GAMSAT Exam Guide: Format, Scores, Dates and Key Information

The GAMSAT is an admissions test used by several graduate-entry medicine and health science programs, especially in Australia, the UK and Ireland. Before studying for it, it is important to understand exactly who can sit it, how the exam works, how scores are calculated, when registrations open and what happens on test day.

Below, we cover the essential GAMSAT information in a simple, practical way, so it is clear what students need to do and what they should expect.

What is the GAMSAT?

GAMSAT stands for Graduate Medical School Admissions Test.

It is a computer-based admissions exam administered by ACER and used by universities for entry to selected graduate programs, including:

• Medicine
• Dentistry
• Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Some other graduate-entry health programs

The exact use of the score depends on the university.

GAMSAT does not mainly test memorisation. It focuses on:

• Reasoning
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Written communication
• Applying scientific knowledge to unfamiliar situations

Who can sit the GAMSAT?

Candidates generally need to:

• Have completed a bachelor's degree or undergraduate honours degree
• Be currently studying toward an eligible degree, where permitted
• Meet the specific entry requirements of the university they plan to apply to
• Be a genuine prospective applicant to a program that uses GAMSAT

A science degree is not always required.

Students from non-science backgrounds can sit GAMSAT, but they still need enough knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics to handle the science section.

University requirements can differ, so eligibility for the exam does not automatically mean eligibility for every degree that accepts it.

How is the GAMSAT structured?

GAMSAT currently contains 3 sections completed across 2 sittings.

The total testing time is approximately 5 hours 15 minutes, divided between the 2 sittings.

Written Communication

The Written Communication section is completed remotely under online proctoring.

Students write 2 responses based on sets of statements around common themes.

The tasks are designed to assess:

• Development of ideas
• Quality of reasoning
• Organisation
• Clarity of written expression

The first task generally focuses more on social and cultural issues, while the second tends to focus on personal and social themes.

There is no single correct opinion. What matters is how effectively the argument or reflection is developed and communicated.

Pre-prepared responses should be avoided. Responses may also be checked for plagiarism.

Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences

This section measures how well students can understand and interpret information in different social and cultural contexts.

Material can include:

• Prose
• Arguments
• Personal writing
• Imaginative texts
• Visual information
• Tables and other data

Students need to interpret ideas, identify relationships and make logical judgements rather than simply recall facts.

Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences

The science section is approximately:

• 40% biology
• 40% chemistry
• 20% physics

The expected background is broadly equivalent to:

• First-year university biology
• First-year university chemistry
• Approximately final-year secondary school level physics

The section still focuses heavily on reasoning.

Knowing scientific concepts is important, but students also need to interpret data, connect information and solve unfamiliar problems.

Are wrong GAMSAT answers penalised?

No.

For the multiple-choice sections:

• Each question has the same value
• No marks are deducted for incorrect answers

Students should therefore try to answer every question rather than intentionally leaving questions blank.

How is the GAMSAT scored?

Candidates receive:

• A Written Communication score
• A Humanities and Social Sciences score
• A Biological and Physical Sciences score
• An Overall GAMSAT Score

Scores range from 0 to 100.

These are scaled scores, not percentages. A score of 65, for example, does not simply mean that 65% of the questions were answered correctly.

The official ACER overall score is calculated as:

(Humanities + Written Communication + 2 × Biological and Physical Sciences) ÷ 4

This means the science section has double weighting in the standard overall score.

Some universities may calculate or consider GAMSAT results differently.

What is a good GAMSAT score?

There is no universal GAMSAT pass mark.

Each university decides:

• Its minimum overall score
• Any minimum section scores
• How much weight GAMSAT receives in the admissions process

Some Australian graduate-entry medical programs currently use minimum scores around 50, while others set higher requirements.

A minimum score should also not be confused with a competitive score. Meeting the minimum may only make a student eligible to continue in the admissions process.

Candidates also receive an approximate percentile ranking, showing how their performance compares with other students from the same sitting.

Universities generally assess the actual GAMSAT scores rather than using the percentile itself as the admissions score.

How long is a GAMSAT score valid?

Current score validity depends on where the student applies.

• Australia: up to 4 consecutive years
• UK: generally 2 consecutive years
• Ireland: generally 2 consecutive years
• Ulster University: currently 4 years

For Australian applications through GEMSAS, students must also make sure their sitting falls within the accepted period for the intended intake.

A September sitting in the same year as an application may be too late for the immediately following intake.

How often can you take the GAMSAT?

There is no limit on the number of times an eligible candidate can sit GAMSAT.

Students can therefore retake the exam and use an eligible result according to the admissions rules of the university they are applying to.

When is the GAMSAT held?

