BMAT Practice Questions

Critical thinking

1. A significant social trend in the 20th century was for people to move away from
their place of birth in order to access education and work. This gave individuals
more opportunities and helped the economy by producing mobility within the
workforce. The negative side of this is now being felt as more and more elderly
people face the problems of old age without family members nearby to care for
them. This has negative effects on the economy as well as on the individual, as
more and more state funding for care is needed.

Which one of the following could be drawn as a conclusion of the above passage?

A) The benefits of a mobile workforce have to be compared with the costs to

elderly people and the economy.
B) Elderly people are expecting the state to provide care for them rather than
relying on their children.
C) People should try to fond education and work close to their place of birth.
D) The state should provide care for elderly people to make mobility of the
workforce possible.
E) People should make caring for their elderly parents a priority over choice of
work opportunities.

2. Any company that wishes to sell a new drug must provide the government with
details of research about its safety and possible side effects. At present, this
information is confidential, but there are plans to make it available to the public.
While patients are surely entitled to more information about the drugs they are
prescribed, this will also inevitably make public vital details about the ingredients
of certain drugs and how they are manufactured. Drug companies are naturally
reluctant to release this information to their competitors. Therefore, through fear
of imitators, drug companies will no longer introduce new and important drugs
into the country.

Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?
 A) There are sufficient drugs already on the market and so there is no
necessity to introduce new ones.

B) The drug industry is a very competitive business and secrecy is vital if

companies are to survive.

C) People may be reluctant to use certain drugs when they have fuller
information about them.

D) People are better informed about the side effects of drugs abroad than they
are in this country.

E) Strong patent laws prevent companies from using the information to create
rival drugs.

3. Your cake will be tasty only if you use fresh ingredients which you can only buy at
the market. You did not go to the market, so your cake will not be tasty.

Which one of the following most closely parallels the reasoning used in the
above argument?

A) You can only be happy if you are healthy. To be healthy, you have to eat a lot of
vegetables. You eat a lot of vegetables so you must be happy.

B) She either went to school or to the playground. She is not in the playground, so
she must have gone to school.

C) If you light a candle, there is light and, if there is light, I am able to read to you.
You must have lit a candle because I can read.

D) Listening to loud music through earphones damages hearing. His hearing is

fine which means that he must not have listened to loud music through
earphones.

E) Good knowledge of the car is necessary for fixing it. Without fixing the car, we
will not arrive at the wedding in time. We will surely be late as we do not
have good knowledge of the car.
Chemistry

4. [relative atomic mass: H=1, C=12; Avogadro constant = 6.0 × 1023 per mol]

How many atoms of hydrogen are there in 3.0kg of ethane?

A) 3.6 × 1026

B) 3.9 × 1026

C) 6.0 × 1025

D) 3.6 × 1023

E) 6.0 × 1022

F) 3.6 × 1026

5. The positions of the main group elemets in the Periodic Table are shown below:
Which one of the following formulae is NOT correct?

A) GaCO3

B) CsNO3

C) BeSO4

D) SnS2

E) Ba(HCO3)2

6. The compound (CH3)2CHCH2NH2 can be synthesised by the following route.

What types of reaction are used in stages 1, 2 and 3?

A) 1=substitution; 2=addition; 3=reduction

B) 1=substitution; 2=addition; 3=hydrolysis

C) 1=addition; 2=substitution; 3=reduction

D) 1=addition; 2=addition; 3=reduction

E) 1=addition; 2=substitution; 3=hydrolysis

Physics

7. A manufactured wishes to make an open-topped box out of the piece of cardboard

shown below by folding up sides.

What is the volume of this box in cubic centimetres?

A) 1 600

B) 2 400

C) 8 000

D) 10 125

E) 12 500

8. The petrol tank of Jenny's car holds 50 litres of petrol. A warning light comes on
when only 5 litres are left. She always fills it as soon as she can after the warning
light comes on. The car travels 100km on 8 litres of petrol. Last time she put petrol
in, which she was able to do immediately after the light came on, she only had $6
with her so she spent it all on fuel at 60c per litre. She then drove 50km and
 saw a new garage offering petrol at 50c per litre - an offer too good to miss. She
filled the tank completely and paid with her credit card.

How much did the second transaction cost?

A) $ 15.50

B) $ 17.50

C) $ 19.50

D) $ 22.50

E) $ 24.50

9. The diagram below shows a rather unusual conference table which may take up
a range of configurations. The three pieces are hinged together at the points
shown by the circles:

Which of the following shapes could NOT be made from this table?

A)

B)

C)
 D)

E)

10. The diagram shows three pulleys driven by belts. Pulley A and the small, inner
pulley at B are 1 m across, the outer pulley at B is 2 m across and pulley C is 4 m
across.

Pulley A rotates at a rate of 8 complete turns every second. If the belts do not slip,
then how many complete turns every second will pulley C make?

A) 1

B) 4

C) 8

D) 16

E) 64
Maths
11. The right-angled triangle shown hashorizontal nd vertical sides measuring (4 + √2)
cm and(2 - √2) cm respectively.

Calculate the area of the triangle.

A) (5 + 3√2) cm2

B) (3 − √2) cm2

C) (3 + 3√2) cm2

D) (5 − √2) cm2

E) –

12. In 2001 a quarter of the population of Wales reported having a limiting long-term
illness ordisability which restricted their daily activities.

What is the probability that out of a random group of three people who live in Wales,
exactly one of them will have reported such an illness or disability?

A) 9 / 64

B) 27 / 64

C) 37 / 64

D) 3 / 4

E) -
Biology

13. The antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is released by the pituitary gland and its target
organ is the kidney. ADH leaves the head in the jugular vein.

The antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is released by the pituitary gland and its target organ
is the kidney. ADH leaves the head in the jugular vein.

In what order will the hormone pass through the following blood vessels to reach its
target?

A) A, B, C, D, E

B) B, C, D, A, E

C) C, A, E, D, B

D) D, C, B, A, E

E) E, B, C, A, D

14. The diagram shows a view from the front of a section through the heart and
associated blood vessels.
Which sequence of numbers shows the course of blood flow from the point of entry
to the heart from the lungs, to its eventual exit from the heart to supply the lungs?

A) 2 → 3 → 4 → 8 → 1 → 5 → 6 → 7

B) 2 → 3 → 4 → 1 → 7 → 6 → 5 → 8

C) 7 → 6 → 5 → 8 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 1

D) 7 → 6 → 5 → 1 → 8 → 4 → 3 → 2

E) 8 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 1

15. The diagram shows three sperm and three ova containing sex chromosomes X
and Y (not drawn to scale).

Indicate the letters (A to F) of all the sex cells which are normal.

A) A, D & E

B) B, D & E

C) C, D & E

D) D, C & B

E) A, D & B
Answer Sheet
Critical thinking

Question 1 – Correct answer: A

Solution:
Here we have a passage which gives a comment on the advantages and
disadvantages of a worker moving from their place of birth to find work or education.
When reading the passage, it is important to note the neutral stance taken by the
author when drawing conclusions from the passage.

A – This option provides a balanced account of the passage by accurately reflecting

that there are both positives and negatives to workforce mobility, it does not ignore
either side of the argument so this is the correct answer.

B – Whilst the text says that more state funding is needed due to the situation there
is no mention that the elderly are expecting this extra care from the state so we can
rule out this option.

C – There is a sentence in the passage outlining the benefits of moving away from
one’s place of birth, so this option contradicts part of the passage and is therefore not
the correct option.

D – This is similar to option B, the passage does mention the state needing to provide
more care however there is no mention that this extra care should be provided solely
to make mobility of the workforce possible, rather that it is as a result of such mobility.

