Is GAMSAT hard?
Yes, mainly for its length and its science. It is 5.25 hours of test time, the Sciences section counts double, and it expects first-year university chemistry and biology. The reasoning sections need no set knowledge, but the clock never lets up.
- Test time
- 5.25 hours
- Over two sittings
- Sciences pace
- About 120 s
- A question, no calculator
- Science level
- First-year university
- Chemistry and biology
- Pass mark
- None
- Schools set their own
Section by section
| Section | Work | Pace | What it assumes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Humanities | 62 multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes | About 97 seconds a question | No set knowledge: mostly written passages, some visual and tabular material |
| 2. Written Communication | 2 writing tasks in 65 minutes | 30 minutes a task | No set knowledge: each task gives four statements on one theme |
| 3. Sciences | 75 multiple-choice questions in 150 minutes | About 120 seconds a question | First-year university chemistry and biology, year 12, a level or leaving certificate physics |
Sciences is 40% chemistry, 40% biology and 20% physics, and counts twice in the overall score.
Try one Section 1 question
The manager called the new timetable a triumph of flexibility: patients could book any slot from nine to five. Anyone who worked those hours was warmly invited to fall ill at weekends, when, regrettably, the clinic was closed.
The writer implies that the new timetable is
What makes it hard
- Stamina: 100 minutes of Humanities and 150 of Sciences on one day.
- Science from a degree you may not have: ACER says success will be difficult without a good knowledge of the biological and physical sciences, and recommends non-science graduates prepare them to first-year university level.
- Problem solving, not recall: Sciences questions mainly test how you use that knowledge on passages, graphs and tables of data.
- Writing on demand: two 30-minute tasks on themes you see for the first time, marked on your thinking and your control of language.
What scores schools ask for
There is no pass mark. Scores run from 0 to 100 per section and are scaled, not percentages. Of 5 UK schools that publish a minimum, every one asks for at least 50 in each section, and 2 also want 55 to 58 overall. See every UK school's rule, or work out an overall score.
Next
- What is GAMSAT?What it stands for, the three sections and how it is scored.
- How to prepare for GAMSATA plan for each section, week by week.
- GAMSAT formula sheetChemistry and physics formulas to print, with a recall quiz.
- GAMSAT practice testsFull timed sections with every answer explained.
- The full courseEvery lesson, practice unit and mock.
Questions people ask
Is GAMSAT hard?
It is long and science-heavy: 5.25 hours of test time, and the Sciences section counts double and expects first-year university chemistry and biology. The reasoning sections need no set knowledge, but the pace is steady throughout.
Can you pass GAMSAT without a science degree?
There is no pass mark. Graduates of any field sit it, and ACER recommends that non-science graduates prepare the basic sciences to first-year university level, for example with a bridging course.
What GAMSAT score do UK medical schools want?
Where a UK school publishes a minimum, it is at least 50 in every section. Keele University and University of Sunderland also ask for 55 to 58 overall with a strong Sciences score. Others rank applicants and publish no minimum.
Does ACER publish GAMSAT pass rates?
No. Scores run from 0 to 100 and are scaled, not percentages. Your results come with a chart of your approximate percentile, but universities look at your section and overall scores.