Medicine is reputed to be a difficult field of study and those interested in medical professions often start preparing for it at school to start an undergraduate degree afterwards.
However, undergraduate studies are not the only way to specialise in medicine and those who chose bachelor's degrees in other fields after school still have an opportunity to retrain in medicine. That opportunity is called GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test).
The word GAMSAT may sound terrifying to a lot of people and they would not be completely wrong to see it that way. GAMSAT is a pretty challenging test that very few students pass with really good results and it requires a lot of preparation.
Nevertheless, we would also like to point out that GAMSAT can be worth it. A medical degree can open up outstanding career opportunities and, what's even more important, help you become useful to others.
But no matter how serious your preparation is, the first thing to sit any exam, including GAMSAT, is to register for it. We can't say that it's very difficult but there are a few things you need to know to do it properly.
We at Superprof have decided to share that information with you so you don't run into any difficulty in the process. And there is even more on our blog.
Requirements for GAMSAT
GAMSAT is an exam meant for a certain category of students and not anyone can register for it. So, the first step before you begin the registration process is to make sure you meet the requirements.
One of the main conditions for students to sit GAMSAT is that they must be planning to enter one of the medical schools offering graduate-entry medicine courses the same or the next year.
That may seem logical to you because that's when you need to pass it for your studies, but it is still an important detail to take into consideration.
Among other things, it means that you can take the GAMSAT exam in the second-last year of your bachelor's degree at university, whether it's for training or because you want to pass it in advance. Students in the last year of a bachelor's degree are, of course, also eligible for the test.
Another important rule about GAMSAT is that although there are two test sessions during the year (in March or September), you can take the test only once in the same year.
Finally, to sit GAMSAT, you must be a genuine prospective applicant to a course where it is required. If ACER, the organisation administering GAMSAT, has any doubts on that point, your registration may be cancelled.
All that said, we should keep in mind that GAMSAT is not a free test, so it is not very clear who would want to waste their time and money registering for it unless they really need it.
So, if you were planning to take up GAMSAT simply as a challenge, unfortunately, you will probably not be allowed to.
Registration process
Not that you have checked if you are eligible for GAMSAT, but we can move on to the registration process itself.
Registration for GAMSAT has to be done on the ACER website and all the related documents will also be uploaded there.
The very first step those planning on sitting GAMSAT should take is to create an ACER account. An important thing here is that you should enter your name, date of birth and email address very carefully.
The first two of them will namely be checked when you come to your test session, so if there is a mistake you will simply not be let in.
So, the best option is to double-check your personal details at the moment of registration but if a mistake still has been made you should without fail get in touch with ACER in order to change it.
As for the email address, it will be used for the activation of your account as well as for all communication with ACER, including information on your admission ticket and results.
Once your registration is complete, your account can be used to register for exam windows.
You will be offered to choose between the March and September sessions, then you will need to fill out the registration form and submit the payment.
Upon completing this step, you will receive a confirmation email with your payment receipt. Here once more, it is important to check that all your personal information is spelled correctly to avoid any issues.
Finally, your admission ticket for the exam will become available two to three weeks before the date. It will contain the address where you have to go as well as your reporting time, and you will need to present it on the test day.
If you are careful enough, registration for GAMSAT shouldn't pose any difficulty and you can start your preparation for sitting the exam.
Which exam session to choose?
As we have already said, sitting GAMSAT twice isn't possible in the same year, so students will have to choose between the March and September sessions when they register for the test. Which one should they choose?
Everything depends on what country their prospective university is located in.
The March session is suited for students willing to apply for a medical university in Australia or Ireland, whereas the September session is timed for the UK.
However, that is only true for students who pass the admission test in the last year of their bachelor's. On the other hand, students in the second-last year can choose to sit the exam either in March or September and their results will be valid for 4 years in Australia and 2 years in the UK and Ireland.
A good strategy could be to choose the moment when you have less workload at your current university, so you can dedicate enough time to your preparation for sitting GAMSAT and achieve a decent score.
Remember that your performance at GAMSAT will be crucial for your entry to medical university courses.
If you want to know more about GAMSAT scores, we also have an article on the topic.
Registration deadlines
When registering for GAMSAT, it is important for candidates not only to create an account and fill out the forms but also to do it on time. So, what are the GAMSAT deadlines you have to meet?
During the year, there are two registration periods for the test depending on the session you choose.
The standard period for the March session in 2023, for example, is from early November until January 30th. The standard period for the 2023 September session starts in mid-May 2023 and ends on July 11.
What is meant by the standard session is that a student registering during that period only has to pay the normal registration fee.
By contrast, if you are late, you still have a chance for sitting GAMSAT that year but an additional fee will be applied for those candidates.
The late registration period for March will last from January 30 until February 10, whereas late registration for September will be open from July 11 until July 21. After that time, no more candidates will be allowed to submit their applications.
Ideally, if you have already decided to apply for entry to Medicine courses, it is better to get through GAMSAT registration as early as possible.
Once it is done, you can begin to study in peace and quiet without any distractions and strive for a truly high score.
You can have a look at our article, if you want to know how difficult GAMSAT really is.
Sitting the exam remotely
The Medical School Admission test is in demand among Australian centres and there are examination centres in most major cities, in which you can take it. But that is not the case for all students and for some of them, the closest centre may be too far away.
The distance that has been set by ACER as a benchmark for such cases is a 3-hour ride. That basically means that someone who can get to the nearest centres in two hours and a half is deemed to live close enough.
On the other, if the trip takes you more than three hours, you'll be entitled to online proctoring. You should be aware though that this rule does not apply to travelling students but only to those whose main residence is in a remote place.
In order to apply for online proctoring, you'll need to get in touch with ACER, explain your circumstances to them and provide them with supporting documentation.
Some other requirements you'll have to meet are:
- Having a desktop computer or laptop,
- A stable internet connexion,
- A working microphone and web camera,
- A compatible browser.
Candidates sitting GAMSAT online are controlled for the whole duration of the exam, so online testing is not really more advantageous than the in-person format. We would recommend that you turn to it only if you really have no other option.
In no case, can it be a way to earn a better grade and the only working solution for that is serious preparation.
On our blog, you can also find information about how many times you can take GAMSAT.
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