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
- A question
- 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.
FAQs
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.
