- BioMedical Admissions Test
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The BioMedical Admissions Test (also known as BMAT) is an aptitude test used as part of the admissions process for medicine, veterinary medicine or biomedical sciences in some universities in the United Kingdom. It is the successor of the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Admissions Test (MVAT).
Contents
History
The BMAT became part of the application process for such courses only in recent years. Initially, it was taken up by Oxford University for medicine and physiology (replacing the OMAT); the University of Cambridge for medicine and veterinary science (replacing the MVAT); University College London, for medicine; the Royal Veterinary College for veterinary science.
In 2005, Imperial College London and the University of Manchester also made it a part of their entry requirements for medicine, but from the 2006-07 application cycle, Manchester replaced it with the new UKCAT, introduced in the majority of UK medical schools at the same time.
The BMAT is usually held at the beginning of November, and results are issued at the end of that month, in the form of a certificate with explanatory sheet. As of 2009, results are only available via BMAT Results Online. The results are weighted such that the scores form a normal distribution curve with 5 being the average for a medical candidate and 6 being a very competitive score.
Format
The BMAT consists of three sections. The first two are both multiple-choice/short answer: Section 1 is designed to test Aptitude and Skills (such as Critical Thinking, Logic and Reasoning), and lasts 60 minutes with 35 questions; while Section 2 tests Scientific Knowledge and Applications, and lasts 30 minutes, with 27 questions. The third section is a Writing Task, lasting 30 minutes, in which the candidate chooses from 4 questions requiring the construction of an argument or debate, an analysis of a statement, or similar task. Unlike the UKCAT, the BMAT is not a calculator exam.
Scoring
Sections 1 and 2 are marked out of 9. The scores are standardised and given to one decimal place.
As of 2010, the marking of Section 3 has changed. The total score is out of 5; with 5 marks coming from construction of argument, and a letter indicating the quality of written communication. The construction of argument mark is given as 1,2,3,4,5 and the quality of communication mark is given as A,C,E. As each BMAT essay is marked by two examiners the two marks can be combined to give overall scores ranging from 1E to 5A (including ones such as 3.5B).
Usage
The results of the BMAT are used in a variety of ways by the different institutions using it: for example, Oxford University combines the results with GCSE grades to decide who is called for interview; often it is seen as just part of the application process — previous examination results, a teacher's reference, the candidate's personal statement and predicted grades are also important.
List of universities using BMAT
University Subject(s) Imperial College London Medicine • Biomedical Science Royal Veterinary College Veterinary Medicine University College London Medicine University of Cambridge Medicine • Veterinary Medicine University of Oxford Medicine • Biomedical Sciences Applicants to the University of Cambridge graduate medicine course may not have to sit the BMAT test as part of their application. The University advises the applicant to contact the College to which they are applying.[1]
The University of Bristol's Veterinary Science (D100) course will have access to candidates' BMAT scores for research purposes only in 2011-12. The BMAT will not form part of the course entry requirements. For those candidates who are applying to the University of Bristol Veterinary Science (D100) course only, but not to any of the other BMAT-using institutions and courses, the BMAT will not be compulsory.
See also
References
- ^ "Medicine admissions tests and written work". University of Cambridge. http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/medicine/tests.html. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
External links
English Literature English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)History Languages Law Mathematics Medicine BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) • Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) • Health Professions Admissions Test (HPAT) • UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT)Science Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)Categories:- Standardized tests
- University and college admissions
- Medical education
- Higher education in the United Kingdom
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