BMAT vs UCAT – Which test should you take?

Medical School Requirements For UCAT & BMAT

Medical or dentistry programs in the UK at the undergraduate level require an admissions test score as part of the application – this is either the UCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) or the BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test).

Each school has a specific requirement for which test score they consider – the UCAT and BMAT cannot be substituted for one another. Based on the universities you wish to apply to, you may accordingly have to take one or both of these tests. Therefore, it is important that you decide your target universities beforehand so that you are prepared to take these tests earlier in the test cycle, if possible.

BMAT vs UCAT - What are the differences?

As you’ll notice from the lists below, more schools use the UCAT for admissions and this is a strong reason to start your UCAT preparation early. However, on the BMAT list are highly prestigious and selective universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, and Imperial.

Hence, many students take both the UCAT and BMAT in order to maximize their choice from a larger university pool. This allows them to apply to a few competitive programs while also having slightly less selective schools as alternatives.

Students interested in applying to NTU in Singapore will also be required to take the BMAT as part of their admission requirements.

Schools that require UCAT

Here’s a list of schools requiring the UCAT

University of Aberdeen – Aberdeen, Scotland
University of Birmingham – Birmingham, England
Cardiff University – Cardiff, Wales
University of Dundee – Dundee, Scotland
University of East Anglia – Norwich, England
University of Nottingham – Nottingham, England
Plymouth University – Plymouth, England
Queen Mary University of London – London, England

University of Edinburgh – Edinburgh, Scotland
University of Exeter – Exeter, England
University of Glasgow – Glasgow, Scotland
Hull York Medical School – Heslington, England
Keele University – Keele, England
Queen’s University Belfast – Belfast, Northern Ireland
University of Sheffield – Sheffield, England
University of Southampton – Southampton, England

King’s College London – London, England
University of Leicester – Leicester, England
University of Liverpool – Liverpool, England
University of Manchester – Manchester, England
Newcastle University – Newcastle upon Tyne, England
University of St Andrews – St Andrews, Scotland
St George’s University of London – London Borough of Wandsworth, England
University of Warwick – Coventry, England

Schools that require BMAT

Here’s a list of schools requiring the BMAT

Brighton and Sussex Medical School – Brighton, England
Imperial College London – London, England
University of Cambridge – Cambridge, England

University College London – London, England
Keele University – Keele, England
Lancaster University – Lancashire, England

University of Leeds – Leeds, England
University of Oxford – Oxford, England
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU – Singapore

View the full list here.

Schools approved by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC)

To practice medicine in Singapore, you have to graduate from a school that’s approved by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC). Here’s a list of SMC-approved schools:

University of Birmingham, School of Medicine
University of Bristol, Bristol Medical School
University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine
University of Dundee, School of Medicine
The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Medical School
University of Glasgow, School of Medicine

University of Leicester, School of Medicine
University of Liverpool, School of Medicine
Kings College London GKT School of Medical Education
Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
University College London, UCL Medical School
St. George’s University of London, St. George’s Hospital Medical School

The University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
University of Nottingham, School of Medicine
University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division
The University of Sheffield, The Medical School
University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine
Imperial College London, School of Medicine
Cardiff University, School of Medicine

What are the differences between the UCAT and the BMAT?

For both the UCAT and BMAT, students are only allowed to take both exams once per admission cycle. The results from each exam are valid for only the admissions cycle in which the exam was taken. While both tests are used to assess fit for medical school, there are several differences in the specific skills they test.

Test Dates

The BMAT can only be taken twice a year (February/November) on specific pre-set dates. Depending on which universities you are applying to, application requirements may require you to sit for a specific date. The UCAT, meanwhile, can be taken over the course of three months, typically late July to late September. For both the BMAT and UCAT, students are only allowed to attempt the test once per testing cycle.

BMAT Test Dates
UCAT Test Dates

Sections and Content

The UCAT is divided into 5 sections: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Situational Judgement, all of which are in multiple-choice format. The UCAT tests abstract content, aptitude and skills such as problem-solving, data analysis and inference, logical reasoning, and mathematical abilities. You will have access to an on-screen calculator.

The BMAT is only composed of three subtests – Aptitude and Skills, Scientific Knowledge and Applications, and Writing Task. The first two subtests are in multiple-choice format, while the last subtest is an essay. The first section is similar to the UCAT as it focuses on assessing aptitude and skills, however, the difficulty level is significantly higher due to the higher allocated time. The science section on the BMAT is more knowledge-based and includes content typically covered in high school Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology (GCSE level) Unlike the UCAT, you will not have access to a calculator. The essay section is also unique to the BMAT and you will have 30 minutes to write an essay in which you argue for or against the chosen topic.

Testing Time

Both tests are two hours long. However, the UCAT has a much larger volume of questions, making it more difficult to complete in this period of time. To review the time per section and question, please visit our page on the UCAT overview.

BMAT Format Overview
UCAT Format Overview

Scoring

The scoring system varies between the exams: each section on the UCAT is scaled to a score between 300-900 and the Situational Judgement section is scored using bands ranging from 1 to 4, whereas in the BMAT scores for Sections 1 and 2 range from 1 (the lowest) to 9 (the highest), with Section 3 scored from 1-5 and A-E.

Another major difference between the UCAT and BMAT is when you find out your scores. UCAT results are made available to candidates immediately after completing the examination; however, BMAT results are released after approximately three weeks. Note that for students taking the BMAT in November, they won’t have their scores till after they have submitted applications (October 15th is the deadline for medical school applications in the UK). This makes it rather risky and you will need to ensure that you have completed sufficient practice tests under simulated conditions to make a good estimate of your actual test score.

BMAT Score Guide
UCAT Score Guide

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