Many Medical Applicants will be taking this test this year! (04/11/2009) So this thread is to ask questions, gather information about the test, practise material and discuss any concerns, etc. last year's thread can be found here
My Advise
I took this test last year and scored 5.6, 3.8, 7.5, which is just above average, but below average in Section 2.
Do not go to the COMA BMAT course it is rubbish, and some of their questions are posted in this thread further down.
About the Test
The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is a 2 hour pen and paper test consisting of 3 separate sections. The BMAT does not require a great amount of extra study as it relies on skills and knowledge that candidates should already have.
Test Format
Cambridge Assessment is responsible for producing and marking the BMAT. The test consists of the following three sections:
Section 1: Aptitude and Skills
Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Application
Section 3: Writing Task
Separate answer sheets will be provided for each section.
Calculators may not be used in the BMAT.
Each section is designed to measure a specific construct as detailed below, although more detailed information can be found in the BMAT Specification. Click Here
The idea here is that as the weeks progress TSR users will generate essay questions, and any one can do the essay and post up their answer to receive feedback from other users, and discuss ideas.
Week 2: "Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition."
Write a unified essay addressing the following:
What do you think the statement means?
Advance an argument against the statement.
Disscuss, giving examples, times when enthusiasm and superstition are seen as "poison".
Most are in the attachment, but others you might be expected to know are:
Force = mass x acceleration
transformers: Vp/Vs = Np/Ns
half life: half-life = 0.69/wavelength
speed of light = 300 million m/s
speed of sound = 340 m/s
Q: What is the BMAT?
A: The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is a two hour pen and paper test consisting of three sections.
Section 1: Aptitude and Skills (60 minutes - 35 multiple choice questions)
Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Applications (30 minutes - 27 multiple choice questions)
Section 3: Writing Task (30 minutes - 1 essay question from a choice of 3)
Q: Who needs to take the BMAT?
A: All candidates applying to the following institutions/courses are required to take BMAT:
University of Cambridge (C05):
A100 Medicine
A101 Graduate Course in Medicine*
D100 Veterinary Medicine
Imperial College London (I50):
A100 Medicine
B900 Biomedical Science (3 year course)
B901 Biomedical Science (4 year course)
BB29 Pharmacology and Translational Medical Science
BB2X Pharmacology and Translational Medical Science with a Year in Industry
University of Oxford Medical School (O33):
A100 Medicine
B100 Physiological Sciences
Royal Veterinary College (R84)
D100 Veterinary Medicine
D101 Combined Degree Programme
University College London (U80):
A100 Medicine
* Please note that it is not essential for applicants to the Cambridge Graduate course in Medicine (A101) to sit the BMAT, although applicants could use a successful result as part of their pre-medical requirements.
Failure to sit the BMAT could result in an unsuccessful application to a candidate’s chosen institution, it is important that candidates refer to university websites, prospectuses, and UCAS for a definitive list of entry requirements.
Q: When is the BMAT taken?
A: The BMAT will take place on 4th November 2009 at 9.30am GMT.
International candidates should check with their centre to confirm the start time.
Q: Where can the BMAT be taken?
A: Typically, candidates sit the BMAT at their school or college. Candidates who do not attend a school or college will need to find an open centre where they can take the test.
Candidates who cannot find a centre should contact the BMAT Support Team.
Q: How much does the BMAT cost?
A: Standard entry fee (applies until 5pm GMT on 30th September 2009)
UK Candidates £32.10
International Candidates £55.90
Late entries may be accepted by centres until 5pm GMT on 15th October 2009
UK Candidates £64.40
International Candidates £111.80
Some open centres may charge an administrative fee for organising and administering the BMAT on behalf of external candidates.
Q: Can BMAT fees be reimbursed?
A: Candidates from the U.K. in receipt of full Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), Job Seeker’s Allowance or Income Support may apply for their BMAT fees to be reimbursed. Candidates from within the E.U. in receipt of full Educational Maintenance Allowance, or the equivalent, may apply for their BMAT fees to be reimbursed.
Candidates registered at a closed centre, should speak to their Exams Officer, Head of Sixth Form or Careers Officer and ask them to contact us. Candidates registered through an open centre may contact us directly by writing to:
The BMAT Support Team
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom
Standard entry fees will be reimbursed to candidates who have taken BMAT and applied to a BMAT university. Late entry fees and administration fees will not be reimbursed.
A copy of a candidate’s entitlement for benefits should be enclosed with the request for reimbursement of fees.
All requests for reimbursement of fees should reach the BMAT Support Team by Monday, 1st December 2009.
Q: As a candidate how do I register for BMAT?
A: Candidates cannot register themselves for BMAT; they must be registered by an approved BMAT centre.
If you are currently attending a school or college you should approach your Examinations Officer to discuss whether or not your school can accommodate for you to sit the BMAT there; other candidates should find an open centre where they can sit the BMAT.
If you cannot find a centre near you to take the BMAT you should contact the BMAT Support Team.
Q: As an Examinations Officer how do I register my candidate?
A: Candidates must be registered by their Examinations Officer through our Entries Extranet. If your centre has not offered Cambridge Assessment Admissions Tests before you will need to register with us.
