the BMAT to make decisions about which applicants they should invite to interview. Whilst the BMAT is important in their selection processes, it is always used as part of a matrix and considered alongside other factors submitted with the application, such as predicted grades and personal statement.
WHAT IS A GOOD BMAT SCORE?
BMAT scoring is quite complicated, since student scores are assessed on a sliding scale rather than a sum of the points achieved in the exam. In the test itself, students can score a maximum of 32 points in Section 1, 27 points in Section 2, and will be given a score between 1 and 5 for the quality of their content and grade A, C, or E for the quality of written English in Section 3. However, the final score will be given not as a sum of these results but as a number on a scale from 1.0 to 9.0.
The average applicant taking the BMAT receives a score of 5.0. A Score of 6.0 or above is considered a good score, and competitive for Oxbridge and other top UK. Scoring a 7.0 or higher is very rare indeed.
Since the BMAT test is used as an assessment tool among a wider context of factors, such as your academic grades and teacher reference, there is no fixed pass mark or automatic threshold. However, ranking highly correlates heavily with being awarded an offer.
DO I NEED TO KNOW SPECIFIC MEDICINE CONTENT
The BMAT syllabus is designed so that students taking a wide variety of qualifications or have a background in international education systems can access the mathematical content. However, it is more focused around the UK education system and the general concepts covered in A-Level and IB science and mathematics syllabuses. We recommend that students cross-reference their syllabus with the official BMAT syllabus. We also have specialist tutors who have experience of advising students taking other qualifications and help them fill in knowledge gaps.
