Does the dMAT General Academic Module Start Automatically After the Break?
No. One of our student's first-hand dMAT account confirms the General Academic Module does not begin automatically after the 30-minute mandatory break. The examiner must manually activate it, a requirement she says is not widely publicised before your test day.
This is one of the least publicised details about the dMAT, and it comes directly from one of our students who sat the exam herself: after the mandatory 30-minute break that follows the Core Module's third subtest, the General Academic Module does not simply resume on its own.
Why This Matters on Test Day
The examiner has to manually activate the module before you can begin. If you are not expecting this, the pause after your break could feel confusing or make you think something has gone wrong with your screen, when it is actually a normal part of the process.
Before and After the Break
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| During the 30-minute break | You can access your bag, eat snacks, and use your phone with invigilators present |
| Right after the break | Screen does not auto-advance, examiner must manually activate the module |
| Once activated | Roughly 10 tasks across 90 minutes, about 9 minutes per task, ending the exam |
My Advice
Use your mandatory 30-minute break to genuinely rest, eat, and reset, since you can access your bag, snacks and phone with invigilators present during it. Do not spend that break anxiously watching the screen for the module to start on its own, since per this account the delay before manual activation is normal, not a technical fault.
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