Maximize Your Score with Proven GAMSAT Preparation Exam Strategies
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Written By Team MedView
Embarking on your GAMSAT journey is no small feat—it's like gearing up for a marathon where the prep is just as unique as you are.
Let's face it, hitting the books hard doesn't guarantee a winning ticket to med school; it's about smart, strategic studying.
What does the GAMSAT assess?
As aspiring medical professionals, it's imperative to gear up for the GAMSAT with a clear understanding of its demands. This exam is a comprehensive measure of your ability to think analytically and critically across various domains, including the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. [1]
The GAMSAT is divided into three sections:
- Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences
- Written Communication
- Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences
Gamsat Study Timeline
GAMSAT isn’t like most tests at high school or university. Cramming or increasing study time a few weeks out before a test usually isn’t very useful, so consistent study in the months and years leading up to the exam is far more beneficial.
Here’s a free downloadable GAMSAT Study Timeline to help you get started.
How long does it take to prepare for the GAMSAT?
Students generally sit GAMSAT to apply for entry to graduate medicine following a 3-year undergraduate degree. Given that a GAMSAT result is eligible for 2 years, one could sit a GAMSAT test early in their second year of university and use this to apply for medicine after graduation.
As such, most students start in their second semester of their first year of university (e.g. 2-3 years prior to medical school), to give plenty of time to improve, if they are not successful in their first year or two of testing. If you already have an undergraduate degree and are eligible to apply for medicine, now is the time to start!
How many hours a day should I study for GAMSAT?
This can vary significantly depending on your lifestyle choices surrounding your GAMSAT testing. For an undergraduate student just starting GAMSAT, it is important to set a regular study schedule for GAMSAT study.
Depending on your time commitments, 5 hours a week (an hour most days) is a great place to start. Some students decide to take time off from university to work or study GAMSAT, so of course the GAMSAT commitment should significantly increase.
Of course, sitting practice exams is one of the best ways to study GAMSAT, which will increase your time commitment for a certain week significantly.
Practice questions timed and untimed
When you first start studying, take your time to work on questions so you can focus on:
- Understanding and breaking down what you read
- Getting better at thinking deeply about problems
- Noticing patterns and setups that happen a lot
- Learning the best ways to solve tricky problems
As you get further along in your GAMSAT study, it's important to progress into practice exams under timed conditions. Doing mock exams helps you gain familiarity with real test conditions to make sure nothing comes as a surprise on test day. [2]
What are some common mistakes to avoid when preparing for GAMSAT?
Sometimes knowing what not to do is just as good as knowing what to do. Some common mistakes include:
- Not having an organized study schedule. This should be at the core of your GAMSAT prep strategy.
- Not focusing on your weaker sections. A lot of students studying GAMSAT are traditionally strong science students, so usually see S3 as their stronger section. Focusing on your writing can improve your score significantly.
- Not starting early enough. A lot of students start GAMSAT a year prior to applying to medicine. This realistically only provides 2 testing dates, with your first testing date of the year occurring too early for your best effort. If you are thinking about applying to graduate medicine, get started now!
- Marking S2 yourself. It is very important to get an experienced GAMSAT marker to mark your own essays.
Maintaining Momentum: Staying Motivated and Healthy During GAMSAT Prep
Preparing for the GAMSAT requires consistent effort and attention for your well-being. It's essential to balance study sessions with breaks and self-care. Maintaining good health is crucial for mental clarity and endurance, enabling effective study and preventing burnout as you gear up for the GAMSAT. [3]
It's important to have a good place to study for the GAMSAT. This is your own quiet spot where you can think clearly. Having the right space that's quiet at the best times can help you concentrate and do well as you prepare for the GAMSAT.
Studying with other students and talking in study groups creates a team vibe that makes getting ready for the GAMSAT better. Working together keeps you excited and lets you share what you know and learn from others too.
What resources are available for GAMSAT?
When you start getting ready for the GAMSAT, you need good study tools. Think of these tools as the gear you would take if you were going on a hike up a big mountain. They help you deal with the tough parts of the GAMSAT better.
The only official study stuff for the GAMSAT comes from the ACER. They have practice tests and questions for you to try. But it's also good to use other study things that aren't official. [2]
At Medview, we offer a diverse collection of GAMSAT practice questions, along with tutoring services and workshops, all designed to ensure you're thoroughly prepared for the GAMSAT.
References
[1] The Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd. (2024). Graduate Medical School admissions test information booklet 2024. https://gamsat.acer.org/files/GAMSAT_Information_booklet.pdf?1706737858
[2] Preparation page. (n.d.). ACER. https://gamsat.acer.org/preparation#:\~:text=ACER produces the only official,create an account with ACER.
