Entrance exams explained

Abstract

When applying to medical school you will face entrance exams. Most medical schools require you sit these additional exams to be considered for their courses. The exams are often a cause for concern among applicants because of their unusual topics and questions and the fact that they can be taken only once during an admission cycle, which increases the pressure to succeed. Although some concerns are valid, with focused preparation getting a high score is more than achievable. UK medical schools use two main entrance exams for undergraduate entry. The most widely used is the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT), followed by the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT). This article will discuss how these exams are used by medical schools and will aim to demystify the entrance exam process, giving you the knowledge to succeed. In two further articles in this series we will look at the types of questions used in the exams. Entry into medicine is highly competitive and medical schools find it hard to differentiate between candidates on the basis of grades, their UCAS application, and interviews. An entrance exam is used as another tool to help select the most suitable candidates. The undergraduate entrance exam requirements for each university are shown in box 1. The purpose of entrance exams is to test applicants’ aptitude for skills needed in medicine, such as interpreting complex data and pattern identification. The key dates for UKCAT and BMAT for entry in 2017 are below: UKCAT 2017 dates -You can sit the UKCAT between 3 July and 3 October 2017 -Registration to book your test opens at 9am on 2 May and closes at 5pm on 19 September 2017 -Visit the UKCAT Website for more information. BMAT 2017 dates -The September exam (for all medical schools that …