BMAT book?

[Marylou]

Can anyone please recommend a good book to help with preparing for the BMAT? There are a number available on Amazon but several of them seem to have mixed reviews. The best one seems to be "Preparing for the BMAT: The Official Guide to the BioMedical Admissions Test " - can anyone recommend this one?

Thanks!

[nigs]

Hi Marylou

Did you have any luck on recommendations for BMAT study/revision book?

[bromley mum]

I am interested in this too. So, please if you are recommending by PM, please PM me too. Thanks.

[nigs]

Would also be interested in UKCAT book recommendations if anyone has any.

Thanks

[Marylou]

"Preparing for the BMAT: The Official Guide to the BioMedical Admissions Test "

....is the one we plumped for, but I've just returned it and got a refund as DD decided not to go for either of the unis that require BMAT! It looks like the best one, though, as it's written by the people who devise the tests.

We also bought "Passing the UKCAT and BMAT 2010 (Student Guides to University Entrance) by Glenn Hutton, Rosalie Hutton and Felicity Taylor from WH Smith, but the reviews aren't great.

Amazon has useful reader reviews which you might find helpful.

[nigs]

Thanks for that Marylou. I will have a look on Amazon.

If I can ask, why did your daughter decide not go for BMAT universities? It seems like apart from the "biggies" (Cambridge, Oxford & co) most of the other unis go with UKCAT.

[KenR]

Hi Nigs

In this situation last year, DD now at Leeds studying medicine

The reason some students choose not to apply for BMAT Universities is that they get the results of the UKCAT before they complete their UCAS form whereas they don't take the BMAT till after this is submitted.

It's a sensible strategy, and one that I would recommend, to only apply for 1 BMAT university to maximise your chance of offers. Also to choose the others depending on your UKCAT score.

There were a couple number of students that I am aware of in my DDs year with 11A*s GCSE, predicted 3A*s at A2 who were down slightly on BMAT and didn't even get an interview. Competition is so tough that Universities use any reason to reject a candidate, even with excellent predicted grades.

[Marylou]

Thanks for that Marylou. I will have a look on Amazon.

If I can ask, why did your daughter decide not go for BMAT universities? It seems like apart from the "biggies" (Cambridge, Oxford & co) most of the other unis go with UKCAT.

Because she is applying for Veterinary Medicine which does not require UKCAT, and only two universities ask for BMAT. Of those, she didn't want to apply to Cambridge and therefore would only be doing it for London which was her last choice anyway, so she just replaced it with another "last" choice.

It also seemed like a lot of work for someone who has a Chemistry module to resit and needs to spend time pulling up on a comparatively weak subject. It's a pity in my opinion, as she could have a problem with her GCSEs but is actually quite good at BMAT-style tests so might have stolen a march that way, together with good predicted grades. If she doesn't get an offer this time around she might list London on reapplying next year and have a go at it then.