GAMSAT normally has 2 testing cycles each year:

• March
• September

For 2026:

• March Written Communication: 28 February to 1 March 2026
• March Humanities and Sciences: 20 to 22 March 2026
• September Written Communication: 22 to 23 August 2026
• September Humanities and Sciences: 11 to 13 September 2026

March results were scheduled for late May, while September results are scheduled for mid-November.

As of August 2026, registration for the September 2026 sitting is closed.

Registration for March 2027 is scheduled to open in November 2026.

How does GAMSAT registration work?

Registration is completed through an ACER account.

Students use the account to:

• Register for a sitting
• Pay the registration fee
• Manage their booking
• Access official preparation resources
• Retrieve their results

Registration deadlines are several weeks before the exam.

For 2026, standard registration closed on:

• 26 January 2026 for the March sitting
• 30 June 2026 for the September sitting

Late registration was available for an additional fee until later deadlines.

Students should register early rather than waiting until the testing month.

How much does the GAMSAT cost?

For 2026, the standard registration fees are:

• AUD 568 in Australia
• €378 in Ireland
• £296 in the UK

Late registration adds an additional fee.

Candidates sitting at certain overseas centres outside Australia, Ireland and the UK may also need to pay an additional overseas levy.

These fees can change between testing years, so students should always check the amount for their specific sitting before registering.

Where do you take the GAMSAT?

Written Communication is normally completed remotely with online proctoring.

The Humanities and Biological and Physical Sciences sections are usually completed at an in-person test centre around 3 weeks later.

For 2026, test centres are available in locations across:

• Australia
• Ireland
• United Kingdom
• New Zealand
• Singapore

Remote arrangements for the other sections may be available in specific circumstances, such as when a candidate is sufficiently far from a test centre or no centre is available in their country.

These arrangements require approval.

What do you need on GAMSAT test day?

For the in-person sitting, students need to follow the instructions on their Admission Ticket carefully.

Required or permitted items include:

• Admission Ticket
• Acceptable current photo ID
• Permitted writing or scratch materials
• A clear, unlabelled water bottle, if needed
• Disposable earplugs, if desired

Computers are supplied at the test centre.

Students should not bring their own computer for the in-person sections.

Items that are not permitted include:

• Calculators
• Smartwatches and digital watches
• Headphones or earbuds
• Recording devices
• Standard English dictionaries
• Other unauthorised electronic devices

The Humanities and Sciences sections contain approximately 4 hours 10 minutes of testing, but students should allow around 6 hours at the test centre once registration, breaks and administration are included.

Late arrival can also have serious consequences. Once testing has started, candidates may not be admitted.

Can students request GAMSAT adjustments?

Yes.

Reasonable adjustments may be available for candidates with disabilities, medical conditions or other relevant health or educational needs.

Depending on the individual situation, adjustments can include:

• Extra time
• Rest breaks
• Modified presentation
• Access to medication
• Medical equipment
• Access to food
• Reader or scribe arrangements where appropriate

Requests are assessed individually and normally need to be submitted before the relevant deadline.

How should you prepare for the GAMSAT?

GAMSAT preparation should focus on consistent skill development, not last-minute memorisation.

Students need to work on:

• Reading and interpreting unfamiliar material
• Critical reasoning
• Building structured arguments
• Timed writing
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Data interpretation
• Problem-solving under time pressure

Students with weaker science foundations may need additional study before moving heavily into timed exam practice.

Official practice materials are also available through ACER, including a computer-platform demonstration.

Once the structure is understood, practice should become measurable. Students can practise GAMSAT with TestBuddy using simulations, topic-based exercises, a digital manual and performance statistics, with the option to start free.

The goal is not just to complete more questions. Students need to understand where they are losing points and whether their performance is actually improving.

TestBuddy's statistics and TB™ Score are designed to make that progress easier to track while studying.

For a focused overview of the exam itself, students can also use the GAMSAT test page.

GAMSAT registration is not a university application

Registering for GAMSAT does not automatically apply a student to medical school.

The university application is a separate process.

Depending on the country and institution, students may need to apply:

• Through GEMSAS
• Directly to a university
• Through CAO in Ireland
• Through UCAS in the UK

GAMSAT is only one part of the admissions process.

Universities can also consider:

• Academic results
• Degree eligibility
• Interviews
• Other admissions requirements

Students therefore need to check the rules of every program they plan to apply to rather than treating one GAMSAT requirement as valid for all universities.

Official information used for this guide

• Exam structure, eligibility and core rules are based on the official GAMSAT Information Booklet.
• Current registration periods, fees, testing locations and reasonable adjustments are detailed on the official GAMSAT registration page.
• Scoring, percentile information and result validity are explained on the official GAMSAT results page.
• Test-day requirements and permitted items are detailed in the official GAMSAT test-day guidance.
• Australian admissions timing and score-validity information is also covered by the GEMSAS GAMSAT guidance.