Updated for 2019 entry (2020 for deferred applications)

Welcome to our series of application guides. This guide is entirely free as part of our commitment to making high-quality information about a career in Medicine free and easily accessible. This guide will give you an overview of the different admissions tests used in the selection process to study Medicine. This includes why admissions tests exist; which medical schools use them; how the results are used and how they differ from A-level’s. We also cover the format of the exams as well as key dates, costs, resits and other queries. These are all updated for 2019 entry (2020 for deferred applications). After reading this overview you can head over to our free individual guides on how to prepare for each section of the UKCAT and the BMAT.

What admissions tests do medical schools use?

Almost all medical schools use admissions tests in their selection process. Below is a list of admissions tests used by UK medical schools. We discuss each test in more detail later in this guide.

• UKCAT – The most common admissions test for Medicine and Dentistry. For 2019 entry it was used by 28 UK and 5 international medical schools. The UKCAT is a 2-hour computerised exam. It contains no curriculum content so does not require pre-existing knowledge. Instead, it tests aptitude, perspective, attitude and professional behaviour.

  • UKCATSEN – Identical to the UKCAT but with 25% extra time allowed for applicants who qualify, e.g. students with medical conditions. There are other variations, e.g. even more extra time, inclusion of rest breaks, etc.
  • UKCAT SJTace – Only required for graduate students applying for entry to the Scottish Graduate Entry Medical Programme (ScotGEM) at the University of Dundee or the University of St Andrews. The UKCAT SJTace is identical to the SJT component of the full UKCAT exam. Therefore, candidates who have done the full UKCAT do NOT need to sit this exam as they will have already done so by taking the full UKCAT.

• BMAT – Used by 8 UK medical schools including Oxbridge for 2019 entry. Also used for entry to some Dental and Biomedical degrees. The BMAT is a 2-hour pen and paper exam. It requires pre-existing knowledge of Science and Maths but only to GCSE standard and which candidates are already expected to possess. The BMAT focuses on the application of knowledge rather than testing recalling memorised knowledge.

• GAMSAT – Required only for graduate applicants at a handful of medical schools in the UK and Ireland. The GAMSAT requires a scientific knowledge to first-year university level which means non-science graduates will need significant preparation to take this test.

How are admissions tests different to A-levels?

Admissions tests are very different from A-levels. They focus on assessing your problem-solving skills and your ability to apply knowledge rather than your ability to simply recall knowledge that you have memorised. You will need to learn how to answer many questions quickly and correctly rather than a few done well. It is common not to be able to complete all the questions in the UKCAT or BMAT. You must learn the skill of prioritisation and knowing what questions to skip and come back to later and which ones to simply guess. The UKCAT and BMAT are NOT negatively marked, but despite this, every year a significant proportion of candidates still leave answers blank. You will not revise in the typical way you have done so because admissions tests require learning strategies and techniques rather than cramming in knowledge like an A-level exam. In fact, the UKCAT will not require any special pre-existing knowledge as it contains no curriculum or science content (it requires numerical skills to good GCSE pass standard) and the BMAT only requires knowledge to GCSE level which candidates are expected to possess already.

Can Medicine admissions tests be prepared for?

Certainly. Creators of some of the tests, most notably the UKCAT will claim that becoming familiar with the format and doing a few practice questions is important but that they cannot be prepared for. This is not correct. Learning key strategies and techniques for answering questions will significantly improve your score. Reflective practice will make you quicker and more efficient. It will make you more aware of your own abilities and improve your awareness of how long you need to answer questions. As a result, you will be able to prioritise questions better and make better judgements on which questions to do first, which ones to come back to and which ones to guess. In all sections of the UKCAT test (including the situational judgement test sections which tests your judgement in scenarios) repetition and learning strategies will mean you will start to spot patterns and get better at answering questions.

Why do medical schools use admissions test?

