BMAT REVISION – SECTION BY SECTION
The official BMAT website also provides materials which tell you what skills each section is testing, and so is a good way for you to find out what BMAT revision you should be doing. This comprehensive document provides the test specification, so you can see exactly what content will be covered. – this gives you a good starting point for BMAT revision. However, the document can seem quite daunting, so let’s sum up what each section is looking for:
Section 1: Aptitude and Skills
This section tests generic skills in problem-solving, understanding arguments, and data analysis and inference. The best way to revise is really to do lots of practice questions which you can find online at UniAdmissions.
This document also provides you with some tips on how to go about answering each type of question, which you can use when doing your BMAT revision while you familiarise yourself with the questions that will appear in the test.
Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Applications
This section will test your ability to apply the scientific and mathematical knowledge you learn in school by the age of 16 (so that’s roughly GCSE level). You should know the test specification for each section of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The best way to do BMAT revision for this section is to go over those topics so that you’re comfortable with that knowledge. The questions in this section will be multiple choice.
Section 3: Writing Task
BMAT revision for section 3, for many applicants, can seem the most daunting, as often students won’t have written an essay since GCSE if they study sciences currently. However, writing is writing, which you will do for any subject, and with the increasing importance put on SPAG in A Levels (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar), you’re likely already using the skills required for this task. For BMAT revision, take a look at the questions that have appeared in the past, and practice planning your answers (which the past papers provide space for, so use it!). This section is primarily testing your ability to develop and organise your ideas effectively so that you can communicate them in writing.
Repeat Questions
When checking through answers, pay particular attention to questions you have got wrong. If there is a worked answer, look through that carefully until you feel confident that you understand the reasoning, and then repeat the question without help to check that you can do it. If only the answer is given, have another look at the question and try to work out why that answer is correct. This is the best way to learn from your mistakes, and means you are less likely to make similar mistakes when it comes to the test. The same applies for questions that you were unsure of and made an educated guess which was correct, even if you got it right. When working through books or past papers, make sure you highlight any questions you are unsure of, this means you know to spend more time looking over them once marked. You can then review them in detail to increase the efficiency of your BMAT Revision.
WHAT OTHER RESOURCES EXIST?
If the past papers aren’t enough, you can find questions banks online, some of which you have to pay for. You can do a google search to find more questions to satisfy your thirst, but here are some online examples: