how to write a bmat essay

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How to write a bmat essay (section 3) [bmat series], what is bmat section 3 how to prepare for it and some of our top tips.

The third section of the BMAT exam is the “essay” writing section. I say “essay” (in quotations) as it is really nothing to be afraid of. This section of the BMAT assesses your essay writing skills by asking you to write a short piece of text that answers a question selected from several options provided to you. These skills include your ability to form clear and concise arguments, provide examples to support these and tie these together to form a logical conclusion in which your opinion is outlined. Read on to find out more…

What is BMAT Section 3 composed of?

In this section you will be given the choice of three essay titles and you will have 30 minutes to answer the associated question. You are only given 1 A4 piece of paper, with some of the top being used to input candidate details (so it’s not even a whole page!).Therefore, it is not your typical essay – you will only have room to write around 3 paragraphs in total and therefore it will end up being a relatively short piece of writing.

The nature of each question varies. It will take the form of an opinionated statement that gives one point of view or sometimes as a quote, with three accompanying prompts. These prompts will be quite similar for each question: they often ask you to expand on the statement, provide arguments against it, and end with a conclusion. Whilst there is no specific content you need to learn for the essay, the questions are typically divided into the following themes (there is sometimes some variation): one healthcare related, one covering science more generally, and one that is unrelated to science or medicine – sometimes about politics, sociology, philosophy etc.

You may not be studying essay-based subjects, but please do not worry about this. With practice and adequate preparation, you will score well in this section! When choosing an essay question, it is always good to choose a topic you fully understand and have sufficient related knowledge of. Having an opinion on the matter might also be useful when forming a conclusion (although this is not required). In terms of the conclusion though, the examiner is less interested in what your opinion is (ie. whether it is considered right or wrong) but is more concerned with your ability to form logical ideas/arguments and provide evidence and examples to support these.

How is BMAT Section 3 scored?

Two examiners mark your essay. Their scores are then averaged and an overall score is given. If the scores given are very different, a third examiner might mark your essay. There are two parts to the score you are given. The first is a number between 1 and 5. Scores increase in increments of 0.5 and relate to the quality of the content of your essay. This considers how well you have explained your ideas, answered the questions and used the prompts, the structure of your answer and the quality of examples used to support your case. The other score goes from A-E and assesses the quality of English used. This includes grammar and spelling, fluency, and sentence structure.

How to prepare for BMAT Section 3?

As with the other sections of BMAT, hands-down, the best way to prepare for this section is practice. Use past questions and specimen questions to perfect your essay-writing skills. As you only have access to that one page for this section, you have to try and make your case in that space. It may be worth writing essay plans instead if you are running out of time, in order to try as many questions as possible. It is often recommended to spend 1/3 of your time during the exam (so 10 minutes) writing a plan so this will definitely be valuable revision (see below for reasoning why). However, saying this, it is still important to try to get as many proper timed practices in as possible when preparing.

What are some tips for BMAT Section 3?

1. answer all parts of the question..

‍ Make sure to answer all parts of a question, addressing all the prompts given. If you do not do this, you cannot get a high score – the criteria for a 3 is to address all the prompts so please make sure you take care to do this and make it clear you are doing so.

Regarding the questions, always plan your answers before starting. By generating a framework, you are much more able to form a strong structure for your response to the question you select. This will help you remain on the correct path and to ensure you don’t forget any points you make. Planning should take around 5-10 minutes and should include your points for each of your 3 or 4 paragraphs. You should also try to list your selected examples in your plan.

3. Useful knowledge.

It is a good idea to go over medical ethics as this is often relevant to the questions in Section 3. Make sure you know the four pillars of medical ethics and can explain them well enough to illustrate a point.

Also, ensuring you can explore politics and philosophy to answer questions is a great way to tackle Section 3 questions. To do this, it might be useful to read journals and blogs, particularly BBC health articles for examples and points to use. Staying on top of medical news can play to your advantage. Consider debating issues with friends to practise formulating opinions and arguments to answer a question/prompt.

How should you structure your BMAT essay?

You should organise your essay into 3 main parts: an introduction, main body (which can be subdivided further) and a conclusion.

Your introduction should always state what your essay is about and should briefly outline the points you are going to make ie. those for and against the statement. This is a reason why you need to plan - so you have these points ready from the get-go.

After this, you have the main body of the essay. Most will write a paragraph to address each prompt given. What is crucial here is presenting a balanced argument. The marking criteria states you cannot get higher than a 3 if you don’t do this. Use examples to support your points and make sure to start a new paragraph for every major point you make. I would personally recommend a PEEL structure – make your point, then explain it. Back up your explanation with examples, and finally link back to your point and the question to explain why your explanation is relevant.

Your conclusion should summarise the rest of the essay. You shouldn’t make any new points or give any new examples here, instead you should try to form a judgement on the question (if appropriate) and round off the essay.

Make sure to leave a few minutes to check your work after finishing your essay. Remember, you are marked on the quality of English used so ensure this is at a high standard. Being concise, clear and avoiding repetition are all crucial to scoring well in section 3.

How long should you spend preparing for BMAT Section 3?

How long you should spend preparing for this section will depend on the individual (as it does for the other sections). Consider your current ability to write clear and (importantly) concise essays. I would recommend spending 1-2 weeks writing essay plans and scattering a few times practices in the mix too – this will help you work on time management and structuring your essays well. It will also help you get used to the nature of the titles that tend to appear, helping you feel more prepared for the final exam. Try to go through every past paper and practice question you can find and write at least a plan for it. For the ones you struggle with most, challenge yourself to write a full essay - this will help you get used to answering difficult questions.

To Summarise…

This section is nothing to be afraid of. Using your current knowledge and reasoning skills to draw valid conclusions will serve you well in the exam. Make sure to practice, and if you have access to anyone who can mark your essays please make the most of this. Feedback is a goldmine in this instance. Focus on having a clear structure and please, please, please get into the habit of planning everything – you will thank me later! Best of luck to you all - you can do it!

Author: Chandan Sekhon

Editor: Allegra Wisking

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UK Medical School Admissions Experts

The Ultimate Guide to the BMAT Essay (BMAT Section 3) 2022

Section 3 of the BMAT requires you to write a short essay that covers a maximum of one side of A4 paper. You are given a choice of three essay titles that are usually in the form of a statement or a direct quote.

Normally, you’ll be asked to explain the reasoning behind the statement, argue to the contrary and then make a conclusion, although the sub questions can vary.

The quality of your content is scored from 1 to 5 (5 being the highest) and the quality of your English is scored from A-E (A being the highest).

So how should you prepare for this? Here are our top tips on preparing for BMAT Section 3!

Every Sentence Needs a Purpose

In the BMAT, you need to make sure every sentence has a purpose and adds to your argument/counterargument.

You need to make sure nothing is “fluffy” and each sentence makes a standalone point that could not be taken out of the essay. In some ways, this is like a scientific paper, where you want to skip any unneeded adjectives and storytelling to give the most coherent writing style possible.

Remember, you also only have one side of A4 so your space is precious!

Planning is Key!

A big chunk of your essay time should be spent making a plan. Depending on your writing speed, this can be anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes. Every sentence must have a purpose. If you plan in bullet points, you can cover each of your bullet points sentence by sentence.

Make your essay really structured, answering every subquestion individually. Some students use paragraphs to split this up; however, it may be wise to use small indents, as this gives you a little more space on the paper to write more.

It is most logical to follow the structure given in the sub-questions, which is usually:

Explain the reasoning behind the statement

Argue to the contrary

To give a conclusion

When asking your point, you need to give examples. This could be a specific scenario that you think the quote relates to or it could be an example from the news, public figures, a book, or a particular case.

Examples don’t need to be completely unique to score you highly, but they should be entirely relevant to the point of the essay. Don’t try to fit the essay around the example, instead, fit the example to the essay.

Practice as Though it were the Real Thing

You need to make sure that you are practising in the most realistic way possible. It’s really tempting to skip the plan and head straight into the essay; however, it’s going to be more effective if you time yourself the full 30 minutes and force yourself to use 10-15 minutes of this time to adequately plan.

If the BMAT is on pen and paper, download and print some section 3 answer sheets, so you know exactly how much space you have.

Have Fun With It!

I know this is really easy to say and hard in practice but, your application journey is an exciting period of your life. You get to decide on your own future and decide where you’re going to spend the next 5 or 6 years. The BMAT, although tricky, is a part of this and it may open up some really exciting doors for you!

If you would like further help, BMAT tutors can guide you.

BMAT: Section 3 [The Definitive Guide]

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The BMAT has now been discontinued. All applicants for undergraduate medicine in the UK will be required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) for their application. Check out our wide selection of Free UCAT Guides to get started with your preparation.

Welcome to our guide on the final section of the BMAT – the essay Section 3.

Section 3 of the BMAT is where the test really shows its differences from the other medicine admissions test, the UCAT. Unlike every other section of both exams, this section is NOT multiple choice but a short writing task.

Let’s see how you can prepare your writing skills in time for the big test!

What is BMAT Section 3 and why is it tested?

Section 3 tests your ability to develop and organise ideas and to communicate them concisely and effectively in writing.

It is more commonly known as the dreaded essay section, and many candidates often find themselves questioning its relevance during revision frustration. However, the skills needed to do well in Section 3 are vital for a career in medicine.

The ability to formulate your own arguments and communicate your ideas clearly is crucial for a successful academic or clinical career. The university needs to be able to see a demonstration of these skills in order to be sure that a candidate will be the right fit for the course.

What will Section 3 look like in the BMAT?

The BMAT is a two-hour exam. You have 30 minutes to spend on Section 3. Here’s a quick refresher of the format of the BMAT exam:

The exam paper will offer a choice of three different essay questions, and you must choose one essay to answer. Each essay question will be followed by three prompts and you must address all three parts of this in your essay. For example:

BMAT Section 3 Example Questions (2019 Paper)

People are often motivated to deny the existence of problems if they disagree with the solutions to those problems.

Explain what you think is meant by the statement. Present a counter-argument. To what extent do you agree with the statement?

2. ‘In science, there are no universal truths, just views of the world that have yet to be shown to be false.’ (Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw)

Explain what you think is meant by the statement. Argue that scientists need to accept some things as ‘truths’ to advance their understanding. To what extent do you agree with the statement?

3. Teamwork is more important for surgical innovation than the skills of an individual surgeon.

Explain the reasoning behind this statement. Argue that the skills of individual surgeons are more important for surgical innovation or progress. To what extent do you agree with the statement?

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You are given a single page of A4 as an answer sheet, and your essay must fit into this space. Only what is contained on the single A4 page will be scanned, sent to the examiner, and marked.

How Can I prepare for BMAT Section 3?

The BMAT essays, like medical interviews, will cover a range of social and medical issues. To prepare for the BMAT, it is recommended you keep up to date with current medical, social, and political issues.

Newspapers, medical journals, and medical blogs are good resources, with the Health and Science sections of BBC News being particularly useful. Reading these articles will not only arm you with points to use in your essays but will also show you how to argue these ideas articulately and concisely.

It is vital you practice formulating and communicating your ideas about a topic. Get together with other students who are preparing their medical applications and practice debating health and social topics with each other. This will not only increase your chances of getting a good Section 3 score but will also improve your medical interview skills.

The most vital preparation for all BMAT sections is practice. Download the official past papers here and get used to planning and writing essays under timed conditions. Print off the official answer sheet and use this for writing your essay; it is key you get used to writing in the limited space available.

Of course, we’d also recommend our own resources to help your prepare for the BMAT. We run the best crash courses in the world for the BMAT, as well as having an intuitive online platform in BMAT Ninja. You can get access to both, along with 5 x Section 3 essay edits with our BMAT Bundle (our best value BMAT support).

BMAT Essay Planning

To make the most of your limited answer space, it is incredibly important you spend at least 5-10 minutes planning your essay.

Take a spare piece of paper (there is usually a blank page in the question paper earmarked for this purpose) and plan your essay point by point before you think about touching the answer sheet.

The planning stage can be split into two clear parts.

Get everything down on paper.

Write down everything you know about the subject and all your ideas on the topic.

Organise these ideas.

Create clear subsections, which can be derived from the three prompts listed in the essay question, and structure your ideas into bullet points beneath each heading.

Before moving onto writing your essay make sure:

The ideas conveyed in your bullet points flow smoothly from one to the next
Your essay is well balanced , with points covering both sides of the argument
You have not included any points that are outside the scope of the essay question
You have only included your most relevant and most important points to make best use of the limited space
Every part of the essay question and subsequent prompts have been addressed by your ideas

Writing Your Essay

The essay should be divided into three main parts: an Introduction, a Main Body, and a Conclusion. Let’s go into each section in a little more depth starting with the introduction.

THE INTRODUCTION

Your introduction should clearly set out the aims of what you are about to write.

You should state what the essay will try to achieve, and briefly mention some of the main points you will consider, both for and against the essay question.

The introduction is a brief overview of your argument and should not go into any great detail.

Your introduction is successful if it tells the reader:

What is the topic of the essay?
What is the essay planning to answer?
What are the main points for and against?

The introduction is usually where you will tackle the first prompt of the essay question, which usually asks you to explain the reasoning behind a statement or to define a principle.

THE MAIN BODY

The main body of your essay is where you should address your key points in detail.

This should be the longest part of your essay and should be split up into 2-4 paragraphs. Most candidates will write at least one paragraph per each of the three prompts included in the essay question.

It is crucial that the main body of your essay includes points both for and against the essay question. The marking scheme mandates that the essay must communicate a balanced argument to secure a minimum content score of 3.

You should start a new paragraph for each major new idea in your essay, in order to clearly indicate to the examiner the structure of your argument. Each paragraph should start with a sentence that signposts the main point you are going to explore in that section. The rest of the paragraph will then expand and back up your main point in greater detail and with relevant examples.

In each paragraph, only include sentences that are directly related to the issue set out in the signposting sentence. Quoting sources and statistics can lend an air of professionalism and credibility to your essay. However, if you do not know any, do not make these up – the BMAT examiners are paid by the hour and therefore have the time to fact-check any claim you may make.

THE CONCLUSION

Your conclusion should summarise the main points of your essay, and if appropriate, draw a final judgement on the topic you have been discussing.

There should be no new evidence in your conclusion, it is simply a summary of what you have already stated in the main body of the essay.

In the next section, we will go through examples of successful essay plans so you can see how the entire process works. Read on to check it out.

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Examples of Successful Essay Plans

First, we’ll start by presenting the question that we want to answer. Then we’ll go into the kind of notes you should be writing when planning your essay.

An important part to consider is the wording within the question – this will give you an indication of what the examiners are wanting to see and should direct your essay plan.

