A Parent’s Guide to the BMAT

The BMAT results are important for all applicant’s looking to study medicine at Oxbridge and non-Oxbridge Universities. The test itself can be quite tough which is why it’s important that your child is given the guidance and support needed to ensure they feel confident when they enter the exam room.

What are the BMAT tests?

BMAT results allow universities to make the application process for medicine and healthcare courses a lot more equal and accurate. The BMAT results demonstrate your child’s proficiency in thinking, communication, and scientific skills. One of the most important areas that the BMAT results show is the skill to construct a good argument, something that is not generally taught in science at schools, even at A-level.

What each section of the BMAT results mean:

We’ve learnt what the BMAT test is and why they are used; now, we’ll talk through what each section will entail. The test itself is 2 hours long and split into 3 sections, each carrying different weight:

• Section 1 is 60 minutes long and is a 35-question multiple-choice test, concentrating on problem-solving and analysis of data.
• Section 2 is 30 minutes long and is a 27-question multiple-choice test. It focuses on the application of scientific knowledge that your child has learnt at school in science and mathematics.
• Section 3 is 30 minutes long and is a writing task, where your child has to organise, communicate and develop their ideas.

How the sections are marked:

Sections 1 and 2 are taken more into account than section 3. Section 1 and 2 are both 40%, whereas section 3 is 20%.

The BMAT results are marked on a scale of 1-9 with the third section being marked out of 15 based on the quality of content and quality of English.

Oxford minimum BMAT scores for each section:

As a BMAT guide, the results cut-off fluctuates every year, but there is an average minimum requirement for Oxford. The applicants should be aiming for a 6 or 7 in section 1 or 2 in their BMAT results for Oxford.

In terms of percentage, you are likely to receive an interview for Oxford if your BMAT results were at least 60%. Then, ensuring a place is very dependent on the other applicants and the other areas of your application (UCAS, written work, or interview). This, however, is an extremely rough guide and it’s only for applying for Oxbridge. There are also so many other factors at work.

What happens with these results?

The BMAT results are then sent to the institutions and reviewed in conjunction with your application. A good BMAT score may make up for a slightly worse GCSE result. In addition, the institutions will be given a full copy of your child’s section 3 answer. This means that if your child has done particularly well in this section they will be able to impress the tutors at the university and probably be invited for an interview.

Overall, I would say that the BMAT results are very useful for the institutions because all of the applicants are compared to one another. However, this does mean that the cut-off point varies every year and that a very good BMAT result may not ensure a place at a university, but this also works in reverse!