UCAT or BMAT? The key differences explained!
UCAT
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is an aptitude test for medicine, assessing skills across five sections:
- Verbal Reasoning
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Abstract Reasoning
- Decision Making
- Situational Judgement
It is used by the vast majority of medical schools, although not quite all of them, and that means essentially every applicant will take the exam.
Revising for the UCAT can be one of the most daunting aspects for students applying to medical school.
The UCAT is open for registration in May, with the first testing available in July, the last in early October. The UCAT website is very comprehensive and contains practice papers students can use in their preparation. When the applicant feels ready to take the test they can choose when to take it. Students can also use the questions in our UCAT Question Bank.
UCAT is used in selection procedures in a variety of ways: some medical schools have a cut-off score, others incorporate the score into their points system.
Students will know their UCAT score before they make their medical school applications, so it’s essential they apply strategically depending on the strength of the score.
BMAT
BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is split into three sections:
- Section 1: Verbal, Mathematical & Spatial
- Section 2: Scientific Knowledge
- Section 3: Essay
Students can sit the BMAT either in September or November- and it’s worth noting that if students take the BMAT in September, they will then be able to apply strategically with their score before the UCAS deadline.
Whereas most medical schools use the UCAT, only a handful use the BMAT – so many students do not need to take the test if they don’t apply to these universities.
Back to our UCAT & BMAT preparation Medicine