Fully Worked Essay Question [1]

As a physician, you have a duty to consider the wider society when treating an individual patient.

Explain the reasoning behind this statement. Argue that a doctor’s main priority should always be the patient he is currently treating. With respect to medical treatment, to what extent can a patient’s interests differ from those of the wider population?

Fully Worked Essay Plan [1]

Explain the statement..

The four principles of medical ethics, as described by Beauchamps and Childress (2008) are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.
This statement is clearly addressing the principle of justice: the duty to share and allocate treatment equally across all patients.

Argue that a doctor’s main priority should always be the patient he is currently treating.

Medical treatment should be individualised where possible. Each patient may respond differently to the same treatment, depending on their individual characteristics and co-morbidities. Therefore while general guidelines may be useful, we should tailor our treatments to best benefit the patient we are currently treating.
While utilitarianism holds its place in medical ethics, it is important we do not use ‘considering the wider society’ as an excuse to provide subpar care.

With respect to medical treatment, to what extent can a patient’s interests differ from those of the wider population?

Resources are finite; we must allocate treatments where it will be the most effective and provide the most benefit. For example, a specific drug may provide little or no benefit to a terminal cancer patient but may be curative to those with early stage cancer. Therefore we should prioritise the treatment for the latter group.
We must consider the cost-effectiveness of each drug. We cannot in good conscience supply an extremely expensive drug that treats only a small number of patients when this comes at the cost of several cheaper treatments that benefit the entire population.
Certain medical diagnoses are notifiable and Public Health England must be informed, even if the patient does not wish the condition to be disclosed. This is because in some scenarios (e.g. potential spread of a highly contagious disease) protecting the public is deemed more important than an individual’s right to confidentiality. A similar situation arises if a patient refuses to disclose certain diagnoses to official bodies as required by law (e.g. epilepsy to the DVLA). In this case, the doctor is required to override the patient’s wishes and inform the body themselves.

Fully Worked Essay Question [2]

2. Publishing surgeons’ mortality rates may lead to surgeons declining to perform high risk cases and only operating on safer, more routine patients.

Explain what this statement means. Argue that the publication of such statistics is necessary. To what extent do you believe league tables will change surgeons’ behaviour to benefit patients?

Fully Worked Essay Plan [2]

Explain what this statement means..

Publishing a ‘league table’ of surgeons by their mortality rates may cause physicians to avoid operating on high-risk cases risk to avoid lowering their personal statistics. This will lead to an overall decline in the ability of surgeons and also a dearth of doctors willing to treat difficult cases.

Argue that the publication of such statistics is necessary.

Publication of such data is needed for clinical governance, namely to produce audits comparing individual surgeon performance to national and regional averages to ensure competency.
Transparent mortality rates could highlight discrepancies in surgical teaching and education between regions
By comparing one surgeon to another, surgeons will be incentivised to improve the quality of care they are delivering
The NHS ‘Choose and Book’ system was introduced to allow patients greater autonomy over who they are treated by. Publication of surgeons’ mortality rates would help patients make an informed decision when choosing a doctor.

To what extent do you believe league tables will change surgeons’ behaviour to benefit patients?

It would be hoped that publication of league tables would incentivise surgeons to perform better, seek continual training, and strive for optimal performance.
In medical ethics, beneficence describes a doctor’s duty to perform actions that will benefit patients. It is likely the fear of a poor mortality rate would supersede a surgeon’s duty to abide by this principle; resulting in surgeons avoiding high-risk cases. This would result in an overall detriment, not benefit, to patients.

How will you be marked?

For Section 3, you are graded on both the quality of your content and the quality of your English.

Content quality is graded on a scale from 1-5.

English quality is graded from A-E .

Therefore the best possible mark you can gain from this section is 5A, however, the average mark achieved is 3A, with only the top 5% of students achieving 4A and above.

Each essay is double marked. For the quality of content, the scores given by each examiner are averaged if they are the same or one point away from each other. So if you are awarded a 3 by Examiner 1 and a 4 by Examiner 2, you will be awarded a 3.5.

However, if the two examiners disagree by more than one point in their marking (e.g. if you are awarded a 2 and a 4) the essay will be sent to a third examiner, with the final mark will be checked by the BMAT Assessment Manager.

For the quality of English, each examiner awards a score of either A, C, or E. The two scores are then combined in the following ways to give the final result: AA = A, AC = B, CC = C, CE = D, EE = E

What do I need to do to get the top mark?

To achieve a 5 for quality of content, you need to produce an essay that:

Has no significant weaknesses
Addresses all aspects of the question
Has an argument that is clear, logical, and well-reasoned
Covers a wide range of relevant points
Has a clear and compelling conclusion

To achieve an A for quality of English, your writing must have:

Good sentence structure
Good use of vocabulary
Good spelling, punctuation, and grammar

Does the essay section even matter?

You may hear people say that Section 3 isn’t as important as Section 1 or Section 2. There is an element of truth to this; Oxford and Leeds place a higher weight on Section 1 and 2 (40% each) compared to Section 3 (20%).

However other universities, such as Cambridge, take all marks for the BMAT score into consideration alongside a number of other factors, such as your A-level grades and interview scores.

Therefore, to be an attractive medical candidate to as many universities as possible, it is important to prepare well for every part of your medical application, including Section 3 of the BMAT.

Top Tips For BMAT Section 3

Download the official practice and past paper examinations.

This will make sure you have familiarised yourself with the question format.

Don’t slack when you’re practicing!

Even when practicing, make sure you plan your essays well: this is the most important part of writing your essay.

Use the official answer sheet.

Practice writing essays using the official answer sheet to get used to the space given.

Only practice under timed conditions.

There is little point in writing a perfect essay if it has taken longer than you will have in the exam.

Write neatly, and in the smallest font that is still clearly legible to the examiner.

For an examiner faced with hundreds of essay papers to mark, a well-presented and tidy essay will be a delightful change and they will be more likely to award higher marks.

Keep up to date with the latest medical, social, and political issues.

You can do this by reading news articles and medical journals. This will allow you to provide an educated argument and bring in fresh viewpoints.

Discuss recent medical and political issues with friends & family.

This will help you to shape your ability to formulate and effectively communicate an argument.

Revising for Section 3 of the BMAT is as essential as any other part of your medical application preparation. The knowledge and skills needed to write a good BMAT essay will serve you well in medicine, and more short-term, in your medical interviews.

The key to achieving a competitive score BMAT sections is to familiarise yourself with past papers, practice under timed conditions, and start prepping early!

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BMAT Section 3 Preparation Tips

What is bmat section 3.

In BMAT Section 3, you are given a choice of three essay titles and 30 minutes in which to answer one. You are only given a single side of A4 paper to do this, so you won’t be expected to write too much. Each essay title takes the form of a provocative or opinionated statement, sometimes in the form of a quote, with three accompanying prompts.

These prompts nearly always follow the same pattern, asking you first to explain the statement, next to provide counter arguments, and then to resolve or clarify the debate in some way with a conclusion of your own. While this is the most common format, don’t be surprised if a question doesn’t match this exactly as there is some variation.

What sorts of BMAT Section 3 essay titles should I expect?

According to the BMAT website , Section 3 “tests the capacity to develop ideas and to communicate them effectively in writing. It is not a test of knowledge’” In keeping with this, the essay titles do not have syllabus material and there isn’t any content you need to specifically learn for it.

Take a look at the many available past papers for guidance. Typically, the three titles include one statement on healthcare, one on science more broadly and one that doesn’t relate specifically to medicine at all – on human nature, society or politics, for instance.

Your instinct may be to prefer the healthcare or science titles on the grounds that they’re closer to home and feel more comfortable. But these titles can still be pretty abstract and philosophical, challenging you to think creatively under pressure. A broader title may prove easier to answer since it allows for a wider range of suitable examples to be introduced.

How is BMAT Section 3 marked?

Your essay will be marked by two examiners, each of whom gives two scores. One score, on a scale from 0 to 5, is for content: your grasp of logic, how well you’ve dealt with the prompts, the structure of your argument, your use of examples to support your case, and so forth. The other score, on the scale A-E, is for quality of English: fluency, spelling, grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary.

The examiners’ scores are then averaged – to use an extreme example, 4A from one and 3C from the other would become 3.5B. 5A represents the best possible score. In 2020, 3 was the most common score for content, with only less than 10% of candidates scoring 4 or more. Over 70% of candidates achieved an A for quality of English.

How do I prepare for Section 3 BMAT?

Attempting past or specimen essay questions is one of the best ways to prepare. You might want to start without time pressure, but should try writing under strict exam conditions nearer to the exam date. Practise writing your essays on the specimen answer sheet to get a feel for how much you can fit on the page. There is no extra pages available so you will have to fit everything you want to say into the examination sheet. When you’ve done an essay, ask someone to read over it and spot any room for improvement you can’t necessarily identify just on your own.

Wider reading on ethics, science and current affairs is valuable for learning case studies. These will boost your answers, but don’t go overboard. Rather than trying to cram your head with dozens of examples, you should practise working information you already know into your writing in an appropriate and concise way.

How will my Section 3 score be used by universities?

The way the score is used is complicated and varies among different universities. For instance, Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) creates an overall BMAT score, to which Section 3 contributes the most. They then apply a cut-off below which applicants are not considered for interview. Oxford , on the other hand, assesses suitability for interview according to a 50:50 weighting between GCSEs and overall BMAT score. Section 3 constitutes 20% of this, with Quality of Content given twice the weight of Quality of English.

These procedures can also change from year to year and so it’s important to check the website or prospectus of each BMAT medical school you’re considering applying to. Our medical schools guide has a section for BMAT detailing how each score is used to select candidates.

Section 3 essays may also be used as material for interviews. Candidates at UCL, for example, are often asked to review their essays and talk about them in more detail. You should make notes on the day of the BMAT about the question you answered and what you wrote. Otherwise you may not remember much by the time invitations to interview are sent out!

BMAT Section 3: Top Tips

BMAT Section 3 essay-writing represents an intimidating final hurdle for many BMAT takers. Given the time and space limitations (30 minutes, one side of A4), savvy exam technique is essential to maximise your score.

1. Answer the question – all of it!

Don’t, whatever you do, fail to answer the question you choose in its entirety . This means more than just sticking to the title. It means addressing all three prompts and giving proper attention to each. The reason for this is that the marking criteria make it difficult for an examiner to award a score of more than 2 to any answer that doesn’t consider all aspects of the question, even if it’s well written.

2. Pick the question you can answer best

This may sound like strange advice but candidates often admit they find it hard to decide which title to choose. Pick the question you can answer best, namely the one for which you can produce the best explanations and arguments, introduce the strongest examples and see yourself writing a solid, page-long essay the most comfortably. Don’t just pick a title because you’ve heard the quote before or because one specific example comes to mind.

Crucially, be careful if you like two of a question’s prompts but may have to largely ignore the other because you don’t quite understand it or just can’t think of anything to say. It’s really important that you respond to all three in your answer so that you can fully answer the question.

3. Master the art of planning

You’ve probably heard it before: don’t start writing until you’ve got a clear plan. Use the question sheet (don’t use the lined answer sheet as you need all the space for your answer!) for this. Planning should take at least five minutes. Some people suggest 10 or 15, because the writing itself can be quick when there’s a good plan to follow. If you don’t need at least five minutes to plan or don’t find that it makes you write faster, your planning technique probably needs improvement.

A plan should have structure. Break it down into the three or four paragraphs you will write, mirroring the question’s three prompts. Each planned paragraph should mark a distinct section of your argument and be associated with examples you want to use.

4. Practise under precise exam conditions

This is a really useful way to avoid disastrous timing mishaps on the day. Although not all of your essay practice should be under such strict limitations, it’s sensible to try writing some mock answers in only 30 minutes. Try to develop a precise 30 minute schedule that works for you. Make sure this contains time for choosing your question, planning, writing and proof-reading. It’s not a bad idea to take this a step further and attempt past Section 1s and 2s beforehand. This will mimic the full intensity of the real exam.

It’s advisable to print off blank specimen answer sheets from the BMAT website, which definitely don’t offer as much space as a standard side of A4.

5. Use examples intelligently

Much is made of the need for examples to justify your arguments in Section 3 essays. But thinking of examples is only half the battle – using them effectively is the real skill.

Examples should be relevant to your points and expanded upon to an appropriate degree. Don’t overdo a case study in a way that provides irrelevant or obvious detail, wasting time and precious space on the page; equally, don’t make throwaway references that need further explanation. It’s important to realise that not all examples should be given the same level of attention.

6. If you can’t write the right amount, you’re (probably) doing something wrong

If you tend to struggle for space, either your handwriting is too large or you’re trying to squeeze too much into the early stages of your responses.

On the other hand, if you feel daunted by the task of producing close to a page’s worth of writing (and your handwriting isn’t tiny), try to break the essay down into clear units. After all, a page fits only three or four paragraphs and a paragraph may only contain five or so sentences. This way, it doesn’t seem quite so scary.

Either way, many people find it helpful to lightly mark out the area of the page that will fit each paragraph, by way of guidance.

7. Reach a synthesis or conclusion

A good BMAT essay will consider arguments for and against the title statement. A great essay will, in the words of the marking criteria for a score of 5, lead ‘to a compelling synthesis or conclusion’.

This will need to be more nuanced than a declaration of your total support for one side of the debate. That said, there’s limited value in merely rephrasing earlier points. Consider offering a resolution between the two halves of your argument, even if this ends up closer to one side than the other.

8. Practise checking as a way to improve your writing skills

You should aim to save time at the end to check for mistakes in spelling and grammar. You can add finesse to your essay by inserting punctuation or adverbs that enhance the argumentative quality of your writing.

Employ this checking and refinement process during your BMAT preparation. You’ll find yourself making improvements in real time on the day. If there are grammar or spelling rules you don’t understand, you should be looking these up in advance. The more checking you do in practice, the less you’ll have to do in the BMAT itself.

9. Get feedback on your practice essays – from anyone

Painful though it might be, get someone to critique your practice essays and spot the room for improvement you may have missed. If you want experienced BMAT tutors to provide specific score indications, look no further than Medic Mind! But anyone – friends, family, teachers, neighbours – whoever takes time to read the official Section 3 marking criteria can be a decent starting point.

10. Work with the tools at your disposal

There’s no need to panic if you don’t feel English is your strong suit. You’re not trying to write a prize-winning piece of non-fiction. The bar is set relatively low, and you’ve been given a number of ways to improve your writing with practice.

11. Familiarise yourself with considering different points of views

The BMAT Section 3 wants to see your ability to consider different sides of an argument and articulate these various points of view simply and coherently. When you’re planning your essay consider what different groups of people could be impacted by the topic e.g patients, doctors, general public and highlight their points of view. Then consider counter-arguments to the points you have made to evaluate the points you’ve made so you have lots of material to work from.