Far more applicants with the necessary grades and other requirements apply to medical schools then there are places. Admissions tests provide medical schools with another tool to distinguish between candidates. Admissions tests also increase fairness in the application process in several ways. Firstly, the UKCAT is multiple choice and marked by a computer, so is free from examiner bias. Secondly, admissions tests are a more uniform standard to measure applicants by than A-levels and GCSE’s which are in different subjects and by different exam boards. Finally, candidates who do not have the advantage of a high-quality, high school/college education and private tuition can still do well in admissions tests. This is because the UKCAT does not require pre-existing knowledge (it requires numerical skills to a GCSE good pass standard, but the questions focus on problem-solving rather than numerical facility). Sections of the BMAT do require existing knowledge of the sciences and maths but only to GCSE level standard.

Where, When & how often can you take these admissions tests?

We list all the details of these tests in the overview section further down this guide. In summary, you cannot take the UKCAT or BMAT more than once in one application year/cycle. Either test can be used for deferred entry. If you reapply to Medicine in another application year, then you must take the test again and cannot use a score from a previous year. The BMAT can be taken on only one of either a September 1^st 2018 sitting or an October 31^st 2018 sitting. The UKCAT is much more flexible, and you can pick an exam date (subject to availability) between 2^nd of July 2018 and 2^nd of October 2018.

The UKCAT can be taken at tests centres in well over 100 countries worldwide. The September 1^st 2018 sitting of the BMAT can be taken at authorised centres worldwide. The same applies to the October 31^st 2018 sitting, but this sitting can also be taken at your school or college if it is a centre.

How do medical schools use admissions test results?

Each medical school has their way of using admissions test results. You can see some real examples of how medical schools use UKCAT results below. Certain medical schools use admissions test results as a screening tool, only interviewing candidates above a certain score. Others will look at the results in the context of a candidate’s entire application. Some medical schools place a high weighting on admissions test results, while others place less weight on admissions test scores, placing more emphasis on other elements such as the personal statement, grades, performance at interview and so on. As you can have your admissions test results before you apply to UCAS (if you take the tests early enough), knowing how medical schools use admissions test results is useful to guide your application choices.

Real examples of how medical schools use admissions test results

Here are two examples of how medical schools use UKCAT scores in their admissions process. It will give you an idea of the different approaches that medical schools take.

 How Manchester Medical School (MMS) use UKCAT results

Manchester Medical School requires all applicants for its 5-year and 6-year Medicine course to sit the UKCAT. Manchester medical school will not consider candidates who receive a band 4 (lowest score) in the SJT component of the UKCAT. Besides this, they have two main methods of using UKCAT scores to select candidates for interview:

Method 1: Applicants to Manchester Medical School who score in the upper third of UKCAT results nationally receive an interview offer if they meet the minimum entry requirements, e.g. correct subjects, minimum grades etc. To widen participation, UKCAT scores from candidates of similar socio-demographic and educational backgrounds are compared with each other. Manchester Medical School interview approximately 1000 students using this method.

Method 2: Applicants with scores too low for an automatic interview will have their UKCAT scores considered alongside their entire application, e.g. academic grades, etc. Manchester Medical School interview approximately 300-500 applicants using this method.

How Edinburgh Medical School (EMS) use UKCAT results

Edinburgh Medical School requires candidates to take the UKCAT. Edinburgh Medical School is atypical in that they usually give offers to school leavers without interviewing them. Only mature and graduate applicants are typically interviewed. Edinburgh Medical school give an overall score to applicants based on the different components of their application and offer places to applicants with the highest scores. Below we detail how this score was compiled for 2018 entry and where the UKCAT fits in. You can see that the UKCAT made up 35% of the total application score.

For candidates who are not interviewed, i.e. school leavers:

Academic achievements: 50%
UKCAT (excluding SJT component) – 20%
SJT component of UKCAT: 15%
Personal statement/reference: 15%

For candidates who are interviewed, i.e. mature and graduate applicants:

Interview: 30%
Academic achievements: 35%
UKCAT (excluding SJT component): 20%
SJT component of UKCAT: 15%

An overview of the admissions tests

This section of our guide provides an overview of the admissions tests used by UK medical schools. After reading this overview you can head over to our entirely free individual guides on how to prepare for each section of the UKCAT and BMAT exams.

