About The BMAT

The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is an admissions test for applicants to Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Biomedical Science and Dentistry courses at certain universities (full list of schools requiring the BMAT here).

The BMAT is a good indicator of a student’s potential to succeed in a demanding science-based university course. Like other standardized tests, it is designed to be challenging in order to differentiate between competitive applicants who usually achieve similarly high grades in school examinations.

The BMAT is a multiple choice test lasting two hours, and is usually done at designated test centres around the world. The test is typically a pen-and-paper based test unless mentioned otherwise.

About The BMAT | Prep Zone Academy

UK and Singapore medical schools require students to take the BMAT in November (e.g. Oxford University and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at NTU), while the rest allow you to do the BMAT in either session. So, your first consideration when deciding when to take the BMAT will be based on whether you plan to apply to these schools (How to choose a BMAT session).

UK medical applications are typically due in October, plan your time well and try to avoid clashes with any school exams. Remember, you may also be busy in August/September with your UCAT preparation.

Do note, similar to the UCAT, you are only allowed to take the test once in an admissions cycle, with the results being valid for only the admissions cycle in which the test was taken. However, candidates’ scores from the previous year will not affect their admission chances if they retake the BMAT and re-apply in later years.

BMAT Test Format

The test is divided into 3 sections: Thinking skills, Scientific Knowledge and Application, and Writing. Calculators are not permitted for all sections.

Thinking Skills

This section tests generic aptitude based skills often required for undergraduate study. This section has a total of 32 questions and is 60 minutes long. The questions are split equally between problem-solving or critical thinking based questions. Previous versions of the BMAT (prior to September 2020) also included data analysis and inference questions which have since been discontinued.
For the problem-solving questions, you will need to perform simple numeric operations, select relevant information, and identify similarity. Whereas for the critical thinking questions, you will be presented with a series of logical arguments and asked to evaluate these arguments by drawing conclusions, identifying assumptions, assessing the impact of additional evidence and detecting reasoning errors.

Scientific Knowledge and Application

The purpose of this section is to test whether candidates have an appropriate level of core scientific knowledge and the ability to apply it. The content covered includes GCSE/IGCSE/O Level Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Usually, many candidates will be rusty in at least one of these subjects and it’d be helpful to revise general science concepts (upto age 16). This section has 27 questions and is 30 minutes long. There are 7 questions each for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and 6 questions on Mathematics.

Writing

In this section, students are required to write an essay on a topic chosen from 3 options. The questions always have the same format: a proposition (a statement or quote) followed by some instructions on how to respond. You will be asked to explain the argument and its implication, generate a counter-argument, or reconcile two opposing views. The topics could be scientific or medicine-related but often aren’t. Your essay needs to be limited to one A4 page. You are assessed both for content, and your ability to communicate effectively in writing. You will have 30 minutes for this section.

Quick Summary

SectionTotal TimeNumber of QuestionsTime/QuestionContent/Skills Covered
Thinking Skills60 minutes32112.5 secondsCritical reasoning, problem-solving
Scientific Knowledge and Application30 minutes2766.7 secondsPhysics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics knowledge and application, data interpretation
Writing30 minutes130 minutes for 1 essayWriting skills, argument analysis

Each section will be scored differently from each other. Check out our BMAT score guide for more information.

BMAT Registration Guide (For Singapore/International BMAT Candidates)

Register via RELC or British Council

Your BMAT registration would be completed based on the school you are currently attending/graduated from. Students currently enrolled in, and those who have graduated from the local schooling system (JCs, Polys, NUS High School and ACS Independent) would need to register via RELC, while those attending/graduated from other schools would need to register via British Council.

To be registered for the test, you will be asked to provide the following:

  • your name and date of birth
  • UCAS number (those applying to UK universities only)
  • names of the courses/universities you are applying to (those applying to UK universities only)
  • medical evidence if you require modified question papers or any access arrangements such as extra time

For Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKC) Applicants

  • Attending a school in the Singapore school system (see list below), or graduated from one in the last year, register via SEAMEO Regional Language Centre.
    Anderson Serangoon JCRaffles Institution
    Anglo-Chinese Junior CollegeRepublic Polytechnic
    Catholic JCRiver Valley High School
    Dunman High SchoolSchool of the Arts Singapore
    Eunoia JCSingapore Polytechnic
    Hwa Chong InstitutionSingapore Sports School
    Jurong Pioneer JCSt Andrew’s JC
    Millennia InstituteSt Andrew’s JC
    Nanyang JCTampines Meridian JC
    Nanyang PolytechnicTemasek JC
    National JCTemasek Polytechnic
    Ngee Ann PolytechnicVictoria JC
    NUS High School of Mathematics and ScienceYishun Innova JC
  • In Singapore but not attending a school in the list above, register via British Council, Singapore.

Singapore BMAT Test Centres

 Do take note that test centres might set an earlier deadline (before the official registration deadline). Always check with the test centre(s) as early as possible.

 SG002 – British Council (Singapore) Limited

30 Napier Road
Singapore 258509
[email protected]
+65 64731111

 SG300 – SEAMEO Regional Language Centre

30 Orange Grove Road
Level 3 RELC Building
Singapore 258352
[email protected]
+65 67344259

Free BMAT Consultation

If you need help in any aspect of BMAT preparations or shortlisting med schools, simply fill up the following form for a free 1-on-1 consultation with our med school experts. You can also call us at +65 6812 9999.

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