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Looking for a GAMSAT ® physics formula sheet ? ACER does not hand out a separate exam formula booklet — formulas appear in Section 3 stems when needed — so a study GAMSAT ® physics cheat sheet is how most candidates build Year 12 equation fluency before test day. Physics is only about 20% of Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences (roughly 15 of 75 questions), but it is often skipped; knowing core relationships, and how to manipulate them, can move your Section 3 score.
Download GradReady’s free GAMSAT ® physics formula sheet below. Use it to learn the main GAMSAT ® physics equations , then apply them in free GAMSAT ® practice questions. For topics, question types, and study strategy beyond the formula list, use our GAMSAT ® physics preparation guide.
Our GAMSAT ® physics cheat sheet collects the main Year 12 formulae you need for Section 3 physics study. Print it, keep it beside your notes, or use it as a model for your own GAMSAT ® formula list. ACER assumes sitters already have knowledge equal to Year 12 / A-level / Leaving Certificate physics , so any sheet you use should sit at that level — not first-year university physics, and not a university engineering dump.
The PDF below is GradReady’s free GAMSAT ® physics formula sheet. Learn the formulae and the concepts behind them, then fold the ones you actually use into your physics notes. A formula you cannot rearrange, unit-check, or recognise on a graph is not exam-ready.
Download GradReady’s Free GAMSAT Physics Formula Sheet13769 downloads
After you download the sheet, move quickly into application. A GAMSAT ® study syllabus checklist shows where physics sits beside biology and chemistry, and the GAMSAT ® Free Trial includes a day-by-day study guide, 40 free MCQs, and other preparation materials.
You are not given a discrete, separate GAMSAT ® formula sheet in the GAMSAT ® exam. ACER’s test-day list is an Admission Ticket, photo ID, and an erasable whiteboard or pens — not notes, and not a printed physics cheat sheet. If a particular question in Section 3 (Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences) needs a relationship that is not treated as basic assumed knowledge, one or more formulas usually appear in the stem, table, graph, or diagram.
Yes — when a question needs them. Across Section 3 you will see biology, chemistry, and physics stems that use mathematical or scientific relationships. In many of those units the essential equation is printed as part of the stimulus. If the task is to find a velocity from a newly defined model, expect that model’s formula to sit in the question rather than in a shared booklet.
That does not mean every fundamental formula is supplied. ACER also examines recall and understanding of basic science concepts and says the test focuses primarily on problem solving with prerequisite knowledge. Simple Year 12 relationships — the area of a triangle, Newton’s second law (F = ma), pressure as force over area, or density as mass over volume — may be assumed even when they are not restated. If you meet those for the first time in the exam, you lose time decoding symbols instead of reasoning.
So: GAMSAT ® does provide formulas when a stem needs a specific or unfamiliar equation, and it still expects fluent use of core Year 12 physics equations. The useful study habit is not hoping the booklet appears. It is arriving able to read a new formula quickly, rearrange it, check units, and ignore leftover constants that the stem already defined.
Use this split when you decide what belongs on your GAMSAT ® physics equation sheet and what you should only practise reading in stems.
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| In the exam In the exam |
What usually happens What usually happens |
What to practise with the cheat sheet What to practise with the cheat sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Unfamiliar or complex model Unfamiliar or complex model |
The formula is usually defined in the stem. The formula is usually defined in the stem. |
Read new notation quickly; substitute; rearrange. Read new notation quickly; substitute; rearrange. |
| Core Year 12 relationship Core Year 12 relationship |
Often assumed (F = ma, P = F/A, v = d/t, W = Fd). Often assumed (F = ma, P = F/A, v = d/t, W = Fd). |
Keep these on the sheet until they are automatic. Keep these on the sheet until they are automatic. |
| Biology or chemistry stem with physics maths Biology or chemistry stem with physics maths |
A constant or equation may be given; units and graphs may not. A constant or equation may be given; units and graphs may not. |
Practise mixed stems, not physics-only lists. Practise mixed stems, not physics-only lists. |
| Units, prefixes, and conversions Units, prefixes, and conversions |
Rarely supplied as a data booklet. Rarely supplied as a data booklet. |
Drill kilo/milli/micro and SI consistency. Drill kilo/milli/micro and SI consistency. |
| Graphs, tables, and diagrams Graphs, tables, and diagrams |
The relationship is often visual (gradient, area, intercept). The relationship is often visual (gradient, area, intercept). |
Link each formula to the graph shape it predicts. Link each formula to the graph shape it predicts. |
If you come from a non-science background, this table is the reason a cheat sheet helps: you are not trying to memorise university physics. You are making Year 12 relationships fast enough that a new stem does not stall you.