UKCAT OVERVIEW

WHAT: The UKCAT is a two-hour multiple-choice only exam comprised of 5 sections. The UKCATSEN is an identical exam but with additional time allowed for candidates with a valid medical reason, e.g. dyslexia. It is taken on a computer. You are allowed an on-screen calculator and a note board and pen. It does not require pre-existing knowledge as it contains no curriculum content, although it does require numerical skills to the standard of a good pass at GCSE. Instead of testing knowledge, it tests aptitude (verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning; decision making) as well as attitudes, integrity, perspective and professional behaviour with questions in a situational judgement (SJT) section. The SJT uses medical scenarios but does not require any medical or procedural knowledge. There is NO negative marking. There is considerable time pressure to answer questions, and you must learn to prioritise, know which questions to skip and come back to and which to guess.

You receive your results on the day. In November, results are sent directly to the medical schools you apply to via UCAS who use the UKCAT. Medical schools that do not use the UKCAT will not be sent your UKCAT results. You can take the UKCAT once per application cycle. If you wish to reapply to Medicine, then you must take the exam again as you cannot use a previous year’s results.

The UKCAT is comprised of the following five sections:

UKCAT Summary For 2019 Entry to Medical School (2020 Entry For Deferred Applications)
UKCAT Section	No. of Questions	UKCAT Time	UKCATSEN Time
1) Verbal Reasoning – assesses the ability to come to conclusions from a wide selection of written text. Does not require prior knowledge of texts.	44	1-minute instructions 21-minute answer time	75 seconds instructions 26-minute 15 seconds answer time
2) Decision Making – assesses the ability to make decisions under time pressure from complex information	29	1-minute instructions 31-minute answer time	75 seconds instructions 38-minute 45 seconds answer time
3) Quantitative Reasoning – assesses the ability to use numerical skills to solve problems. Requires numerical skills to a solid pass at GCSE standard but questions focus on problem-solving rather than numerical facility.	36	1-minute instructions 24-minute answer time	75 seconds instructions 30-minute test time
4) Abstract Reasoning – assesses the ability to identify patterns in abstract shapes where irrelevant and distracting material may lead to incorrect conclusions.	55	1-minute instructions 13-minute answer time	75 seconds instructions 16-minute 15 seconds test time
5) Situational Judgement – presents real-world scenarios and asks candidates to make decisions which asses integrity, attitudes, professional behaviour, adaptability, perspective, team involvement and resilience. Many scenarios are medical related but do not require medical or procedural knowledge.	69	1-minute instructions 26-minute answer time	75 seconds instructions 32 minutes 30 seconds test time

We discuss these individual sections in greater detail and advise on how to prepare for the UKCAT in a separate free guide.

WHO: For 2019 entry, 28 UK medical schools and 5 international medical schools used the UKCAT in their selection process. The table below shows the universities which use the UKCAT and for which courses. All of the universities offer a standard entry Medicine course (UCAS course code A100 and for Manchester Medical School UCAS course code A106). A200 is Dentistry. The other numbers are related to Medicine and Dentistry, e.g. graduate entry Medicine courses are UCAS course code A101 or A109 for the Graduate Entry Medicine programme at Imperial College School of Medicine. Medicine with a foundation year is A104. This is similar for the variations of the A200 course code for Dentistry. They are for graduate entry Dentistry courses, foundation year courses and so on)