E – This is similar to option C, the passage mentions both benefits and negatives of
workforce mobility, thus this option is incorrect as it neglects the benefits which arise
from workforce mobility.
Question 2 – Correct answer: E

Solution:
The passage in this question discusses the disclosure of information on drugs to the
public about their safety and potential side effects. The main argument of the passage
is that if a country makes it the law that drug companies must release information on
drugs that they sell in this country, then that drug company will not want to sell that
drug in this country so that its competitors do not find out information on the drug
which may make them possible to imitate and increase competition.
If, as in option E, strong patent laws prevented other drug companies from imitating
the drug then this would weaken the argument of the passage. This is because even
though the information has been released, the patent laws make it illegal for other
companies to use this information to make a similar drug, meaning that the drug
company is unlikely to be put off selling certain drugs in a country.

Question 3 – Correct Answer: E

Solution:
Structure: Only X if Y, only Y if Z. No Z, therefore, no X.
A is incorrect because the structure is: only X if Y, for Y must Z. Z therefore X
B is incorrect because there are only two variables
C is incorrect because there is no ‘only this if this’ factor
D is incorrect because there are only two variables
E is correct because it follows the same structure

Chemistry
Question 4 – Correct Answer: A

Ethane has the formula C2H6, so we can work out its molecular mass as:
2(12) + 6(1) = 30𝑔𝑚𝑜𝑙 !"

3kg is the same as 3000g.

Using the equation Mr x Moles = Mass we can work out the amount of moles present.
3000
= 100mol
30

The Avogadro constant gives the number of molecules present per mole, we know
how many moles we have so we can work out the number of molecules present.

Question 5 – Correct Answer: A

Solution:
In this question, we are looking to find the compound which couldn’t possibly be
produced. We can do this by looking at the overall oxidation number of the compound
which, if it doesn’t equal 0, is not possible.

Ga has an oxidation number of +3 because it is in the 3rd group of the periodic table.
C has an oxidation number of +4 or -4 and O has an oxidation number of -2.

By summing these together, we can see that 3 + -4 + -2 + -2 + -2 ≠ 0 so therefore the

compound GaCO3 cannot possibly be produced.

By applying similar logic to the rest of the compounds we can see that they all can be
produced so the answer is option A.

Question 6 – Correct Answer: C

Solution:
In stage one, a bromide group is added onto the compound by the breaking of a
double bond so this stage is known as addition.
In stage two, the bromide group is substituted for a methyl group so this stage is
known as substitution.

In stage three, hydrogen is added to the compound in a process known as reduction.

The stages of reaction are therefore addition followed by substitution followed by

reduction, option C.
Physics
Question 7 – Correct Answer: C

Solution:
In stage one, a bromide group is added onto the compound by the breaking of a
double bond so this stage is known as addition.
In stage two, the bromide group is substituted for a methyl group so this stage is
known as substitution.

In stage three, hydrogen is added to the compound in a process known as

reduction.

The stages of reaction are therefore addition followed by substitution followed by

reduction, option C.

Question 8 – Correct Answer: C

Solution:
NOTE: The question is asking for the amount spent in the final transaction, so does
not include the $6 spent earlier.

Right well, we're going to have to break this down into lots of steps.

Step 1: She filled the tank as soon as the warning light came on, so at that point
there was 5L of petrol in the tank.

She spent $6 on 60c/L petrol, so she bought 10L. Meaning that when she left that
garage there was 15L in the tank.

Step 2: Driving to the next garage; she drove 50 km. Her car travels 100km on 8L
of petrol. So to travel 50 km she would have used 4 L of petrol.
So when she arrived at the second garage she had 15 L - 4 L = 11 L left in the tank.

Step 3: Her car holds 50 L of petrol. At the second garage she filled the tank, hence
she put 50 - 11 = 39 L of petrol into the car.

At 50c/L this would cost her 39/2 = $19.50. So the answer is C.

Question 9 – Correct Answer: D
Solution:
The trick in this question is to draw it out. Then it’s easier to visualise.

Above are the tables in their configurations. The green dots are the hinges. D is crearly
not possible: the top table has its two hinged cornes (the acute have the hinges) away
from the other two tables, making this impossible. Shapes like B and E are misleading,
but they fold in on themselves and are possible.
D is the answer here.
Question 10 – Correct Answer: A
Solution:
The formula for circumference is 2πr where r is radius. Let us call the π d where d is
diameter (d=2r)
We are given the diameter of A and the small one at B. Their circumference is π . The
outer pulley at B is double the diameter, so circumference is 2 π and at C it is 4x so it
is 4 π .
Pulley A makes 8 complete turns a second. Lets say that it turns 8 π as one complete
circumference is π .

This means that the outer pulley at B also turns 8 π , but for this that is only 4 full turns
as its circumference is 2 π .

The inner pulley and B will have to complete the same number of full turns as the
outer, which means it turns 4 full times, which is equivalent to turning through 4 π as
its circumference is π .

Finally, C will have to turn at the same rate as the inner one at B which is 4 π and as
this is the circumference, it only makes one full rotation.

So the answer is A

Maths
Question 11 – Correct Answer: B
Solution:

Therefore, the answer is B.

Question 12 – Correct Answer: B

Solution:

We're told that 1/4 people report a disability, and 3/4 do not. So, for any specific
person, there is a 1/4 probability that they have an illness, and 3/4 probability that they
do not.
In this question, we are looking for the probability that exactly 1 person out of a group
of 3 has a chronic illness - however this may be person A, person B or person C.
Finding the probability of person, A being the only one with a chronic illness:
1/4 x 3/4 x 3/4 = 9/64
Finding probability of person B being the only one with a chronic illness:
3/4 x 1/4 x 3/4 = 9/64
Finding probability of person C being the only one with a chronic illness:
3/4 x 3/4 x 1/4 = 9/64
Because it is an 'or' situation (it may be person A, or person B, or person C), we add
the values:
9/64 + 9/64 + 9/64 = 27/64 (answer B)

Biology
Question 13 – Correct Answer: E
Solution:
All blood in the systemic venous system will drain to the vena cava [E], where it will
enter the right side of the heart, before being pumped into the pulmonary artery [B]
towards the lungs. After oxygenation in the lungs, the blood will drain back to the heart
via the pulmonary vein [C] and enter the left side of the heart. All blood leaving the left
ventricle enters the aorta [A], and the ADH in this blood will eventually find its way to
the renal artery [D] where it can exert its effect.

The answer is therefore E [E, B, C, A, D]

A faster way to do this would be to realise that the target organ is the kidney, thus the
final artery must be the renal artery - option E is the only option that gives the renal
artery as the final stage.

Question 14 – Correct Answer: B

Solution:
The correct answer is B. The trick here is that the question asks for the blood
flow starting from the point of entry to the heart from the lungs.
There's no alternative to knowing some basic anatomy of the heart for this one, but if
you do know it at all, think logically and follow it through systematically. Remember
you only have to discount four wrong answers, so it's not hopeless if you don't know
all 8 labels.
REMEMBER ON THE FRONT OF THE HEART WHAT YOU SEE AS RIGHT IS LEFT, AND
WHAT YOU SEE AS LEFT IS RIGHT. Right is deoxygenated, left is oxygenated.
Summary of Anatomy: 1= Aorta, 2= Pulmonary Vein, 3= Left Atrium, 4= Left Ventricle,
5= Right Ventricle, 6= Right Atrium, 7= Vena Cava, 8= Pulmonary Artery.

Correct Order: Pulmonary Vein, Left Atrium, Left Ventricle, Aorta, Vena Cava, Right
Atrium, Right Ventricle, Pulmonary Artery. 2,3,4,1,7,6,5,8.

Question 15 – Correct Answer: A

Solution:
Gametes (sex cells) only contain 23 chromosomes (half of a normal cell) so
cannot be XY so C and F are abnormal. Ova cannot contain the Y chromosome
because females only carry X chromosomes so B is abnormal.
This leaves only A, D & E as normal.