Discontinued test
BioMedical Admissions Test — Discontinued
The BMAT is no longer in use. Below: the active test that replaced it, the discontinuation context, and the next steps for current applicants.
Discontinued
The BMAT was discontinued in October 2023 (last sitting for 2024 entry).
Cambridge Assessment discontinued the BMAT after the October 2023 sitting. Medicine applicants now sit the UCAT.
Now replaced by: UCAT
01Section 01
Overview — what changed and the test you sit now
01
Section 01
Overview — what changed and the test you sit now
The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) was discontinued after the October 2023 sitting. It is not a current admissions test for 2027 entry. Medicine applicants now sit the UCAT instead — see the UCAT guide for the current requirement.
The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) was discontinued after the October 2023 sitting. It is not a current admissions test for 2027 entry.
Medicine applicants now sit the UCAT instead. See the UCAT guide for the current format, scoring, dates, and preparation strategy.
Past BMAT papers are no longer required preparation. Some skills they tested (critical thinking, scientific reasoning, structured writing) remain useful, but UCAT-specific preparation is what current applicants need.
Historical / past-paper site: www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/bmat — past papers and pre-retirement guidance are still hosted here for reference.
We do not offer a BMAT question bank or 1-to-1 sessions for BMAT preparation — the test is no longer in use. For the active replacement test (or to confirm whether your course requires any admissions test at all), contact us or open the replacement guide linked at the top of this page.
02Section 02
How the BMAT compares to its replacement
02
Section 02
How the BMAT compares to its replacement
Side-by-side with the UCAT that replaced the BMAT — what changed, and what to prepare for now.
Dimension
UCAT
BMAT
Status
Use UCAT
BMAT (discontinued)
Format
5 cognitive sections, computer-based
3 sections (aptitude, science, essay), paper-based
Duration
2 hours
2 hours
Scoring
300–900 per section, Band 1–4 SJT
1.0–9.0 (sec 1+2), 1–5 + A–E (sec 3 essay)
Used by Cambridge
No (Cambridge no longer uses an aptitude test for medicine)
Yes