Table of UK Medical Schools Who Use UKCAT for 2019 Entry (2020 For Deferred Entry)
UCAS Institution Code	University	UCAS Course Code (A100 = Medicine, A200 = Dentistry)
A20	University of Aberdeen	A100, A201
A60	Anglia Ruskin University	A100
A80	Aston University	A100
B32	University of Birmingham	A100, A200
B78	University of Bristol	A100, A108, A206, A208
C15	Cardiff University	A100, A104, A200, A204
D65	University of Dundee	A100, A104, A200, A204
E14	University of East Anglia	A100, A104
E56	University of Edinburgh	A100
E84	University of Exeter	A100*
G28	University of Glasgow	A100, A200
H75	Hull York Medical School	A100
K12	Keele University	A100*, A104*
K60	King’s College London	A100, A101, A102, A202, A205, A206
L34	University of Leicester	A100, A199
L41	University of Liverpool	A100*, A200, A201
M20	University of Manchester	A104, A106, A204, A206
N21	University of Newcastle	A100, A101, A206
N84	University of Nottingham	A100, A10L, A108, A18L
P60	Plymouth University	A100*, A206*
Q50	Queen Mary University of London	A100, A101, A110, A120, A130, A200, B960
Q75	Queen’s University Belfast	A100, A200*
S18	University of Sheffield	A100, A200
S27	University of Southampton	A100, A101, A102
S36	University of St Andrews	A100, A990
S49	St George’s, University of London	A100
S84	University of Sunderland	A100
W20	University of Warwick	A101
* UCAS course codes marked with * have different requirements for groups of students. For example, Keele School of Medicine only requires the UKCAT from UK and EU applicants

WHERE: You can sit the UKCAT in test centres in over 100 countries.

KEY DATES: Key dates for the UKCAT 2019 entry are listed below. You can choose your exam date between 2^nd July 2018 and 2^nd October 2018 if it is available. You can only take the test once per application cycle. This means if you are applying again you cannot use the results from a previous year; you must sit the exam again.

Key dates for the UKCAT for 2019 entry (2020 for deferred entry)
First Test Date	2nd July 2018
Last Test Date	2nd October 2018
Registration & Booking Opens	1st May 2018
Final Booking Deadline	Midday on 1st October 2018
Bursary Deadline	5 pm on 18 September 2018
Results Delivered to Universities	Early November 2018

UKCAT COST & BURSARIES:

Cost of UKCAT for 2019 entry (2020 for deferred entry)
Tests taken in the EU between 2 July and 31 August 2018	£65
Tests taken in the EU between 1 September and 2 October 2018	£87
Tests taken outside the EU	£115
Full bursaries available for UK and EU candidates in financial need. Online application.

 UKCAT SJTace

This admissions test is only needed for graduate students who are applying to the Scottish Graduate Entry Medical Programme (ScotGEM) at the University of Dundee or the University of St Andrews. The UKCAT SJTace is identical to the SJT component of the full UKCAT exam. Therefore, candidates who have done the full UKCAT do not need to sit this exam as they will have already done so by taking the full UKCAT.

BMAT

The BMAT is a 2-hour pen and paper test. Calculators and dictionaries are NOT permitted. The BMAT does require pre-existing knowledge of Science and Maths but only to GCSE standard and which candidates are already expected to possess. The BMAT focuses on the application of knowledge rather than testing the recall of memorised knowledge. Results are released approximately 3 weeks after the test. There are two sittings (we explain why below), but you can only take the exam once per application cycle and must retake the test if you are applying again in another application year.

The BMAT consists of 3 sections:

BMAT Summary For 2019 Entry to Medicine (2020 Entry For Deferred Applications)
UKCAT Components	No. of Questions	Time
Section 1: Aptitude & Skills – tests generic skills in data analysis and inference; problem-solving and understanding arguments (e.g. identifying assumptions and conclusions, detecting flaws, etc)	35 Multiple choice questions	60 minutes
Section 2: Scientific Knowledge & Applications – tests the application of scientific and mathematical knowledge. Questions are restricted to material typically found at GCSE level.	27 multiple choice questions	30 minutes
Section 3: Writing Task – candidates select a writing task (e.g. explain the implications of a proposition, suggest counter-propositions, suggest a resolution) from 3 available. Tasks will be based on topics of general, scientific or medical interest. The answer must fit within one A4 page (due to headings and formatting in realty this is approx. ¾ of an A4 page)	One writing task from a choice of three questions.	30 minutes

 WHO: For 2019 entry used by 8 UK medical schools including Oxbridge. Also used by international medical schools and for applicants to some Dentistry and Biomedical Science degrees.

