BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)

What is the BMAT?

The BMAT is a two-hour exam and students are given three sections to complete:

• Aptitude Skills: Problem-solving tasks set to test your proficiency at analysing data. The layout and question style of this section is much like the entirety of UCAT which focuses more intensely on aptitude rather than knowledge. For this section you are given 60 minutes to answer 32 multiple-choice questions.
• Scientific Knowledge: For this you will need to draw from what you have learnt from your GCSE and A-Level curriculums. This section is highly academic and comprises of 27 multiple choice questions which you are to answer over the course of 30 minutes.
• Writing Task: You will be given three topics of which you are to select one on which to write a short essay on. This section aims to test your ability to convey your ideas clearly, concisely, and quickly, as you will have 30 minutes to complete it.

NB: as of 2024, all medical schools that use admissions tests will be switching to the UCAT.

Please see here for information about the UCAT and how Simply Learning Tuition can help you prepare.

What are BMAT Grade boundaries?

Thresholds and the ways in which the BMAT is used differ depending on what university you are applying to. Some pay no attention to the written quality of section three and most medical schools will take contextual matters into account when judging each candidates’ grades. Nevertheless, it is important to treat the BMAT (or UCAT) with equal importance as any other admissions criteria because some universities include a cut-off grade which means that if students achieve below a set grade, they are not considered any further. For example, UCL required that every student achieves a score of 4.0 for sections one and two and a minimum of 2.5B for section three. Alternatively, some universities do not use a cut-off system and but rank grades from lowest to highest – usually prioritising those in the top 80-90 percentile. So, achieving a lower grade will not necessarily remove you from consideration, but it will make your application less competitive.

What is a good BMAT result?

For Aptitude Skills and Scientific Knowledge, students are marked according to a nine-point scale. For most universities, a score of 6.0 or higher is good.

The Writing Task is marked on both the standard of your written English as well as on the content of your work. You will receive a numbered grade between one and five for content and a lettered grade A-E on your written English. For example, 5A would be an outstanding score but students should aim to attain at least a 3A to have a good standing against other applicants

 

How to prepare for the BMAT

As with any exam, the best way for you to prepare is to run through practice questions and familiarise yourself with the format before the real thing. For those looking to apply for 2025, the BMAT is no longer used by admissions teams. Rather, students will be required to take the UCAT. See here for how best to prepare for the UCAT and how Simply Learning Tuition can be of assistance.

How to get BMAT test results

If you are looking to see your test results for the 2023 BMAT, these can be found under the Statement of Results section in the Test Portal Metritests. Please note it usually takes three to four weeks before results are released. However, you will not be able to use this score for applications in 2024 (for 2025 entry) as results are only valid for the year that they are taken.

Recent changes in BMAT

The BMAT has now been discontinued, and Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing (CAAT) has announced that it will not be producing papers for those looking to start university in 2025. Students applying to universities that previously required the BMAT will now need to take the UCAT instead.

Nevertheless, if you took the BMAT in 2023 for 2024 entry, you would not need to re-sit, and your results will still be considered as part of your application.