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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.

Taking The BMAT

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).

Majority of the medical schools, mainly UK medical schools, only accept the October  BMAT session – October 18th. UK medical applications are also 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.

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 - October 2023 Key Dates

BMAT  Registration Opens
1 September 2023

Deadline To Apply For Modified Papers
15 September 2023

Deadline for test centres to register candidates, deadline to apply for Access Arrangements (e.g. extra time)
29 September 2023 at 18.00 (BST)

 BMAT October Test Date
18 October 2023

Test Results Released
24 November 2023

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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

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
+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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