Entrance Exams

The UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) and BMAT (Biomedical Admissions Test) are two aptitude tests used by medical schools in the UK as part of the selection process to differentiate between students. UCAT assesses your problem solving and critical thinking abilities whereas BMAT tests more academic knowledge (please note current year 11s will not be sitting BMAT, the medical schools are yet to announce what will be its replacement).

The UCAT exam consists of 5 sections:

• Verbal Reasoning

• Decision Making

• Quantitative Reasoning

• Abstract Reasoning

• Situational Judgement

It is held at a Pearson Vue centre and is computer-based, results are given there and then. Registration opens early May and you can choose to sit the exam from the beginning of July to the beginning of October.

The BMAT exam is a 2-hour exam requiring pen and paper. The test is conducted at a centre authorised to run it, usually your school/college. It is made up of three parts:

• Section 1: Thinking Skills

• Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Applications

• Section 3: Writing Task

As the old saying goes ‘practice makes perfect.’ Whilst we acknowledge this is a crucial part of the application, we do not provide 1-2-1 tuition. However we do support applicants via webinars. Our recent UCAT/BMAT Webinar, with our students who recently gained some of the highest scores, attracted an audience of nearly 300 participants.

There are many free and accessible past papers on the official UCAT and BMAT website.