Mastering The BMAT Assessment - The Complete Guide 2020
In this article Fadheelah, current third year dental student, discusses everything you need to know about the BMAT.
Introduction
The dentistry application process as a whole is undoubtedly one of the most difficult experiences you might encounter - there are several factors to consider, many decisions to be made and a lot of hard work and effort required. Among these considerations is choosing your dental school - arguably the most significant as this will wholly shape your entire experience: the teaching style, clinical exposure and the city you may be living in for the next 5 years. As part of this, entrance exams (whether or not to sit the BMAT) also have to be considered.
About Me
Hi, I’m Fadheelah - a third year dental student at the University of Leeds and Co-Director at I Want To Be A Dentist. When applying for dentistry just over 2 years ago, this was also a decision I faced; ultimately, I applied to Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Queen Mary’s in London and was fortunate to achieve 3 out of 4 offers. In this article, I aim to outline how I decided to take the BMAT, discuss the three different sections within the test, and provide tried-and-tested revision techniques to approach these sections.
BMAT x Leeds Dental Institute
For dentistry in the UK, the BMAT is only required for the University of Leeds. There are 2 sittings you could take if aiming for Leeds - September and November. Some universities internationally also take the BMAT, however you’d need to confirm which sitting you could take on the BMAT website.
At the time of writing, it is worth noting that the September sitting for 20/21 has been cancelled. You would need to sit in November - AFTER putting your application through on UCAS.
Why should you do the BMAT - and what should you consider?
Are you planning to apply to Leeds? Consider if you meet ALL the requirements, and whether the teaching, learning style and city will suit you.
What happens if you don’t take the BMAT and you don’t do as well as you’d hoped in the UCAT? After researching the course structures and opportunities presented by various universities, I had decided that the University of Leeds would be ideal for me. It stood out because the course involves early clinical exposure, the opportunity to intercalate/partake in an elective abroad as well as being the only university to offer dentistry as an integrated masters degree.
I have just finished my second year and can wholeheartedly say I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Leeds so far. I have enjoyed learning with a highly practical, and hands-on approach - often implementing 3D virtual reality simulators and phantom head models to reinforce my skills for use in patient clinics, where the fascinating topics taught in the lecture hall truly come alive. Treating my first patient in only second year was undoubtedly one of the most exhilarating, yet rewarding moments I have ever experienced!
Another reason for choosing Leeds was the many extra-curricular opportunities that were available. My passion for education and positive change led me to taking up a leading role in the “Open Wide” committee, an initiative established and led by Leeds’ dental students to inspire, guide and educate individuals aged 4-18 from backgrounds under-represented in dentistry. Specifically, my role has involved leading and organising visits to primary schools in and around Leeds - working with children and holding informative and engaging presentations to introduce them to the basics of oral hygiene.
SECTIONS OF THE BMAT + REVISION STRATEGIES
The BMAT is split up into 3 different sections: Section 1 is on aptitude and skills, and is similar to the verbal reasoning section of the UCAT; it usually asks to find a conclusion, assumption, flaw or assess if something strengthens or weakens arguments. Therefore, it is advisable to learn the exact definition of each of these command words, and to be familiar of them within different contexts. To tackle section
1 questions, recommend a 3-stage process:
Read the question
Read the passage it gives you
Answer the question
Reading the question first, in my opinion, gives you a FOCUS. It makes it easier to look for what is required by the question when scanning the passage with key 'buzz' words at the forefront of your mind. It isn’t the best idea to read the answers first, however, as you are more likely to have your views skewed and be inclined to look for something that relates to an answer. As far as the information is concerned, there is no reason to panic if there's a massive amount of data - in most cases, you are not required to use these figures and statistics because the aim of the section is to test your ability to EXTRACT and SUMMARISE key information.
Section 2 is based on scientific knowledge; made up of biology, chemistry, physics and maths. The timing for this section is roughly a minute a mark (27 questions to complete in 30 minutes) - the best strategy here is a process of elimination by using educated guesses. I recommend always ticking an answer from the MCQ before moving on to the next question - even if unsure!
One of the best revision resources for this section is to make full use of the BMAT
test specification and Assumed Subject Knowledge Guide to revise topics concisely. It is better to have a reasonable amount of knowledge about everything, rather than in-depth knowledge in only a few topics. After looking through these resources, it is very much a great idea to complete some past papers - to familiarise yourself with the question format and any data you might be provided with, get yourself used to the time constraint you will face, as well as the pressurised conditions the exam can bring.
Similar to the UCAT, the BMAT doesn’t have a pass or fail threshold - so always aim for your best. Section 1 and 2 questions are worth 1 mark each, and total raw marks end up being converted into BMAT’s scale (like a normal distribution) which runs from 1 (low) to 9 (high). A score of 5.0 tends to be the average, with the best candidates scoring 6.0 and above.
Section 3 is the essay - the section many people seem to dread but, in reality, it’s not so bad! The key to acing section 3 is to use your time effectively and know how to structure your essay. You’ll be given a choice of essays to answer, and you will have half an hour to fill just under one side of A4. Planning is KEY within this section, as you will not be provided with any additional paper - if you make a mistake and cross it out, that translates to space lost from your side of A4.
The question usually presents you with arguments for which you must discuss counter-arguments, and weigh these against the initial argument presented to you - then finally come to a conclusion. There is no right or wrong answer; instead you are marked by two examiners using a specific criteria and given a combined score based on the quality of your writing (1-5) and then your literacy (E-A). To score a 5A:
An excellent answer with no significant weaknesses
All aspects of the question must be addressed
Must make excellent use of the material
Must generate an excellent counter proposition or argument
The argument must be cogent
Ideas must be expressed in a clear and logical way
Must consider a breadth of relevant points
Must lead to a compelling synthesis or conclusion
Good use of english
For greater detail on scoring, why not view the BMAT
Section 3 marking criteria?
One of the best ways to prepare for section three is to begin by familiarising yourself with past papers, and writing essays for arguments that you might not necessarily agree with. This will really help you develop skills to formulate counter arguments and also develop a method to ensure your writing flows naturally. It is then advisable to ask a third party to mark it, so that nothing is missed and unbiased constructive criticism can be provided. My personal advice would be to use the mark schemes that come with each past paper - not only will this help you give yourself a score, but it will bring to attention those aspects and arguments that you missed or perhaps didn't think of, and therefore improve your performance on the next paper you do.
Furthermore, it would be a good idea to research current high-profile issues surrounding the healthcare profession - for example, in 2017 there was a new
NHS dental contract, and this was something that could be asked about and discussed in the essay. It could be wise to very briefly research around Covid-19’s impact on the NHS - however this isn’t something that we guarantee will be something you can write about.
WHAT NOW?
Normally, there are 2 sittings for the BMAT. One of these takes place happens in September, and the other one in November.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the September sitting for 2020 has been cancelled, so you need to contact a test centre that is authorised to run admissions testing tests to be registered for the BMAT. This is usually your school or college - but if your school or college isn't registered as a centre they can apply to become a test centre or you can find a test centre here.
For more information about the registration process for the BMAT as a whole, follow this link.
As mentioned, the September sitting for the BMAT has been cancelled due to Covid-19, so it is important to know the following key dates in regards to the November sitting.
Important Dates
1st September 2020- BMAT November registration opens
30th September 2020- Last date to request modified question papers
1st October 2020- BMAT November registration is closed (standard fee)
15th October 2020- BMAT November registration is closed (late fee) , Last date to request access arrangements, Last date to request reimbursement of BMAT November fees
4th November - BMAT - November test date
27th November- Results released
4th December- Last date for results inquiring