BMAT test...help!! lol

Hey people who else is doin this years BMAT?

has anyone done the prep course for the BMAT test? (the one thats like 300 pounds). if so would you recommend it?

I tried the specimen y'day n got like nly abt 10 questions done on the sciencey bit cos the time is so little!! :frown:

how did u all find it? how do you get hold of other practice papers?Can u but them?

Reply 1

northern_lass

my friend did the course thing, he said it was well worth it and got loads more practice papers coz the one on the website is soooo much easier then the real thing, but still didnt do that much better then me. IT IS JUST HARD AND NASTY!!!!!!

Reply 2

Shelbycakes

there just simply isnt enough time to complete the paper! dont go wasting 300 on a course!

Reply 3

There was time to compelte the paper if you work fast enough.

If you want to go the extra step, check out the America version of the BMAT, albeit for graduates ie the MCAT, loads of prep materials available online. Some questions may have no revelance, but all provide valuable experience.

Also try the Austrilian version, GAMSAT.

Other than that, just try to do as many multiple questions featuring puzzle based matheematics as possible.

Reply 4

Ahh yes, I'll just post what similar activity I did for my BMAT test, I did some example GSA, ISAT, MSAT, TGA, UMAT tests available on the net. Also you might want to practise writing essay title based mainly on medical ethical questions on 1/2 sides of paper under exam conditions.

Reply 5

I'll just attach all of the past exam papers I have on me: You might want to open them in winrar instead of winzip. Also, rename mp3 them into .rar, because attachments wont allow zip files over 200kb.

Here's some sample questions when BMAT was just introduced, sometimes they resuse the questions, but I got these from the original BMAT website before they were removed again.

I have the 2003 paper they put up in 2004, it looks pretty similar to the current one up on bmat.org.uk, so I wont bother to put it up.

Enjoy

bmat samp and otehr.mp3233.9KB

Reply 7

tessa

yeah i was totally unprepared for the bmat after doing the easy one on the website and reading the website saying There is no need to revise...hell yeah...if u haven't done physics for a year there is......but i still did alright...about average..or just above....so i dunno anything about this course or whatever...but yeah more practise papers and stuff is kinda necessary... cause the other one is rubbish....but £300...wooh me thinks they r taking u for a ride there...

Reply 8

Elles

tessa

..and reading the website saying There is no need to revise...hell yeah...

hmm, that's not what i remember it saying - even last year! :rolleyes:

it's designed to be fairly uncoachable, yes - but they're pretty unfront with the benefits of certain type of preparation:

Q. Is it necessary to enrol on a test preparation course in order to perform well on the BMAT?

A. No. The BMAT does not require a great amount of extra study - it has been designed not to add to the work that candidates are already doing for A levels or similar qualifications.

An approach to developing the thinking skills* (Paper 1 of the BMAT) can be taught - the skills will improve with familiarity and practice. We encourage this because we think these skills are worthwhile: they are useful skills in many walks of life, and very important for success in higher education. But what you cannot do is be taught to answer as if you were a performing seal. There are no simple short cuts - you really do have to think the answers through.

Please note - companies offering help with BMAT do not have a special insight into the nature of the test and indeed the logic of some of the claims published on their websites is basically faulty. While a candidate's performance at any test will improve with some familiarisation or practise, anyone looking to pay for such practice should consider very carefully about whether they are wasting their money.

Q. Are there past question papers or study guides?

A. There is a specimen question paper in the 'Practise the test' section of the BMAT website.
There is also a book, 'Preparing for the BMAT', which can be obtained from: www.heinemann.co.uk/bmat.
In future, additional past papers will be made available shortly after the test. Applicants are advised to familiarise themselves with the format in advance of the test.

ReferencesSuggested Textbooks and other books for students
The following books are suitable for use with this syllabus. Content of the books does not necessarily match the CIE syllabus closely and examples may be British in focus.

...Thinking Skills...
Thinking Skills by Butterworth, John & Thwaites, Geoff (2005) ISBN: 0521521491 Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide by Kemp, Gary & Bowell, Tracy (2005) ISBN: 0415343135 Publisher: Routledge
Critical Reasoning: A Practical Introduction by Thomson, Anne (2001) ISBN: 0415241200 Publisher: Routledge
Critical Thinking for Students by Van Den Brink-Budgen, Roy (Edition 2000) ISBN: 1857036344 Publisher: How to Books Ltd
Thinking from A to Z by Warburton, Nigel (2nd Edition) ISBN: 0415222818 Publisher: Routledge

...Science and Maths...
GCSE Physics by Duncan, Tom & Kennett, Heather (2001) ISBN: 0719586143 Publisher: John Murray
GCSE Chemistry by Earl, B. & Wilford, L.D.R. (2001) ISBN: 071958616x Publisher: John Murray
GCSE Biology by Mackean, D.G. (2002) ISBN: 0719586151 Publisher: John Murray
Higher GCSE Mathematics: Revision and Practice by Rayner, David (2000) ISBN: 0199147914 Publisher: Oxford University Press
Biology for Life: For GCSE by Roberts, Michael B.V. (1986) ISBN: 0174480962 Publisher: Nelson Thornes

but of course - given these are just edited highlights from the rather obvious http://www.bmat.org.uk website - you guys should have read it all already, right...? :p:

Reply 9

Cat!!!!!!!!

Hi! I did the BMAT test last year and found it really hard after the practice paper on the website!! I didn't think there was enough time to finish the questions and it didnt cover much GSCE work!! I also did critical thinking at AS which is supposed to be the thinking skills part - this helped a bit so in a way the money would be well spent but every question is very different so in no way would it guarantee a good answer! As far as i know, not all of the unis ask for the test to be taken - oxbridge do but UCL and Bristol only use it as a moderation. THey seem to take GCSE results more into consideration than the BMAT results at the moment - at least, that's what my head of 6th form thinks!!!

Good luck to you all!! I dont envy you in the slightest!!!

Reply 10

Lecter

Sorry for sounding dumb but BMAT at Bristol only for Vec Medicine not Medicine A100???? Are they bringing BMAT for Bristol 2006 entry to medicine?

Reply 11

Cat!!!!!!!!

sayed_samed

Sorry for sounding dumb but BMAT at Bristol only for Vec Medicine not Medicine A100???? Are they bringing BMAT for Bristol 2006 entry to medicine?

Hi sorry to scare you! I'm doing vet medicine so I had to take it - you might not have to !! :egg:

Thats good!

Hi,
Just tried to open up your files (on a mac) but don't know what to open them in? Any tips guys...need to change mp3 to something else don't I?

Reply 14

Just rename them, make sure your folder options shows that to display the extension names.

Rename them from eg bmat.mp3 into bmat.rar file and open them.

Reply 15

mawi99102

i havent prepared anything for bmat,yet maybe ill try some of the stuff you put up on here. thanks for the warning, i wasnt going to do any preparation before, but now i think i might have a look at a couple of past papers. :eek: