UK Education - List of Important Exams

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

IELTS is an English language assessment test primarily used by those seeking international education, professional recognition, bench-marking to international standards and global mobility. IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic institutions. IELTS tests the complete range of English language skills which will commonly be encountered by students when studying or training in the medium of English. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules.

For details on IELTS, click here.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a standardized test , primarily intended to aid the graduate schools of business for assessing the candidates for study. The test is a required part of the admission process for most of the MBA programmes.

For details, on GMAT, click here.

BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is a subject-specific admissions test for admission to certain medicine, veterinary medicine and related courses in some universities. It is managed and owned by Cambridge Assessment, one of the biggest assessment agencies of the world.

Name of the College	Courses
University of College	Medicine Graduate Course in Medicine (not essential) Veterinary Medicine
Imperial College London	Medicine Biomedical Science (3 year course) Pharmacology and Translational Medical Science Pharmacology and Translational Medical Science with a year in industry
University of Oxford	Medicine Biomedical Sciences
Royal Veterinary College	Veterinary Medicine Combined Degree Programme Graduate Accelerated Veterinary Medicine Programme
UCL	Medicine

BMAT Test Pattern:
The test consists of the following three sections:

• Section 1: Aptitude and Skills
• Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Application
• Section 3: Writing Task

BMAT Scoring
Each question, in Sections 1 and 2, is worth one mark. Total raw marks for each section are converted to the BMAT scale, which runs from 1 (low) - 9 (high). Scores are reported to one decimal place. Typical BMAT candidates will score around 5.0, which equates to approximately half marks. The best candidates will score around 6.0, and a few exceptional candidates will score higher than 7.0.

BMAT Test Centers

• British Council, New Delhi
• British Council, Mumbai
• British Council, Chennai
• British Council, Kolkata

BMAT Important Dates:

BMAT Exam Date: 3rd November, 2010
Declaration of Results: 1st December, 2010
For details on BMAT, click here.

PLAB:
The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Test is designed to assess your knowledge and skills, and your ability to work safely in your first appointment as a senior house officer in a British hospital.

Part one is held at centres in the United Kingdom and in certain other countries, including India.

Part two can only be taken in the United Kingdom.

Part One
The first part consists of a single computer markable paper to a standard set using the Angoff method.

Part Two
The second part consists of a 14-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). This tests both clinical and communication skills.

Dates:
Plab 1 Exams
Test date:   7 May 2010 

PLAB 2 Exams
Test date: 30 November - 1 December 2009
For details on PLAB, click here.

English Literature Admission Test (ELAT)

The ELAT is a pre-interview admissions test for undergraduate courses in English at the University of Oxford. This is a pen and paper test of 90 minutes duration. The test is designed to enable applicants to show their ability in the key skill of close reading, paying attention to language, allusion, imagery, syntax, form and structure of the passages set for comment.

ELAT Test Pattern:

Candidates will be given six poems or passages from prose and/or drama. The prose may include fiction and non-fiction. The six passages will be linked in some way, which would be made explicit at the beginning of the passage. The candidate then has to choose 2 or 3 passages and compare and contrast them keeping the language, syntax, and form and structure in mind.

List of Courses

University of Oxford

• English Language and Literature
• Classics and English (3 years)
• Classics and English (4 years)
• English and Celtic
• English and Czech (with Slovak)
• English and French
• English and German
• English and Italian
• English and Modern Greek
• English and Portuguese
• English and Russian
• English and Spanish

Dates for ELAT: 3rd November, 2010
Results: 14th January 2010

For details on ELAT, click here.

TOEFL

Though most students wanting to study in the UK universities take IELTS, TOEFL scores are also accepted by the UK institutions. TOEFL can be taken through offices of the US Information Service in your city. There are 2 options available with TOEFL. You can take either a paper-based test (PBT) or a Computer based test (CBT). For details on TOEFL, click here.