Home […] Medical and healthcare professions > Medicine

BMAT vs UKCAT  watch

Register with TSR and unlock free photo prints and your
chance to win Amazon vouchers and free cinema tickets
>>

Announcements

Applying to uni? Find your group chats here >>

start new discussion   reply

Page 1 of 1

chuckynoriss #1
Badges: 0  Rep: ?

 Report  Thread starter 6 years ago

Which test do you think is easier (using this word with caution)
to prepare for and which one do you think you have higher
chances of getting a high score?

I'm sitting both tests and I find the BMAT a lot easier to prepare
for and when you have the core knowledge fully understood
inside out, the questions are not too bad.
UKCAT on the other hand is harder to prepare for I find.

0  reply

Not what you're looking for? Try…

 UKCAT vs BMAT 

 Where to apply!! 

 KCL medicine application help. 

 BMAT in September vs BMAT in November? 

Advertisement

AspiringGenius #2
Badges: 15  Rep: ?

 Report 6 years ago

Well, I sat both last year and got reasonable scores in both so I
hope people don't mind if I weigh in here:

Which one I preferred:

BMAT. The actual exam is harder than UKCAT and our exam in
particular was an absolute killer, but I just found the skills BMAT
were assessing fell more into my strengths and also found it
easier to prepare for than UKCAT because there's a clear
syllabus you can revise (section II especially). From the people
around me who sat it, there was a definite positive correlation
between the grades people got and the work they put in.

UKCAT on the other hand varies in difficulty between each test

and preparation can only go so far in getting you a high score.
IMO I think preparing for UKCAT is the difference between 550-
600 and 600-650 but any higher than this is just luck of the
draw with the questions you get. For example, I know people
who had scores in the high 700s who did very little preparation
which was helped because in, say quantitative reasoning, they
had simple, one operation calculations. However I know people
who got 620ish who did quite a bit and part fot he reason they
got lower was because they got more complicated calculations
in that section.

My experience of both:

BMAT: I actually got books for this as christmas presents 2012

and so naturally had a go at a few questions at the time, which
I guess gave me some familiarity with the style of exam. I
wouldn't reccomend studying for it months in advance though,
you have A levels and everythign else to worry about. I started
my serious preparation about 3 weeks in advance. I used two
books: How to Master the BMAT, which had a helpful
"specification" of knowledge required in section II (because
although it says GCSE "level", this doesn't neccesarily mean
stuff you learnt on your GCSE science spec) as well as a few
practice questions and ISC 400Q BMAT which gave plenty of
practice questions for section I and II and some
tips/reassurances for the essay. I also used all the past papers
on the BMAT website. My only regret is I didn't get my essays
marked properly and didn't emphasize my revision of them so
my essay grade slipped

UKCAT: Had a lot of anxiety about this exam because no

matter how much prep i did, I just didn't seem to improve. I
started about a month before the exam, practising questions
from the ISC 600Q UKCAT book. Did the practice tests ont he
UKCAT website as well as finding a page on TSR with lots fo
resources. I used the subscriber website Medify which I found
particularly helpful because it gave the most realistic questions
in the interface that UKCAT uses. The only other tip I can add
is to get used to using the crappy desktop calculator on a
computer, it slowed down my quantitive reaosning significantly
which was annoying as in all fairness I probably deserved a
better score for that.

Any questions ill be happy to answer

1  reply

Check out the University of Reading guide on TSR!

Helloworld_95 #3
Universities Forum Helper
Badges: 19  Rep: ?

 Report 6 years ago

I'd say the UKCAT is easier, you're less pressed for time
compared to the BMAT and you don't have to write an essay
which your interviewers might bring up when you've forgotten
all about it 4 months later.

0  reply

Advertisement

nexttime #4
Universities Forum Helper
Badges: 22  Rep: ?

 Report 6 years ago

The UKCAT has the key advantage that if you do **** in it... you
can just apply to unis that don't need it! BMAT is much more of
a leap of faith, as it were.

0  reply

SeanMalone #5
Badges: 0  Rep: ?

 Report 6 years ago

MKAT is ok

Posted from TSR Mobile

0  reply

Advertisement

Fission_Mailed #6
Badges: 15  Rep: ?

 Report 6 years ago

I sat both tests having done very, very minimal prep. Did well in
the UKCAT, did rather poorly in the BMAT. So if you're lazy like
me the UKCAT certainly allows you to rock up on the day and
get by.

0  reply

Hippokrates #7
Badges: 19  Rep: ?

 Report 6 years ago

(Original post by SeanMalone)

MKAT is ok

Posted from TSR Mobile

Not sure whether you mean UKCAT or MCAT

0  reply

Advertisement

AtomicMan #8
Badges: 12  Rep: ?

 Report 6 years ago

UKCAT is waaaay easier.

0  reply

Jollyjules1320 #9
Badges: 8  Rep: ?

 Report 2 years ago

(Original post by AspiringGenius)

Well, I sat both last year and got reasonable scores in both
so I hope people don't mind if I weigh in here:

Which one I preferred:

…show more
BMAT. The actual exam is harder than UKCAT and our
exam in particular was an absolute killer, but I just found the
heyskills BMAT were assessing fell more into my strengths and
i really
also found
do notit know
easierthe
to ins
prepare
and outs
for than
of this
UKCAT because
i am
there's
hoping
a clear
to get
syllabus
good enough
you canASrevise
results
(section
this year
II to apply
forespecially).
medicine? From the people around me who sat it, there
dowasyouahave
definite
to take
positive
bothcorrelation
the BMAT between
and UKCAT?? the grades
andpeople
then got
canandu choose
the work
which
theyone
putuin.
give to uni??
lol i really have no idea
UKCAT on the other hand varies in difficulty between each
test and
0 preparation can only go so far in getting you  reply
a high
score. IMO I think preparing for UKCAT is the difference
between 550-600 and 600-650 but any higher than this is
just luck of the draw with the questions you get. For
Advertisement
example, I know people who had scores in the high 700s
who did very little preparation which was helped because in,
say quantitative reasoning, they had simple, one operation
calculations. However I know people who got 620ish who
did quiteStationToStation
a bit and part fot he reason they got lower was #10
becauseBadges:
they got 14more Rep: calculations
 complicated ? in that
section.

Report
My experience of both: 2 years ago

BMAT: I actually got books for this as christmas presents

2012 and post
(Original so naturally had a go at a few questions at the
by Jollyjules1320)
time, which I guess gave me some familiarity with the style
hey
of exam. I wouldn't reccomend studying for it months in
i really do not know the ins and outs of this
advance though, you have A levels and everythign else to
i am hoping to get good enough AS results this year to
worry about. I started my serious preparation about 3 weeks
apply for medicine?
in advance. I used two books: How to Master the BMAT,
do you have
…show moreto take both the BMAT and UKCAT??
which had a helpful "specification" of knowledge required in
and then can u choose which one u give to uni??
section II (because although it says GCSE "level", this
Some
lol i really
unis use
havethe
noUKCAT,
idea others use the BMAT. You can find
doesn't neccesarily mean stuff you learnt on your GCSE
which ones with a quick google search. You don't HAVE to take
science spec) as well as a few practice questions and ISC
both tests but it would give you more opportunities to apply to
400Q BMAT which gave plenty of practice questions for
the unis where you're a strong applicant, plus a safety net in
section I and II and some tips/reassurances for the essay. I
case one of the tests doesn't go as well as you hoped. You'll do
also used all the past papers on the BMAT website. My only
the UKCAT first so if yours goes really well and you don't want
regret is I didn't get my essays marked properly and didn't
to apply to any BMAT unis, you don't need to do the BMAT at
emphasize my revision of them so my essay grade slipped
all.

UKCAT: Had a lot of anxiety about this exam because no

 reply
0 how much prep i did, I just didn't seem to improve.
matter I

start new discussion 

Quick Reply

Reply to this thread here...

submit reply 

Related discussions

 UKCAT vs BMAT 

 Where to apply!! 

 KCL medicine application help. 

 BMAT in September vs BMAT in Novemb… 

 Medicine vs Dentistry 2018 

 queries on university choices 

 Realistic chance of getting an offer into U… 

 Medicine degree 

 Medicine Vs Dentistry 

 Really need help with a horrible decision 

show 10 more


Related university courses

Gateway to Medicine
University of Dundee 



Initial Year for Extended Degree in Science - Subject…

University of Hertfordshire 



Medicine
University of Cambridge 



Medicine
University of Cambridge 



Medicine
University of Liverpool 



see more 

Latest Trending My Feed

4 new posts

 Law Offers 2020

 Oxford 2020 Applicants official thread!!!!!!


2020 entry Medicine A100 / A101 fastest and slowest
offer senders

 EPQ Topics

 Dating


Ladies, would you date a bi guy? Gentleman, would you
date a bi girl?

 Is it possible to delete this thread?


Just for Fun - Most interesting or Useful drugs in the
BNF?


impossible to get a training contract from a low ranked
uni?

 Friends with benefits...

 Official Sheffield 2020 Entry Applicants Thread


It's International Men's Day - who are your male role
models?

 schools

 Tui assessment day Holiday Rep Summer 2020

 Hardest year in dentistry

 Mature student wanting to study medicine

 Pursuing MBBS in bulgaria

 2020 University of Edinburgh Applicants

 Sample check student finance!!!

 Running away from home at 16

see more 

Related articles

Medicine textbook Reflections of a first year

recommendations uni student

Medical electives A guide to graduate entry

medicine

University open days

University of West London
Postgraduate Open Day - Ealing Site
Postgraduate

 Thu, 21 Nov '19 find out more 

University of East Anglia

Mini Open Day
Undergraduate

 Fri, 22 Nov '19 find out more 

University of Hull
Undergraduate Open Day
Undergraduate

 Sat, 23 Nov '19 find out more 

TSR Support Team

We have a brilliant team of more than 60 Support Team members
looking after discussions on The Student Room, helping to make it
a fun, safe and useful place to hang out.

This forum is supported by:

Mutmit287 , ecolier , Kuma Kuma , PQ , Charlotte's Web ,
toronto353 , Juno , Interrobang , Doones , Snufkin ,
shadowdweller , Smack , wolfmoon88 , SteamboatMickey ,
littleswany , PenguinEmperor , artful_lounger , mel_l218 , 04MR17 ,
Edminzodo , nexttime , .ACS. , umbrellala , Helloworld_95 ,
LeapingLucy , RegisteredBMS , Blue_Cow , Persipan ,
la_banane_verte , auburnstar , AmeliaLost , Breeee , SarcAndSpark
, g.k.galloway , Simbasoul , Airmed , PhoenixFortune , ,
harrysbar , barror1

Get Started TSR Group

Today's posts Marked by Teachers
Unanswered posts Get Revising
Enlitened
Using TSR
TSR help centre Connect with TSR
Cookies & online safety Twitter
Terms & conditions
Facebook
Privacy policy
YouTube

Info Instagram
About TSR Pinterest
Advertise
Contact Us

© Copyright The Student Room 2017 all rights reserved

The Student Room, Get Revising and Marked by Teachers are

trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd.
Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. 806
8067 22 Registered Office: International House, Queens Road,
Brighton, BN1 3XE