12. Stay up to date with medical and social issues

The writing tasks in Section 3 usually have a general, scientific, or medical theme. Try to keep up with the news, particularly keeping an eye out for articles related to science and medicine. Consider discussing these articles with your family and friends to hear multiple points of view and practice articulating your thoughts. Doing this will make it easier to write down your thoughts in an essay format when presented with a question.

This can depend on the university. For example, some institutions weighted section 1 and 2 40% each, while section 3 was given a weighting of 20%. Although, this is not always the case. It is worth checking with the institution that you are applying to for a breakdown of their requirements.

A good score would be in Band A with a score of 4-5 for use of English. An average score would fall into Band C with a score of 2-4 for the use of English.

It is worth checking the requirements for your university as some will place greater emphasis on certain sections. Some universities will also impose a minimum requirement for specific sections to qualify for an interview.

In 2022, 75% of candidates scored an A in their use of English, with over 40% scoring 3 for content. These scores have not differed much from those in 2020 and 2021.

BMAT Section 3 is an essay-writing task that needs to be completed in 30 minutes . It tests your ability to formulate concise arguments and your use of grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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How to prepare for BMAT Section 3

UPDATE: Please note that CAAT have announced they will no longer be administering the BMAT in 2024, for 2025 entry. Cambridge University has announced that they will be using the UCAT as an admissions indicator. Oxford University are to announce admissions test changes in Spring 2024.

BMAT Section 3: What is It?

In BMAT Section 3, you will be provided with three essay titles. You will then have to choose one out of the three titles to write an essay that is not longer than the length of more than one side of an A4 paper.

Each essay title takes the following format:

A provocative sentence or opinion
Three prompts (included in the question) to guide your writing

Here is a question from Section 3 of the 2020 BMAT paper as an example:

‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’

To what extent is it possible for someone to hold power without using it for their own personal gain?

Explain the reasoning behind this statement. Argue that power does not necessarily degrade or weaken the morals of those who hold it.

As per the prompts in the question, you should explain the statement first and then offer an oppositional argument in your answer. After this, you will need to weigh both sides of the argument and come to your own conclusion. This is the most typical structure, and it serves as a general guide for answering the question, but there can be different variations. Hence, do not be startled if a question does not fit this structure exactly!

As you only have one side of an A4 piece of paper to work with, you would not be required to write a lot. Furthermore, you also have a time restriction of 30 minutes. Hence, when writing your essay, keep the time and space restriction in mind in case you run out of time or space.

What kinds of titles might I anticipate for BMAT Section 3 essays?

As stated on the BMAT website, Section 3 of the BMAT “measures the competence to create ideas and to present them effectively in writing”. This means that Section 3 of the BMAT is not a knowledge-based exam, and therefore there is no specific content that you will need to revise or memorise. They could test anything under the sun, so do not make the mistake of trying to revise every topic that you come across in past papers as this would be a waste of valuable revision time! Instead, you can focus on revising general essay writing techniques such as how to structure your essay well or how to form a strong argument.

With such varied possibilities, how can you anticipate what essay titles will come up in the exam? While there is no set syllabus for BMAT Section 3, you can get an idea of the style of questions by looking at past papers available online. You will notice that in each past paper, there is often one question related specifically to healthcare, one on science in general, and one that focuses on a topic completely unrelated to medicine, such as human nature, society, or politics.

In terms of choosing which topic to answer, your natural inclination may be to choose the question on medicine or science, since this topic would be more familiar to you. However, these questions could contain terminology that you might not be familiar with, or have aspects of the question that you do not understand. On the other hand, the non-medicine or scientific essay titles could be a lot broader. This could make these questions easier to answer, as you will have a wider range of examples to choose from. Hence, the tip is to not go into the exam expecting to answer a specific topic. Instead, you should try to be open-minded. This means to carefully read through all the questions, and choose your question based on what you think you can answer best. A good way of judging which question you can answer best is by quickly brainstorming points and examples for each question title. The question that you are able to come up with the most points and examples for will likely be your best choice.

How is Section 3 of the BMAT scored?

Two examiners will grade your essay, and each will assign two scores. One score, from 0 to 5, is given for content, which includes your display of logic, how effectively you responded to the prompts, the way your argument is structured, and how you utilise examples to support your claims. The other grade, from A to E, is for your quality of English, including vocabulary, sentence structure, syntax, and spelling.

The marks from the examiners are then averaged. For an extreme example, 4A from one and 3C from the other would result in a 3.5B (Most examiners usually would give each essay a similar grade). The highest possible grade is a 5A.

Less than 10% of applicants scored 4 or higher in 2020, with the average content score being 3. More than 70% of applicants received an A for English proficiency. A good score is generally a score of 3A or higher.

How can I get ready for the BMAT Section 3?

One of the best methods to get ready is to try previous examination papers or sample essay questions. You may wish to start your preparation without a time constraint, in order to familiarise yourself with your answering style and how you approach the question, but you should definitely practise writing under timed conditions closer to the exam date. You should also practise answering these questions in the sample response sheet, in order to get a sense of how much space you have available. This is because in the actual examination, you must fit whatever you wish to write onto the available one-sided A4 page of the test sheet as no extra pages would be given. After writing your essays, you should seek feedback by asking someone to read your essays, as they may point out any areas that need improvement that you might not have otherwise noticed on your own.

If you would like to learn case studies that you can use as examples in your essays, it would be useful for you to read more broadly about ethics, science, and current events. Using examples in your essay will improve your responses and consequently the grade that you would receive, but be careful to not use them excessively. Do not include every example that you can think of in your answer. A good general rule of thumb is to support every point that you have with only 1-2 examples and to cite these examples in a clear and succinct way such that it supports your point, instead of being your point.

A tip for memorising is to choose case studies that you are already aware of or would be memorable to you, for example case studies that are related to a personal interest or something you have studied at school. You can then summarise your chosen case studies on flash cards in a concise way, such as in bullet points, and memorise using these flashcards. Avoid trying to memorise too many case studies – quality is definitely better than quantity. If you can memorise a smaller number of case studies that you can apply to lots of different types of questions, such as a medical ethics case study that was in the news, this would be a more effective use of your revision time.

How will universities utilise my Section 3 score?

Each university that requires the BMAT uses BMAT scores differently. This is the case for Cambridge – they weigh your application as a whole, considering aspects of your interview, predicted or achieved grades, as well as your BMAT. That being said, having too low of a BMAT score could jeopardise an offer from Cambridge, but there is no specific cut-off that they use.

On the other hand, Oxford is more straightforward with its usage of BMAT scores. They would calculate a composite BMAT score, with Section 3 making up a certain percentage of that score. After that, they set a cutoff below which candidates are not invited for an interview. Specifically, Section 3 makes up 20% of this composite BMAT Score, with quality of content being weighted twice as heavily as quality of english. Keep in mind that they also weigh GCSEs equally with your overall BMAT score when determining interview readiness!

It’s crucial to verify the website or prospectus of each BMAT medical school you’re thinking about applying to since these methods might also alter from year to year. The BMAT portion of our guide to medical schools includes information on how each score is used to choose applicants.

Essays from Section 3 may potentially be utilised as talking points during yout interview. Candidates at UCL, for instance, are frequently requested to examine and elaborate on their writings. On the BMAT examination day, you should take notes regarding the questions you answered and the things you wrote. Otherwise, you may not remember much by the time interview offers are sent out!

BMAT Section 3: Top Tips

BMAT Section 3 essay writing represents an intimidating final hurdle for many BMAT takers. Given the time and space limitations (30 minutes, one side of A4), savvy exam techniques are essential to maximising your score.

1. Answer the question – all of it!

Do not, whatever you do, fail to answer the question in its entirety. This means more than just sticking to the title – it includes addressing all three prompts and giving proper attention to each. This is due to the marking criteria, which makes it challenging for an examiner to give a response of a score higher than 2 if it does not fully address the topic – even if it is an amazing essay! This is because it could be a good essay, but it is not an essay that answers the question. Hence, this means that even if you write a perfect essay but you do not cover all the prompts that they have asked, you would still get a low score.

2. Select the question that you can best answer

Although it may seem like a piece of obvious advice, applicants frequently remark that they struggle to select which title to choose. You should base your choice of question on your ability to answer the question – that is, choose the one for which you can offer the strongest justifications and arguments. Do not choose a title just because you have heard the statement before or because you can immediately think of one particular case. Furthermore, do not feel inclined to choose the science or medicine-related question. Examiners do not favour answers that are scientifically related, as they are marking based on your argumentation skills!

The most important thing to remember is to exercise caution if you are able to answer two of a question’s prompts but lack the ability to answer the final and third prompt, because you are unable to entirely grasp what it means or because you simply do not have anything to say about it. In such a case, be wary of this and do not choose that particular question, no matter how compelling your arguments for the first two prompts would be. This is because in order to thoroughly answer the question, it is crucial that you address all three prompts in your response.

3. Develop your planning skills

You have undoubtedly heard the advice to wait until you have a clear strategy before beginning to write before. This advice is crucial for Section 3, as if you do not plan well, you would find yourself struggling to think of examples mid-way through the examination, and may run out of time.

When planning, use the question sheet instead of the lined answer sheet for this – you need all the space available for your response! Your planning should take around 5-15 minutes. Some candidates prefer a longer planning time because they believe that with a solid framework in place, writing will be done more quickly. However, ultimately how much time you take should depend on you. Your decision on how much time you should allocate can be fine-tuned by doing past year papers and figuring out what works for you. However, take note to not exceed 15 minutes in planning, otherwise, you would run out of time to write your actual essay.

In your planning, you should plan for the structure of your essay. Divide it into the three or four paragraphs you will write, each of which will respond to one of the three questions. Each paragraph you have planned should represent a different part of your argument and be linked to the examples you intend to use.

4. Practice using realistic test circumstances

This is a wonderfully practical method for preventing terrible timing errors on the big day. Create a specific 30-minute timetable that suits you as much as possible, and make sure that this includes time for question selection, planning, writing, and editing.

Afterwards, set up examination-like conditions where you would attempt the BMAT Section 3 questions in only 30 minutes. You can download past year papers from the official Cambridge Admissions Assessment Testing website, and it would be ideal for you to not look at the papers before your stimulated examination practice. You could also go one step further and try the BMAT examination as a whole, where you not only practise Section 3 on its own but with Sections 1 and 2 as well. This will simulate the nature of the actual exam.

It is recommended to print off blank sample answer sheets from the BMAT website because they give less space than an average side of A4.

5. Definitely include examples in your essay

The importance of using examples to support your claims in BMAT Section 3 essays is frequently stressed. This is because the use of examples is included in the marking scheme, hence this would directly improve your grade. However, simply including examples in your answer would not help you improve your score – you have to use them appropriately as well.

Your examples should only be used to support your arguments, and they should also be sufficiently detailed. Do not fall into the common pitfall of overly describing your example – this would cause your paragraph to detract from the main point, as well as take up valuable space and time. On the other extreme, you should also avoid using examples that do not add weight to your point or are not relevant. A good guide is that your example should only take up 1-2 lines, and only describe them in a way that is relevant to the point that you are explaining.

6. Dig deeper if you find yourself having too little or too much space

If you frequently run out of space to complete your essay, either your handwriting is too big or you are attempting to cram too much information into your essay.

On the other hand, if you find it difficult to write a page’s worth of text and your handwriting is not too small, attempt to phrase your essay using an appropriate structure. For example, you can have an introduction and conclusion paragraph, along with 3 middle body paragraphs. Each body paragraph could answer each of the prompts in the question, and be of around 6-7 lines. You could even have a structure for your individual body paragraphs, such as starting it off with a point, followed by an example, before elaborating on that example and finally linking it back to your original point. Having a good structure helps you to avoid missing out on key details, and it also helps you to communicate your ideas in a succinct and readable manner.

7. Have an opinion or conclusion in your essay.

A solid BMAT essay will always weigh the arguments in favour of and against the thesis and have an opinion in the conclusion. This is because the grading requirements for a score of 5 state that a good essay will “lead to a convincing synthesis or conclusion.”

This will require more depth than just declaring complete support for either side of the argument. Having a conclusion also does not mean simply restating your ideas from our earlier body paragraphs. Instead, you should try and give your opinion on which side of the argument you favour, and briefly explain why. Afterwards, it would be good to include exceptions or situations where you might not necessarily agree on that side.

8. Always check your work

You should try and set aside 5-10 minutes at the end of your allocated time for Section 3 for final grammar and spelling checks. This is to avoid any simple grammatical or punctuation errors that would otherwise compromise the readability of your essay. Furthermore, you can also take this time to embellish your essay with any adverbs that can help strengthen your argument.

When attempting practice papers for BMAT, use this approach instead of only checking your essay on the actual examination itself. This is because practising it beforehand would allow you to identify and resolve any common grammatical or spelling mistakes. You will then need to check less on the day of the BMAT exam as you will hopefully make fewer errors and be quicker at checking for spelling and grammar mistakes.

9. Ask for feedback on your practice essays

You should always ask someone to review your practice essays in order for them to point out any areas of suggestions that you would not otherwise be aware of. They could mark your Section 3 BMAT essays using the mark scheme that is available online, as well as comment on how well your ideas flow or how well they answer the question. If you do not have anyone that you are able to ask, look no further than Medic Mind for knowledgeable BMAT tutors who can provide you with precise score estimates! Otherwise, anybody who is familiar with the Section 3 marking standards would be a good place to start, and these could be your friends, family, instructors, and neighbours.

10. Understand the mark scheme

You should study the mark scheme for BMAT Section 3, which is available on the official Cambridge Admissions Assessment Testing website. This is to allow you to understand what is the best way to score.

Furthermore, it would allow you to understand the expectations of the marker, which could allow you to relax as the standards might not be as high as you think! For example, the expectations for the English language are rather modest, and you would have more freedom to use simple language. Instead, you might realise that it would be more advantageous to focus on argumentation strategy rather than memorising vocabulary!

11. Be more flexible in taking into account other viewpoints

Your capacity to weigh numerous points of view and present them in a clear and cogent manner is what is being tested on the BMAT Section 3 exam. Hence, you should be able to consider how the subject could affect many groups of people, such as that of patients, physicians, and the general public. You can also further analyse the consequences to stakeholders in your essay by relating how a certain situation might benefit one group but harm another. This would allow you to have a wide range of information and perspectives to draw on.