[3] Stress. (n.d.). https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress
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The UCAT
The UCAT, or the University Clinical Aptitude Test is the medical school admission test required for many universities in Australia and New Zealand. The UCAT is designed to assess applicants for the aptitude, attitudes and beliefs required of a doctor. In order to defeat the UCAT - we should understand what it is. First off, it’s a two hour computer based exam. There are 5 separately timed subtests - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Situational Judgement. In this blog we break down each of the sections and offer guidance on how to prepare for this important exam.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning is meant to assess your ability to read something and draw appropriate conclusions. You can see why this would be important to a doctor - you’re part of a multidisciplinary team and will have to communicate effectively. In addition, doctors have to keep current with new research and draw reasonable conclusions from published findings. Decision making involves 11 text excerpts with 4 questions each, meaning this section has 44 questions in 21 minutes - that means an average of 29 seconds per question. That doesn’t even take reading the stem into account!
Decision Making
Decision Making is essentially data interpretation from graphs, tables, text and charts. You don’t need to have background knowledge on any subject, because part of what they’re testing is your ability to understand new information. Can you think of a time a doctor might have to do the same? This section has 29 questions in 31 minutes - an average of 64 seconds per question. Compare the timing of section to verbal reasoning, it’s more than double. Consider the length of time per question as an indication of how much the test writers want you to analyse.
Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning is a straightforward mathematics section - there are nine scenarios each with four questions. You’ll have access to an on screen calculator - which is functional but pretty clunky! You’ll have to strike a balance between using mental maths to be quick, and keeping your wits about you, and staying accurate. This section has 36 questions in 24 minutes - an average of 40 seconds per question. It’s not a lot of time to question your maths abilities!
Abstract Reasoning
Abstract Reasoning is used to evaluate your ability to locate patterns and understand logic, separate from your language abilities. If you’ve seen the guides online with pictures asking you to find a pattern - that’s abstract reasoning. This section is sometimes hard for students to grasp, because it’s such a different set of skills. It’s also probably the biggest struggle with time management. This section has 55 questions in 13 minutes - that’s only 14 seconds per question. Don’t even think about going into this section unprepared!
Situational Judgement
Situational Judgement assesses your judgement and character in different situations - the situations are usually clinical or education based. Either situations you’ve likely been in, or a situation you could be involved in future. Then you’ll have to evaluate the appropriateness, importance or consequences of the situation. It’s one way for universities to evaluate the characteristics that are important for future doctors! Situational Judgement has 69 questions in 26 minutes - an average of 25 seconds per question.
With so much to do - how can I set myself up for success?
Prepare
This sounds like a no brainer, but preparation is the most important thing you can do if you want to succeed on the UCAT. Going over questions is one thing but the most effective thing you can do is to practice under exam conditions. That means doing computer based exams - so when you get to test day, you know what to expect. Luckily MedView has a bank of questions.
Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Time is a precious resource when you’re preparing for medical school admissions - you have to continue doing well in your studies, prepare yourself for an interview, and master a new exam. There’s not infinite time - so you have to learn how to study smarter, not just harder. So many students waste their time by continuing to drill skills that they’ve already mastered. It’s important to identify the weak points that need more TLC.
Learn Skills
Each type of question requires a specific psychometric approach to understand and answer so quickly. Skills and strategies to identify the problem and solve the challenging question are essential for success. MedView has a range of 1:1 tutoring, group workshops, practice exams and questions alongside our spiral learning curriculum to help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in time conditions. Our UCAT students are 5x more likely to receive an interview offer.
Sitting full-length practice exams under simulated conditions is the most effective preparation for developing UCAT skills. As this will familiarise yourself with the extreme time pressures, as well as allowing you to practise concentrating on psychometric skills for two hours. It is also important to practice using the computer-based platform that will be used when you sit UCAT as well.
Seek Help
Find friends that have taken the test before and ask for their experience. Better yet, schedule a free Academic Assessment with MedView today! When you start your journey as a MedView student, you are allocated an Education Coordinator who has experience helping hundreds of students get into med school. They’ll help you stay on track with your goals, offer you support, and help you succeed on your path to medical school.
Next Steps
The UCAT is an important exam that is key to medical school admission for undergraduates. We recommend starting your UCAT preparation early and integrating it into your study load to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. If you’d like to learn more about the UCAT or how to get into Medical School, check out our free eBooks and blogs!
- What is the UCAT?
- How Universities use your UCAT Results
- A Quick Guide to Australia Medicine eBook
- A Quick Guide to New Zealand Medicine eBook
- How to Prepare for the UCAT
- What UCAT scores will get me into med?
MedView offers a range of UCAT preparation courses as well as personalised 1:1 tutoring with our expert team. If you would like to know more about the UCAT and how MedView can help, get in touch today.
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What can you do before the year starts?
Before the year starts, it is vital that you understand that the journey to becoming a doctor is a long and arduous process. Medicine is a life-long commitment whose pathway extends beyond the 6 years of study. It includes a progression from a house officer to a registrar, and application onto training schemes if you opt for the surgical pathway.
The vast majority of people who apply for medicine, do not have a clear picture of what they want to do in the future. This uncertainty is not something to worry about now – you have plenty of time to figure out exactly what you want to do. There is something in medicine for everyone. If you are still uncertain about the medical pathway beyond the 6 years of study, I would recommend doing further research.
Another thing you can do over the summer break is to identify your motivation to become a doctor. If it’s for the money, you may not be in the correct profession - it will be at least 10-12 years until you start earning the big bucks that all doctors are known for! If you have an inherent nature to help people and seek to make our society healthier, then you are on the right track.
Once your head is in the right place, enjoy your summer! The year will belong, and you will have to make social sacrifices to make your studies a priority. Make the most of the time you have by seeing friends and family, as you will inevitably see less of them throughout the year. You are likely to experience burnout sometime during the year, so optimising your rest now is important.
The single most effective way to distance yourself from your competitors is to start early and hard. After you have rested throughout December and into the new year, it is time to get started and get ahead. The Flying Start Course offered by MedView was my ticket to success. It is a highly intensive programme starting in late January that covers the first 6 weeks of content for the three core papers in the first semester. The advantages of this course are numerous:
- The most valuable aspect of Flying Start is the content covered. As the first semester contains 3 out of the 4 core papers, it is so important to get a good start. An early lapse within the first few weeks can completely derail your entire year. Being exposed to similar content ahead of time builds your confidence and gives you the opportunity to begin learning before others.
- There is a radically different teaching style from high school to university. Flying Start emulates the style you are accustomed to, while simultaneously teaching university material. This eases your transition and places students into a more comfortable and familiar environment.
- You can meet other motivated people. You may have heard the horror stories of people sabotaging each other, taking their notes and hiding their bags. While these are mostly exaggerated, there will still be those who resort to other measures to gain an advantage. The people doing Flying Start will be motivated just like you, and eager to get ahead. Working together and building these strong relationships before the year starts means that you have a better support group in place. I have met several bright individuals who were passionate and together, we were able to navigate the difficult year and succeed as a group!
MedView believes in a holistic approach to medical school admissions, meaning we surround the student with a team of experts to help develop their candidacy and skills in all three major pillars in their journey to medical school, and now it’s even more accessible with the MedView Hub App!
Over the last decade there’s been a mass adoption of smartphones and a shift in the way people behave online and communicate. Australians are spending more time online, often using multiple screens, and consuming vast amounts of content each day. And it’s only going up!
Recent figures show that almost eight out of ten Australians use social media, and 87% of them use their mobile phones to access it. Fifty-nine percent of Australians access social media everyday or most days, and over a third of people check social media more than five times per day.
We often go online to chat with friends and family, share photos, or be entertained by cat videos. But the very same platforms we use to socialise can also be used to gather knowledge that we can apply in our offline lives. One of the areas where users can reap the benefits is online communities. MedView prides themselves on finding the best tutor, strategist or consultant for each student whether they be in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and having an online community platform allows even more core benefits for our students in a shorter amount of time. Now students can access over 320 tutors, strategists and consultants and get answers to their Synapse questions, interact in exclusive workshops, and most importantly make friends. The meaningful relationships with other members of the community increases knowledge and collective wisdom.
The MedView Hub App is our own online community platform for students, parents, tutors, and alumni to create a network of opportunities to participate in smart, focused conversation on specific medical school admissions topics (unlike the Instagram and Facebook chatter).
Over the last decade there’s been a mass adoption of smartphones and a shift in the way people behave online and communicate. Australians are spending more time online, often using multiple screens, and consuming vast amounts of content each day. And it’s only going up!
Recent figures show that almost eight out of ten Australians use social media, and 87% of them use their mobile phones to access it. Fifty-nine percent of Australians access social media everyday or most days, and over a third of people check social media more than five times per day.
We often go online to chat with friends and family, share photos, or be entertained by cat videos. But the very same platforms we use to socialise can also be used to gather knowledge that we can apply in our offline lives. One of the areas where users can reap the benefits is online communities. MedView prides themselves on finding the best tutor, strategist or consultant for each student whether they be in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and having an online community platform allows even more core benefits for our students in a shorter amount of time. Now students can access over 320 tutors, strategists and consultants and get answers to their Synapse questions, interact in exclusive workshops, and most importantly make friends. The meaningful relationships with other members of the community increases knowledge and collective wisdom.
The MedView Hub App is our own online community platform for students, parents, tutors, and alumni to create a network of opportunities to participate in smart, focused conversation on specific medical school admissions topics (unlike the Instagram and Facebook chatter).
Find out more and begin your journey to medical school by speaking with a MedView Academic Advisor for free today!
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