 

Table of UK Medical Schools Who Use BMAT for 2019 Entry (2020 For Deferred Entry)
UCAS Institution Code	University	UCAS Course Code
B74	Brighton and Sussex Medical School*	A100*
I50	Imperial College London	A100, A109
K12	Keele University	A100, A104
L14	Lancaster University	A100, A900
U80	University College London	A100
C05	University of Cambridge	A100
L23	University of Leeds	A100, A200 (Dentistry)
O33	University of Oxford**	A100**, A101**, BC98 (Biomedical Sciences)
* BSMS does not require the BMAT from international applicants (not ordinarily resident in UK or EU) ** OXFORD SCHOOL OF MEDICINE ONLY ACCEPTS AN OCTOBER SITTING OF THE BMAT APART FROM FOR APPLICATIONS TO ITS GRADUATE COURSE WHICH ACCEPT SEPTEMBER SITTINGS.

WHEN: There are two sittings in 2018. One on September 1st and one on October 31st. You can only take one sitting per application cycle. Oxford School of Medicine and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine only accept an October sitting (Oxford will accept a September sitting for Graduate Medicine course applications only). The dates are important because if you take the September sitting, you can have the results before the UCAS Medicine application deadline (October 15th), which can help inform your decision making of which medical school to apply to based on your BMAT results. The October sitting is after the UCAS Medicine application deadline has closed so you will have to apply without knowing your results.

WHERE: The September sitting can only be taken in either UK or international authorised test centres. The September sitting can be taken at one of these centres or your own school and college if they are a centre.

COST: The cost is different for September and October sittings although the exams are identical.

Cost of BMAT September Sitting for 2019 entry to Medicine (2020 for deferred entry)
Within UK or EU	£80/€95
Rest of The World	£115/€130/$165
No Late Entry Fee For September Sitting as No Late Registrations Allowed	N/A
Note: Some centres may add additional admin fees such as room hire, invigilation costs, etc.
Bursaries for full standard fees available for students in financial need.

 

Cost of BMAT October Sitting for 2019 entry to Medicine (2020 for deferred entry)
Within UK or EU	£46
Rest of The World	£78
Additional Late Entry Fee	£33
Note: Some centres may add additional admin fees such as room hire, invigilation costs, etc.
Bursaries for the full standard fee are available for students in financial need.

GAMSAT

WHAT: This is a day-long written test for graduate applicants to certain medical schools. There are three sections:

• Section 1: Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences

• Section 2: Written Communication

• Section 3: Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences

Unlike the BMAT and UKCAT, the GAMSAT requires significant existing knowledge. There will be material which requires knowledge equivalent to first-year university-level chemistry and biology, and A-level/Leaving Certificate/Year 12 physics.

WHO: Only graduates need to sit this test. It is required for some graduate entry courses.

For 2019 entry; 9 UK Medical schools will use the GAMSAT. That number includes universities who require the GAMSAT for their standard entry courses if the applicant is a graduate.

WHEN: You must register and sit the test before your UCAS application. There is a sitting in March and one in September. For 2019 entry results can only be used from a sitting in March 2017, September 2017, March 2018 or September 2018. It differs to the UKCAT and BMAT in that you can take the test more than once in an application cycle, although individual medical schools may have their own policies on this.

WHERE: There are far less testing centres compared to UKCAT and BMAT locations. You can currently take the GAMSAT in certain cities in the UK, Ireland, Australia and a tiny number of other countries

COST: The 2018 exams (for 2019 entry) will cost £262 in the UK, $505 in Australia, €335 in Ireland