12. Keep up to date with social and medical concerns

Generally speaking, the writing assignments in Section 3 have a broad scientific or medical focus. Hence, try to stay up to date on the news, paying special attention to stories on science and medicine. You can even incorporate this into your everyday life by talking about these articles with your loved ones so that you can learn other viewpoints and practice expressing yourself. Doing this will make it simpler for you to write down your views in an essay format, and pick up examples or perspectives you might not originally have thought of.

BMAT Section 3 is a written essay component of the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) used by some universities as part of the admissions process for medical and veterinary schools. It assesses a candidate’s ability to articulate their thoughts and opinions on a given topic within a specified time limit.

To prepare for BMAT Section 3, it is important to practice writing essays within the time limit provided. You should also familiarize yourself with the structure and content of the test by reviewing past papers and sample questions. Additionally, you can improve your critical thinking and argumentation skills by reading widely and engaging in discussions or debates.

To write a successful BMAT Section 3 essay, it is important to read the question carefully and plan your response before beginning to write. You should also structure your essay in a clear and logical manner, using evidence and examples to support your arguments. It is also important to demonstrate a depth of understanding of the topic and to consider different perspectives and potential counterarguments.

The topics presented in BMAT Section 3 can vary widely, but generally relate to current events, scientific or ethical issues, or broader social or political issues. Candidates should be prepared to analyze and provide thoughtful opinions on these topics within the allotted time.

Yes, there are many resources available to help candidates prepare for BMAT Section 3, including past papers and sample questions, online courses or tutoring services, and study guides or textbooks. It is important to choose resources that are reputable and aligned with the content and format of the BMAT.

BMAT Section 3 is scored based on the quality of the written essay. The essay is marked by two independent examiners who are trained to assess the quality of writing and content. The examiners assess the essay on four criteria: quality of content, quality of written English, the ability to organize and present ideas in a clear and logical manner, and the ability to show insight and critical thinking skills. Each criterion is given a score from 0.5 to 5.0, with a total score ranging from 2.0 to 10.0. The two scores are then combined to provide an overall score for the essay. The score for BMAT Section 3 is not directly comparable to scores in other sections of the BMAT or to scores on other admission tests. The score is used by universities as one of the factors in their admission decisions.

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BMAT Section 3: Style, Structure and Technique Expert Tips

BMAT Section 3 is a handwritten task with a choice of three essays and 30 minutes to write one A4 page. So how should you approach this section to maximise your score?

NOTE: BMAT will take place on 18 October 2023 and will be a pen-and-paper test. BMAT will be withdrawn from 2024. Keep an eye on our TikTok channel and live updates article to find out what's happening with BMAT universities after next year.

1. Learn about the whole BMAT

Unlike BMAT Section 1 and BMAT Section 2 , which are multiple choice tests, Section 3 is a test of your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely in writing.

This is more challenging for some than others. Read our BMAT FAQ to find out more about the test, but your end goal is to find which sections are most challenging for you. Do this as early as possible to help plan your preparation.

Our BMAT specification article takes you through what you need to know for each section. If you get a lot of 'that's obvious' for a certain section, prioritise one of the others.

2. Learn the question types

Explanation of the proposition

You could be asked to explain a proposition in the task or to explain a certain part of it. You may also be asked to explain the implications of the proposition.

Generation of a counterargument

This one is about seeing things from an alternative point of view and either proposing a counterargument or commenting on one.

Reconciliation of two sides

This involves suggesting a solution that addresses both the proposition and the counter-proposition, i.e. building bridges between ideas.

Giving your opinion

It’s likely that you'll be asked ‘To what extent…’ – this question is asking you to give your judgement.

The purpose of this section is to assess your ability to examine different sides of an argument and communicate clearly and concisely. This is a vital part of being a doctor.

The writing tasks generally relate to the following areas:

Medicine or general science
Philosophy (e.g. historical quotes)

3. Learn how BMAT Section 3 is scored

You’ll get a score from 1 to 5 (with 5 being the highest) for the quality of content and a band between A to E (with A being the highest) for quality of English.

To find out more about scoring and what candidates typically get, read our article: What is a good BMAT score?

4. Take time to choose your question

We recommend you spend at least a minute or two actively deciding which question to do, especially as Section 3 is not very time pressured.

Choose your question wisely. Actively go through each of the essay titles thinking about what points you have to address. Pick the one you have the most thoughts on.

Avoid ploughing in, only to realise you have two weak points!

5. Plan your work

Plan your essay carefully by spending up to ten minutes on it. Plan to the point where you know exactly what you are going to write.

Split the plan into two parts:

‍ This is the brain dump phase. Write down everything you know about the subject.

‍ This is the organisation phase. Organise the dumped material into a coherent and logical structure.

If your prompt is ‘obese people shouldn't be treated under the NHS because it's a self-inflicted condition’, the subsections might be:

Introduction to the issue
Explaining reasons for treatment
Explaining reasons against treatment
Providing your own thoughts, showing a balanced understanding of the issue and ending with a clear and concise conclusion

In the brain dump phase, write as many points as you possibly can and add any examples or facts. For the organisation phase, pick one or two strong points from each section, then work out how they are going to flow together.

6. Check your essay

If you have time left over, it's useful to proofread what you have written to make sure it all makes sense and is readable. Of course, you must also check that you have answered all parts of the question.

7. Remember it’s not really an 'essay'

Thinking of this section as an essay can make a lot of people worry. If you spend around 15 minutes choosing your question and planning, this leaves you with around 15 minutes to write your ‘essay’. In most circumstances, you don’t write an essay in 15 minutes and you usually write well over a page for an essay.

Thinking of this as an essay means that you’re more likely to try to write elaborate and long winded sentences and fit in as many topics as possible. This section is about getting to the point quickly and elegantly.

Think of BMAT Section 3 as an 8 or 9 mark piece of writing in GCSE English. It’s not an essay, it’s a short writing task. This will help you get a better understanding of the amount of content you need to cover.

8. Address all parts of the question

This is really important. Read the question and re-read it. You might even want to make a small checklist at the side. If you don’t address everything that you’re being asked, your score will be capped at a 2 no matter how good your work is.

For example:

'That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.' - Christopher Hitchens

Explain what you think Christopher Hitchens means. Argue to the contrary that some assertions do not require evidence. To what extent do you agree with the statement?

It’s easy to overlook the final question when pushed for time. Make yourself a checklist like the one below and assign time for each section.

Explain the meaning of the quote
Counterargument
To what extent…

9. Write neatly using small handwriting

Graphic showing student with a pencil practising their handwriting

It’s important to write as neatly as possible. Scruffy handwriting makes life harder for examiners. This can obscure any excellent points that you make.

Making your writing small, while still keeping it legible, means you can fit more work in the space provided.

10. Practise writing concisely

That means short and sweet. You only have one page, so cut out any unnecessary commentary and irrelevant sentences.

After you’ve written your answer under timed conditions, re-read it and trim the fat. Try to spot any areas where you’re waffling or repeating yourself and highlight them. This will make your writing crisp and succinct.

Here are some ways you can make your writing more concise:

Remove redundancy

There are multiple ways of saying the same thing. Choose the shortest. Avoid phrases like 'first and foremost' or 'each and every'. Using multiple synonyms can also make your writing clunky.

Remove unnecessary qualifiers

Qualifiers such as 'basically', 'probably', 'definitely', 'somewhat', 'slightly' aren’t always necessary.

Write actively

Passive writing, such as 'The ball was thrown by James', is usually wordier than active writing ('James threw the ball'). ‍

Use words instead of phrases

Use words that mean the same thing instead of phrases. For example, instead of 'due to the fact that', use 'because' or 'since'.

'Each and every individual in the medical and wider healthcare team plays an absolutely crucial and vital role in the delivery of high-quality care that ensures the wellbeing and overall safety of the patient that they’re associated with.' can be rewritten more concisely as 'The multidisciplinary team plays a crucial role in delivering quality care to ensure patient safety.'

Cutting out repetition of synonyms like 'crucial' and 'vital' and qualifiers like 'absolutely' allows you to convey the same meaning more elegantly.

11. Do your reading

A phone showing George Orwell's Six Rules for Writing Clear and Tight Prose

It’s likely that your question will be based on ethics or philosophy so read up on those topics.

Familiarise yourself with different types of ethics, such as:

4 principle approach
Utilitarianism
Virtue-based ethics

Another strategy is to read books on philosophy or philosophical quotes and then try to think of counterarguments. The more you read, the more you can draw upon in your essay.

No time for reading? Watch YouTube videos about philosophy or ethics. The School of Life has a great playlist that discusses various philosophers and their views. Wireless Philosophy has a really detailed playlist on ethics.

12. Debate medical topics and philosophical ideas with others

Ever heard of playing devil’s advocate?

Debating will help you create counterarguments. Debate with friends, family or teachers. Once you’ve got the hang of creating counterarguments, it’ll become second nature for you during the exam.

13. Back your points up

Support your points with examples or statistics. Since there’s such a wide range of topics for BMAT Section 3, it’s unrealistic to learn statistics for every single thing. This is why it’s important to be well read. The more you read, the more likely you are to be able to use something you’ve seen.

If you don’t have any statistics to quote, don’t be tempted to make things up. BMAT examiners may look up the things you quote, so don’t say anything that would make examiners question your credibility.

14. Ask for feedback

After writing your essay, get feedback from everyone you can think of. This will help achieve objectivity.

Use this checklist to assess your writing

BMAT Section 3 writing checklist

How is your spelling and grammar?
Do you use varied vocabulary?
Do you give arguments for the statement?
Do you give arguments against it?
Do you explain the statement?
Have you answered all parts of the question?
Does the order you've written your points in make sense?
Is what you’ve written logical?
Did you include a conclusion?
Do you back up your points with examples?

15. Stay up to date with medical news

It’s important to be aware of what’s going on in the medical world and in the wider scientific world. This will help you to draw upon real life examples in the exam.

Sources to check out:

‍ Medify’s Instagram page ‍
Guardian Health | Society ‍
The BMJ: Leading Medical Research, News, Education, Opinion ‍
Independent: doctors - latest news ‍ ‍

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Mastering the BMAT: Your Essential Guide to Oxford and Cambridge Medical Admissions

Importance of BMAT

Test structure and format.

How to Prepare for the BMAT

Are you looking to study biomedical sciences or medicine at Oxford or Cambridge? If so, sitting for the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is compulsory! The BMAT is a key component of the application process, providing a level playing field for applicants to distinguish themselves. In this blog post, the BMAT will be detailed, along with insights and tips to aid adequate preparation. Read on!

Who Needs to Take the BMAT?

The Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is a critical requirement for those aspiring to enter certain medical, veterinary, and related health courses at a range of universities in the UK , including prestigious institutions like the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge . This standardised test is designed to assess fundamental skills and aptitudes crucial to succeeding in these demanding fields, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and scientific knowledge application. Its objective nature ensures that all applicants, regardless of their educational background, are evaluated fairly, making it a key step for anyone targeting a career in these medical and health disciplines.

In the context of Oxford and Cambridge’s highly competitive medical school admissions, the significance of the BMAT cannot be overstated. As a standardised test, it plays a pivotal role in assessing the aptitude and skills essential for success in medical school.

The admissions team at Oxford and Cambridge utilises the BMAT to differentiate among the large pool of strong applicants they receive each year. Specifically, the BMAT focuses on evaluating candidates' abilities in problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication — all vital competencies for thriving in medical school.

A strong performance in the BMAT can substantially enhance an applicant’s likelihood of being called for an interview and ultimately receiving an offer . In this way, a candidate’s BMAT score becomes a crucial component of the selection process, serving as a key criterion for shortlisting candidates for the interview stage.

The BMAT is structured into three sections , each focusing on different skill sets and question types. The time allocated for each section varies, with 30 minutes for sections 2 and 3 and 60 minutes for section 1.

In terms of scoring, the BMAT uses a 9-point scale , with each section being scored separately. For Sections 1 and 2, candidates earn one mark for each correct answer and 0 for incorrect answers.

These scores are then placed on the 9-point BMAT scale. Section 3, however, is scored differently. It's initially scored out of 5, and these raw marks are later adjusted to fit the 1.0 to 9.0 scale, aligning with the scores of the other sections. The average BMAT score typically falls between 4.0 and 6.0, with 6.0 and above considered strong.

BMAT Test Structure and Format Summary Table

Breakdown of the bmat test sections: understanding the core components.

In the first section, candidates are assessed on their understanding of fundamental biological concepts and principles through multiple-choice questions. This section is similar to the UCAT Verbal Reasoning section, necessitating a careful and logical approach. To excel, candidates must practice diligently, focusing on developing a deep understanding of various concepts and applying them in diverse and increasingly complex scenarios.

The second section evaluates candidates’ ability to apply scientific knowledge and skills to problem-solving . Often familiar to many, this section is generally considered the easiest to prepare for among the three. It specifically assesses problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills. Success hinges on sufficient practice to gain familiarity with the questions and tackling each problem logically.

The final section focuses on communication and wider reading, requiring candidates to discuss different viewpoints on given subject areas . This section tests the ability to present arguments, consider various perspectives, and reach reasoned conclusions. Effective preparation can involve reviewing past essay topics, engaging in discussions with others, and practicing writing argumentative essays. Throughout the practice, it's important to develop the skill of dissecting the question, planning responses in advance, and forming concise yet well-supported arguments.

How to Prepare for the BMAT?

Preparing for the BMAT requires a strategic approach to ensure comprehensive coverage of all topics and skills assessed in the test. Here are some refined tips and strategies to help you prepare effectively:

1. Start Early: Building a Strong Foundation

Importance of Time Management: Beginning your preparation early provides ample time to thoroughly understand each topic.
Gradual Learning: This approach allows for a more effective absorption of information, avoiding the stress of cramming.

2. Create a Study Plan: Structuring Your Preparation

Daily/Weekly Goals: Establish specific goals for each day or week to monitor progress and maintain focus.
Tailored Focus: Allocate more time to weaker areas, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive understanding.
Week 1-3: Focus on mastering each section with regular reviews.
Week 4: Intensive revision of weaker areas.
Week 5-7: Practice under timed conditions to improve speed and accuracy.

3. Get Disciplined and Practice: The Key to Mastery

Consistent Practice: Regular practice is essential for familiarity with the exam's format and types of questions.
Diverse Resources: Utilize a range of study materials, including past papers and online resources.

4. Seek Feedback and Assistance: Leveraging External Help

Peer Review: Collaborate with peers for new perspectives and problem-solving methods.
Professional Guidance: Seek advice from tutors or teachers, especially for complex topics or essay writing.

5. Work Sustainably: Balancing Rigor with Rest

Avoid Burnout: Integrate adequate rest into your study plan to maintain mental well-being.
Active Breaks: Engage in relaxing yet active breaks, such as sports or hobbies.

