GAMSAT, or Graduate Medical School Admissions Test, is a standardised exam administered by ACER for those applying for graduate entry medicine (GEM).
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The New Digital 2022-2023 GAMSAT: Humanities, Essays and Science Reasoning
GAMSAT is the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test, which is a standardised exam designed, scored and developed by ACER 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 has been delivered as a pen and paper exam since its inception in 1996; however, due to strict physical distancing protocols brought about by by the COVID-19 pandemic, the March 2020 exam was administered online and remotely proctored in May-June. 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. 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.
When can you sit the GAMSAT?
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 September 2022 GAMSAT is scheduled for September 5-9, 2022, while the March 2023 GAMSAT testing window will only be known in November of this year. ACER's exam change for 2022: 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.
Summary of the new Digital-format GAMSAT Exam Day |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Key Points | Event | Duration | |
| Arrival and Sitting of Exam | Bring only the acceptable ID documents and permitted items to the test centre as specified in ACER's GAMSAT Information Booklet | Security, identification, health protocols | 45-60 minutes |
| Section 1: Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences | Key skills are reading speed and comprehension of information within socio-cultural contexts | 62 MCQs* (the test centre will provide you with 2 sheets of A4 scratch paper to be used for both Section 1 and 2) |
100 minutes |
| Section 2: Written Communication | Produce ideas in writing with clarity and soundness; essays are typed with no copy/paste function | 2 essays typed on a computer | 65 minutes |
| Lunch | Consider packing your own lunch to avoid queues with nervous chatter | - | 30 minutes |
| Section 3: Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences | Analyse and solve problems: 40% Biology, 40% Chemistry (equally split between General and Organic); 20% Physics | 75 MCQs* (the test centre will provide you with 2 new sheets of A4 scratch paper to be used only for Section 3) |
150 minutes |
| Total Test Time | - | - | 5 hours, 15 minutes |
| Total Appointment Time | Success requires stamina; stamina improves with practice. | - | 6-7 hours** |
*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
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.
GAMSAT assesses skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and written communication through your performance in three exam sections.
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.
GAMSAT preparation requires, on average, 3-6 hours per day for 3-6 months depending on your academic background, availability and personal circumstances.
Gold Standard has assembled an extensive list of free preparation materials and section guides to help you achieve a higher GAMSAT score.
GAMSAT Scores for Australia, Ireland, and the UK are explained, along with a comprehensive list of resources to assist you in better understanding the GAMSAT scoring system.
GAMSAT scores are mapped to a scale ranging from 100 to 0. Note that over 95% of candidates will receive a scaled GAMSAT score of 40 to 80.
Twelve universities in Australia currently offer graduate medical programmes to both domestic and international students.
A high GAMSAT score is over 65, while an average GAMSAT score is approximately 56-58. Although the highest GAMSAT score achievable is 100; however, only 0.1% of students score over 80.
GAMSAT Scores (valid for 2 years) and their Currency based on the Country where the Medical School Programme Resides
Gold Standard's GAMSAT Guide
To help you prepare for the exam, Gold Standard has assembled comprehensive information on scores, topics covered, preparation advice, free sample questions and other study resources.
- What is the GAMSAT? - Gold Standard's detailed guide
- GAMSAT Scores - A complete resource that explains how the exam is scored and other questions relating to scoring
- Free GAMSAT Resources - A comprehensive guide on preparing for each section of the exam with links to relevant study resources
- Australian Medical Schools Admission Requirements - A comprehensive list of GPA scores for graduate entry medicine (GEM) programmes in Australia and Australasia
- Free GAMSAT Study Schedule - Even if you don't own any of the Gold Standard materials, this study schedule remains helpful as it details the subjects covered for review and practice on a daily basis.
- GAMSAT Study Tips on Efficient Note-taking - One of our popular resources! Read tips on how to consolidate your review by creating brief notes a.k.a. Gold Notes that will be vital in your daily review in the lead up to the real exam.
- Free Monthly GAMSAT Webinars - Take advantage of our free monthly online seminars (webinars) using a problem-based learning approach on the different topics in the GAMSAT and get a chance to win a giveaway.
- Non-science Background GAMSAT Preparation - Dr Ferdinand (author of The Gold Standard books) outlines the 70/30 formula to get a high score. Also includes a link to advice on related topics.
Free GAMSAT practice:
- Free GAMSAT Practice Test - This timed practice test includes all three sections with instant scaled scores and helpful worked solutions.
- GAMSAT Practice Question of the Day - Develop your reasoning skills with daily practice, one subject at a time
- GAMSAT Physics Sample Questions - 15 free Physics sample questions with answers and worked solutions to hone your basic problem-solving skills and understanding of Section 3 material
