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Australia · Admissions test

The GAMSAT test

The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) is the entry test for graduate-entry medicine, dentistry and some other health courses in Australia, Ireland and the UK. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) runs it twice a year, in March and September. The GAMSAT test has three sections over two sittings: two essays written online at home, then 137 multiple-choice questions at a test centre about three weeks later. There’s no pass mark, because each university sets its own minimum scores.

  • 65 minutesWritten Communication: 2 essays, at home
  • 100 minutesHumanities: 62 multiple-choice questions
  • 150 minutesSciences: 75 multiple-choice questions
  • 2 sittingsEach year, in March and September
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated October 2026 · Written from the ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026

Key facts

At a glance

Run by
ACER
Sections
Written Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences, Biological and Physical Sciences
Where you sit it
Essays at home by remote proctoring, multiple choice at a test centre
Scores
0 to 100 for each section and overall, with the sciences counted twice
Pass mark
None. Each university sets its own minimums
Fee (2026)
A$568 in Australia, €378 in Ireland, £296 in the UK

How it works

How the GAMSAT test works: two sittings, three sections

  1. Each sitting has two windows. Written Communication comes first, and the test centre sitting for the other two sections follows about three weeks later.
  2. For the essays you book your own time slot with ProctorU, the remote proctoring company, through your ACER account.
  3. At the test centre you take Humanities and Social Sciences first, then a 30-minute break, then Biological and Physical Sciences, on a computer the centre supplies.
  4. At the test centre the supervisor announces the time and there are clocks in the room. The on-screen countdown timer is part of the remote essay sitting.
  5. You must sit all three sections to get GAMSAT results.

Topics

What’s on the test

01

How the test is built

Three sections in two sittings: two essays online first, then two multiple-choice sections at a test centre about three weeks later.

Key points (4)
  • Written Communication is 2 tasks in 65 minutes; Humanities and Social Sciences is 62 questions in 100 minutes; Biological and Physical Sciences is 75 questions in 150 minutes (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • Total test time is 5.25 hours over two sittings (ACER preparation page).
  • The essays are done by remote proctoring; Humanities and Sciences are taken together in one session at a test centre (ACER registration page).
  • You need to have completed, or be enrolled in, a bachelor or undergraduate honours degree, or meet your chosen institution’s entry rules (ACER home page).
02

Written Communication

Two 30-minute writing tasks, each built on four statements on a common theme, marked on thinking and on how well it’s expressed.

Key points (4)
  • The first task deals with socio-cultural issues and the second with more personal and social issues (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • Responses are judged on thought and content, and on organisation and expression; each one is scored independently three times (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • Spelling and punctuation errors don’t affect your score (ACER preparation page).
  • Every response is checked for plagiarism, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and memorised essays generally score poorly (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
03

Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences

Multiple-choice questions on passages and some visual or tabular material about social, cultural, personal and interpersonal topics.

Key points (3)
  • There are 62 questions in 100 minutes, each with four options (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • Stimuli include personal, imaginative, expository and argumentative writing, and some units use visual or tabular material (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • If English isn’t your first language, you may use an unmarked printed bilingual dictionary in this section (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
04

Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences

Chemistry, biology and physics questions mixed through one long section, focused on problem solving with basic science knowledge.

Key points (4)
  • Questions are 40% chemistry, 40% biology and 20% physics, mixed through the section (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • The knowledge level is first-year university biology and chemistry, and A-level, Leaving Certificate or Year 12 physics (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • Calculators aren’t allowed; you work on a small whiteboard or scratch paper (ACER test day page).
  • This section counts twice in the overall score (ACER results page).
05

Scores and results

Four scaled scores from 0 to 100, released online in your ACER account, with no pass mark and no remarking.

Key points (4)
  • Overall score = (Humanities + Written Communication + 2 x Sciences) / 4, worked out before section scores are rounded (ACER results page).
  • Scores are scaled so that results from different test forms and sittings can be compared directly (ACER results page).
  • Results can be used for up to four years in Australia and two in the UK and Ireland; Ulster University accepts four (ACER results page).
  • ACER doesn’t offer remarks for any section (ACER results page).
06

Registration, fees and test day

You register and pay through an ACER account, book your essay session with ProctorU, and bring your Admission Ticket and photo ID to the test centre.

Key points (4)
  • The 2026 registration fee was A$568 in Australia, €378 in Ireland and £296 in the UK (ACER registration page).
  • Your account name and date of birth must match the ID you’ll show on the day (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
  • Admission Tickets are released about two weeks before the test centre window (ACER registration page).
  • You can defer once, to the next March or September sitting (ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026).
07

Using your score to apply

Each university sets its own minimum scores and decides how much the GAMSAT counts next to your degree results and interview.

Key points (4)
  • ACER says universities set their own cut-off scores each year and may set thresholds for section scores as well as the overall score (ACER results page).
  • Every Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System (GEMSAS) school lists a minimum of 50 in each section; overall minimums include 50 at the Australian National University, Deakin, Griffith, Macquarie and Wollongong, a 52 average at Notre Dame and 55 at the University of Western Australia (GEMSAS GAMSAT page).
  • For Ireland, you tick Ireland in your ACER account and give your Central Applications Office (CAO) number (ACER Ireland admissions page).
  • For the UK, you tick UK and give your UCAS Personal ID and course choices in your ACER account (ACER UK admissions page).

Test day

What to bring to your GAMSAT test centre sitting

  • Your Admission Ticket, printed (black and white is fine)
  • Current photo ID that ACER accepts, such as a passport or a photo driver’s licence, with the same first and last name as your Admission Ticket
  • An erasable whiteboard no bigger than about A4 and a marker, or pens, pencils, a sharpener and an eraser
  • A clear water bottle with no label (optional)
  • Disposable or loop earplugs without any audio function (optional)
  • Something easy to eat in the break, since you stay at the venue

Before you go

  1. Check that the name and date of birth in your ACER account match your ID exactly.
  2. Run ProctorU’s equipment check and install the Guardian Browser and the ACER Test App before your essay session.
  3. Try the online platform demo in your ACER account so the test screen is familiar.
  4. If you need extra time, food, medication or other supports, apply for reasonable adjustments before the deadline for your sitting.
  5. Download your Admission Ticket when ACER emails you, about two weeks before the test centre window, and check every detail on it.
  6. Plan your travel for about six hours at the test centre.
  7. If you’re applying in the UK or Ireland, tick that country and add your UCAS or CAO details in your ACER account before the deadline.
ACER: GAMSAT registration portalYou register, pay and manage your GAMSAT sitting in your ACER account. ACER opens registration for the March 2027 sitting in November 2026.

Study options

Where to study

ACER writes the only official GAMSAT practice material: practice test e-books, timed online practice tests and an essay generator, and Practice Test A comes with your registration. ACER says it doesn’t recommend any prep course. Its material comes first in the list, then paid courses with the prices on their own sites in October 2026.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official and free
ACER GAMSAT practice tests and e-booksOfficial practice materialThe only official GAMSAT practice material. Practice Tests A and B hold authentic questions from past papers; the online Humanities and Sciences tests use new questions in a copy of the test screen. Bought through an ACER account, with 12 months’ access. Prices in euros and pounds for Ireland and the UK.
Practice Test A comes with registration; e-books A$46, online section tests A$36, essay generator A$22 (2026)Practice Test A e-book with your registration fee, and the online platform demo once you’ve registered
ACER: GAMSAT preparation ↗ACER: Registration portal ↗
ACER GAMSAT preparation videosOfficial videosACER made these to show how GAMSAT questions are built and what to look for, after seeing what it calls doubtful claims from commercial courses and YouTubers.
FreeEvery video, for Humanities and Social Sciences and for Biological and Physical Sciences
ACER: GAMSAT preparation videos ↗
ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026Official guide (PDF)ACER’s rules for registration, fees, test day, scoring and admission in Australia, Ireland and the UK. It has no practice questions.
FreeThe whole booklet
ACER: GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026 (PDF) ↗
Courses
GradReadyOnline and in-person GAMSAT coursesThe online Comprehensive course lists 15 practice exams and 8 marked essays; Starter has 3 practice exams and no marked essays. GradReady says it runs in-person courses in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
Early bird prices including GST: Starter (online) $299, Essentials (online) $759, Comprehensive (online) $999, Comprehensive (attendance) $1,649, Complete Care $2,199 and Success Assured $5,499A free trial, and free practice questions and tests on its site
GradReady: GAMSAT preparation courses ↗
Gold Standard GAMSATOnline course, books and live tutorialsThe online course includes its Masters Series e-books, a question bank, 5 full-length practice tests, over 300 teaching videos and two professionally scored essays. The Masters Series also comes as paperbacks, and Gold Standard lists city courses for Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, each marked Live Online.
Online course $35 a week or $149 a month; live weekend tutorials $799 before a March sitting or $550 before SeptemberA free full-length practice test with worked solutions, free webinars and a study schedule
Gold Standard: GAMSAT online course ↗Gold Standard: Free GAMSAT practice test ↗
Fraser’s MedicalOnline and in-person GAMSAT coursesComprehensive includes 22 private tutorials and 20 live bridging classes across all three sections; Immersive includes 5 full mock exams and weekly marked essays. Fraser’s labels the sections S1, S2 and S3.
Starting prices: Immersive $83.30 a week, Comprehensive $107.98 a week online or $119.98 in person, Essentials Bundle $109.75A free account and a free library of articles
Fraser’s Medical: Which GAMSAT course is right for you ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

Study optionsScoringCostACER practice testsSections and timingScores for medicineTest datesRegistration

Test sections

Section 1: HumanitiesSection 2: WritingSection 3: Sciences

Results and test day

ResultsTest centres and test day

FAQ

Common questions

What is the GAMSAT test?

It’s the admissions test for graduate-entry medicine and some dentistry, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary courses in Australia, Ireland and the UK. ACER developed it in conjunction with GEMPASS Australia Limited. ACER says it assesses your ability to understand and analyse material, think critically and organise your ideas in writing, along with basic science concepts.

What does GAMSAT stand for?

Graduate Medical School Admissions Test. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), a not-for-profit independent organisation, develops it and sends results to test takers and universities.

Is the GAMSAT online?

Partly. Everyone writes the Written Communication essays online at home, watched by a remote proctor. Humanities and Biological Sciences are on a computer at a test centre, unless you live more than three hours’ drive from a centre or in a country without one. Then you can apply to sit those sections remotely too.

Who can sit the GAMSAT?

Anyone applying to a course that needs it who has finished, or is enrolled in, a bachelor or undergraduate honours degree, or who meets the entry rules of the institution they’re applying to. Exeter and Plymouth have wider rules for their own applicants. Your degree doesn’t have to be in science, but ACER says success in the GAMSAT is unlikely without knowledge and ability in the biological and physical sciences.

How many times can you sit the GAMSAT?

As many times as you like, as long as you’re a genuine applicant to a course that needs it. You can only register once per sitting, and if you have more than one valid set of scores, you can apply with your best.

Should I sit the GAMSAT or the MCAT?

Sit the test your course asks for. The graduate-entry courses that ACER lists in Australia, Ireland and the UK ask for the GAMSAT, and GEMSAS, the Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System, says a current GAMSAT score is required for most applicants to its courses. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a separate test from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), with its own guide on this site.

Sources: ACER · GEMSAS and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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