How to prepare for GAMSAT
Prepare each section on its own: build the skill, practise at the test's pace, then sit full sections every week. Pick your weeks.
Section 1
Humanities
62 multiple-choice questions · 100 minutes
- Weeks 1 to 5Foundations
- Read one unfamiliar text a day: a poem, an essay, a cartoon, a table. Say its point and its tone in one sentence.
- Do units untimed. For each wrong option, write why it is wrong.
- Weeks 6 to 9Timed practice
- Timed units at about 97 seconds a question.
- Log each miss by type: literal meaning, inference, tone or the writer's purpose.
- Weeks 10 to 12Full sittings
- One full 62-question section in 100 minutes each week.
- Mark an answer for every question. No marks are deducted for a wrong answer.
- Weeks 1 to 5Foundations
Section 2
Written Communication
2 writing tasks · 65 minutes
- Weeks 1 to 5Foundations
- Task A is on a socio-cultural theme, Task B on a personal and social one. Read widely on both.
- Write one untimed response to each task a week. Take a position and develop it.
- Weeks 6 to 9Timed practice
- Two 30-minute responses back to back each week, typed.
- Put them aside for a few days, then re-read and rewrite the weakest paragraph.
- Weeks 10 to 12Full sittings
- One full 65-minute sitting a week on prompts you have not seen.
- Do not memorise essays. ACER says memorised essays generally score poorly.
- Weeks 1 to 5Foundations
Section 3
Sciences
75 multiple-choice questions · 150 minutes
- Weeks 1 to 5Foundations
- Cover first-year chemistry and biology and Year 12 physics, starting with the subject you have never studied.
- Learn the formula sheet. Calculators are not allowed, so practise estimating, powers of ten and logs by hand.
- Weeks 6 to 9Timed practice
- Timed units at two minutes a question, graphs and tables of unfamiliar data first.
- Chemistry and biology are 40% each and physics 20%: split your time the same way.
- Weeks 10 to 12Full sittings
- One full 75-question paper in 150 minutes each week.
- Once, sit Sections 1 and 3 on the same day with a 30-minute break, as at the test centre.
- Weeks 1 to 5Foundations
The pace each section needs
| Section | Questions | Minutes | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Humanities | 62 multiple choice | 100 | About 97 seconds a question |
| 2. Written Communication | 2 writing tasks | 65 | 30 minutes a task |
| 3. Sciences | 75 multiple choice | 150 | 2 minutes a question |
Section 3 counts double in your overall score and is 40% chemistry, 40% biology, 20% physics. Calculators are not allowed, so the formula sheet and quick arithmetic are worth learning early.
What ACER says about preparing
- Read widely and often, on many topics and from many sources.
- Non-science graduates should cover the basic sciences to first-year university level.
- Work steadily through the multiple-choice sections and do not spend too long on one question.
- Write practice essays in one hour under test conditions, then put them aside for a few days and re-read them.
- Markers ask five things of an essay: what ideas you developed, how well you explored the prompt, whether the piece is structured, whether it is clear and fluent, and whether the language is precise.
Start with these, free
- Lesson 1How a Section 1 question is built, step by step.
- A full Section 3 paper75 questions in 150 minutes, every answer explained.
- A Section 2 taskTask A or Task B on the real clock.
- GAMSAT practice testsFull timed sections.
- What is GAMSAT?What it stands for, the three sections and how it is scored.
- GAMSAT formula sheetChemistry and physics formulas to print, with a recall quiz.
- Is GAMSAT hard?The pace, the science level and the scores schools ask for.
- The full courseEvery lesson, practice unit and mock.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to prepare for GAMSAT?
ACER sets no figure. The plans here run 8, 12 or 16 weeks. Take the longer one if you have not studied chemistry, biology or physics at university level.
Can I prepare for GAMSAT without a science background?
Yes. ACER recommends that non-science graduates cover the basic sciences to first-year university level, and suggests a bridging course if you are not confident in a subject.
What are the best GAMSAT tips?
Answer every multiple-choice question, because nothing is deducted for a wrong answer and every question is worth the same. Do not spend too long on one question. In Section 2, answer the prompts in front of you: ACER says memorised essays generally score poorly.
Does spelling count in GAMSAT Section 2?
No. ACER says spelling and punctuation errors do not affect your score. Markers look at the quality of your thinking and how well your language carries it.
How long should a GAMSAT essay be?
There is no set length. ACER says the quality of the writing matters much more than the length. You have 30 minutes for each task.
Does ACER recommend any GAMSAT course?
No. ACER recommends no preparation provider. Its own materials are practice e-books, online practice tests for Sections 1 and 3 and an automatically scored writing test, bought through your ACER account. Practice Test A comes with your registration.
Is last-minute cramming worth it?
ACER says there is little benefit in last-minute cramming. GAMSAT tests reasoning built up over time, so steady weekly practice does more.