Q: Where does the BMAT candidate number need to be entered?
A: BMAT candidate numbers begin with a “B” followed by five numbers. Candidate numbers must be entered on all examinations scripts on the day of the test, candidates will be provided on a Statement of Entry on the day of the test.
Candidates applying to the University of Cambridge entering their candidate number onto their Cambridge Application Form should only enter the five numbers from their candidate number.
UCAS advise that candidates should enter their candidate number onto their UCAS form, more information can be found on the UCAS website.
Q: What are access arrangements?
A: Access arrangements is the term given to any pre-examination adjustments based on history of need and provision. That is to say that a candidate may have dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dysorthographia, or working memory deficit and require extra time, the use of a laptop or some other physical requirement.
It is important for candidates to consult with their centre notifying them of any access arrangements the candidate may have and the candidate should be prepared to provide clinical evidence as requested.
Q: What evidence should an Examinations Officer submit for candidates with access arrangements?
A: Evidence of candidates’ access arrangements is now required to be submitted to Cambridge Assessment.
If a candidate qualifies for access arrangements one of the following reports should be submitted where applicable:
-a Statement of Special Educational Needs relating to secondary education and which has reached the stage where an assessment has been carried out by the LEA educational psychologist;
a Psychological Assessment carried out by a qualified psychologist confirming learning disability during the secondary school period;
an assessment confirming learning disability during the secondary school period carried out by a specialist teacher;
a privately commissioned reports which must give a clear indication that there is evidence of need. The head of centre must be satisfied that there is a history of need and provision.
In other circumstances, such as a medical, physical or psychological requirement, appropriate evidence of need must be provided by the centre for inspection.
Examinations Officers should submit a report dated within three years of the BMAT test date for any candidate with access arrangements to:
The BMAT Team
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom
Please note that BMAT is not governed by JCQ.
Q: Where should requests for special considerations be sent?
A: Special consideration is the term used for post-examination adjustments to reflect temporary illness, injury or indisposition at the time of assessment. All special considerations will be passed onto any BMAT university to which the candidate has applied. The University will be asked to take the special consideration into account when considering applications. No adjustment will be made to candidates' results.
Requests for special considerations should be sent on school headed notepaper to:
The BMAT Support Team
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom
Q: What preparation materials are available for BMAT?
A: Preparation Materials for BMAT.
Q: When will BMAT exam materials arrive at the centre?
A: BMAT exam materials will arrive with the examination centre approximately a week to ten days before the date of the exam marked with a sticker stating “Admissions Tests Materials Enclosed”.
Q: Are dictionaries allowed for BMAT?
A: No, dictionaries and bi-lingual dictionaries may not be used for BMAT.
Q: Are calculators allowed for BMAT?
A: No, calculators may not be used.
Q: When will BMAT results be published?
A: BMAT results will be released via centres(electronically only) on 1st December 2009.
Q: Can previous BMAT results be used as part of a new application?
A: BMAT results are only accepted by universities in the year candidates apply for university. Candidates should sit the BMAT in November 2009 if they are applying to start university in 2010 or for a deferred place in 2011.
Q: Can BMAT results be queried?
A: No, results cannot be queried.
1. "A Cost to an individual can be justified by a benefit to the group"
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
Do you agree with this hypothesis? Outline an argument in support of and in opposition to this statement. What factors influence the rights of the individual over that of the group?
2. You can only believe in what you know to be true.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
What relevance does this statement have to scientific thought? Advance an Argument against this idea. What other factors influence scientific belief?
3. The sequencing of the human genome is the most important scientific advance of the twentieth century.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
Why is the study of the human genome so important? In what ways could the study of genetics be helpful in medicine and in what ways could it hinder advancements?
4. The right to life carried with it the right to death.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
Discuss the implication of this statement. In what circumstances would you agree with this idea, and in what circumstance would you disagree? What factors would influence the possession of such rights?
5. A patients lifestyle choices should not alter the medical treatment recived.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
Do you agree with this ideal? Give Examples of when medical treatment may be altered as a result of lifestyle choices. What factors determine whether treatment can be given?
6. Medicine is an art form rather than a scientific discipline.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
Do you agree with this statement? In what ways could medicine be considered an art form, and in which ways could it be considered a scientific discipline?
7. The ability to laugh is what makes us human.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
What different meanings could this statement have? Advance arguments for the genetic versus the environmental effect on our personality development.
8. All perceived benefits carry with them a know risk.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
Discus, with examples whether this statement is true. How could we resolve the conflict between benefit and harm?
9. Genes control our lives.
Write a unified essay in which you address the following:
Explain what the statement above means. Advance an argument in support of and in opposition to the statement. How can we identify the role that genes play in our live?
great thread vas. I have some more example essay questions from the 2007 edition of the passing UKCAT and Bmat book:
Stop moaning! The pain is there to help you!
What does the above statement imply? Give examples that illustrate how pain can be benificial and others that illustrate the opposite. How can you explain the differences in the function of pain?
In the modern age of science, the laws of natural selection no longer apply to humans.
