Do you want to study medicine, dentistry, or veterinarian at a university in the UK? You must first take the BMAT test to see if your level meets the university admission criteria.
You don’t know what the BMAT is? Do not panic, in this guide, you will learn the essential things to remember about the BMAT exam, whether it is registration, the course of the tests, the preparation, or the prices.
Read this article to learn more, and to prepare ahead of time for BMAT!
What is BMAT?
The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is for anyone wishing to study in the medical field, dental, or veterinary at universities in the United Kingdom.
The BMAT is an exam taking place in 2 hours.
The objective of the BMAT test is to judge your scientific and mathematical knowledge, as well as your critical analysis and communication skills, essential for applying to a university in the UK.
This BMAT test has existed since 2001, and the tests are held in English, for two hours. If you do not fully master English, you must train beforehand to store basic notions of the language, to have a suitable level to face many situations.
You can practice TOEFL for this, and try to have a minimum B2 level.
You can only take the test once, and you must share your results online, depending on which universities require it.
Recommended reading:
- UCAT vs BMAT Test: What is the Difference?
- Writing a Winning Medical Personal Statement
- Applying To Medicine in the UK
- How To Apply To Dentistry In The UK
- How To Write A Dentistry Personal Statement
- The Best Medicine Universities In The UK
How to register for the BMAT?
Choose the right session
You should know that taking a BMAT test depends on the session required by some universities. You have several sessions, registration opens in September and closes in December.
It is recommended to check the websites of the universities of your choice to find out which session is accepted. In addition to the preparation, you search for specific information to know.
BMAT Test Dates 2023 for 2024 entry in the UK
- 1st September 2023 – BMAT Registration Opens (the test centre must register on your behalf – for most people, this is most commonly your school or college. This is how to book BMAT).
- 15th September 2023 – Deadline to apply for modified papers 29th September 2023 – BMAT Registration Deadline 2023 – for test centres to register candidates at a normal price. Deadline for applications for access arrangements.
- 18th October 2023 – BMAT test date.
- 24th November 2023 – BMAT results released
- 1st December 2023 – Deadline to apply for a results enquiry
Where to take the BMAT?
You can take the test in your home, or a place more conducive to the conduct of the test; a remote supervisor is there to keep everything in order.
You must register via the Metritests portal.
Taking the test at home allows you to be in a fairly familiar and comfortable environment, or perhaps being at home is more distracting. The choice is yours.
You can take the test in a specialised centre, depending on the global network, or take it in your college or high school, by finding out about the possibility of taking it. Your college or university can find out if it is suitable to administer the BMAT, as a test centre.
BMAT Test Specification and Structure
We mentioned that the BMAT is a test taking place in two hours. You only need to have paper and a pen to pass the tests.
In the BMAT specification are three sections, the first two of which correspond to MCQs, and the third question consists of a writing test.
- Thinking Skill
- Scientific Knowledge and Applications
- Writing Test
Before taking the test, see if your level of English is adequate to understand the titles of the different sections and if you can provide suitable answers.
Section 1: Thinking Skill
This first test allows you to judge your skills in critical thinking and problem-solving. You have 60 minutes to answer 32 questions, which is quite short depending on your thinking speed and accuracy. Try to be as specific as possible, indicating clear answers.
Questions are in multiple-choice format.
| Thinking Skill Sections | No of Questions |
|---|---|
| Problem-Solving Requires candidates to solve problems, using simple numerical operations. Problem-solving requires the capacity to: select relevant information to identify similarities determine and apply appropriate procedures | 16 |
| Critical Thinking Presents a series of logical arguments and requires respondents to: summarise conclusions conclude identify assumptions to assess the impact of additional evidence detect reasoning errors match arguments apply principles | 16 |
| Total | 32 |
Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Applications
You are examined on the scientific knowledge that you have learned during your previous studies. My favourite subjects concern mathematics, biology, physics, and chemistry. You have 30 minutes to answer 27 questions, which is very short. You should allow approximately one minute to answer each question.
| Subjects | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Biology | 7 |
| Chemistry | 7 |
| Physics | 7 |
| Mathematics | 6 |
| Total | 27 |
Section 3: Writing test
See this test as a kind of essay, you must communicate your ideas effectively and concisely so that the examiners understand the essence of your words. You have the choice of taking this exam by choosing one question out of three and transcribing your ideas in 30 minutes.
Which UK universities accept BMAT?
The list of medical universities and courses in the UK that accept BMAT is not long. Below is the table, you can find universities that accept the BMAT test in the admission process.
| University | Course |
|---|---|
| Brighton and Sussex Medical School | Medicine |
| Imperial College London | Medicine |
| Imperial College London | Medicine |
| Lancaster University | Medicine & Surgery Medicine & Surgery with a Gateway Year |
| University College London | Medicine |
| University of Cambridge | Medicine |
| University of Oxford | Medicine Graduate Medicine Biomedical Sciences |
Note: From 2024 BMAT test will no longer be accepted and will be replaced with the appropriate test, probably UCAT.
Learn everything you need to know about the UCAT test.
What is the BMAT Test Fee?
One of the questions you will ask is for sure – how much does it cost to take the BMAT? The costs are very transparent. In the table below is the BMAT fee you will need to pay before registering and taking the exam.
The BMAT test fee for 2023 is in the table below.
| BMAT 2023 | Fee |
|---|---|
| Registration in the UK | £78 |
| Additional late fee | £104 |
The Final Thoughts
Wanting to study medical school is to your credit, and if you are passionate about science, even better. Many students dream of studying medicine or dental school in the UK, but if you don’t have the necessary skills, your journey may be entirely hard.
Further reading: