GAMSAT

What Is GAMSAT?

GAMSAT is a test that was originally developed for Medical School applicants in Australia, where Medicine was a graduate entry course. It has since been adopted by a number of Graduate Entry Medicine courses in the UK.

The exam evaluates the abilities and skills you’ve gained through prior experience and learning. It covers basic science, as well as the general skills of problem-solving, critical thinking and writing.

Which Graduate Entry Medical Schools Require GAMSAT?

The UK Medical Schools that use GAMSAT for their Graduate Entry courses are:

• Cardiff
• Dundee / St Andrews
• Exeter
• Liverpool
• Nottingham
• Plymouth
• St George’s, London
• Swansea

What Is The Format Of GAMSAT?

GAMSAT is a day-long test, divided into three sections:

1. Reasoning in humanities. Reading time 10 minutes, writing time 100 minutes
2. Written communication. Reading time 5 minutes, writing time 60 minutes
3. Reasoning in biological and physical sciences. Reading time 10 minutes, writing time 170 minutes

It used to be a paper test, but it’s now sat digitally.

When Should I Take GAMSAT?

GAMSAT is usually offered twice a year, in March and September.

If you want to sit the GAMSAT in March, your choice of test centres is limited to two: Liverpool and London. But sitting this exam early gives you the chance to resit later in the year, if you need to. Registration for the March sitting opens in November and closes January 31.

The September GAMSAT is available in more test centres. You can register between mid May and the end of July.

How Much is GAMSAT?

GAMSAT costs £268 to sit in the UK. If you register late, you’ll have to pay a fee of £60. The price is different in Ireland (€341) and Australia ($515).

When Do I Get My GAMSAT Results?

You’ll get your GAMSAT score via email, once the testing period is over. For the September sitting, you can expect results from late November. For the March sitting, results are usually sent at the start of July.

Can I Resit the GAMSAT Test?

There’s no limit to the number of times that you can sit GAMSAT. This means you could sit it in March and then resit it in September, if you need to – and again the next year.

If you take GAMSAT more than once, you can choose which results to use in your application to study Graduate Entry Medicine.

How Should I Prepare For GAMSAT?

The best way to prepare for section 1 and 2 is read as widely as possible. Keeping abreast of the latest medical news is a good idea – but this also includes reading novels and poems, as well as periodicals. When you do this, try to find the meaning in what you’re reading and practice forming opinions and judgements from the text.

To prepare for section 3, it’s a good idea to work through preparation materials that you can find online (or from the test provider ACER). Practising answers with example questions will help you to hone your GAMSAT test skills. You should also swot-up on A-Level physics and first-year university chemistry and biology texts.