What is the GAMSAT? Format, timing and how scoring works
A plain-English overview of the GAMSAT: the three sections, question counts and timing, when you can sit it, and how results are reported, with links to ACER.
By the GAMSAT Pro team · Updated · 8 min read · Exam basics
The GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test) is the admissions test used by many graduate-entry medicine programmes, and by some other health-professional courses, in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. It is written and run by ACER, the Australian Council for Educational Research. This guide explains what the test looks like, how it is timed and how results work, so you can plan your preparation with the right picture in mind.
Everything here about the format comes from ACER's own material, mainly the GAMSAT Information Booklet (opens in a new tab) and gamsat.acer.org (opens in a new tab). ACER updates these documents each year, so check the current edition before you register.
Who takes the GAMSAT
The test is designed for graduates, or students in the later years of a degree, applying to health-professional courses that require it. You do not need a science degree to sit it. ACER describes it as a test of reasoning and problem-solving using material from the humanities, social sciences and sciences, plus written communication, rather than a test of specialist recall.
Which courses accept the GAMSAT, the scores they expect and how they combine it with your grades and interview changes between universities and years. Always check each school's own admissions page.
The three sections
The GAMSAT has three sections. In the current format (ACER 2026 Information Booklet):
| Section | What it covers | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1: Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences | Interpreting written and visual material: passages, poetry, dialogue, cartoons, tables | 62 multiple-choice questions | 100 minutes |
| Section 2: Written Communication | Two writing tasks, each responding to a set of four statements on a theme | 2 written responses | 65 minutes in total |
| Section 3: Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences | Reasoning with scientific material: experiments, data, graphs, models | 75 multiple-choice questions | 150 minutes |
A few format details matter for preparation:
- Multiple-choice questions have four options, and questions usually come in groups that share a stimulus such as a passage, a cartoon or an experiment description.
- Section 3 is weighted across disciplines: ACER describes the content as roughly 40% chemistry (general and organic), 40% biology and 20% physics. The assumed knowledge is about first-year university level in biology and chemistry and final-year school level in physics.
- Section 2's two tasks differ in theme. Task A focuses on socio-cultural issues and Task B on more personal and social issues. Each gives you four short statements around a common theme to respond to.
- The writing test and the multiple-choice sections are sat separately, usually on different days. Check your booking for the exact schedule.
According to ACER's preparation guidance (opens in a new tab), wrong answers do not lose marks and every multiple-choice question has equal value. So you should answer every question, even if you have to guess.
How the questions work
GAMSAT multiple-choice questions reward reasoning with what is in front of you. In Section 1 you might be asked what a poem's speaker implies, how two passages differ in attitude, or what a cartoon assumes about its audience. In Section 3 you are usually given an unfamiliar scenario, such as a new enzyme, a lab procedure or a physical system, with the specialist relationship you need, and asked to apply it.
That is why rote memorisation alone tends to disappoint. Background knowledge in Section 3 lets you read the stimulus quickly and spot what matters, but the questions test whether you can use it: rearranging a relationship, reading a graph correctly, or noticing that a conclusion goes further than the data allow.
Our Section 1 strategy guide and Section 3 strategy guide go through each section in detail.
When you can sit it
There are usually two sittings a year, in March and September. In 2026, ACER's Information Booklet lists:
- March 2026: Written Communication 28 February – 1 March; multiple-choice sections 20–22 March.
- September 2026: Written Communication 22–23 August; multiple-choice sections 11–13 September.
Registration closes weeks before each sitting, and late registration, where it is offered, costs extra. ACER publishes each year's dates, fees and deadlines on gamsat.acer.org (opens in a new tab). See our GAMSAT 2027 dates guide for what to expect next year. Those dates are estimates until ACER confirms them.
How results work
ACER reports a score for each section and an overall score. These are scaled scores, not the percentage of questions you got right, so you cannot convert a raw practice mark directly into a GAMSAT score. Be wary of any resource that claims to.
ACER publishes how the overall score is calculated on its results pages. It has long been a weighted combination in which Section 3 counts double (one part Section 1, one part Section 2, two parts Section 3). Some universities apply their own weighting or cut-offs to individual sections. Results are released a few months after each sitting, and each university decides how long a result remains valid for its admissions. Check the current details on gamsat.acer.org (opens in a new tab) and with the schools you are applying to.
What this means for preparation
- Prepare for all three sections. The overall score combines them, and some schools set minimums for individual sections.
- Practise with stimulus material, not just facts. For Section 3, revise the core sciences and then practise applying them to unfamiliar scenarios. For Section 1, practise interpreting a wide range of texts and images.
- Write regularly, under time, in the format you will sit it in (check ACER for the current delivery arrangements). Section 2 rewards depth of thought and clear expression, both of which improve with feedback and revision.
- Practise pacing. About 97 seconds per question in Section 1 and 2 minutes per question in Section 3, including reading time for the stimulus.
- Use ACER's official practice material. It is the best guide to what the real questions look like.
Our GAMSAT study plan guide turns this into a week-by-week plan.
Where practice fits in
GAMSAT Pro gives you exam-style units for Sections 1 and 3 with hints and worked solutions, short timed blocks at exam pace, and Section 2 writing practice with feedback you can revise against. It is an independent product, not affiliated with ACER, so use it alongside ACER's official materials. You can try a sample Section 3 question without an account.