When I was preparing for GAMSAT I came across a London-based study group via The Student Room (see below). We met up in the British Library and… I’ll be honest… the first session wasn’t the most productive! We ended up chatting about medical school applications and how intimidated we were by the test.

As time went by the group thinned down to 3 or so people. We met up occasionally, shared some resources and supported each other via WhatsApp. After each of my two GAMSAT sittings I met up with them for a drink. It was nice to feel like I wasn’t going through it all alone.

Below are 4 places you should be able to find other GAMSAT takers and therefore offers to join study groups. You could of course always set up a study group of your own!

1. GAMSAT subreddit (r/GAMSAT)

This subreddit has candidates from round the world. Tonnes of advice can be found here too.

Link: reddit.com/r/GAMSAT

2. The Student Room

Often referred to as “TSR”, this website is aimed at students studying all kinds of subjects the UK.

To find fellow GAMSAT sitters, search for the GAMSAT thread in the Medicine forum that’s created annually.

Most candidates on TSR are from the UK.

Link: thestudentroom.co.uk

3. PagingDr

This old school forum is brimming with GAMSAT advice and also potential study group members.

There is even a thread dedicated to free section 2 essay feedback which I mention in my GAMSAT Free Resources Master List.

You’ll mostly find Australia-based candidates, but there are also candidates from elsewhere including the UK and Ireland.

Link: pagingdr.net

4. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Explore the #GAMSAT hashtag on both Instagram & Twitter. You’re bound to find other GAMSAT takers who you can follow, get to know and share the journey with. You could even propose a virtual study group via Zoom.

There are also quite a few Facebook groups dedicated to GAMSAT. Just be mindful that some groups have been set up by companies hoping to sell courses, resources or tutoring to you. Not saying there’s anything wrong with this but if you don’t want to be sold to keep looking until you find a group that’s company-free.

Example groups:

• GAMSAT 2021 Study Group
• GAMSAT Resources & Study Group
• And find more via a FB search for groups: click here

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You might also be interested in my article 5 Excellent GAMSAT Prep Resources.

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Experienced writers can be overconfident and be caught out by the restrictive time limit.

Inexperienced writers can neglect this section in favour of prep for the more intimidating Section 3.

But if you want a nice score boost, I recommend you get serious about Section 2!

Essential Info

Section 2 is the “Written Communication” section for which you need to write two essays in response to two “tasks”. ACER want to see what kinds of ideas you can come up with on the fly and how well you can express them in writing.

Each task will consist of 4 “comments” or quotes (in the past it was 5) from which you can ascertain a common, general theme. Feel free to respond to one quote, 2-3 of the quotes or the whole general theme.

It isn’t necessary to give your essays titles. But it might help YOU to do so! More on this later…

Timing info

Number of essays: 2

Reading time: 5 mins

Writing time: 60 mins

Writing time per essay*: 30 mins

*You can actually spend more time writing one essay than another because you have a total of 60 minutes to write both.

Themes

Task A (socio-cultural issues)

Writing style: argumentative, academic

Example topics:

• War
• Government / democracy
• Technology
• Crime
• Art

Task B (personal and social issues)

Writing style: emotional response, reflective

Example topics:

• Ageing
• Beauty
• Forgiveness
• Happiness
• Intelligence
• Love

Official advice from ACER

Each essay will require you to “produce and develop ideas in writing” meaning they’re testing your ability to come up with ideas off the cuff and express them effectively.

ACER warns that “pre-prepared responses and responses that do not relate to the topic will receive a low score.”

It might be comforting to know that you will not be assessed on the “correctness” of your point of view. So whether you’ll be expressing right-wing, left-wing or middle-ground views, in theory it should not impact on your score.

Unlike what you may have come across in your academic journey so far, you will not be asked to respond to a specific question or be given a title. Instead, you will need to ascertain a common theme FIRST from the comments/quotes provided and respond to that.

You will be marked on the “organisation and expression” plus “thought and content” of your essays…

Thought and content (quality of what is said)

• “What is made of and developed from the task” (e.g. depth provided for each idea you present, shown you can understand both the explicit and implicit meaning in the quotes, backed your ideas with evidence and examples)
• “The kinds of thoughts and feelings offered in response to the task” (e.g. considered both sides of an argument, provided original and unexpected ideas)

Organisation and expression (the quality of the structure developed and the language used)

• “Shape and form of the piece” (e.g. paragraphs, linking of paragraphs, logical order of ideas)
• “Effectiveness and fluency of the language” (e.g. grammar & spelling, jargon-free and appropriate wording, varying length of sentences)

Unfortunately, that’s all the detail you can get out of ACER about how exactly they will assess you!

You will notice, though, that knowledge per se (e.g. regurgitating political/historical facts) is not credited.

How to prepare

Firstly, read around gathering ideas and build an ideas bank. Many people are a fan of the book The Meaning of Things by AC Grayling because each chapter is essentially a little essay in response to a likely Section 2 theme!

In supplement to AC Grayling’s book, read widely and make sure to consider opinions that may not align with your personal beliefs.

Seek to develop an understanding of different viewpoints and reflect on insightful or surprising ideas you come across. This is far more useful than memorising facts to regurgitate.

Free sources of Section 2 ideas include TED Talks, The Guardian: Opinion and The Conversation.

Secondly, decide on the structure you’re going to use (including if you’re going to use one at all!) and the phrases and language you’ll use as part of that structure. I provide example essay structures later in this blog post…

Thirdly, PRACTICE. You cannot get better at writing if you do not write! I recommend at least 20 practice essays, at least 16 of those timed (5-10 mins planning, 20-25 mins writing). Do not under appreciate the value of using 5-10 mins to plan your essays. This will help ensure quality over quantity.

Tips for practicing

• Naturally you’ll want feedback on your essays but, as I mentioned earlier, ACER (who administer the test) aren’t very open about their marking criteria. However, you can get your essays marked by ACER’s official marking system if you have some spare cash. Link: https://gamsat.acer.org/prepare/preparation-materials
• You could also form an essay exchange group with some study buddies. How does this work? You take turns setting the quotes each week using a quote generator. Every week you all write an essay in response and have your best go at marking each other’s work. I did this and it was a great help for me (plus I was able to steal some excellent ideas from other people!)
• On my FREE GAMSAT Resources Master List page I link to free quote generators and practice essays that you may find helpful.

My approach to Task A

This is your chance to show you can generate interesting, original (i.e. unexpected) ideas and arguments on the fly. This is the step-by-step approach I used to score 67 in section 2.

1. Ascertain the theme

Read all 4 comments/quotes. Look for keywords, sentiments and topics that are in common between them, as well as contrasts and paradoxes. It may not always be obvious, but a common general theme is always in there e.g. democracy, technology.

2. Create an essay title / question to answer

Once you have determined the theme (see above), you can choose to either respond to one comment/quote, or create your own essay title or question to answer based on that theme. Pick a title or question that you could imagine two people disagreeing over.

3. Pick a side

Now you have a self-made essay question to answer, or a title to respond to, decide which side of the argument you sit on. It doesn’t matter if it genuinely aligns with your actual views. No one is going to check!

4. Brainstorm

Come up with 3-4 supporting ideas for the side you have picked PLUS supporting evidence (e.g. recent news piece, historical fact, research finding or a quote from a notable person) for the assertions you will use. You may only find time to include 2-3 main ideas, but that’s fine. Lastly, come up with at least 1 idea that supports the opposing side of the argument to show you can foresee and understand different opinions.

5. Plan around a structure

The structure I used is below. Feel free to use it or a variation of it.

6. Write!

Style tips:

• Your idea bank should have breadth. But your essays should have depth!
• Link your paragraphs together.
• Vary the length of your sentences. Use both short and long ones.
• Use active words instead of having a passive voice e.g. “Teachers believe that…” vs “It is thought that teachers believe…”
• Aim for 300-500 words maximum. Depending on your handwriting, this could be the equivalent of 2-3 sides of A4 paper.
• It’s a myth that you need to memorise quotes and regurgitate them.
• It’s a myth that you can’t use “I”. Feel free to if it suits your writing style.
• Aim to be clear and persuasive. Stick to clear, plain language that gets your point across. There are no bonus points for sounding pompous!

Phrases you may find handy:

• Starting argumentative paragraphs: firstly, one reason for this, first of all, secondly, thirdly, finally, another reason is
• Contrasting: however, in contrast, despite, nonetheless, nevertheless, yet, on the one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, in spite of this
• Emphasis: clearly, indeed, in fact, most importantly
• Providing examples: moreover, similarly, furthermore, in addition, besides, also
• Concluding: consequently, in conclusion

7. Proof-read & edit

Leave a few mins at the end of each essay to read through them. Check writing is legible, there are no missing or duplicate words and that it all generally makes sense.

My approach to Task B

Task B is your chance to show you understand emotions and can learn from and reflect on experiences. This is the step-by-step approach I used to score 67 in section 2.

1. Ascertain the theme:

Read all 4 quotes. Look for keywords, sentiments and topics that are in common between them, as well as contrasts and paradoxes. It may not always be obvious, but a common theme is always in there e.g. love, ageing

2. Create an essay title / question to answer:

Once you have determined the theme (see above), you can choose to either respond to one comment/quote, or fashion an essay title or question to answer based on that theme.

3. Think of a relevant personal experience you learnt from:

This does not have to be a genuine experience of yours. You could adopt the experience of a friend, family member or even a character of a TV show or movie!

4. What did you learn from this experience? How could this relate to society as a whole?

Include a paragraph before your conclusion explaining an implication for society.

5. Plan around a structure.

The structure I used is below. Feel free to use it or a variation of it.

6. Write!

Style tips:

Because this a reflective, more personal essay than Task A, definitely feel free to use “I” and delve into what you have felt and learnt. Analytical, argumentative writing is not as suitable for this task.

Otherwise, similar to Task A…

• Vary the length of your sentences. Use both short and long ones.
• Aim for 300-500 words maximum. Depending on your handwriting, this could be the equivalent of 2-3 sides of A4 paper.
• Use active words instead of having a passive voice e.g. “Teachers believe that…” vs “It is thought that teachers believe…”
• Aim to be clear and persuasive. Stick to clear, plain language that gets your point across. There are no bonus points for sounding pompous!

7. Proof-read and edit

Leave a few mins at the end of each essay to read through them. Check writing is legible, there are no missing or duplicate words and that it all generally makes sense.

Final Tips

• DO NOT MEMORISE TEMPLATE ESSAYS AND REGURGITATE THEM IN THE EXAM. You are setting yourself up for a bad score. ACER warn against this in their official advice! Develop the skill and confidence to respond effectively to whatever is thrown at you on test day instead.
• Your idea bank should have breadth. But your essays should have depth!
• Back up every point you make with evidence.
• Consider an unexpected approach to the theme and individual quotes.
• Aim to come across as an expert (even if you’re not!). You must write with confidence.
• Read your practice essays out loud. This will help you spot awkward grammar and phrasing.
• It’s fine to write as if you are talking to the examiner for both tasks e.g. part-way through the essay you could share that you’ve changed your mind! “It now occurs to me…”
• Feel free to share how much you agree or disagree with certain comments/quotes.
• Don’t take comments/quotes at face value. Consider intended meanings i.e. read between the lines!
• Some people don’t recommend using a structure at all! Instead they suggest writing as if you are arguing a point in an email/text message/forum post. It’s important to find what works best for YOU and YOUR writing style.
• Keep your writing LEGIBLE. You won’t get any marks for writing that can’t be read!
• TheMedicBlog has produced a free essay marking guide. I didn’t use it myself but as it’s free might be worth checking out.

TL;DR

• Gather a wide range of ideas e.g. via The Meaning of Things by AC Grayling and TED Talks.
• When writing the essays, provide depth to a few ideas, rather than lots of ideas that you barely explain.
• Decide on the essay structure you’ll use (if you’ll use one at all).
• Practice either alone or with an essay exchange group of study buddies.
• Mark your own or study buddies’ essays to help improve your ability to critique writing, and in turn improve your awareness to improve your own writing.
• The only way to improve writing is… by writing! So write!!

Further reading:

• Marking sheet to use with your own essays or study buddies.
• Writing an introduction advice by GAMSAT English Tutor.
• Essay writing tips by GAMSAT Edge.
• Example essays on beauty on the Gold Standard GAMSAT forum.

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Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article A Beginner’s Guide to GAMSAT Section 3.

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ACER, the company that administrates the exam, doesn’t give much away. As a result, many are left speculating about how they will actually beat the GAMSAT.

I’m by no means claiming I magically have all the answers. Consider this blog post simply advice, not dogma. Keep your eyes and ears open for advice from others who have also succeeded at this exam as I’m sure they could have some great tips too.

I’ve prepared the below based on my own experiences doing the exam (two sittings, successful on the second), helping others and analysing the success stories of very high scorers.

Essential info

Section 3 is the “Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences” section. It is the longest and arguably toughest part of the GAMSAT. All questions are multiple choice.

Breakdown of timings:

In reality the time you spend on each question will vary – some questions take more time to solve than others. So take the average time per question as a rough guide.

You’ll notice that people sitting the digital exam due to the COVID-19 pandemic will have more time on average per question than if they were sitting the traditional pen-and-paper exam.

