Table of Contents
What is the GAMSAT?
A standardized exam called the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) evaluates a candidate’s aptitude and abilities for graduate-entry medical, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary science programs in Australia and some UK and Irish institutions. This exam assesses applicants’ talents and skills from past learning and experience that are pertinent to the study and practice of medicine.
The University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland, the Flinders University of South Australia, and the University of Sydney were the four Australian medical institutions that originally administered the GAMSAT in 1995. In order to choose applicants for their graduate-entry medical programs—which demanded a previous bachelor’s degree in any field—these universities sought to create a tool. Since then, seven other medical institutions in Australia, along with schools of dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary science, have adopted GAMSAT. Numerous graduate-entry medical (GEM) programs in the UK and Ireland have also embraced the exam. These days, one of the main and most significant prerequisites for medical admission in Australia is the GAMSAT.
The exam is intended to assess general problem-solving, critical thinking, and writing abilities in addition to understanding of fundamental scientific principles and the capacity to apply them in a variety of settings. Because of this, the GAMSAT is crucial to the admissions process of Australia’s best medical schools and frequently makes the difference between very talented students.
We will offer a thorough overview of the GAMSAT exam in this post, together with details on test structure, important dates, fees, registration procedures, and more.
GAMSAT Overview
| Conducted By | Australian Council for Educational Research |
| Purpose | Entry to Graduate Medicine Entry Programs |
| Duration of Test | 5 hours and 30 minutes |
| Exam Fees | In Australian Dollar – 549 AUD |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s degree and general requirements. |
| Exam Date | August to September |
GAMSAT Exam Scoring and Structure
The GAMSAT is divided into three portions that evaluate various abilities and knowledge:
Section 1: Reasoning in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Section 1. This part has seventy-five multiple-choice questions designed to assess your comprehension, analysis, and interpretation of many kinds of texts, including graphs, poetry, cartoons, and articles. This phase will take 100 minutes to finish and will contribute toward 25% of your final score.
Section 2: Written Communication is covered in Section 2. Two essay questions in this section assess your ability to write on a particular topic in a logical and convincing manner. Two essays, one based on a collection of five quotations about a common subject and the other on a different group of five quotes about a different theme, are due in sixty minutes. You are free to write in any genre or style, including descriptive, narrative, argumentative, and contemplative. Additionally, this component counts for 25% of your total score.
Section 3: Logic in the Physical and Biological Sciences. There are 110 multiple-choice questions in this part designed to assess your understanding and application of fundamental science principles, including physics, chemistry, and biology. This phase will take 170 minutes to finish and will contribute toward 50% of your final score.
The three test components are given the following weights in order to determine the GAMSAT score:
25% go toward reasoning in the humanities and social sciences, 25% go toward written communication, and 50% go toward reasoning in the biological and physical sciences in Section 3.
The score has a range of 0 to 100, with a standard deviation of around 10 and a mean of approximately 50. The score has a two-year validity period. The GAMSAT cutoff scores and prerequisites for graduate admission courses vary throughout medical colleges.
In addition to the GAMSAT score, several colleges also take into account additional criteria, such academic standing, a personal statement, professional experience, and interview results. Some GEM (Graduate Entry Medicine) medical schools can help you get an interview if your GAMSAT score is between 59 and 62. However, the required score could change based on how competitive the course is and how many people apply. Free advice, you should also focus on finding a professional GAMSAT tutor.
Eligibility of GAMSAT
Despite the fact that taking the GAMSAT requires little prerequisites. Below is a summary of the prerequisites that must be fulfilled:
- In order to be eligible for the GAMSAT, applicants often need to have a bachelor’s degree or a comparable credential from an accredited university. Although there isn’t a set college major needed, the majority of applicants have degrees in science or related subjects.
- Certain universities could have required courses in physics, chemistry, and biology, for example.
- Eligibility for the GAMSAT is often available to both domestic and foreign applicants. However, depending on the regulations of certain medical schools or the nation in which the test is being taken, there can be some limitations based on citizenship or residence status.
- There is usually no maximum age to take the GAMSAT. However, as rules could differ, applicants should confirm the precise age requirements with the medical schools to which they intend to apply.
- There can be limitations on how many times GAMSAT applicants can take the test in a given time frame. Certain testing authority could, for instance, only allow applicants to retake the exam once every year or a maximum of four times total.
GAMSAT Process of Application
The stages involved in applying for GAMSAT are as follows:
- Visit the ACER website to register for the GAMSAT exam. It is necessary for you to pay the registration cost and create a GAMSAT account. For the March GAMSAT, registration opens in November, and for the September GAMSAT, it opens in May. From the list of possibilities, select the day and place of your choice for the exam.
- Review the exam’s structure, subject matter, and scoring to get ready for the GAMSAT. The test is given digitally and takes around five and a half hours to finish. To prepare for the GAMSAT test, you can make use of a variety of resources, including books, tutors, online courses, and official practice tools.
- Take the GAMSAT exam at the time and place of your choice. To the exam center, you must carry your GAMSAT ID, a picture ID, and any approved supplies. In addition, you will have to abide by the test’s guidelines, which include donning a face mask, keeping a social distance, and refraining from using any forbidden electronics. After passing the test, you will get an email confirming your registration.
- Await the announcement of your GAMSAT results. The GAMSAT results are typically made public two months following the test date. Via your GAMSAT account, you may view your results online. Both your total score and the scores for each component will be included in your results. After the exam date, your results are valid for two years.
- Submit an application directly to the medical schools of your choice or through GEMSAS. With only one online application, you may apply to many Australian medical schools using the GEMSAS (Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System), a centralized application service. Your information, academic records, GAMSAT scores, and preferences for a maximum of six medical schools must be submitted. Along with submitting any necessary supporting documentation, you must also pay the application cost.
- Participate in interviews and accept offers from medical colleges. The medical schools or GEMSAS will notify you if you are selected for an interview. Typically, interviews take place between July and November. Depending on the medical school, several requirements and formats for interviews may apply. Your fitness for medicine, ethical thinking, communication skills, and motivation will all be evaluated.
- Following the interviews, you will get offers from medical schools’ contingent on your performance in the interview, your GPA, your GAMSAT scores, and other variables. Within the allotted time, you must decide whether to accept or reject the offers.
Application Deadline and Fees
Twice a year, between March and September, the GAMSAT is administered. December 2023 saw the opening of registration for the March 2024 GAMSAT, which ended on February 1st, 2024. Conversely, the September 2024 GAMSAT registration period begins in May 2024 and ends on Thursday, July 4, 2024. With the same 110 AUD late registration cost, it ends on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Section 2 (Written Communication) will be performed via remote proctoring on August 31–September 1, 2024, while Sections 1 and 3 will be taken in a test center on September 13–15, 2024, depending on the region. The September 2024 GAMSAT will also be administered in a digital format. For the September 2024 GAMSAT, the usual registration price is 549 AUD.
