BMA Long Course study guide
BMA Long Course · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The BMA Long Course is the cadet training programme through which Bangladesh Army officers begin their careers, and the entrance examination is the competitive filter for entry into that programme. It is aimed at young candidates who have completed the required level of schooling, meet the medical and physical standards, and want a career as a commissioned officer. The BMA Long Course study guide has 7 sections and about 2,091 words.
01English: Grammar, Vocabulary and Comprehension
English questions at this level fall into four groups: grammar and usage (tense, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, conditionals), vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms), sentence correction and transformation, and reading comprehension. Build accuracy in the first three through short daily drills, and practise comprehension by reading a passage once for gist, then again to locate the exact line that answers each question.
306 words, about 2 min02Mathematics: Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry
Expect arithmetic (ratio, percentage, profit and loss, average, time-work, speed-distance), algebra (simplification, linear and quadratic equations, indices, logarithms), and geometry and mensuration (triangles, circles, areas and volumes), with a little number theory and statistics. Speed matters, so learn standard results rather than deriving everything.
314 words, about 2 min03Physics: Mechanics, Heat, Waves and Electricity
Core areas are measurement and units, kinematics and Newton's laws, work-energy-power, simple machines, heat and temperature, waves and sound, light, and basic electricity and magnetism. Most questions are conceptual with a few simple numericals.
321 words, about 2 min04Chemistry: Atomic Structure, Bonding and Reactions
Topics include atomic structure and the periodic table, chemical formulas and equations, bonding, acids and bases, oxidation and reduction, and basic organic chemistry. Expect balancing equations, identifying reaction types, and simple mole or concentration calculations.
280 words, about 1 min05Biology: Cells, Systems, Genetics and Ecology
Questions cover cell structure and division, the major organ systems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, nervous), plant biology including photosynthesis, genetics and inheritance, and ecology with food chains and ecosystems. Plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts and a large vacuole; animal cells do not.
288 words, about 1 min06General Knowledge and Current Affairs
This section rewards broad, organised awareness: international organisations and their headquarters, geography and capitals, major treaties and agreements, science and technology milestones, sports and awards, and recent national and global events. It is wide rather than deep.
282 words, about 1 min07Bangladesh Studies and History
Expect the geography and administration of Bangladesh, the language movement, the struggle for independence and the Liberation War of 1971, constitutional and political milestones, and cultural and economic features such as rivers, districts, crops and exports. Know the physical setting: major rivers and their courses, the Sundarbans mangrove forest, the coastal belt and cyclonic risk, and the division and district structure.
300 words, about 2 min