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Computer-based 2024 GAMSAT: Humanities, Essays and Science Reasoning

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.

In 2024, for the first time ever, ACER decided that GAMSAT should be split into 2 separate testing windows. You will begin by sitting Written Communication (the essay section, formerly known as Section II) as a remote-proctored exam which you can sit at home. On a later date, in either March or September, you will sit the two multiple-choice sections (formerly: Section I and III) at a test centre, or remote-proctored if you are more than 3 hours from a test centre.

GAMSAT Exam Summary: all the key information you need
NEW 2023-2024 GAMSAT Masters Series Biology NEW 2023-2024 GAMSAT Masters Series Maths and Physics NEW 2023-2024 GAMSAT Masters Series Organic Chemistry NEW 2023-2024 GAMSAT Masters Series General Chemistry NEW 2023-2024 GAMSAT Masters Series Section 1 NEW 2023-2024 GAMSAT Masters Series Section 2 GAMSAT Practice Tests

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 following is a summary of a typical GAMSAT. Keep in mind that Written Communication, which is the essay section formerly known as Section II, will be on a separate day whereas the 2 multiple-choice sections (formerly: Section I and III), will be held on a subsequent day.

Summary of the new Digital-format GAMSAT

Key Points Event Duration
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
Arrival and Sitting of Exam (multiple-choice sections only) 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
Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences (AKA Section 1) 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; option: whiteboard)
100 minutes
Break Consider packing your own food/snacks to avoid queues with nervous chatter - 20 minutes
Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences (AKA Section 3) 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; option: whiteboard)
150 minutes
Total Test Time - - 5 hours, 15 minutes
Total Appointment Time Success requires stamina; stamina improves with practice. - 7-9 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

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

What is 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.

Who Can Sit The GAMSAT?

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 Test Centres

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.

How is the GAMSAT Scored?

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.

Average, Good and High GAMSAT Scores

Free GAMSAT practice: