Cambridge Assessment Admissions Tests - Official Information

BMAT is a 2-hour, pen and paper test divided into 3 sections:

Section 1: Aptitude and Skills (35 multiple choice questions in 60 minutes)
Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Applications (27 multiple choice questions in 30 minutes)
Section 3: Writing Task (one essay question from a choice of four, in 30 minutes)

Registration deadlines

Standard entry closing date: 1st October 2012
Late entry closing date: 15th October 2012
Standard and late entry fees apply.

Courses requiring BMAT

University of Cambridge (C05)
A100 Medicine
A101 Graduate Course in Medicine (not essential)
D100 Veterinary Medicine

University of Oxford (O33)
A100 Medicine
A101 Graduate Entry Medicine
BC98 Biomedical Sciences

University of Bristol (B78)
D100 Veterinary Science: BMAT is not compulsory.
BMAT scores used FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY in 2012-13.

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCSoM)
Medicine: MBBS degree jointly awarded by Imperial College London
and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Imperial College London (I50)
A100 Medicine
B900 Biomedical Sciences (3 year course)
B9N2 Biomedical Sciences with Management (4 year course)

Royal Veterinary College (R84)
D100 Veterinary Medicine
D101 Combined Degree Programme
D102 Graduate Accelerated Veterinary Medicine Programme

UCL (U80)
A100 Medicine

See www.bmat.org.uk for more information including how to register for the test, test fees and free practice materials. Chat about Medicine on the forums

ELAT is a pre-interview admissions test for applicants to English undergraduate courses at the University of Oxford. The 90-minute test is designed to enable applicants to show their ability in the key skill of close reading. Learners write one essay comparing two or three passages of prose or poetry set for comment, focusing on elements like:

• language
• imagery
• allusion
• syntax
• form and structure

Entry closing date: 15th October 2012.

See www.elat.org.uk for more information and free practice materials. Chat about English on the forums

The University of Oxford in partnership with Cambridge Assessment

The History Aptitude Test (HAT) is a 2-hour subject-specific admissions test for applicants to the University of Oxford's undergraduate degree courses in History and its joint schools.

Entry closing date: 15th October 2012.

See www.hatoxford.org.uk for more information. Chat about History on the forums

The University of Oxford in partnership with Cambridge Assessment

The Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) is a 2-hour subject-specific admissions test for applicants to the University of Oxford’s undergraduate degree courses in Physics, Engineering and Materials Science.

Entry closing date: 15th October 2012.

See www.patoxford.org.uk for more information. Chat about Physics on the forums

STEP (Sixth Term Examination Paper) is a well-established mathematics examination designed to test candidates on questions that are similar in style to undergraduate mathematics. It consists of up to three 3-hour examinations: STEP I, STEP II and STEP I

STEP is used by the University of Cambridge as the basis for conditional offers. Candidates who have received offers for Mathematics courses (and some Engineering and Computer Science courses) have to sit STEP as a post-interview test.

The University of Warwick also includes STEP in its undergraduate offers for Mathematics. The University of Oxford, Imperial College London, the University of Bath and the University of Bristol all encourage applicants to take STEP. Other universities sometimes ask candidates to take STEP as part of their offer – in such cases, the university can advise on which papers to take.

Registration deadlines

Standard entry closing date: 30th April 2012
Late entry closing date: 25th May 2012
Standard and late entry fees apply.

Visit www.stepmathematics.org.uk for more information including how to register for the test, past papers and links to other useful websites. Chat about Maths on the forums

The TSA Cambridge test consists of 90 minutes of multiple choice questions which measure problem solving and critical thinking skills. The TSA is taken when you come to Cambridge at the interview stage of your application, generally in December every year. Other than the formal TSA sessions administered by Cambridge representatives in some overseas countries during the autumn, TSA Cambridge papers are not taken outside of the University. If you need to take TSA Cambridge, you will be notified by the Cambridge College you have applied to. The University will arrange your test sitting. All registrations for TSA Cambridge will be made by the College to which you have applied.

Visit www.tsacambridge.org.uk for more information.

TSA Oxford is a pre-interview admissions test used by the University of Oxford for applicants to undergraduate courses in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), Economics and Management (E&M), Experimental Psychology (EP), Geography, Psychology and Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics, and Philosophy and Linguistics. It is a two hour pen-and-paper test in two sections: Section 1 is equivalent to the TSA Cambridge above and Section 2 consists of a 30 minute Writing Task (answer one from a choice of essay questions). There is no test entry fee for TSA Oxford.

Entry closing date: 15th October 2012.

See www.tsaoxford.org.uk for more information and free practice materials.

The TSA is currently being used by UCL for entry to its undergraduate course in European Social and Political Studies (ESPS). If you are applying for ESPS, UCL will arrange your test sitting for when you come for interview.

See www.tsaucl.org.uk for more information.

STEP takes place on three dates in June. The BMAT, ELAT, HAT, PAT and TSA Oxford tests take place on 7th November 2012. The TSA Cambridge test takes place predominantly at interview in December. TSA UCL takes place during the UCL interview period, which runs from December – March. Visit the Cambridge Assessment admissions tests website www.atsts.org.uk for all 2012 test dates.

For more information on: the format and content of the above tests, how to locate a test centre if you don’t currently attend a school or college, and much more, please visit www.atsts.org.uk

Good luck with your university application!