6. Take Practice Tests: Simulating the Exam Experience

Realistic Simulation: Timed tests help adapt to the exam's pressure and time constraints.
Identifying Patterns: Regular tests aid in recognizing common mistakes and challenging areas.

Check out Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing’s free BMAT preparation materials

7. Stay Calm and Focused: Mental Preparedness on Test Day

Mindfulness Techniques: Use techniques like deep breathing to stay calm during the exam.
Time Management: Develop and adhere to a time allocation strategy for different test sections.

8. Book a Free Consultation: Seeking Expert Guidance from Crimson Education Advisors

Expert Advice: Scheduling a free consultation with a Crimson Education advisor , especially one with experience at Oxford and/or Cambridge, can provide invaluable insights and practical steps for BMAT preparation.
Tailored Strategies: These advisors can offer personalized advice to enhance your study methods and overall approach, significantly increasing your chances of success in the BMAT and your journey to gaining admission to Oxford or Cambridge.
Comprehensive Support: They can help in identifying your strengths and weaknesses, providing targeted strategies that cater to your individual needs and aspirations.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. insufficient practice: emphasizing regular preparation.

Consistent Effort: Consistent and thorough practice is crucial for success in the BMAT.
Varied Exercises: Engage in diverse practice exercises to cover all test aspects.

2. Poor Time Management: Mastering the Clock

Strategic Approach: Avoid spending excessive time on challenging questions and allocate your time wisely.
Pacing Techniques: Practice pacing like in a marathon, ensuring steady progress throughout the test.

3. Overlooking the Essay Section: Honing Writing Skills

Equal Importance: Balance your preparation to include significant essay writing practice.
Structured Responses: Focus on structuring essays effectively with clear arguments and concise conclusions.

4. Neglecting Weak Areas: Addressing All Topics

Comprehensive Review: Identify and work on weaker areas, not just on strengths or familiar topics.
Seek Help: If certain areas remain challenging, seek additional help or resources.

5. Stress and Anxiety: Maintaining Composure

Mindfulness Practices: Use techniques like meditation or deep breathing to manage stress.
Simulated Conditions: Regular practice under exam-like conditions can help reduce anxiety.

6. Underestimating the Test: Respect the BMAT's Complexity

Realistic Expectations: Recognize the BMAT's challenge and approach it with dedication.
In-depth Study: Aim for a deep understanding of each topic, beyond superficial knowledge.

These tips address the common pitfalls encountered by BMAT candidates, offering strategies to improve preparation and performance in the test.

Essential Strategies for BMAT Test Day Success

1. prepare and arrive early.

Ensure you comply with all instructions and bring the required identification materials on test day. Avoid unnecessary stress before the test by arriving 15-20 minutes early for check-in. This allows you some quiet time to calm your nerves. The last thing you want is to enter the exam venue feeling anxious and flustered from having rushed.

2. Read Questions Carefully

It's crucial to read each question carefully and with precision. Answering questions incorrectly due to a misreading can be easily avoided with this careful approach.

3. Time Management

You may encounter questions that momentarily stump you. Don't dwell on these longer than your allocated time per question. Move to secure marks from other questions first, then return to the challenging ones. In multiple-choice sections, like sections 1 and 2, it's wise to eliminate options, make an informed preliminary guess, and revisit the question later.

4. Stay Level-Headed

Find ways to quieten and calm your mind. This could be through meditation, prayer, or any routine that helps you stay composed. Experiment with different techniques during your timed practices and replicate them on the day. Remind yourself that you have prepared diligently for the test and that it's simply a matter of executing it like another practice test.

Final Thoughts

As you receive your BMAT scores and reflect on the journey thus far, the next phase of your journey to Oxford unfolds. Here's a structured approach to navigating the post-test steps effectively:

Understand where your score positions you in the competitive landscape. A high score can be a significant advantage, but don't be discouraged if it's not as high as you hoped. Every part of your application matters.
If your BMAT score aligns with the requirements of your chosen course at Oxbridge, prepare for the possibility of being shortlisted for interviews. These interviews are a critical component of the selection process and demand as much preparation as the BMAT itself.
Regularly check the official Oxford and Cambridge website for updates on the application process, interview schedules, and any additional requirements specific to your course.
Take the time to reflect on your BMAT experience. What went well? What could have been better? Use these insights to improve and prepare for the next stages.
Consider booking a free consultation with an expert Crimson Education counselor. These counselors, especially those with experience in Oxbridge admissions, can provide tailored advice to maximize your chances of success. They can help refine your interview skills, polish your personal statement, and provide insights into the Oxbridge admissions process.
Remember, the journey to Oxbridge is a marathon, not a sprint. Maintain a positive outlook and stay prepared for each step of the process.

The journey to a top UK University is challenging but immensely rewarding. With the right preparation, mindset, and guidance, you can enhance your prospects and make your dream a reality. Remember, the effort you put in now can open doors to a world of opportunities. Stay focused, stay motivated, and take the first step towards your future at Oxbridge.

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5 Preparation Tips For BMAT Section 3

Use these tips to get ready for BMAT Section 3 and elevate your score in this part of the exam.

To succeed in Section 3 of the BMAT exam, you don’t need to have a great flair for writing – you just need to ensure that you follow a clear essay structure and get your point across effectively. Here are five BMAT prep tips to help you get a good score in Section 3.

1. Identify and define key terms

In BMAT Section 3, it’s true that the opening quotation or statement can be pretty much anything – although it’s normally related to science or Medicine.

But when you look at BMAT past papers from the last few years, you will notice that the task (i.e. what you need to do in relation to the quotation or statement) is usually quite formulaic. This means that you can use the same approach to tackle almost any essay question you’re given.

For example, the first thing that most essay questions ask of you is to explain the quotation or statement. The easiest way to do this define each of the key terms, which will help you to find a clear way of expressing its meaning.

2. Make sure your argument is balanced

The Section 3 essay question will typically ask you to ‘argue to the contrary’ of the statement or ‘argue for’ the statement.

Whatever you’re asked to do, you need to make sure you still provide the opposing point of view as well. You will find yourself losing a significant number of marks if you only give a one-sided argument.

Try to offer an equal number of points for each side of the argument to ensure you’ve kept your essay balanced.

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3. Keep it clear and concise

It’s very important that you avoid waffling in your essay. You should focus on making clear, well-explained points. The PEE (Point Evidence Explain) method is a good format to follow.

The BMAT requires you to write a scientific-style essay, so it isn’t exactly the same thing as essays that you may have previously written for subjects like English. Use simple sentences, avoid unnecessarily flowery language and keep it concise.

4. Master essay planning

There are lots of BMAT past papers available, so you have plenty of Section 3 essay questions at your disposal.

You probably won’t have time to write a practice essay for every single past paper question, but try to do as many as you can. For the ones you don’t have time for, it is still a good exercise to plan the essay and come up with your arguments without actually writing the essay.

5. Be careful with spelling and grammar

Don’t forget that you will also be assessed on your spelling and grammar in BMAT Section 3.

You only have half an hour to choose a question, plan and write your essay, which means you’ll have to work quickly – but make sure you don’t neglect the quality of your writing.

Be extra wary of your spelling (if you can’t spell a word, try to find an alternative that you know how to spell) and your phrasing – and with good attention to detail, you should be able to secure yourself an A for this aspect of Section 3.

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How I Got A Top BMAT Score

How I Scored 4.5A In BMAT Section 3

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How to Prepare for the BMAT: The Ultimate Guide

Medical students in blue scrubs sitting together with notebooks and pens

The BMAT is a university admissions test required for entry to NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and several UK medical schools (only four of which are recognised in Singapore – Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL).

In a separate article on university admissions tests , I explicitly state that you can DIY your way through the preparation without spending a single cent. This is especially true for the BMAT, where everything you need, from exact details of the test format to seventeen years’ worth of past papers, can be found on the official BMAT website .

I agree wholeheartedly with Oxford when they advised, quite bluntly:

Companies and individuals offering help with BMAT do not have a special insight into the nature of the test. While an applicant’s performance at any test will improve with some familiarisation or practice, anyone thinking of paying for such help should consider very carefully whether they would be wasting their money. University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division

So with that, let’s go ahead and discover how you can prepare well for the BMAT and attain your desired results without wasting any money at all.

Step 1: Get to know the BMAT test format

Take a look at this helpful overview of the test format, based on the official BMAT website :

Then, save and scan through the BMAT test specification (PDF). That’s it. Everything else you’ll be able to glean from looking through and attempting the practice papers.

Step 2: Brush up on key concepts tested in BMAT

How can i identify what i need to revise.

That’s where the BMAT test specification document comes in handy. The important part to look through in greater detail is really “BMAT Section 2: Assumed Subject Knowledge” from page 7 onwards.

All the content required should have been covered in school for Chemistry and Mathematics. So really what you need to pay special attention to is only the Biology (page 8) and Physics (page 25) sections.

If you did not take Physics in Junior College (e.g. BCMX)

Generally, for BMAT Physics, everything should have been covered in secondary school, except P3.3: Force and extension , P3.6: Momentum , and the whole of P7: Radioactivity .

Here are extremely useful PDF documents where I’ve clearly highlighted the content that you need to learn or revise:

Insider’s advice: Take note that there’s quite a sizeable portion in BMAT Biology (mainly B9.2 Organ systems) that is not touched in JC at all. I realised I had forgotten most of the details and had to revisit those topics.

Insider’s advice: Despite having learnt Physics in secondary school I went over every topic again just to be safe (and to refresh my memory).

If you did not take Biology in Junior College (e.g. PCMX)

Generally, for BMAT Biology, everything should have been covered in secondary school, except B1.2 Prokaryotic cells , B6.2 Stem cells , and B9.5a Communicable diseases .

Insider’s advice: Do not attempt to read through two years’ worth of JC Biology lecture notes. You do not have the time, nor is it necessary. The bulk of what BMAT tests is secondary school knowledge anyway. Read on to find out what resources you should use instead.

How can I revise all the content as efficiently and effectively as possible?

When I just started my BMAT preparation, I spent ages digging up my old secondary school notes and downloading past notes and documents. I downloaded an eBook and tried to read through the Physics section. I even borrowed JC Physics lecture notes from my friend. In the end, I used none of those.

That’s because I discovered that there’s an amazing resource on the BMAT website itself that will give you all the content knowledge you need to study.

BMAT Section 2 Guide – The best and only resource you’ll need

To access the BMAT Section 2 guide :

Click on the link above (or on the BMAT website: Preparing for BMAT > Section 2 preparation ).
Click on Access the guide .
Click on Create new account at the bottom of the page.
Enter your username, password, and details, and click on Create my new account .
Click on the link sent to your email to confirm your account.
Sign in at the login page .
(Optional: Bookmark the course page for quick access in the future.)

You will get access to texts that cover every point in the BMAT test specification for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. This resource is good enough. In fact, it’s the best and you can rely solely on it.

Some reasons why I like this resource so much (and why it was the only one I used):

It is not overly lengthy unlike typical textbooks. This makes it easy to read and digest. Furthermore, it contains just the right amount of information, considering that all the questions will be MCQs i.e. you do not have to be able to write any explanations with exact phrasing.
It is organised exactly according to the BMAT test specification. It covers every item on the list, in that sequence. That makes it so easy to find the part(s) you need and target your revision to certain sections. It also makes it superior to your own notes (since none of your secondary school or JC notes were based on the BMAT specification).
It is published by UCLES – the examination board that sets the BMAT test. Not only does this mean that the content is tailored to the BMAT, you can expect reliable and accurate information. With other online sources or notes, you can never be 100% sure of their credibility. (Quote Oxford: “ Companies and individuals offering help with BMAT do not have a special insight into the nature of the test. ”)

TLM Biology Notes – Relevant sections for BMAT

The A-Level H2 Biology notes on this site are condensed into the main points for each topic, complemented by a wealth of useful diagrams. Same for the O-Level Biology notes.

BMAT Physics Formula Sheet

Insider’s advice: Answering BMAT Physics questions is simply about knowing when to apply the right formulae. As long as you have a basic understanding of the concepts and commit all the required formulae to memory, you’re good to go.

Generally, your approach to any BMAT Physics question is:

Write out the values given in the question.
Work out which formula to use based on the variables given.
Rearrange the formula and solve the equation.

Step 3: Do (tons of) BMAT practice papers

Start from earlier years and work towards the most recent ones.

Past papers are available from 2019 going all the way back to 2003. Explained answers are provided for the specimen paper and 2014 paper only.

I recommend starting from the earlier years (e.g. 2012) and working your way to 2019. (Ignore 2003 to 2008 first in case you don’t have time to finish that many.) This is so that you’ll be doing the most recent years’ papers close to the date of the actual test.

Plan everything out before you start

Have a calendar or a simple list of dates where you can plan out exactly which papers you’ll do on which day. You can integrate it with your A-Level revision timetable. (This initial planning step basically ensures that you’ll be able to finish the number of papers you set out to do.)

I began my BMAT revision proper only after Prelims. I started with one BMAT paper a day (alternating between Section 1 and Section 2), while going through a few sections of the BMAT Section 2 guide every day. Only six days before the test date did I bump it up to two papers (Section 1 + Section 2) a day.

Always time and score yourself

Timing is so important, especially for BMAT in which the main challenge is finishing the paper on time. Not once did I finish a practice paper within the time limit. (I remember taking roughly 1.5 h for Section 1 and 45-50 min for Section 2.)

Scoring gives you an idea of where you stand. With every practice paper, therefore, aim to improve both your timing and your score.

Recommended course of action for every BMAT practice paper

Set a timer (1 h for Section 1, 30 min for Section 2) and start doing the paper.
Stop doing the paper once time is up and mark out which questions were not attempted. Start a stopwatch and complete all remaining questions.
Add up the total time taken and record this on your paper.
Mark your paper. Use the score conversion provided with the answer key to obtain your BMAT score (leaving out all questions not attempted within the time limit). Record this together with your raw score on your paper.
Review your mistakes and any questions you were unsure of.

Step 4: Familiarise with BMAT Section 3

Section 3: Writing Task is the where preparation may seem the most futile. You can, however, take concrete steps towards improving your score. The first is to get a good idea of what the task demands.

Read through the Section 3 marking criteria

Reading the Section 3 marking criteria gives you a general idea of how you’re being graded. You should be getting A for “quality of English”, although 5 for “quality of content” is much harder to attain.

Read sample BMAT essays

I didn’t find the sample responses given on the BMAT website extremely helpful. (They give three samples with examiner comments, graded 3.5A, 2.5A, and 3A – not exactly the scores you should be aiming for.)

You can read those, taking note of the examiner comments. But also try sourcing for “model essays” that you can emulate. (You may want to borrow books from seniors or the library to ensure quality and not waste any money.)

