Every Spring and, to a lesser extent, Autumn, senior undergraduate university students repair to official testing centres. Their goal? To sit and, hopefully, earn a good score on the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test - the GAMSAT. Like school-leaving exams, the kind that yields an Australian Tertiary Admissions rating (ATAR), these exams are required to study medicine.
Unlike ATAR courses, though, finding past papers and other study resources can be a challenge. Tutoring centres don't market test prep services to GAMSAT candidates as they do for the ATAR hopeful. There are no commercial entities that publish an official GAMSAT revision book. Indeed, only the Australian Council for Educational Research - ACER distributes official GAMSAT revision books.
ACER does not make past papers available. At least, not like other examining bodies you may be familiar with. It's best to get that out of the way up front in case you were counting on such a trove to build your revision time around. However, they do have GAMSAT revision books. Let's find out what they are and then, look elsewhere for more extensive study materials.
ACER Website GAMSAT Papers
ACER's page for GAMSAT resources makes it clear that your selection of study resources is limited. They state that they are the only official provider of test preparation materials. They then offer both online and hardcopy revision books and tools.
As Section II, the writing component, seems to be the most daunting, the site gives you access to their online test generator. You may select from available themes; one each for Task A and B. Unlike the typical essay question you might remember from past exams, you won't get any prompts. You're to discuss your ideas on the themes you select. Those include, but are not limited to:
- collectivism
- family
- law and justice
- solitude
- welfare
- personality
- love
- cynicism
As you can see, this test offers good topics for discussion. Your score depends on the perspective you take. Should you attempt to both-sides the argument - 'law and justice are necessary' versus 'law and justice unfairly target the disadvantaged'? Maybe you should just theorise about them: 'To what extent should a society be collectivistic?'
Usually, knowing what's expected of you on exams gets you halfway towards satisfactory results. That's not what your GAMSAT score depends on. The exam board reviewers are on a perpetual search to find those candidates with that certain je ne sais quoi; the X-factor that screams "Don't bypass this one!". They deliberately keep from proclaiming "This is what we're looking for!". That way, candidates will deliver a pure performance, not one clouded by hopefully-met expectations.
Preparation Tips
How are you to prepare for a test whose expectations are unknown? The ACER resources page has a second tab labelled Preparation Strategy. It's not overburdened with tips, to say the least.
There, you will find a general exam breakdown. You'll find little that relates directly to medicine. For the first two hurdles, the preparation guide recommends reading widely, selecting from a broad array of reading materials and writing styles. For the exam's third segment, you should retrieve your Year 12 science study books.
Where to Find GAMSAT Questions
Despite the paucity of official revision resources, the landscape isn't completely barren. The GradReady website offers a long list of resources, from free practice questions to sample essays. These writing samples give you some idea of the quality and depth of writing expected of you. They also offer test revision courses.
GradReady disabuses GAMSAT candidates of the notion that all they need is general biology revision. Graph interpretation is one of the exam's more challenging aspects. Don't plan on entering the testing room thinking your undergraduate chemistry and biology education is enough! To earn a good score on the test's third section, you have to know how to interpret graphs.
For students on the go, there are Anki and Quizlet flashcard sets. You only need to create an account and download those platforms' mobile apps to access all of their GAMSAT revision decks. Admittedly, they won't help much with the writing and critical thinking portions. However, the exam also explores maths formulas and the aforementioned graphs that you will have to interpret. You can also use these cards to build your vocabulary in preparation for the essays you'll have to write.
Private Tutors and GAMSAT Resources
You can make do with ACER's limited study materials. You could spend a day or several looking for revision resources on your own or pool resources with a study group. Or you can hire a private GAMSAT tutor. There's no question which of these options delivers the biggest return on your investment.
First, let's talk about money. You have to pay for ACER resources: for all of their practice test books and to use their online test generator. You get some feedback on your performance from that online utility but it doesn't address all of the test's aspects.
GradReady provides some free revision materials but the best, most vital resources are tucked behind a paywall. A pretty high paywall, particularly if you want the most extensive study package. And only their most expensive services include any type of coaching.
By contrast, an independent GAMSAT tutor presents you with every study advantage for one per-hour price. You may even say that they have more to offer than the other two revision options. These tutors have successfully completed their exams. Many of them already practice medicine. Now, they're ready to share their experience and knowledge with you.
That alone makes a course with a private GAMSAT tutor a sound decision. But that's not all these coaches bring you. These tutors have amassed a trove of revision materials. They may own ACER preparation books, meaning you won't have to buy them unless you want to. They likely have a GAMSAT question list prepared. The best of these tutors will assign you GAMSAT tasks, maybe essay writing or targeted reading for you to complete in time for your next learning session.
Debate is arguably the greatest advantage of your GAMSAT tutor's study course. Recall that a sizable part of the test involves expressing your ideas. That implies that you must be able to see a question from different perspectives. Debating concepts like those the exam presents is an excellent way to do so.
For all of that and more, Superprof GAMSAT tutors charge, on average, about $20 more per hour than the cost of one ACER study book. They are available for online tuition or face-to-face, depending on where you live. And all of them offer their first lesson at no charge.
Answering Your GAMSAT Questions
Every other academic exam you've taken up to now has tested your ability to absorb, digest and recall information. You've had to demonstrate that you can use the information you've retained, but only to a limited extent. That's particularly true for maths and science exams. The lone exception would be if you sat the University Clinical Aptitude Test - UCAT. It's similar, in principle, to the more rigorous GAMSAT. There are, however, substantial differences between the two.
This exam does not test you on your knowledge of medicine. Only Section III of your GAMSAT exam is knowledge-based. You have to recall your Year 12 Physics curriculum, as well as your first-year undergraduate biology and chemistry curricula to earn a good score this section.
But again, not like you would during a standard academic exam. For instance, rather than detailing biology information - maybe the structure of cells or naming digestive tract organs in order, you're tasked to interpret graphs. Which graphs? What are they supposed to represent? ACER provide no clue.
Nor do they provide a recommended reading list. However, they emphasise that you must read widely from multiple sources. You should keep abreast of current events and read classic works. They also recommend reading poetry and prose to expand your vocabulary and gain as broad an exposure as possible to different writing techniques and styles. You'll need to express yourself well in writing to satisfy the exam's Section II requirements.
It seems rather harsh that ACER arms you with so little before sending you off to battle with just your wits. But that is the exam's intended purpose. The GAMSAT is designed to challenge your personal skills - how well you reason, communicate and express yourself. You must prove yourself capable of strenuous mental exercise under pressure. You have to demonstrate that you can convey ideas convincingly.
Every year, thousands of candidates around the world register to sit the GAMSAT. For some, it may be their second or third attempt - there's no limit to the number of times you can have a go at it. Only those who demonstrate superior higher-order thinking skills, strong ethics and vast intellectual capacity will gain access to graduate-level medical studies. After undergoing such a test of endurance with little guidance to ready you for it, you'll surely be glad to get back to standard academic ordeals.
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