Without a question, the GAMSAT is one of the most intimidating and daunting admission tests for medical school. Only colleges accepting graduates are eligible, and applicants must possess a strong background in the humanities, composition, and science. The GAMSAT is achievable if preparation is done properly, despite the bad connotations most people have with it and how difficult it may appear.
Why is the GAMSAT being held?
As its name suggests, the Graduate Medical School Admission Test is known by its abbreviation GAMSAT. Originally, only Australian graduate medical schools utilized it. It is determined by ACER, the Australian Council for Educational Research. These days, the UK and all of Europe use it. In the UK, graduate programs that do not need a science undergraduate degree primarily use it to screen candidates to make sure they have the scientific aptitude to stay up with the rigorous graduate program without discouraging them for holding a humanities degree. We’ve outlined all the places where a humanities degree may be used to in medicine in our blog article “Medicine with a humanities degree.”
One of the biggest mistakes that most first-time GAMSAT participants make is thinking that the test is content-based, meaning that you would score well on questions if you commit a lot of chemistry, biology, and physics to memory. This is basically untrue; ACER has created a cognitive, psychometric exam that emphasizes problem-solving above pure science. It’s critical that you keep this in mind while you get ready.
Is it at all? What is the price?
The GAMSAT is held twice a year, in September and in March. Make sure your preferred venue is holding the test at the time you wish to take it, since it is conducted in different places around the UK depending on where it is being held! Each sitting has early registration that opens six months in advance; late registration is available up to one month beforehand, however there is a £60 late registration charge. The test is £268 in itself.
In an ideal world, it would be preferable to take the GAMSAT in March rather than September. This is a result of the interaction between the UCAS application cycle and any additional admission tests you may want to take. Since there isn’t much going on during the application round, you may concentrate entirely on the GAMSAT by sitting in March. If you are taking the test in September, you will also need to prepare for the UKCAT, write your personal statement, and choose your institution. If you want to increase your chances of receiving at least one extremely high entrance test score, a suitable Plan B scenario would be to take the GAMSAT in March, the UKCAT in July, and maybe the GAMSAT or UKCAT again in September.
How is it laid out? What is the score?
There are three components of the exam:
Section 1: There are 62 questions overall in an MCQ style. You will be required to study material from a variety of sources and respond to questions centered around it in this part, which is named “reasoning in the humanities.”
Section 2: It has two essay-style questions. The “written communication” portion of the exam requires applicants to compose two brief essays in answer to questions on two different subjects.
Section 3: There are a total of 75 multiple-choice questions. The “reasoning in biological and physical sciences” component asks applicants to study materials on chemistry, biology, and arithmetic and then respond to questions by fusing their own understanding with the information from the sources.
For many years, the GAMSAT scoring system has baffled observers. You should keep in mind that the score is neither a percentage nor an amount based on the total number of questions. After doubling the S3 score and dividing by four, an overall score is calculated by adding the scores of each part. Hiring a GAMSAT tutor is a good decision to get your things easier and attain awesome grades.
The marks are valid for two years before you have to retake the exam since the results for each component are scaled within the cohort that took the test and within the two cohorts prior to that. This scaling takes into account the degree of difficulty that students found the exam, so just because a paper was “easier” in March 2019 doesn’t mean that students in September 2019 scored better than students in March 2019. Though colleges often state that there is a “genuine” cutoff point of 50, keep in mind that there is also a covert “competitive” cutoff point. An interview is not guaranteed just because you scored 50; there could be enough students with scores higher than 57 to fill every interview slot. The higher the better, just like on any test!
As scores are made public two months after the sit date, in this case it will be revealed in May for March and November for September.
What’s the estimated time frame?
Since each person is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this question. Many individuals take well over six months to prepare for the GAMSAT, yet they cannot ensure a good score if they study for two hours a week in a low-yield manner.
Before going on to S3 preparation, if you are a humanities student, start with S1 and S2 preparation to establish a baseline for yourself, since this is probably where your talents are. Science students, on the other hand, start with S3 and then concentrate on S1 and S2. If you put in a dedicated effort of eight hours or more each week, three months should be enough time to be ready and do your best on the test.
Which sources should I choose to consult?
Numerous resources are accessible to assist students in preparing for and taking the GAMSAT. The ACER practice papers are the most beneficial of them. These are a costly buy, costing around £30 each, but they are invaluable in terms of the knowledge and practice they will provide you with on the real questions you will encounter on the GAMSAT.
How should I be ready for each section?
Since every portion is unique, it must be approached in a somewhat different manner. Try one of the ACER previous papers (like Blue or Orange) FIRST to see what kinds of questions are asked in each part. This is the best advice available. Although your score from your first attempt is irrelevant, it will help you focus your revision and indicate the kinds of things you need to learn.
Section 1: To “get your eye in,” start with an ACER practice paper.
- Throughout the procedure, jot down any terms or expressions you are unfamiliar with and compile a list of vocabulary words.
- Run without a timer until you reach 70–75%
- To practice deducing why certain responses are correct or incorrect, be sure to verify all answers, whether they are right or wrong.
- Practice answering timed questions to avoid losing points, but keep practicing answering questions accurately and fast.
Section 2: Start with a practice ACER paper
Read up on related background material in the humanities, such as politics, history, sociology, and the arts. It doesn’t have to be exhaustive; anything that helps strengthen your writings or provide instances is acceptable
- Practice thinking through your responses in detail and rapidly.
- Make a modest collection of quotations that you may use in other writings.
- Essays should never take more than one hour to complete.
- Reduce the duration gradually until you allow yourself 30 minutes for each essay.
Section 3: Start with a practise ACER paper
- Keep a record of the subjects you encounter.
- Make sure you have a solid foundation in the fundamentals of biology, chemistry, or physics. If you don’t know what a mole or an atom is, there’s no use taking up a textbook on acids and bases.
- Work through the material, making an effort to comprehend it rather than merely memorize it.
- Make an equation bank that will be helpful for every segment.
- Remember your mathematics!
- Before tightening the time constraint, try answering untimed questions one again.