Step 5: Try writing a few BMAT essays

Confession: I think I only wrote one complete BMAT essay for practice. This is because I half-thought it a waste of time and effort since the questions we’re getting will be entirely different anyway.

But if you do try, time yourself (30 min) and print out the single-page Section 3 answer sheet to simulate the actual test. Also, I’ve compiled all the BMAT Section 3 questions available on the BMAT website (2004 to 2020, and Specimen) into one document for easy reference.

Insider’s advice: There is usually one “medical” question. It might be a good idea, therefore, to target that question specifically. That is to say, read up on medical issues or some recent medical news so that you’ll have some ideas for points to write, plus evidence to substantiate – no matter what question comes out. Don’t try to “prepare” content for anything else; the questions can be about anything.

P.S. I was sort of going with the above approach. I did try to read up before the test. In the end, the 2019 “medical” question turned out to be: “ Teamwork is more important for surgical innovation than the skills of an individual surgeon .” Well. So another piece of advice: just use common sense and prior knowledge (e.g. content you remember from GP).

List of free downloads on this page

BMAT Biology Specification – Not in O-Level Syllabus
BMAT Biology Specification – Not in A-Level H2 Syllabus
BMAT Physics Specification – Not in O-Level Syllabus
BMAT Physics Specification – Not in A-Level H2 Syllabus
TLM Biology Notes Relevant Sections for BMAT
BMAT Section 3 Past Papers

List of recommended resources for BMAT preparation

Free online resources.

BMAT | Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing – the official BMAT website
BMAT practice papers | Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing – 17 past papers from 2019 to 2003 and one Specimen paper (explained answers provided for 2014 and Specimen)
BMAT Section 1 guide | Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing – 7 example questions for Section 1 which you can work through to familiarise with the types of questions that can be asked, before doing the practice papers
BMAT Section 2 guide | Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing – the amazing ‘textbook’ (notes) covering all the required content knowledge for Section 2

(Almost no other resources are offered for free. Neither are they half as good as those you can access for free from the official BMAT website, as listed above.)

Books (completely optional)

How to Master the BMAT by Chris Tyreman and Christopher See
Mastering the BMAT by Christopher Nordstrom, George Rendel, and Luke Baxter

(Books are not necessary. However, if you want to get any books then just stick to one of these two. You don’t have to get “700 BMAT questions” or any books of the sort since you won’t even finish all the practice papers on the BMAT website anyway.)

Medical School Expert

BMAT Complete Beginner’s Guide

Every article is fact-checked by a medical professional. However, inaccuracies may still persist.

This BMAT Complete Beginner’s Guide is going to give you all the basic facts you need to know before taking on the BMAT.

The world of applying to medicine is a confusing place, full of acronyms, entrance exams and hoops to jump through.

After this guide however you’ll be one step closer to getting in as you’ll have a solid foundation in one of the key entrance exams used by medical schools.

INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE:

What Is The BMAT?

The BMAT (or BioMedical Admissions Test) is an entrance exam used by some UK medical schools.

It’s used instead of the UCAT, and serves a very similar purpose.

That is, it’s an aptitude test that helps differentiate applicants to help medical schools decide who to interview.

You don’t have to take the BMAT to get into medical school.

You’ll only need to take it if you specifically apply to medical schools that require it.

Which Medical Schools Use The BMAT?

There are currently nine UK medical schools that require the BMAT.

This is an increasing number each year so I’d recommend double checking on each medical school’s website before applying.

The UK medical schools that currently need it are:

You can find the latest list of BMAT Universities on the BMAT website here.

What’s In The BMAT?

The BMAT is a two hour pen-and-paper test consisting of three sections.

The first two are multiple choice but you have to write an essay for the third.

There’s no negative marking and no calculators or dictionaries are allowed in the test.

Let’s look at the three sections in turn:

Section 1: Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Section 1 is all about testing your thinking skills.

It tests your ability to solve problems and think critically.

You have 1 hour to answer 32 multiple-choice questions.

You don’t need any prior knowledge to answer any of the questions and each one contains all the information you need to answer it.

They split the 32 questions exactly down the middle, with 16 critical thinking questions and 16 problem solving questions.

Interestingly, the questions are presented roughly in order of difficulty. So the easiest ones come first then it gets harder as you go along.

Section 2: Scientific Knowledge

Section 2 is all about scientific knowledge and its applications.

It tests your ability to use scientific knowledge to solve problems.

The science you need to know isn’t rocket science.

You’ll only be tested up to a GCSE (or iGCSE) level for your basic sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) and maths.

In section 2 you’ve got 30 minutes to answer 27 multiple-choice questions.

The questions are divided equally among the different subjects tested. So you should get:

7 biology questions
7 chemistry questions
7 physics questions
6 maths questions

Helpfully, the BMAT has an exact syllabus for what can go into the scientific knowledge section. You can find it here.

Section 3: Writing Task

The third and final section is the writing task.

Here you’ve got 30 minutes to write an essay from a choice of three questions.

The three questions are on a general, scientific or medical theme.

The essay can only be one side of A4 long. No longer.

You’re marked on both on the quality of your reasoning and arguments, as well as the quality of your written English.

The universities you apply to will actually also get a copy of your essay along with your BMAT score.

How Do You Take The BMAT?

To take the BMAT you need to be registered as a candidate by a test centre.

That means you can’t just register yourself.

A test centre is usually just your school or college, providing that they’re a registered centre.

If this isn’t possible for you or your school isn’t a registered centre, you can ask an authorised test centre to register you instead.

You can find a list of the registered test centres on the BMAT website here.

Once you’re registered, you should receive a candidate entry number as proof that your registration is complete.

The BMAT costs £49 to register for within the UK, with an additional £35 late fee if you register after the deadline.

You may be able to get this fee reimbursed if you meet the qualifying criteria.

You can only take the BMAT once per year and your score is also only valid for one application cycle.

How Is The BMAT Scored?

What is it about medical school entrance exams’ scoring systems?

Along the same lines as the UCAT, the BMAT scoring system is not a simple mark out of something.

Instead, they use two systems.

One for Sections 1 & 2 and one for Section 3.

Scoring Sections 1 & 2

Questions in Sections 1 & 2 are all worth one mark each.

So you’ll get a total raw mark out of 32 for Section 1 and a total raw mark out of 27 for Section 2.

These raw marks are then converted to the BMAT’s scale of 1-9. 1 is low and 9 is high.

Your scaled score is reported to one decimal place.

So for example, you might get a 4.3 for Section 1 and a 4.7 for Section 2 .

Scoring For Section 3

Your essay for Section 3 is marked by two separate examiners.

You then essentially get the average score from the two examiner’s marks.

Each examiner marks your essay for both its content and quality of written English.

The content is scored on a scale of 0 – 5.

Your English is scored on a scale of A – E.

So a total mark might look something like 4C.

For each part of your mark (the score from 0-5 and the one from A-E) you get the average from both the examiners.

So say one examiner gave you a 5B and one gave you a 4D, your actual mark would be 4.5C.

If there’s a large difference in the two examiner’s marks, your essay is marked again for a third time.

This final mark is then checked by the Senior Assessment Manager.

You can find the exact Section 3 marking criteria here.

What’s A Good BMAT Score?

The BMAT is designed to test even the most able applicants.

So don’t be surprised if you’re score isn’t as high as you’re used to at school. It’s meant to be hard.

As for typical scores for Sections 1 & 2, the BMAT website says this:

Typical BMAT candidates will score around 5.0, roughly half marks. The best candidates will score around 6.0, and a few exceptional candidates will score higher than 7.0.

Looking at the tests statistics for 2020, candidates scored slightly better on Section 1 than Section 2.

However, as it’s designed to be, the average mark for both sections sat at about 5.0, if slightly below it.

The mark distributions for Section 3 were a lot tighter than for 1 & 2.

Over 70% of candidates received an A for their quality of written English in 2020.

Over 40% received a 3.0 for their quality of content, with the vast majority of candidates falling within the range of 2.0 – 4.0.

How To Prepare For The BMAT

If you’re going to prepare for the BMAT you need to start at Cambridge Assessment’s preparation page.

Here they’ve got links to all their BMAT preparation resources:

The BMAT test specification- this is essentially your syllabus for what you need to know for the BMAT
Practice and past papers- to get a feel for the question styles
Guides for each of the sections- to explore the different question types as well as tips on tackling them
Their YouTube channel- here you can find advice from top scorers and examiners alike

Once you’ve exhausted the free resources, there are some excellent paid revision aids.

This might be buying a BMAT book or even going on a BMAT study course.

Cambridge Assessment stress that they provide all the material you need to achieve a top score.

However, for such an important exam it’s crucial to be aware of your options.

When Do You Get Your BMAT Results?

Sadly, you’ve got to be a bit patient when it comes to getting your BMAT score.

On test day you’ll be given a Confidential Results Information sheet.

This has your login details for Cambridge Assessment’s Metritests website. This is where you can log in to get your results.

But, they’re not normally released till the end of November if you did the early November sitting.

Your BMAT results are then automatically forwarded on to any universities you’ve applied to that need it.

Sadly, I’m afraid there’s no pretending to medical schools that your results got lost in the post if things didn’t go to plan on test day…

How Do Universities Use Your BMAT Result?

The short and incredibly unsatisfying answer is: it depends.

It’s essentially up to each medical school how they want to use an applicant’s BMAT score.

In this table I’ve run through briefly how each university uses it.

However, for medical schools that you’re actually going to apply to I’d recommend reading their admission policy in detail so you know exactly how it’s going to be used.

BMAT Access Arrangements

Access arrangements are available in the BMAT if you have a disability or special requirement and you get extra support in other exams.

Access arrangements can include:

Using a laptop to write your essay in Section 3
An exam paper with enlarged text
Being allowed extra time to complete the exam

Access arrangements for the BMAT are made through your individual test centre.

So if you think you’d be entitled to any of the above it’s best to contact your centre as soon as possible.

An exam officer at your centre will:

Ask you for details of your disability or special requirements
Ask for some medical evidence of these needs
Submit the request for Access Arrangements to Cambridge Assessment

You can find more information on the process and evidence requirements here.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations, you made it! You should now have a solid understanding of the basic facts surrounding the BMAT.

Put the work into your preparation and I’m confident you’ll smash it come exam day.

Best of luck!

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Learn the best ways of turning your upcoming interviews into medicine offers here.

Mastering the BMAT Test in 2024: General Preparation Tips And Section Strategies

N.B. The BMAT test will be discontinued for those applying for 2025 entry. Students will take the UCAT .

In this blog, we provide students with general BMAT preparation advice (how to structure your prep, adjust your mindset and gear up for the test), as well as specific guidance on each of the three sections, including an overview of question types and tips/ resources for preparation.

General preparation for the BMAT

Tip 1: adjust your mindset.

The Biomedical Admissions Test is a completely different style of exam to GCSEs and A-levels as the marks are generally awarded in a roughly normal distribution. This means that most candidates will score between 4-5 on sections 1 and 2. Aiming for an 8 or 9 is not the same as aiming for an A*, and beating yourself up over what seems like an average mark isn’t going to help. Most good candidates will score in the 5-6 bracket with excellent candidates scoring 6-7, so this should be your aim.

Source: https://www.admissionstesting.org/Images/563514-bmat-explanation-of-results-2019.PDF

BMAT score distribution 2019

Tip 2. Do dress rehearsals

Make sure you do a few full length mocks near the end of your revision for two reasons. Firstly, as with most exams, it’s a bit of a marathon and practising focussing for that long is important, as well as getting used to the conditions (we don’t know if the BMAT will stay online or go back to paper after COVID). Secondly, the BMAT is essentially three exams back to back as each section is taken away before the next begins. If you have only been revising one section at a time then it’s a new skill to be able to switch mindset from logic/critical thinking to science to essay writing.

Tip 3. Use your time well

The start of year 13 is very stressful for medicine applications. Not only is the pace of your subject studies increasing, but you potentially also have to prepare for UCAT (unless you did it over the summer), the BMAT, and send in your personal statement. Make a timetable of when you want to start beginning BMAT revision based on how much work you want to do. We recommend doing a little bit most days and starting earlier than anticipated. This is going to be much less stress-inducing than cramming in the final two weeks. Additionally , have a plan of what you are covering each day to maximise efficiency e.g practice questions, wider reading, or science revision.

Tip 4. Look after yourself

This follows on from the last point; application time is a tough period but you can get through it! Give yourself a day off each week from anything and everything medicine and focus on your wellbeing. Don’t burnout before you even get an interview.

Tip 1. Read the question stem first

The questions have a lot of information in them and it can become very time consuming to attempt to assimilate the information before reading the stem and going back to find the relevant bits. If you read the question stem first you’ll be able to filter out the less relevant bits as you read the extra information. After you have glanced over everything, read the question stem again to make sure you have interpreted it correctly.

Tip 2. Not all questions are the same

Some questions will stump you; this test is not designed for you to get 100% on. However, the questions are all worth the same number of marks. If you have read through everything and don’t know where to start then move on and come back to it later, you’ll be subconsciously processing it as you continue so you might have better luck second time round.

Tip 3. Brush up on your critical thinking

A big part of section 1 involves critical thinking and identifying the logic or flaws in arguments. If you haven’t done any critical thinking courses in the past then invest some of your initial revision on learning argument structure as well as basic flaws and common fallacies. You can get extra practice at identifying these by reading opinion columns or even social media comment threads (I wouldn’t count this as “official revision” though). U2 also have a number of medicine mentors who support students with BMAT, and can guide you through vital critical thinking strategies. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss.

Tip 4. Utilise additional exam resources

BMAT practice questions are the gold standard as they show you the exact style of questions that come up. However, you can get extra practice from some of the aspects of the UCAT examination. For this reason, try to time your UCAT exam with the start of your BMAT revision. This way the skills you’ve learnt can stay fresh. Additionally, you can always use TSA (thinking skills assessment) practice questions for extra content as well.

Extra BMAT questions:

https://www.medify.co.uk/bmat

Tip 1: Double check the content

The BMAT science questions aim to cover the GCSE syllabus. This means they cover the content from every syllabus, and they aren’t all the same. The knowledge expected is in an assumed knowledge guide. Read it and make sure you have at least covered everything on there; the worst thing that could happen is getting caught out by an obscure module that was not in your GCSE specification.

Tip 2. Know your formulas

Physics seems to be the science that catches people out as a lot of people haven’t looked at it since GCSE. A lot of the physics questions comes down to knowing formulas and, unlike in GCSE (for some anyway), you won’t have an equations page at the front of the exam. Know them inside and out. It’s a step up from GCSE as some questions will require you to use two equations; using the first to get an intermediate answer to put into the second equation.

Tip 3. Understand the material

Another difference from GCSE: past questions don’t come up, but concepts do . It isn’t just about learning random morsels of scientific fact, many of the questions rely on the application of knowledge learned in GCSE. I remember being outraged that one of the chemistry questions in my exam was covering a topic we had learnt in year 13 as opposed to in GCSE. However, applying the basics of science from GCSE will allow you to answer any of the questions regardless of if you continued it at A-level.

Tip 4. Learn to love estimating

There is no calculator in the BMAT, despite some of the questions seemingly deserving one. Work on your mental maths to whittle down the time spent working through the maths answers but, ultimately, estimating saves the most time . A few of the questions will have stupid calculations involved that will take too long to get an exact answer for, and you will probably make an error anyway. The multiple choices reflect this uncertainty and are different enough that rounding and estimating will still guide you to the right answer.

Tip 1. Read up on medical principles

To gain top marks in the essay you need to add additional facts . The chances are that, unless you have absorbed a medical library, you won’t have a specific stat or fact for the topics that come up. Instead, focus on general reading such as ethical principles in medicine , healthcare structures in the UK and abroad, and current medical news. This broad knowledge is often applicable to many BMAT essay questions in some form or another. Not only will this be helpful in your essay, it will also aid you in upcoming medical interviews.

Medical ethics

https://ollieburton.com/feed-articles/2017/7/19/interview-preparation-four-pillars-of-medical-ethics

https://www.medstoriesblog.com/blog/the-four-pillars-of-medical-ethics

NHS structure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CSp6HsQVtw

Medical news

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health

N.B. Develop a mental library of ‘case study’ examples to work into your writing (rather than merely reading the news and hoping for the best)

Subscribe for free to our co-curricular division, Minds Underground™’s Curious Minds digest to be sent regular STEM resources (including Medicine)

MU Mind-Enhancing Articles Medicine section for blogs on the latest exciting medical developments written by our team of Oxbridge medics

We host a Medical Club every Saturday during term times, where you will discuss & critique the latest medical issues and news, hosted by our Oxbridge medics. The Club is a precursor to our Medicine Summer School , which takes place June-August, see PDF .

Tip 2. Don’t jump into writing

The essay questions are often quite vague or worded in a difficult way to understand. One point to include in your essay is usually to explain the statement/question and so people often let out a sigh of relief if they read a question that they actually understand (make sure not to just reword the statement though). However, there’s more to writing the essay than being able to understand what the question is about. Spend a minute or two sitting and reflecting on each option. It often quickly dawns on you what each question is asking and you may realise you can actually write a much better argument on the more abstract statements. Knowing you can write several solid points is better than being able to explain the question followed by floundering for content.

Tip 3. Plan out properly

Following on from the previous point, take the time to plan . Spend at least 5-10 minutes making a detailed plan. It does not take very long to write down an A4 page of work when you know exactly what you’re writing. The marks are partly awarded on the fluency of your argument and so taking a moment to narrow down your ideas to the best points will stop the examiner getting lost in mediocre waffle. Additionally, you only have one A4 page to write your points on, it’s way less than you think. You don’t want to be getting to your ground breaking conclusion to find you have one line to fit it onto.

Tip 4. Answer the whole question

When you choose your question, there will be guidance on what to include. If you include all of it then you have secured at least a mark of 3. This is nearly always enough to get an interview. Therefore, when you’re drawing up your plan, make sure it answers all aspects of the question. Even if you write university grade material, if you only answer 2 out of the 3 domains you will not satisfy the criteria for a 3 grade. Additionally, this criteria often includes choosing a side in your conclusion. Whilst you don’t have to go 100% in one direction, staying completely neutral does not score well.

Finally, do not be disheartened, it is only natural that your scores in past papers will fluctuate. Practise, practise, practise and all will be okay! Remember that this is not the only part of the admissions process.

By Thomas (5th year medical student at Imperial College London performing in the top 5% of the year)

Medicine Interview Preparation Guide.jpg

How can U2 help prepare you for the BMAT & wider medical application?

U2 offer admissions test preparation either as part of our wider Medical School / Oxbridge Mentoring programmes or as separate ad hoc tuition (book a free consultation to discuss options).

The Process:

1) We suggest a medicine graduate (Predominantly Oxbridge-educated, with experience of other top UK medical schools) as a mentor and send their full CV for review. Our mentors are deeply familiar with the admissions process to study Medicine at top UK Medical Schools and Oxbridge, and we have tutors who specifically specialise in BMAT admissions test preparation.

2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour informal assessment/ taster session , where the mentor will informally assess the student’s current performance level for test (and interview if desired). Following this, we issue a report with feedback, and structure a plan to best prepare.

3) BMAT Session Components:

Our customisable BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test) course is five sessions of two hours each. N.B. This can be customised to the student depending on the level of support required, but gives an indication of what preparation with a BMAT tutor can involve/ how it would be structured.

Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and tutor. Honing the skills necessary to succeed in the BMAT test can begin early in Year 12. When the student and mentor run out of past papers, they will work through similar questions curated by the tutor. We offer BMAT practice online or in-person in London.

Individual sessions from £70/h.

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BMAT Essay Scoring Criteria: What Admissions Officers Look For

The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) includes an essay component that allows candidates to demonstrate their ability to formulate and express ideas coherently. Admissions officers assess BMAT essays based on specific criteria to gain insights into a candidate's critical thinking, communication, and writing skills. Here are the key scoring criteria that admissions officers typically consider:

1. Quality of Content:

1. relevance to the prompt:.

- Admissions officers look for essays that directly address the given prompt.

- Candidates should demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic and provide relevant content.

2. Depth of Analysis:

- A strong essay goes beyond surface-level discussions.

- Admissions officers appreciate depth of analysis, where candidates explore the complexities of the topic and showcase critical thinking.

3. Insightfulness:

- Essays that offer insightful perspectives or novel interpretations stand out.

- Candidates are encouraged to bring a unique and thoughtful approach to the essay prompt.

2. Structure and Organization:

1. introduction and thesis:.

- A well-structured essay starts with a clear introduction and a concise thesis statement.

- The thesis should outline the main argument or perspective the candidate intends to explore.

2. Logical Flow:

- Admissions officers look for essays with a logical and coherent flow of ideas.

- Each paragraph should seamlessly transition to the next, maintaining a clear line of reasoning.

3. Effective Paragraphing:

- Well-organized paragraphs with a central idea and supporting details contribute to a polished essay.

- Each paragraph should contribute to the overall argument or analysis.

4. Conclusion:

- A strong conclusion summarizes key points and reinforces the thesis.

- Admissions officers assess how well candidates bring their essay to a logical and satisfying close.

3. Language and Expression:

1. clarity and precision:.

- Admissions officers value clear and precise language.

- Candidates should express ideas in a straightforward manner, avoiding unnecessary complexity.

2. Grammar and Syntax:

- Proper grammar and syntax contribute to effective communication.

- Admissions officers expect candidates to showcase proficiency in written English.

3. Vocabulary Usage:

- Effective use of a varied and sophisticated vocabulary enhances the quality of an essay.

- Candidates should choose words carefully to convey nuance and precision.

4. Critical Thinking and Analysis:

1. thoughtful analysis:.

- Admissions officers seek evidence of candidates' ability to critically analyze information and draw reasoned conclusions.

- A strong essay reflects independent thinking and analytical depth.

2. Balance of Perspectives:

- Essays that consider multiple perspectives and address counterarguments demonstrate a balanced and nuanced approach.

- Admissions officers appreciate a willingness to explore complexities.

3. Evaluative Skills:

- Candidates should evaluate the significance and implications of the ideas presented.

- Admissions officers assess the candidate's ability to weigh evidence and draw informed conclusions.

5. Originality and Creativity:

1. innovative ideas:.

- Original and creative approaches to the topic stand out.

- Admissions officers appreciate candidates who bring fresh perspectives and ideas to their essays.

2. Engaging Writing Style:

- A compelling and engaging writing style captures the reader's attention.

- Candidates are encouraged to express their ideas in a manner that makes the essay enjoyable to read.

6. Adherence to Instructions:

1. prompt relevance:.

- Admissions officers expect candidates to adhere to the given prompt.

- Straying too far from the prompt may result in a loss of points.

2. Word Count:

- Candidates should respect the specified word count.

- Admissions officers assess whether candidates can convey their ideas concisely within the given constraints.

In summary, BMAT essay scoring criteria encompass a holistic assessment of content quality, organization, language proficiency, critical thinking, and adherence to instructions. Candidates can enhance their performance by practicing essay writing, focusing on clarity and coherence, and incorporating thoughtful analysis into their responses.

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Literary Analysis Essay Writing

Literary Analysis Essay Outline

Literary Analysis Essay Outline - A Step By Step Guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay Outline?

An outline is a structure that you decide to give to your writing to make the audience understand your viewpoint clearly. When a writer gathers information on a topic, it needs to be organized to make sense.

When writing a literary analysis essay, its outline is as important as any part of it. For the text’s clarity and readability, an outline is drafted in the essay’s planning phase.

According to the basic essay outline, the following are the elements included in drafting an outline for the essay:

Introduction
Thesis statement
Body paragraphs

A detailed description of the literary analysis outline is provided in the following section.

Literary Analysis Essay Introduction

An introduction section is the first part of the essay. The introductory paragraph or paragraphs provide an insight into the topic and prepares the readers about the literary work.

A literary analysis essay introduction is based on three major elements:

Hook Statement: A hook statement is the opening sentence of the introduction. This statement is used to grab people’s attention. A catchy hook will make the introductory paragraph interesting for the readers, encouraging them to read the entire essay.

For example, in a literary analysis essay, “ Island Of Fear,” the writer used the following hook statement:

“As humans, we all fear something, and we deal with those fears in ways that match our personalities.”

Background Information: Providing background information about the chosen literature work in the introduction is essential. Present information related to the author, title, and theme discussed in the original text.

Moreover, include other elements to discuss, such as characters, setting, and the plot. For example:

“ In Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows the fears of Jack, Ralph, and Piggy and chooses specific ways for each to deal with his fears.”

Thesis Statement: A thesis statement is the writer’s main claim over the chosen piece of literature.

A thesis statement allows your reader to expect the purpose of your writing. The main objective of writing a thesis statement is to provide your subject and opinion on the essay.

For example, the thesis statement in the “Island of Fear” is:

“...Therefore, each of the three boys reacts to fear in his own unique way.”

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Literary Analysis Essay Body Paragraphs

In body paragraphs, you dig deep into the text, show your insights, and build your argument.

In this section, we'll break down how to structure and write these paragraphs effectively:

Topic sentence: A topic sentence is an opening sentence of the paragraph. The points that will support the main thesis statement are individually presented in each section.

For example:

“The first boy, Jack, believes that a beast truly does exist…”

Evidence: To support the claim made in the topic sentence, evidence is provided. The evidence is taken from the selected piece of work to make the reasoning strong and logical.

“...He is afraid and admits it; however, he deals with his fear of aggressive violence. He chooses to hunt for the beast, arms himself with a spear, and practice killing it: “We’re strong—we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat—!”(91).”

Analysis: A literary essay is a kind of essay that requires a writer to provide his analysis as well.

The purpose of providing the writer’s analysis is to tell the readers about the meaning of the evidence.

“...He also uses the fear of the beast to control and manipulate the other children. Because they fear the beast, they are more likely to listen to Jack and follow his orders...”

Transition words: Transition or connecting words are used to link ideas and points together to maintain a logical flow. Transition words that are often used in a literary analysis essay are:

Furthermore
Later in the story
In contrast, etc.

“...Furthermore, Jack fears Ralph’s power over the group and Piggy’s rational thought. This is because he knows that both directly conflict with his thirst for absolute power...”

Concluding sentence: The last sentence of the body that gives a final statement on the topic sentence is the concluding sentence. It sums up the entire discussion held in that specific paragraph.

Here is a literary analysis paragraph example for you:

Literary Essay Example Pdf

Literary Analysis Essay Conclusion

The last section of the essay is the conclusion part where the writer ties all loose ends of the essay together. To write appropriate and correct concluding paragraphs, add the following information:

State how your topic is related to the theme of the chosen work
State how successfully the author delivered the message
According to your perspective, provide a statement on the topic
If required, present predictions
Connect your conclusion to your introduction by restating the thesis statement.
In the end, provide an opinion about the significance of the work.

For example,

“ In conclusion, William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies exposes the reader to three characters with different personalities and fears: Jack, Ralph, and Piggy. Each of the boys tries to conquer his fear in a different way. Fear is a natural emotion encountered by everyone, but each person deals with it in a way that best fits his/her individual personality.”

Literary Analysis Essay Outline (PDF)

Literary Analysis Essay Format

A literary analysis essay delves into the examination and interpretation of a literary work, exploring themes, characters, and literary devices.

Below is a guide outlining the format for a structured and effective literary analysis essay.

Formatting Guidelines

Use a legible font (e.g., Times New Roman or Arial) and set the font size to 12 points.
Double-space your essay, including the title, headings, and quotations.
Set one-inch margins on all sides of the page.
Indent paragraphs by 1/2 inch or use the tab key.
Page numbers, if required, should be in the header or footer and follow the specified formatting style.

Literary Analysis Essay Outline Example

To fully understand a concept in a writing world, literary analysis outline examples are important. This is to learn how a perfectly structured writing piece is drafted and how ideas are shaped to convey a message.

The following are the best literary analysis essay examples to help you draft a perfect essay.

Literary Analysis Essay Rubric (PDF)

High School Literary Analysis Essay Outline

Literary Analysis Essay Outline College (PDF)

Literary Analysis Essay Example Romeo & Juliet (PDF)

AP Literary Analysis Essay Outline

Literary Analysis Essay Outline Middle School

Literary Analysis Essay Topics

Are you seeking inspiration for your next literary analysis essay? Here is a list of literary analysis essay topics for you:

The Theme of Alienation in "The Catcher in the Rye"
The Motif of Darkness in Shakespeare's Tragedies
The Psychological Complexity of Hamlet's Character
Analyzing the Narrator's Unreliable Perspective in "The Tell-Tale Heart"
The Role of Nature in William Wordsworth's Romantic Poetry
The Representation of Social Class in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
The Use of Irony in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"
The Impact of Holden's Red Hunting Hat in the Novel
The Power of Setting in Gabriel García Márquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude"
The Symbolism of the Conch Shell in William Golding's "Lord of the Flies"

Need more topics? Read our literary analysis essay topics blog!

All in all, writing a literary analysis essay can be tricky if it is your first attempt. Apart from analyzing the work, other elements like a topic and an accurate interpretation must draft this type of essay.

If you are in doubt to draft a perfect essay, get professional assistance from our essay service .

