GAMSAT is the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test, which is a computer-based exam designed, scored and developed by ACER (gamsat.acer.org) to assist in the admissions of students to graduate-entry programmes (medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, podiatry and veterinary science) open to graduates of any discipline. Candidates must have a bachelor's degree, or equivalent, completed prior to commencement of the degree. Participating programmes are located in Australia, Ireland and the UK with affiliated programmes in Poland, Cyprus, and Singapore (Duke-NUS).

GAMSAT had been delivered as a pen and paper exam since its inception in 1996; however, due to strict physical distancing protocols brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the March 2020 GAMSAT changed to become administered online and remotely proctored. In September 2020, GAMSAT remained in digital format but began to be held at selected test centres which has been established as the current and future standard: a computer-based, standardized examination. The timing and formatting of the real exam has changed 3 times in the past 2 years with the most recent update occurring during the March 2022 testing window. Other modifications introduced in 2022, for the first time: 1) students who live more that 3 hours from a test centre can apply to sit the GAMSAT at home with remote proctoring; 2) students could bring an erasable whiteboard (30 cm x 25 cm, or smaller) and marker to the test centre in lieu of the A4 sheets of scratch/scrap/note paper that the test centre provides; 3) the Section 1 subtest was extended with respect to the number of questions and the timing.

GAMSAT is offered twice a year, in March and September, in each of Australia, the UK, and Ireland, as well as selected international locations. The March 2023 GAMSAT was scheduled on March 18-22, 2023, while the September 2023 GAMSAT testing window was on September 8-12, 2023. One of ACER's GAMSAT changes that started in 2022, already briefly mentioned: The total testing time is 30 minutes longer as Section 1 has been extended to 62 questions in 100 minutes. Section 1 had 47 questions in 70 minutes in test centres in 2020 and 2021. The following is a summary of a typical GAMSAT exam day.

*MCQs: multiple-choice questions, 4 options per question with only 1 best answer. Note that the 'old' GAMSAT had a dedicated 'reading time' of 10 minutes for each of Section 1 and 3, and 5 minutes for Section 2. During that reading time, students were not permitted to write or mark their exam paper in any way. The new digital GAMSAT has added time for each of the 3 exam sections as a legacy to 'reading time'; however, in practice, you can use your exam time in any way that you see fit.

**It might be a good idea to allocate a whole day to sit the GAMSAT test to allow for any contingencies and/or technical issues that you might encounter. Before the 2020 sittings, the exam-day experience lasted more than 7 hours excluding added traffic and queues at the larger testing centres (i.e. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, London, Dublin). Safety measures and health protocols should be carefully anticipated when making travel arrangements and accommodations to and from the testing centre.

Everything You Need To Know About The GAMSAT

WHAT IS GAMSAT? (AN OVERVIEW)

GAMSAT, or Graduate Medical School Admissions Test, is a standardised exam administered by ACER for those applying for graduate entry medicine (GEM).

WHO CAN SIT THE GAMSAT?

Learn the requirements for sitting the GAMSAT, as well as links to programmes in Australia, Ireland, and the U.K. along with their respective qualifications for entry.

WHAT DOES THE GAMSAT CONSIST OF?

GAMSAT assesses skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and written communication through your performance in three exam sections.

GAMSAT TEST CENTRES

GAMSAT test centres are available in various cities across Australia, Ireland, the U.K. and a few international locations in March and September every year.

HOW MUCH TIME DO I NEED TO STUDY FOR THE GAMSAT?

GAMSAT preparation requires, on average, 3-6 hours per day for 3-6 months depending on your academic background, availability and personal circumstances.

FREE GAMSAT PREPARATION RESOURCES FROM GOLD STANDARD

Gold Standard has assembled an extensive list of free preparation materials and section guides to help you achieve a higher GAMSAT score.

GAMSAT SCORES IN AUSTRALIA, UK AND IRELAND

Test scores for Australia, Ireland, and the UK are explained, along with a comprehensive list of resources to assist you in better understanding the exam scoring system.

HOW IS THE GAMSAT SCORED?

GAMSAT scores are mapped to a scale ranging from 100 to 0. Note that over 95% of candidates will receive a scaled test score of 40 to 80.

GRADUATE ENTRY MEDICINE IN AUSTRALIA (AN OVERVIEW)

Twelve universities in Australia currently offer graduate medical programmes to both domestic and international students.

WHAT IS A GOOD GAMSAT SCORE?

A high score is over 65, while an average score is approximately 56-58. The highest score achievable is 100; however, only 0.1% of students score over 80.

FOR HOW LONG ARE GAMSAT RESULTS VALID?

ACER recently announced that in Australia, GAMSAT results remain valid for up to 4 years. GAMSAT scores are valid for 2 years in the UK and Ireland.