BMAT Writing Practice Questions
Complete this practice BMAT Writing section in 30 minutes. Check your answer by downloading our answers and explanations
30 MINUTES
DIRECTIONS:
Answer only one task from the choice of three essay titles. You must write your answer by hand, and are limited to a space consisting of one side of A4.
You are permitted to make any preparatory notes as needed, but time spent on such notes counts against the 30 minutes allowed for the essay.
In this task, you are expected to show how well you can order and explore ideas, and convey these ideas in clear, effective writing.
You may not use dictionaries or any other reference books or resources.
Essays are assigned a numerical score. To achieve a top mark, you must address all aspects of the question and write compellingly with few errors in logic or in use of English.
YOU MUST ANSWER ONLY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
1. A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections – a mere heart of stone. Charles Darwin
Write an essay in which you address the following points:
Why should those who practise science or medicine have ‘no wishes, no affections’? What is the negative impact when scientists or doctors have ‘hearts of stone’? How could a scientist or doctor best reconcile these competing concerns?
2. The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge. Stephen Hawking
Write an essay in which you address the following points:
In science, how is the illusion of knowledge an enemy of knowledge? Can you argue that ignorance itself an enemy of knowledge? By what criteria could you assess the comparative impact of these two, to determine which is the greater enemy of scientific knowledge?
3. I observe the physician with the same diligence as the disease. John Donne, English poet (1572-1631)
Write an essay in which you address the following points:
Why would a patient observe his physician with the same diligence as his disease? Under what circumstances might a patient be more concerned with his disease than with his physician? How would you advise a patient to best balance these two concerns?