To learn more about the unique 2020 exam arrangements, read this article >>> GAMSAT, UCAT & BMAT 2020 Updates

Content

Official advice from ACER:

There is no official syllabus for Section 3. I REPEAT. No official syllabus! Why? I don’t know. It’s annoying isn’t it.

However, ACER do provide some useful advice. In summary:

• In the Information Booklet they explain that “success in GAMSAT is unlikely without knowledge and ability in the biological and physical sciences.”
• The same booklet also states that the split between the sciences will be: 40% Biology, 40% Chemistry, 20% Physics.
• They go on to list the reasoning and problem solving skills tested in the exam. Such as analysing and interpreting data, extrapolation, interpolation, estimation, making generalisations, evaluating lines of reasoning and selecting out relevant information.
• On their preparation strategy page they recommend obtaining textbooks for first year degree level Chemistry and Biology, and A level / leaving certificate / year 12 level Physics in order to obtain a certain level of “assumed knowledge”.

My personal experience:

I’m a science graduate and I sat GAMSAT twice. First time I was one mark below the Nottingham cut off. I was gutted. But the second time I got a good score (top 12%).

The first time I sat it I noticed there was a fair amount of Physics. Then again, maybe this only stood out to me because Physics is my weakest science.

The second time I sat it there was barely any Organic Chemistry. And in fact, the whole exam felt like 95% reasoning and 5% knowledge even though every questions’ preamble had some basis in science. It was just reasoning dressed up as science!

I’ve spoken to others since my last GAMSAT exam, both in real life and via forums, and it seems I’m not the only one who feels GAMSAT Section 3 is now super reasoning heavy.

Key takeaways:

• Knowledge will help you somewhat, but not nearly as much as you might hope it will. This is particularly important for science grads to hear! Don’t be overconfident.
• The official 40 / 40 / 20 split won’t necessarily apply to each individual sitting. So, don’t be surprised if you have way more of one science and/or way less of another when you sit your test.
• Working on problem solving and reasoning skills should not be overlooked in your preparation.

Unofficial syllabuses:

In the absence of an official syllabus you could use one of the following free ones:

1. GradMed (I personally used this one)
2. AceGAMSAT
3. Griffiths’ GAMSAT Review

How to study

You may already know that it’s far more important to be able to apply knowledge, problem solve and understand science concepts than it is to be able to regurgitate facts for this section. Making it unlike the majority of school and university exams.

If you weren’t already aware of this, the clue is in the name of the section: “Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences”. This is also explained in the official ACER GAMSAT Information Booklets released for each sitting.

Just to illustrate how unlike a normal science exam this test is, I had a few lessons with a Physics tutor in preparation for my first sitting. The tutor was doing a PhD in Physics at one of the top universities in the world. Despite this they were often stumped by the GAMSAT style questions I showed them!

Having said all that, a good level of basic science knowledge, familiarity with more advanced science concepts and a good understanding of them could improve how quickly you comprehend and answer questions. Given that Section 3 is extremely time pressured (many people don’t finish it – I didn’t) you’re likely to benefit from the speed boost, even if it’s only modest, because you’ll get round to answering more questions.

Great. But the question remains… How exactly should you study??

Understand

Make sure you UNDERSTAND what you cover in your prep.

I emphasise understanding because maybe in the past you’ve crammed for science exams and got away with it. I’ve regurgitated things I’ve half understood and got good scores even at degree level. But this approach won’t do you any favours in the GAMSAT.

So what do you need to do to truly improve your understanding?

Go over topics with a nit comb. Look up EVERYTHING you don’t fully understand. This will feel inefficient but it’s important.

Once you feel pretty comfortable with a topic, nonetheless challenge yourself with probing questions and end-of-chapter style quizzes (available on the Khan Academy website and most textbooks). You could also ask study buddies, a mentor or hire a tutor to challenge your understanding.

GAMSAT style practice questions are also great at exposing flaws in your understanding or basic science knowledge. Which is why I recommend doing lots of practice questions also. More on that later on…

Language, symbols & units

This goes with the above but make sure you really understand the SCIENCE LANGUAGE, SYMBOLS and UNITS you come across in your prep.

For example, what does “oxidation” actually mean in Chemistry? When a chemical is oxidised one of the following happens: gains oxygen, loses hydrogen and/or loses electrons. Yet many people only associate it with losing electrons due to the OIL RIG mnemonic.

By the way there’s a video I love by Crash Course on how to speak “chemistrian” (Chemistry terms!)

Fill in the gaps

Fill in gaps in your understanding and basic science knowledge with Khan Academy video tutorials, tutorials by others (see my Free GAMSAT Resources Master List) or by going through a science textbook. Gaps will be exposed by challenging yourself, getting someone else to challenge you or doing practice GAMSAT style questions.

If you’re a non-science graduate, you’ll probably want to start with GCSE level science before moving onto A level and first year degree level. Check out the BBC Bitesize website.

Feynman Technique

Utilise the Feynman Technique when you study. This is essentially when you prepare to teach a topic to a child or someone who knows far less than you (even if you don’t actually teach it to anyone).

To effectively teach a concept such as F=ma to a child, you will need to use simple language and to-the-point statements. Else they’ll wonder what you’re on about and get bored. Drawings and analogies may also help.

If you struggle to explain something with complete clarity, it’s a clue that you don’t fully understand it yet. Cue: you need to go over it again. Read more about the Feynman Technique here.

Maths without a calculator & numerical reasoning

Work on your mental maths. There is no calculator in GAMSAT but you are likely to encounter questions that you can only beat with numerical reasoning.

Practice rearranging and combining formulas. This is easier when you understand the scientific theory behind formulas and the associated units. I have a list of Physics equations I came across in my own GAMSAT prep on my Free GAMSAT Resources Master List page (I’ve included a table of units).

Should you memorise formulas? Mostly no. Some of the basic ones perhaps since there is an “assumed level of knowledge”. But in most cases you will either be given a formula or be expected to construct it on the fly based on info given in the question.

Working with graphs, diagrams & tables

Practice interpreting graphs, diagrams and tables. You could do this with study buddies, a mentor or a tutor. The important thing is to be challenged (and challenge your study buddies in turn) because this will force you to re-examine and justify the inferences you’ve made.

Also work on extrapolating and interpolating.

When doing GAMSAT-style practice questions you should come across plenty of graphs, diagrams and tables.

If you want additional practice, a good place to search for free science graphs and data tables is open (free access) scientific journals such as BMJ Open.

Other reasoning skills

I’ve already mentioned numerical reasoning, as well as working with graphs, diagrams and tables.

But you could also benefit from working on spatial reasoning (might be required for e.g. biological enzymes or stereochemistry questions).

Verbal reasoning is also of use. At times you’ll be presented with a block of text and you’ll need to distil out the important information.

Pattern recognition is another helpful skill, especially for Organic Chemistry e.g. spotting the chiral carbons in a complex molecule.

How to improve your reasoning skills

1. Practice using the official ACER practice papers, especially Practice Test 3 (most reasoning heavy Section 3).
2. Ask yourself “how and why” when completing and reviewing practice questions.
3. Reflect on the answer explanations available for the ACER papers and other practice Qs you use. Compare the thinking process they use to explain the answers with your own.
4. Discuss your reasoning with study buddies, a mentor or tutor. They can point out faulty logic.

The aim is to develop and refine thinking patterns that will allow you to solve complex problems efficiently.

Personalised study plan

There is no one size fits all study plan out there. Best to consider your strengths and weaknesses and construct a study plan around them.

Either way, some key things I think you should include in your Section 3 study plan:

1. Official ACER practice questions.
2. Reviewing your answers to the ACER practice questions.
3. Filling in holes in your understanding and knowledge with Khan Academy, A level revision guides etc.
4. Practicing numerical reasoning and other problem solving skills.

This is not an exhaustive list!

Practice questions

At some point you HAVE to get your head out of books/YouTube video tutorials and into practice papers.

Start off doing questions un-timed so you have time to figure out the best way to approach each question and develop the necessary problem solving skills. This is a good initial chance to learn how to think like ACER.

In the last month, switch to timed questions. Aim for 1 min 30 secs per question average if you’re doing the pen and paper version of GAMSAT. If you’re doing the digital one, have the practice Qs on your computer screen (to simulate the exam as closely as possible) and give yourself 1 min 53 secs per question.

The ACER practice questions are the closest to the real exam. Practice Test 3 (pink cover) is the closest out of all of them due its heavily reasoning-based section 3.

Des O’Neil and Ozimed are often recommended by successful candidates. Just a word of caution – Des O’Neil resources stopped being updated several years ago and I personally found that Des Section 3 questions required far more knowledge and too little reasoning compared to the real exam.

Review your answers to practice questions

When marking practice questions truly POUR OVER them to make sure you understand the answers.

Put as much effort into reviewing your answers as doing the questions. Make sure you fully understand each question you get wrong AS WELL AS each question you get right. It’s during reviewing that you can really learn to think like ACER.

You may think if you got a question correct you don’t need to review it, but what if it was a fluke? What if there is a golden nugget of understanding waiting for you if you double check your reasoning was correct?

Do 1-2 simulated exam days

What I mean is, reserve a whole day in a quiet area to do at least one entire ACER practice test from start to finish. Follow the structure and timing of an official exam day e.g. have a 1 hour lunch break between sections 2 and 3.

As I said earlier in this blog post, timing is one of your biggest enemies in GAMSAT. This is a fantastic way to further work on your time management e.g. aim to be at least 50% of the way through when you’re half way through the allocated time.

You’re unlikely to finish this section even with a decent timing strategy. But it’s definitely worth a shot to get a few extra points.

I didn’t finish my section 3. I guessed the remaining 20 or so questions. Yet I still got the score I needed to get 3 interviews so don’t panic if you don’t finish in your practice exams, or the real exam.

TL;DR

• When studying focus on truly UNDERSTANDING science concepts rather than being able to regurgitate them.
• Avoid passively reading, watching or cramming. Instead, teach science concepts to others (even if its just your cat) and actively seek to understand the important ideas, key terms, symbols and units.
• Work on reasoning skills: numerical reasoning, working with graphs, verbal reasoning, pattern recognition, spatial reasoning.
• Do the official ACER practice papers, especially Practice Test 3 (pink cover).
• Work on your TIME MANAGEMENT, especially in the last month before the exam. Time is one of your biggest enemies in the GAMSAT.

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Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article A Beginner’s Guide to GAMSAT Section 2.

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Find all you need to know about taking GAMSAT, UCAT and BMAT in 2020 below.

Last updated: 15th July 2020

GAMSAT

The test organisers, ACER, recommend registering as early as possible to avoid disappointment – places at certain test locations may be limited.

Registration for the September test: 8th July – 17th August 2020

Late registrations deadline: Fri 28th August 2020

Testing period: 28th Sept – 11th October 2020

Results out: Nov 2020

Sitting arrangements: 

Digital online test but you will need to physically go in to GAMSAT testing centres.

You can select the most convenient location for you (e.g. London, Melbourne) but you will be randomly allocated to a venue within that location and testing session (date, time). Your test venue, date and time will be confirmed 3 weeks before your test day on your admission ticket.

If COVID-19 government restrictions change a remote proctored test may become an option.

Scraps of paper are allowed.

You will be able to skip questions without answering them and return to them later if within the SAME SECTION. Once you’ve completed a section you will NOT be able to go back.

Fees: UK £265, Ireland €338, Australia $510

Late fees: UK £60, Ireland €70, Australia $100

Content changes: There will be fewer questions in sections I and III but also less time for these sections.

Keep an eye on ACER’s website, Facebook and Twitter for updates.

UCAT

They’re encouraging people to take the test test sooner rather than later.

Register: from 1st July 2020

Testing: 3rd Aug – 1st Oct 2020

Content changes: none!

Sitting arrangements:

Sit a proctored test at home OR take it at a test centre.

On 22nd June UCAT confirmed that candidates taking the test from home will be allowed to use erasable whiteboards, to many peoples’ relief.

Learn more at the UCAT website.

BMAT

September test cancelled!

November test going ahead.

Register (standard fee): 1st Sept – 1st Oct 2020

Test date: 4th November 2020

Content changes: Section 1 changes (see their website for details)

Learn more at AdmissionsTesting.org.

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Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article How to Get FREE Medical Work Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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It’s morning, I’ve got coffee in a takeaway up in my hands. I’m waiting in the queue for GAMSAT in London. The queue snaking out of the test centre is long and I’m so tired from being stressed about this exam that I almost don’t care how it goes.

In my bag I’ve packed my admissions ticket, ID, water, Pro Plus (caffeine) tablets and some pens and pencils in a clear plastic bag. As I move through the test centre doors, I turn my phone off because there’s no way I’m going to let a stray marketing text from Vodafone get me booted out of the test.

The test is taking place in a huge hall. You could probably hold one of those big exhibitions in it. I put my bag at the back of the hall and exchange glances with some of the other test takers. We’re all making pretend scared faces and squirming at each other. (Or are we pretend scared? Nope. Nope, definitely not).

I sit down to sit the test. Here goes nothing!

GAMSAT exam day is LONG and GRUELLING. I hope the tips below will help you not only have a better day but even boost your mark.

1. Double check your exam details

If you want to succeed at GAMSAT the first step is to make sure you’re at the right place at the right time! Else, you definitely won’t get any marks! ACER should have sent your exam details to your email. You can also find them in your account on the ACER website.

