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Published on 26th August 2020 by laurenwade

 

The BMAT (or BioMedical Admissions Test) is a two-hour test consisting of three sections that some universities use as part of their medical school admissions process.

As with the UCAT, you are only allowed to sit the BMAT once per admissions cycle; usually candidates have two sitting options but due to COVID-19, candidates can only sit BMAT in November this year.

Whilst both have upsides, you will know your BMAT score before the UCAS deadline with the September sitting, however sitting the BMAT in November means that you have more time to prepare.

The BMAT is by no means an easy test, so make sure you’ve read our BMAT guide first. Then, read on to find out my top six tips for BMAT success:


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1. Answer all questions

BMAT is not negatively marked, which means that it is definitely worth guessing the answers to any questions you may not have had time to answer – you may even get rewarded with a couple of extra marks.

Since you do not lose marks for any wrong answers, even narrowing down the options for any questions you may not have enough time to work through fully means an educated guess is worth putting down.

Read about changes to BMAT for 2020 

2. Practice doing past papers

The BMAT website contains a wealth of practice papers – from 2003 to last year’s papers.

There are the most realistic questions you can do as not only were they made the test makers, but they actually formed previous years’ tests.

Since there are so many papers, it is worth doing some of them through as full practice exams (i.e. all three sections timed) and taking them question by question, working through and getting to grips with question styles.

There are also a couple of past papers with the answers explained, which can help show you the logic certain questions require. This means you’ll have a better chance of being able to work out how to answer future questions using similar logic.

By looking at previous years’ essay questions (section three) and trying them out, you should get an idea of the kinds of questions BMAT asks and also learn how to write concisely – so that your essay fits in the given space and is good quality writing.

Read about last minute BMAT revision tips

3. Look at the section two guide

Since this comes from the test makers themselves, it’s the most accurate guidance on this section and outlines topics you need to know for the exam.

This means you can look over any topics you may have forgotten and, if necessary, learn any material you may not have covered previously. This guide is available for free.

Much of section two is about applying knowledge but this section does require a core base knowledge, which means you can definitely prepare for it more straightforwardly than the other sections.

Read about BMAT scores

4. Timed practice

BMAT questions are not easy and are quite conceptual, which means they are often time consuming, but still doable.

Making sure you incorporate timed practice into your preparation means that you will be much better prepared to take the BMAT and help you work out how best to use the time available to sit the BMAT.

Read about BMAT universities

5. Keep up to date with the NHS and healthcare news

Although it is not definite, sometimes NHS ‘hot topics’ have formed the base of one of the BMAT essay options.

Wider reading over time can help prepare you if such a topic comes up – you will have evidence to back up your points and should an interviewer ask about your essay further down the line, you will be in a stronger position to talk about your essay and its content.

Read how does studying Medicine differ from A-Levels? 

6. Plan to take the test and register

BMAT is not an easy exam and giving yourself some time to prepare is essential; it is best to decide whether to take the BMAT early on in the application process, so you can factor in time to ensure you are ready for the test.

If you decide to take the BMAT in September, you must register yourself at a test centre – don’t forget to do this and remember the earlier you register the better, as spaces are limited.

The bottom line is practising over time and in advance, making sure you resolve any timing issues and are familiar with the test format can ultimately help boost your BMAT score.

It is also worth remembering that the longer you have to prepare, the better prepared you will be to take the BMAT.

Words: Nafisa Barma


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