Which Universities Require BMAT?

The BMAT test

The Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is a 2-hour, paper-based test, which includes 3 sections. It is mainly used for entry to medicine, but also for a small number of other courses including biomedical sciences and dentistry.

Our main BMAT article answers all your questions about the exam in more detail, and if you're ready to start your preparation, our BMAT course helps maximise your score.

NOTE: the BMAT used to be pen and paper based, but due to the pandemic it will be entirely computer based in 2021.

Which countries use the BMAT?

The following countries use the BMAT (2021):

Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, UK and USA.

For a full list of International BMAT medical schools, see the table at the end of the article.

Which UK universities require BMAT for medicine?

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BMAT universities in UK

Which university’s BMAT entry criteria are you interested in?

Brighton and Sussex

Imperial College London

Keele

Lancaster

University College London

Cambridge

Leeds

Oxford

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Brighton and Sussex Medical School 

Brighton and Sussex does have a minimum cut off.

• At least a score of 3 or higher for Section 1 and 2.
• At least 2.5C or higher in Section 3

Once you’ve met the minimum criteria, you’ll be ranked on your BMAT score. The candidates with the highest scores will be invited to interview. 

For the 2019 application cycle, the minimum score was 16.1 and for 2018 it was 16.4.

Brighton and Sussex Medicine course information

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Imperial College London

Requires a minimum score in each of the three sections to get an interview offer.

This minimum differs from year to year, but it normally falls as follows:

Sections 1&2: 4.0 – 5.0 

Section 3: 2.5 

In 2019, for example, the minimum scores were: 

Section 1: 4.1 

Section 2: 4.2 

Section 3: 2.5 and grade C 

Imperial College London Medicine course information

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Keele 

The BMAT is only required for international students that will be paying the overseas fee. 

You will be shortlisted for an interview based on your BMAT score.

Keele Medicine course information

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Lancaster University 

Applicants are ranked based on the sum of their BMAT scores in Sections 1, 2 and 3.

The score for Quality of English is not taken into account.

The BMAT cut-off will be around 10.5 although students with scores lower than 10.5 were given interviews in 2019. The university has said that it’s ‘unlikely’ that they’ll repeat that.

Lancaster Medicine course information

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University College London

UCL doesn’t have a clearly defined minimum.

Your personal statement, exam results and predicted grades are all taken into consideration.

If you score below average in the BMAT, you are not as likely to be offered a place, but you still have a shot - providing you did well in all other areas.

If your score is below these averages, it’s unlikely you’ll get an interview.

UCL Medicine course information

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University of Cambridge

Cambridge takes a more holistic view of your application.

Around 90% of candidates are interviewed, and your BMAT isn’t necessarily the make or break factor. Your personal statement, grades and interview are all taken into consideration.

Remember, you apply to the college, not the university, and some are harder to get into than others, as well as having varying degrees of focus on the BMAT.

Cambridge Medicine course information

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University of Leeds

Leeds takes an average of your scores across the 3 sections. Section 3 is weighted at 50% of sections 1 and 2.

There is no fixed entry score - it’s comparative.

• Although your BMAT score is used, it isn’t weighed that heavily compared to your exam results and predicted grades
  

• You’re given a score out of 35 for your GCSEs and predicted grades
  

• You’re given a score out of 5 for your BMAT. The top 20% of scores will get 5 points, the next 20% will get 4 points and so on
  

Leeds Medicine course information

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University of Oxford

While Cambridge interviews 90% of the candidates, at Oxford it’s just 30%. The decision is made based on your GCSEs and BMAT, with equal weighting given.

This means incredible GCSE results can make up for an average BMAT score and vice versa.

Not all sections of the BMAT are equally weighted; in 2020 section 1 and 2 were both weighted at 40% each. Section 3 was weighted at 20% in 2020. Double weighting is given to your quality of content score compared to the quality of English in Section 3.

Oxford Medicine course information

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International Medical Schools requiring the BMAT

BMAT courses Europe (excluding UK)

BMAT courses Asia