If you plan on taking the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) this year then the following practice books are the best BMAT books available. I’ve spent over 10 hours reading the top rated practice books, and have compiled my final Top 4 to help you prepare for the BMAT 2018 Exam (in no particular order).
#1. BMAT Past Papers with worked Solutions by Someii Desai and Rohan Aggarwal (August 2015)
This is my #1 recommended BMAT book for the year, it contains detailed explanations for every question from 2003 – 2016 as well as comprehensive essay plans for section 3. The worked solutions contain valuable insight on how to approach different question-types and the authors also walk you through the most efficient methods for rapidly getting the correct answer Filled with examples of time saving techniques and score boosting strategies. Overall, I strongly recommend this book to prepare for the BMAT.
PROS
- Over 900 past questions from 2003 – 2016 with detailed explanations
- Time saving strategies and score boosting strategies
- Very comprehensive essay plans
- Explanations are well written and concise
CONS
- Past papers are on the official BMAT site for free. However, the book is helpful in the sense that you conveniently have all the questions and worked solutions in one book
- The BMAT specification has changed over the years some of the older past papers are not as helpful.
#2. Get Into Medical School: 700 BMAT Practice Questions by Lydia Campbell and Olivier Picard (July 2016)
This is another great BMAT book with over 700 practice questions and detailed explanations. I was particularly impressed with the substantial amount of advice from official examiners and past candidates. The authors also provide helpful strategies and tips for saving time and attempting each section. The authors cover a substantial amount to help candidates familiarise themselves with the various styles of questions they may encounter at the exam and all the potential traps that can be laid by the examiners. There is an overwhelming range of exercises that i will enable you to refine and optimise your exam techniques. The authors really do well to replicate the breadth and depth of the different types of questions that can be asked in the test. Overall, It is a great practice book and I would definitely recommend using it to prepare for the BMAT.
PROS
- Over 700 practice questions with detailed explanations
- Includes helpful exam strategies and time saving techniques
- Substantial amount of preparation material
- Vast range of difficulty in practice questions
- Mock Exam included
CONS
- Some of the subject-matter covered, particularly for section 2 seemed a bit too in-depth.
#3. The Ultimate BMAT Guide – 800 Practice Questions by Rohan Agarwal (July 2017) 
Another great resource to prepare for the BMAT with an impressive 800 Practice Questions written in the style and difficulty of the real exam. The authors really breakdown each section of BMAT focusing each chapter according to the question-types for each section. For example the authors cover section 1 and breaks it down into sub-chapters such as critical thinking , data analysis and problem solving questions. Which is good for a more targeted study. The entire book includes over 90 critical thinking questions, 60 data analysis, 150 problem solving, 75 biology, 75 chemistry, 75 physics 75 maths questions and 3 Full Mock Papers. Overall, it is a great resource, for me, the chapter on section 2 stood out the most because it covers all the science subjects in a way that is understandable and helpful for students who do not have a science degree background.
PROS
- Over 800 practice questions and detailed explanations
- Chapters are broken down into questions-types (great for targeted study)
- Section 2 is well explained especially for students with non-science backgrounds
- Very helpful exam tips and advice
- Includes 3 Full Mocks
CONS
- There were a few typos in both the questions and the explained answers; the explanation given to a few questions didn’t match with the answer provided.
# 4. The Official Guide to the BioMedical Admissions Test
This is the official guide to the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT), approved by Cambridge Assessment. The book is written by BMAT examiners and provides all the information you need to know about the exam in a concise and useful manner. The authors also include worked examples for each section of the exam and some useful approaches to improve score in each section. Overall, I think it’s a good book to get an overview about the exam and fully understand the questions-types and how the test is marked.
PROS
- Written by people who set the BMAT tests
- Helpful worked examples and questions
- Examiner hints and tips for each section
- Well written and concise – summarises all the information on the official website (easier to digest)
CONS
- Information about the BMAT can be found on the official site.
- Not as many worked examples and questions as some of the other BMAT books
