Practice Makes Progress (Part 2!)
Now that we’ve covered the UCAT last week, it is time to discuss the BMAT. It is a test only required by a select few universities so make sure to do your research on whether you will actually need to take it. As you may know, this year the September BMAT has been cancelled but the October BMAT will still be taking place. Although this may seem like quite a way away, it is not too early to start thinking about the preparation that you may need to do.
The exam is split into 3 different sections:
Section 1- Thinking Skills
Section 2- Scientific Knowledge
Section 3- Writing Task
Section 1- Thinking Skills. This section is similar to the UCAT. Therefore, my advice would of course be the same- practise! This obviously doesn’t just apply to this section but to the paper as a whole. Do as many practise questions and papers under timed conditions as you can. As you do more questions, keep going over the previous questions you’ve done, especially the ones you got wrong. Learn from your mistakes. When doing the questions, especially in this section, make sure to read them very carefully, highlight what is important and disregard anything irrelevant. This will stop you from getting overwhelmed with all the information given to you. Furthermore, read newspaper articles not only to stay up to date but also to develop critical thinking skills.
Section 2- Scientific Knowledge. This is designed to test your scientific knowledge covering Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths. It is probably an area that you are more comfortable with, well apart from maybe the physics. Nevertheless, this is a section you can really prepare for so use that to your advantage. I know it can be hard to figure out where to begin with revision so I would say start by going through the BMAT specification on the Cambridge Assessment Admission Testing website. This will give your revision structure and ensure that you have covered all the topics. Make good use of the resources provided. There is even a book which you can revise from on the website. It saves you wasting time looking through your GCSE folders for everything you need but you can definitely still go back to them if you wish.
Although content is seemingly GCSE-level, the questions can still be quite challenging. Regardless of this, give all the questions a go. Work through them systematically. Don’t just jump straight into answering them! Process what is being asked and what you need to do first. It is very easy to misunderstand and fall for the traps. However, like with any test, time is precious so if you are really stuck move on and come back.
Section 3- Writing Task. You will have a choice of 3 options so spend about 5 minutes picking the question and making a quick plan. Having a clear structure will make writing the essay 100 times easier. I find nothing is worse than starting an essay and realising you don’t know what to say next. Be clear and concise when expressing your ideas. Avoid waffling. When you have finished explaining one idea move on to the next. Also, make sure to express both sides of the argument and then come to a conclusion in the end. Then most importantly, don’t forget to check your grammar at the end!
This exam is not meant to be easy however being well prepared will definitely help. The more you revise, the more confident you will be. So, make good use of the little extra time you may have this year to prepare.
Wishing you all the best of luck!
Natalia Dul, Medical student and TAMS Team Member