Note – the test location has changed in the past so if you’ve sat GAMSAT before don’t assume that where you took the test last time is where it’ll be this time!

2. Double check your journey plan to the test centre

You want to get to the test centre with plenty of time to spare, so plan to get there early. Use Google Maps or Citymapper to plan your trip to the test centre. But check again when you wake up on the morning of the exam just in case, for example, a bus route / train / metro / underground line is now experiencing delays.

As a seasoned Londoner I can tell you that journey plans and estimated times really can change when you re-check them again in the morning. Don’t get caught out! Re-check to be safe.

If public transport fails you, consider booking an Uber because it’ll be cheaper than a regular taxi. In London, you can also try ViaVan and Kapten which are very like Uber.

3. Make plans for after the test

If you have some friends or GAMSAT study buddies who are also sitting the test make plans to meet them afterwards at a nearby café, restaurant or bar. When I sat GAMSAT, post-test drinks and a big old moan about the worst questions with study buddies helped me to unwind.

Alternatively, make plans with loved ones who have nothing to do with GAMSAT. Maybe you won’t want to think about the exam any more than necessary.

Maybe you’d rather spend some time alone after the exam. That’s fine too! Perhaps watch your favourite movie when you get home to help you forget all about it.

4. Sleep Zzzzzzzz

You may be planning to stay up late the night before trying to cram facts. But this will be of very little benefit.

GAMSAT Sections 1 and 3 require a lot of reasoning. And you cannot cram reasoning. The best way to boost your reasoning ability on exam day is to give your brain a good rest. This is why it’s crucial, and I repeat, it’s CRUCIAL to get a good night’s rest.

To ensure you don’t have to wake up ridiculously early it may be worth booking accommodation near the test centre. I’ve had good experiences booking via Air BnB.

5. Breathe

Just like I did, you will probably feel nervous. Or to be more specific, you’ll kind of want to hide under a rock and not come out again until GAMSAT is over. My advice is to BREATHE deeply to calm your nerves.

Breathe in through your mouth for a count of 3 seconds. Then, breathe out for a count of 4 seconds through your nose. Close your eyes and focus on the feeling of the air moving through your nose and throat.

An extra trick is to breathe “with your belly”. Meaning that as you breathe in you should let your tummy relax and expand like a balloon. This is called belly breathing. Typically, we will hold our tummies flat even as we breathe in deeply. Instead, let your tummy go to maximise the calming effect.

6. Don’t take…

You may be tempted to bring your notes and a textbook or two. But, realistically, are you going to have time to read them? If you do get round to reading them, are you really going to absorb anything you don’t already know or understand?

In my experience, the answer to both of these questions is no. Save your back the weight of all that paper and instead focus on being relaxed and focused.

7. Do take…

• Admission ticket
• Photo ID
• Face mask +/- hand sanitiser (COVID-19)
• Pens and pencils
• Eraser
• Sharpener
• Water
• Lunch
• Caffeine tablets
• Phone and purse
• Jumper

That’s it!

8. Avoid negative people

Avoid contact with people who are a negative influence, unsupportive of what you’re doing or just make you feel anxious in any way. You need all the positivity you can get on exam day. Don’t let even one negative person get you down.

The other side of this coin is to be in contact with positive people and be a positive person yourself. Despite the fact that, yes, you’re in competition with everyone else sitting the exam, why not smile, chat and make friends with other exam takers on the day? You’re all in the same boat. You’re all stressed. Put each other at ease!

9. At lunch either socialise or spend time on your own

After sections 1 and 2 you will have a lunchbreak and you will be allowed to leave the centre. You have a few options:

• Find friends and study buddies and spend lunchtime with them.
• Hang out with someone or some people that you get chatting to on test day.
• Spend time on your own to recharge.

I personally chose option 3 because I didn’t want to pick up other people’s stress – I had enough stress of my own to deal with! Instead, I met up with people after the exam. But that’s just me. You may find it more relaxing to spend time with others at lunchtime.

10. In-exam tips

I will be publishing a full blog post on exam techniques for GAMSAT soon. In the meantime, here are a couple of my top tips:

Guess

If you spot that you’re running out of time, guess! Guess every question that’s remaining! GAMSAT utilises positive marking so at least put down something for every question. For sections 1 and 3 you’re using pencil to answer the questions. So, in the last remaining minutes you can always change one of your guess answers if you realise that it’s wrong.