We are a professional essay writing company that provides guidance and helps students to achieve their academic goals. Our qualified writers assist students by providing assistance at an affordable price.

So, why wait? Let us help you in achieving your academic goals!

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Cathy has been been working as an author on our platform for over five years now. She has a Masters degree in mass communication and is well-versed in the art of writing. Cathy is a professional who takes her work seriously and is widely appreciated by clients for her excellent writing skills.

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How to write better ChatGPT prompts in 5 steps

ChatGPT is the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that's taken the world by storm. While there's always the possibility it will simply make stuff up , there's a lot you can do when crafting prompts to ensure the best possible outcome. That's what we'll be exploring in this how-to.

In this article, we'll show you how to write prompts that encourage the large language model (LLM) that powers ChatGPT to provide the best possible answers.

Also: Have 10 hours? IBM will train you in AI fundamentals - for free

Writing effective prompts, known as prompt engineering, has even become its own highly-paid discipline . Who knows? These tips could help you build the skills to become one of those highly paid prompt engineers. Apparently, these gigs can pay from $175,000 to $335,000 per year.

How to write effective ChatGPT prompts

1. talk to the ai like you would a person.

One of the more interesting things I had to get used to when working with ChatGPT is that you don't program it, you talk to it. As a formally trained programmer, I've had to leave a lot of habits by the wayside when engaging with AI. Talking to it (and with it) requires a mindset shift.

When I say talk to it like a person, I mean talk to it like you would a co-worker or team member. If that's hard to do, give it a name. Alexa is taken, so maybe think of it as "Bob". This naming helps because when you talk to Bob, you might include conversational details, little anecdotes that give your story texture.

Also: How to use ChatGPT to write code

When talking to a person, it would be natural for them to miss your point initially and require clarification, or veer away from the topic at hand and need to be wrangled back. You might need to fill in the backstory for them, or restate complex questions based on the answers they give you.

This is called interactive prompting. Don't be afraid to ask multi-step questions: ask, get a response, and based on that response, ask another question. I've done this myself, sometimes 10 or 20 times in a row, and gotten very powerful results. Think of this as having a conversation with ChatGPT.

2. Set the stage and provide context

Writing a ChatGPT prompt is more than just asking a one-sentence question. It often involves providing relevant background information to set the context of the query.

Let's say that you want to prepare for a marathon (for the record, I do not run, dance, or jump -- this is merely an example). You could ask ChatGPT:

How can I prepare for a marathon?

However, you'll get a far more nuanced answer if you add that you're training for your first marathon. Try this instead:

I am a beginner runner and have never run a marathon before, but I want to complete one in six months. How can I prepare for a marathon?

By giving the AI more information, you're helping it return a more focused answer. Even with ChatGPT's help, there's no way I'm going to run a marathon (unless I'm doing it with a V-Twin motor under my seat). Here are two more examples of questions that provide context:

I am planning to travel to Spain in a few months and would like to learn some basic Spanish to help me communicate with local residents. I am looking for online resources that are suitable for beginners and provide a structured and comprehensive approach to learning the language. Can you recommend some online resources for learning Spanish as a beginner?

In this case, rather than just asking about learning resources, the context helps focus the AI on learning how to communicate on the ground with local residents. Here's another example:

I am a business owner interested in exploring how blockchain technology can be used to improve supply chain efficiency and transparency. I am looking for a clear and concise explanation of the technology and examples of how it has been used in the context of supply chain management. Can you explain the concept of blockchain technology and its potential applications in supply chain management?

In this example, rather than just asking for information on blockchain and how it works, the focus is specifically on blockchain for supply chain efficiency and how it might be used in a real-world scenario.

Also: How to use Image Creator from Microsoft Designer (formerly Bing Image Creator) Lastly, let's get into how to construct a detailed prompt.

One note: I limit the answer to 500 words because ChatGPT seems to break when asked to produce somewhere between 500 and 700 words, leaving stories mid-sentence and not resuming properly when asked to continue. I hope future versions provide longer answers, because premises like this can generate fun story beginnings:

Write a short story for me, no more than 500 words. The story takes place in 2339, in Boston. The entire story takes place inside a Victorian-style bookstore that wouldn't be out of place in Diagon Alley. Inside the store are the following characters, all human: The proprietor: make this person interesting and a bit unusual, give them a name and at least one skill or characteristic that influences their backstory and possibly influences the entire short story. The helper: this is a clerk in the store. His name is Todd. The customer and his friend: Two customers came into the store together, Jackson and Ophelia. Jackson is dressed as if he's going to a Steampunk convention, while Ophelia is clearly coming home from her day working in a professional office. Another customer is Evangeline, a regular customer in the store, in her mid-40s. Yet another customer is Archibald, a man who could be anywhere from 40 to 70 years old. He has a mysterious air about himself and seems both somewhat grandiose and secretive. There is something about Archibald that makes the others uncomfortable. A typical concept in retail sales is that there's always more inventory "in the back," where there's a storeroom for additional goods that might not be shown on the shelves where customers browse. The premise of this story is that there is something very unusual about this store's "in the back." Put it all together and tell something compelling and fun.

You can see how the detail provides more for the AI to work with. First, feed "Write me a story about a bookstore" into ChatGPT and see what it gives you. Then feed in the above prompt and you'll see the difference.

3. Tell the AI to assume an identity or profession

One of ChatGPT's coolest features is that it can write from the point of view of a specific person or profession. In a previous article, I showed how you can make ChatGPT write like a pirate or Shakespeare , but you can also have it write like a teacher, a marketing executive, a fiction writer -- anyone you want.

Also: How ChatGPT can rewrite and improve your existing code

For example, I can ask ChatGPT to describe the Amazon Echo smart home device, but to do so from the point of view of a product manager, a caregiver, and a journalist in three separate prompts:

From the point of view of its product manager, describe the Amazon Echo Alexa device. From the point of view of an adult child caring for an elderly parent, describe the Amazon Echo Alexa device. From the point of view of a journalist, describe the Amazon Echo Alexa device.

Try dropping these three prompts into ChatGPT to see its complete response.

I've pulled a few lines from ChatGPT's responses, so you can see how it interprets different perspectives. From the product manager identity: I can confidently say that this is one of the most innovative and revolutionary products in the smart home industry.

From the caregiver identity: The device's ability to set reminders and alarms can be particularly helpful for elderly individuals who may have trouble remembering to take their medication or attend appointments.

Also: 5 ways to explore the use of generative AI at work

And from the journalist identity: From a journalistic perspective, the Echo has made headlines due to privacy concerns surrounding the collection and storage of user data.

You can see how different identities allow the AI to provide different perspectives as part of its response. To expand this, you can let the AI do a thought experiment. Let's look at some of the issues that went into the creation of something like Alexa:

The year is 2012. Siri has been out for the iPhone for about a year, but nothing like an Alexa smart home device has been released. The scene is an Amazon board meeting where the Echo smart assistant based on Alexa has just been proposed. Provide the arguments, pro and con, that board members at that meeting would have been likely to discuss as part of their process of deciding whether or not to approve spending to invest in developing the device. Feel free to also include participation by engineering design experts and product champions, if that provides more comprehensive perspective.

It's also good to know that making minor changes to your prompts can significantly change ChatGPT's response. For example, when I changed the phrase, "Provide the arguments, pro and con, that..." to "Provide the pro and con arguments as dialogue, that...," ChatGPT rewrote its answer, switching from a list of enumerated pros and cons to an actual dialogue between participants.

4. Keep ChatGPT on track

As mentioned above, ChatGPT has a tendency to go off the rails, lose track of the discussion, or completely fabricate answers.

There are a few techniques you can use to help keep it on track and honest.

One of my favorite things to do is ask ChatGPT to justify its responses. I'll use phrases like "Why do you think that?" or "What evidence supports your answer?" Often, the AI will simply apologize for making stuff up and come back with a new answer. Other times, it might give you some useful information about its reasoning path. In any case, don't forget to apply the tips I provide for having ChatGPT cite sources .

Also: My two favorite ChatGPT Plus features and the remarkable things I can do with them

If you have a fairly long conversation with ChatGPT, you'll start to notice that the AI loses the thread. Not that that's unique to AIs -- even in extended conversations with humans, someone is bound to get lost. That said, you can gently guide the AI back on track by reminding it what the topic is, as well as what you're trying to explore.

5. Don't be afraid to play and experiment

One of the best ways to up your skill at this craft is to play around with what the chatbot can do.

Try feeding ChatGPT a variety of interesting prompts to see what it will do with them. Then change them up and see what happens. Here are five to get you started:

Imagine you are a raindrop falling from the sky during a thunderstorm. Describe your journey from the moment you form in the cloud to the moment you hit the ground. What do you see, feel, and experience?
You are a toy that has been left behind in an attic for decades. Narrate your feelings, memories of playtimes past, and your hopes of being rediscovered.
Write the final diary entry of a time traveler who has decided to settle down in a specific era, explaining why they chose that time and what they've learned from their travels.
Imagine a dialogue between two unlikely objects, like a teacup and a wristwatch, discussing the daily routines and challenges they face.
Describe a day in an ant colony from the perspective of an ant. Dive deep into the politics, challenges, and social structures of the ant world.

Pay attention not only to what the AI generates, but how it generates what it does, what mistakes it makes, and where it seems to run into limits. All of that detail will help you expand your prompting horizons.

More prompt-writing tips

Feel free to re-ask the question. ChatGPT will often change its answer with each ask.
Make small changes to your prompts to guide it into giving you a better answer.
ChatGPT will retain its awareness of previous conversations as long as the current page is open. If you leave that page, it will lose awareness. To be clear, ChatGPT will also sometimes lose the thread of the conversation without reason, so be aware you may need to start over from time to time.
Similarly, opening a new page will start the discussion with fresh responses.
Be sure to specify the length of the response you want. Answers over about 500 words sometimes break down.
You can correct and clarify prompts based on how the AI answered previously. If it's misinterpreting you, you may be able to just tell it what it missed and continue.
Rephrase questions if ChatGPT doesn't want to answer what you're asking. Use personas to elicit answers that it might not otherwise want to give.
If you want sources cited , tell it to support or justify its answers.
ChatGPT custom instructions are now available to free users. You can give ChatGPT a set of prompts that are always available , so you don't have to retype them.
Keep experimenting.
Consider getting the ChatGPT Plus subscription . You can then use your own data for powerful analytics . You can also pull data from the Web .
Try asking the same question of Gemini (formerly Bard) or Copilot (formerly Bing Chat). Both will interpret your prompts differently and answer differently. This is effectively getting a second opinion on your prompt, and can give you alternate perspectives.
Ask for examples. If you want to see how well ChatGPT understands what you're asking for, ask it "Can you give me three examples of how that works?" or similar questions.
Ask it to repeat parts of your original requests back to you. For example, if you feed it an article to analyze, you can tell it something like, "Just to be sure you understand, please echo back the first three headlines," or "I want to be sure you understand what I mean, so summarize the main conflict discussed in this article."
Sometimes ChatGPT just fails. Keep trying, but also be willing to give up and move on to other tools. It's not perfect...yet.

What type of prompts work best with ChatGPT?

Part of what makes ChatGPT so compelling is you can ask it almost anything. That said, keep in mind that it's designed to provide written answers. If you want a list of websites, you're better off talking to Google.

Also: How to use DALL-E 3 in ChatGPT

If you want some form of computation, talk to Wolfram Alpha . Give ChatGPT open-ended prompts, encourage creativity, and don't be afraid to share personal experiences or emotions. Plus, keep in mind that the AI's knowledge ends in 2021 for ChatGPT 3.5 and December 2023 for ChatGPT 4 in ChatGPT Plus.

How can I adjust the complexity of ChatGPT responses?

You can directly specify the complexity level by including it in your prompt. Add "... at a high school level" or "... at a level intended for a Ph.D. to understand" to the end of your question. You can also increase complexity of output by increasing the richness of your input. The more you provide in your prompt, the more detailed and nuanced ChatGPT's response will be. You can also include other specific instructions, like "Give me a summary," "Explain in detail," or "Provide a technical description."

Also: How does ChatGPT actually work?

You can also pre-define profiles. For example, you could say "When evaluating something for a manager, assume an individual with a four-year business college education, a lack of detailed technical understanding, and a fairly limited attention span, who likes to get answers that are clear and concise. When evaluating something for a programmer, assume considerable technical knowledge, an enjoyment of geek and science fiction references, and a desire for a complete answer. Accuracy is deeply important to programmers, so double-check your work."

If you ask ChatGPT to "explain C++ to a manager" and "explain C++ to a programmer," you'll see how the responses differ.

What do I do if ChatGPT refuses to answer or I don't like its answer?

There are some guardrails built into ChatGPT. It tends to shut down if you ask it political questions, for example. That's what's built into the system. While you might be able to tease out an answer, it's probably not going to provide great value. That said, feel free to keep trying with different phrasing or perspectives.

You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter on Substack , and follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz , on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz , on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz , and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV .

More on AI tools

Google releases two new free resources to help you optimize your ai prompts, humane ai pin: what went wrong and how it can be fixed (before it's too late), how to get started with meta ai in facebook, instagram, and more.

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Write a short story for me, no more than 500 words. The story takes place in 2339, in Boston. The entire story takes place inside a Victorian-style bookstore that wouldn't be out of place in ...

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What are some tips for BMAT Section 3?

3. Useful knowledge.

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How long should you spend preparing for BMAT Section 3?

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Writing Your Essay

THE INTRODUCTION

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Fully Worked Essay Question [1]

Fully Worked Essay Plan [1]

Argue that a doctor’s main priority should always be the patient he is currently treating.

With respect to medical treatment, to what extent can a patient’s interests differ from those of the wider population?

Fully Worked Essay Question [2]

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BMAT Section 3: Top Tips

1. Answer the question – all of it!

2. Pick the question you can answer best

3. Master the art of planning

4. Practise under precise exam conditions

5. Use examples intelligently

6. If you can’t write the right amount, you’re (probably) doing something wrong

7. Reach a synthesis or conclusion

8. Practise checking as a way to improve your writing skills

9. Get feedback on your practice essays – from anyone

10. Work with the tools at your disposal

11. Familiarise yourself with considering different points of views

12. Stay up to date with medical and social issues

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BMAT Section 3: Top Tips

1. Answer the question – all of it!

2. Select the question that you can best answer

3. Develop your planning skills

4. Practice using realistic test circumstances

5. Definitely include examples in your essay

6. Dig deeper if you find yourself having too little or too much space

7. Have an opinion or conclusion in your essay.

8. Always check your work

9. Ask for feedback on your practice essays

10. Understand the mark scheme

11. Be more flexible in taking into account other viewpoints