BMAT 2023: What is the BMAT?

BMAT 2023: Introduction

The BioMedical Admissions Test, or BMAT 2023 as it is more commonly known, is one of the admissions tests that some universities use for your application to medical and health-related courses. 

It is separate from the UCAT and tests different skills. The BMAT tests your ability to apply scientific and mathematical knowledge, as well as critical thinking, problem solving and written communication in the form of a short essay. 

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BMAT 2023 Sections

Section 1: Aptitude and Skills

This BMAT section tests your skills in problem solving and critical thinking. It consists of 32 multiple choice questions and you are given 60 minutes to complete this section. 

Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Applications

In this BMAT section your ability to apply scientific knowledge is tested. Section 2 consists of 6-7 questions on each of biology, chemistry, physics and maths. The level of science is usually covered in school by the age of 16 (GCSE or IGCSE level equivalent). For this section there are 27 multiple choice questions, and you have 30 minutes to complete them.

Section 3: Writing Task

In the final section of the exam, you will be tested on your ability to select, develop and organise ideas, and your ability to communicate them in writing concisely and effectively. For this task you are to answer one question from a choice of three questions, and you have 30 minutes to complete your answer. 

What are the BMAT Universities?

Key Dates for BMAT Universities 2023

There are usually multiple sittings of the BMAT, with the two UK test dates being in September and November, and further dates for international medical schools. For 2023, the test dates are in March and October. Make sure to check if the universities you are applying to need the BMAT as you will need to be registered and pay the associated costs for your exam prior to sitting.

The registration dates for BMAT 2023 are below. Please note that registration for the March BMAT sitting has now closed.

When do I sit the BMAT 2023?

This is different as usually there is a choice of two test dates. There are pros and cons for each of the BMAT test dates, and it’s worth considering which would suit you better if you’re given a choice. We go into this further in another article which you can find here.

How is the BMAT 2023 Scored?

BMAT Section 2

As with Section 1, each question carries a single mark. No marks are deducted for giving an incorrect answer. Your total raw mark is converted to a score between 1 (low) and 9 (high). The median score tends to be around 5.0 and normally corresponds to roughly half marks. 6.0 or more is an excellent score, achieved by around 10% of test-takers, and very few candidates score more than 7.0. Even so, you can get a few questions wrong and still achieve a perfect 9.0!

BMAT Section 3

Your essay will be marked by two examiners and who will each give you a separate score. They will be scoring you on two main aspects – one is for content (on a scale of 0 to 5). This is based on how well you’ve put your argument across, the number of examples you’ve used and more. The other score is all about the quality of language and is scored from A-E. This assesses your English grammar and sentence structure.

These two BMAT examiners’ scores will be averaged with 5A being the best score. In 2022, 3 was the commonest score for content and 5% of applicants scored 4 or more.

You can find out more here in our Section 3 Guide

How do I Prepare for the BMAT 2023?

BMAT Section 2

The most important thing you can do for Section 2 is download the official specification as this will tell you exactly which topics will be covered. In our experience, Physics tends to be the biggest obstacle course for most however it’s vital to remember that only 25% of the content will be on Physics. Take a look at our BMAT Physics guide for more tips.

We recommend visiting our past paper compilations where we’ve put together a list of questions which come up most frequently and provided explanations for each question.

BMAT Section 3

This can be the trickiest part of the exam for most but the best thing you should do is write lots of practice essays. Practice writing these on the specimen paper so you can get used to the test conditions. You should also aim to try and get someone to read over it if you can. You should aim to write essay plans for all the previous essay titles to help you get into the swing of things.

It goes without saying that you should be doing lots of wider reading on topics like current affairs, science and ethics. Start doing this early to avoid cramming at the last minute. Take a look at our section 3 guide for more tips.

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