Push

Your brain will get fatigued. Mine turned to sludge halfway through section 3. If this happens, you’ll have to really slog it through the rest of the exam. Don’t give up! Utilise all the mental toughness that you have.

Taking on some caffeine in the lunch break can help with this too.

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You’ve got this! Sign up to my mailing list to get more GAMSAT tips in your email inbox.

Do you have some tips of your own? You could share with other GAMSAT takers by leaving a comment below.

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The post 10 Tips for GAMSAT Exam Day appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.

 I scored in the top 12%. The year that I did, was a year where GAMSAT Section 3 seemed to become even more reasoning based than it was before (I had sat it once previously). I am now studying Graduate Entry Medicine at my first choice school.

In this article I will share the resources that I found the most useful when preparing for this mammoth of a test.

1. Griffiths GAMSAT Review

Great resource for Sections 1 and 2! This book is a whirlwind tour of the exam. What will be expected of you? How should you approach section 1 questions? How on earth do you structure the essays for section 2? These and other questions are addressed by this fantastic book.

This is probably the first resource you should pour over. I used the essay structure proposed in this book for section 2.

Note, however, that it does not teach the science and maths necessary to ace the exam. You will need the resources below for that.

Edit: When I was preparing for GAMSAT the price tag was only £35! I recently checked the official website and it’s become very very pricey. So, you may want to try free resources first or pounce on any opportunity to get it cheaper.

2. ACER’s official practice papers & Gold Standard’s answer explanations videos

ACER are the company that administer the GAMSAT and once you have registered for the exam they will send you one free practice half-paper called Practice Questions (red/orange cover). But they also have 4 other practice papers. Absolutely get hold of them!

These papers are the closest to the real exam that you will ever get. So, I recommend that you complete at least two of the papers under exam conditions and use them to gauge how well you are doing with your prep.

Of particular note is the recently released Practice Test 3 (nicknamed the “pink test” because it has a pink cover). Its Section 3 best illustrates the mix of reasoning ability and knowledge that you will need to beat the science section.

When you’re marking yourself make use of Gold Standard’s answer explanations videos on YouTube. Free to access! If you get a question wrong they’ll help you understand why.

3. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a YouTube channel and website that offers free video tutorials. They also have a dedicated Organic Chemistry YouTube channel. You don’t even have to sign up to anything!

Search for pretty much any topic under the sun and you will find a video by Khan Academy that explains it excellently.

I used these videos to study Chemistry, Biology and Physics topics in preparation for section 3.

Many people like to use A level science revision guides as a supplement (or alternative) to Khan Academy.

4. Leah4Sci

Leah is an online tutor for MCAT, GAMSAT’s American cousin. I strongly recommend her free mental maths video tutorials.

In GAMSAT you won’t have a calculator so you need to get good at doing maths in your head e.g. calculating logs, multiplying numbers in standard form and dividing decimals.

Leah’s videos are completely free and available both on her website and MCAT-dedicated YouTube channel.

5. All the exam-style questions you can find! 

There are many different companies who have published practice papers over the years. Hoard as many of these as you can and complete as many as you can. Especially under time pressure!

In particular, look out for exam-style questions by Des O’Neill and Ozimed. Keep in mind, however, that the official ACER papers are superior to any other practice papers you will come across (see above).

Bonus Tip 1

You’ll find some free resources on this website! No sign up needed (except for my medical school interviews ebook). Just visit my FREE GAMSAT resources MASTER LIST page.

Sign up to my mailing list if you’d like a notification in your email inbox when I upload a new free resource.

Bonus Tip 2

I’m often asked whether I recommend the massive Gold Standard textbook that costs around £100. Now, I never used this book and did very well regardless.

Plus, people’s opinions regarding the usefulness of Gold Standard range drastically: some say the book is wonderful, and others say that it is a complete waste of money.

In my opinion, it’s not a necessary purchase and considering the price and the mixed reviews it receives you might as well give it a miss and spend your money elsewhere.

Bonus Tip 3

GAMSAT is similar in many ways to the USA’s MCAT (whole-day test, mostly multiple-choice questions, similarities in structure and content).

Yet, I’d be cautious of using MCAT study materials to prepare for GAMSAT. Especially since MCAT seems to require more factual recall and less reasoning ability compared to GAMSAT. Stick mostly to GAMSAT-specific materials to be safe.

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Good luck in your GAMSAT prep! Sign up to my mailing list to get more GAMSAT tips in your email inbox.

What are your favourite GAMSAT resources? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

The post 5 Excellent GAMSAT Prep Resources appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.