What do you understand by the statement above? Can you suggest examples where natural selection still applies and examples where it does not? What factors affect whether natural selection applies to a species?
Health and disease are point along a continuum, rather than separate states.
Explain what the meaning of this statement is. Do you agree with this statement? Advance arguments in support of and in opposition to this statement. What determines the balance between health and disease?
great thread vas. I have some more example essay questions from the 2007 edition of the passing UKCAT and Bmat book:
Stop moaning! The pain is there to help you!
What does the above statement imply? Give examples that illustrate how pain can be benificial and others that illustrate the opposite. How can you explain the differences in the function of pain?
In the modern age of science, the laws of natural selection no longer apply to humans.
What do you understand by the statement above? Can you suggest examples where natural selection still applies and examples where it does not? What factors affect whether natural selection applies to a species?
Health and disease are point along a continuum, rather than separate states.
Explain what the meaning of this statement is. Do you agree with this statement? Advance arguments in support of and in opposition to this statement. What determines the balance between health and disease?
I think I'm good at Section 3, and when I read the questions I'm like
In my mock Section 3 essay, I got 8.0....good for a first try I thought Still not high enough for UCL, arghhhh!
I think I'm good at Section 3, and when I read the questions I'm like
In my mock Section 3 essay, I got 8.0....good for a first try I thought Still not high enough for UCL, arghhhh!
i'm not sure if they're requirements have changed this year (last year it was 5,5,9), but UCL call you for interview based on your total score, not individual ones. so if you get more than 10 in sections 1 and 2, you can make up for a poor essay. i got 7.5 in my essay last year, and still got called for interview from UCL. my point is.... don't worry!! and stay calm during the paper.
8 for a first try is amazing. I dont even understand what half the questions are asking me about .
How did u mark your essay?
They are confusing Our mock one was something about technological advances...there's a mark scheme somewhere and our teacher just marked it according to that, I think. Bear in mind, it was just marked by a teacher not an actual BMAT examiner
If anyone wants the mark scheme, I could give it to you - if it isn't in the links above.
Last edited by Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly. : 27-08-2009 at 22:40.
i'm not sure if they're requirements have changed this year (last year it was 5,5,9), but UCL call you for interview based on your total score, not individual ones. so if you get more than 10 in sections 1 and 2, you can make up for a poor essay. i got 7.5 in my essay last year, and still got called for interview from UCL. my point is.... don't worry!! and stay calm during the paper.
Wow, thanks for that info. It is still 5,5,9. So do you mean more than 10 in sections 1 and 2 combined?
Wow, thanks for that info. It is still 5,5,9. So do you mean more than 10 in sections 1 and 2 combined?
yeah sorry should have been a bit clearer on that: a total of 10+ from sections 1 and 2 (basically what you said).
tbh, the essay part of the BMAT is so unpredictable its almost impossible to prepare for it. obviously do a couple of practice essays for timing, and so you can gauge what sort of questions you're facing, but other than that there's not much else you can do.
for section 1, make sure you know how to interperate data from graphs and pie charts. for the parts regarding identifying certain things from passages such as conclusions, assumptions etc. a critical thinking guide (you can find them online) is really useful... although if you did it at AS level it will definitely help.
section 2: just look over the GCSE science and maths syllabus... there's stuff that your exam board won't have covered so make sure you identify these topics and read up on them. don't go crazy on revising for this section, but just make sure you know your basic formulae for physics and maths
yeah sorry should have been a bit clearer on that: a total of 10+ from sections 1 and 2 (basically what you said).
You have to get 5 or over in each of sections 1 and 2 to be guaranteed an interview, not just get a combined total of over 10 (i.e., 6.7 in the first section and 3.4 in the second section will not guarantee you an interview, you have to get over 5 in both of them).
However, if you do not get this then don't despair. Your application will not be rejected on the basis that you didn't get 5, 5, 9, you just won't be guaranteed an interview. You may still get one (I think it was said somewhere else that UCL interviewed 750 people this year, of which around 500 got 5,5,9, and 250 that didn't).
You have to get 5 or over in each of sections 1 and 2 to be guaranteed an interview, not just get a combined total of over 10 (i.e., 6.7 in the first section and 3.4 in the second section will not guarantee you an interview, you have to get over 5 in both of them).
However, if you do not get this then don't despair. Your application will not be rejected on the basis that you didn't get 5, 5, 9, you just won't be guaranteed an interview. You may still get one (I think it was said somewhere else that UCL interviewed 750 people this year, of which around 500 got 5,5,9, and 250 that didn't).
Of the people who don't get 5,5,9 will they pick the highest BMAT scorers or look at their academic achievements and PS etc.?
Of the people who don't get 5,5,9 will they pick the highest BMAT scorers or look at their academic achievements and PS etc.?
I don't know. Perhaps you should ask one of the more seasoned ucl medics (they are around) for an answer to that.
I think Spencer Wells does interviews for UCL, perhaps you should ask him.
University course discussion for medicine.
Useful Resources:
BMAT thread 2009
.
Our mock one was something about technological advances...there's a mark scheme somewhere and our teacher just marked it according to that, I think. Bear in mind, it was just marked by a teacher not an actual BMAT examiner 