A GAMSAT ® physics formula sheet only raises your score if you use it as a practice tool. Printing it once and hoping recall appears on test day is the common failure mode. Work through the sheet in this order:
Full topic strategy, question types, and exam-day tactics stay on how to prepare for GAMSAT ® physics. This page stays on the formula list: what to download, what ACER does and does not give you, and how to turn physics formulas for GAMSAT ® into marks. Slot short formula-sheet drills into a GAMSAT ® study schedule so the PDF does not sit unused beside a GAMSAT ® textbook.
ACER does not permit calculators. That is why a GAMSAT ® Section 3 formula sheet is a fluency tool, not a plug-in list. On test day you reconstruct a relationship on the whiteboard, change the subject, check SI units, and estimate. Practise those three moves on every row of the free GAMSAT ® physics cheat sheet PDF.
Worked rearrange. A stem gives a force of 12 N and an acceleration of 3 m s⁻² and asks for mass. From Newton’s second law, F = ma, so m = F / a = 4 kg. The useful habit is the rewrite, not the arithmetic: if you only store “F = ma” in that order, you stall when the unknown is m or a.
Unit check. A newton is a kg m s⁻². Divide by m s⁻² and you are left with kg. If your rearranged GAMSAT ® physics equation produces seconds when the stem asked for mass, the algebra is wrong — you can often eliminate options before finishing the arithmetic.
Proportionality without a full calculation. If P = F / A and area halves at constant force, pressure doubles. Many Section 3 options differ by a factor of two or a power of ten. You do not need the exact pascal value if the relationship on your GAMSAT ® physics equation sheet already ranks the options.
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| Quantity on the formula sheet Quantity on the formula sheet |
SI unit to keep fluent SI unit to keep fluent |
Dimensional hint Dimensional hint |
|---|---|---|
| Force Force |
newton (N) newton (N) |
kg m s⁻² — mass × acceleration kg m s⁻² — mass × acceleration |
| Pressure Pressure |
pascal (Pa) pascal (Pa) |
N m⁻² — force ÷ area N m⁻² — force ÷ area |
| Energy / work Energy / work |
joule (J) joule (J) |
N m — force × distance N m — force × distance |
| Power Power |
watt (W) watt (W) |
J s⁻¹ — energy ÷ time J s⁻¹ — energy ÷ time |
| Charge / current / resistance Charge / current / resistance |
coulomb, ampere, ohm coulomb, ampere, ohm |
I = Q / t and V = IR must stay consistent I = Q / t and V = IR must stay consistent |
Add those SI names beside the matching Year 12 physics formulas for GAMSAT ® on your notes. Dimensional consistency — only adding quantities that share units — is often enough to reject a distractor when the stem defines a new model.
When ACER does provide a formula, treat it as part of the stimulus, not as optional decoration. A GAMSAT ® formula booklet will not appear later in the paper. Use this four-step read on every printed equation:
That skill is why the exam can still feel fair without an official data booklet: the hard work is reading the new relationship, not recalling a rare university equation. Practise it on official items from ACER’s preparation materials as well as GradReady MCQs.
ACER does not publish a topic-by-topic official syllabus. The families below match Year 12 physics and the relationships that most often appear in Section 3 stems. They are a map of a useful GAMSAT ® physics formula list, not a complete physics course. For the wider checklist, use the GAMSAT ® study syllabus.
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| Topic family Topic family |
Typical equations on a GAMSAT formula sheet Typical equations on a GAMSAT formula sheet |
How they show up in Section 3 How they show up in Section 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion (1D and 2D) Motion (1D and 2D) |
Speed, velocity, acceleration, and uniformly accelerated-motion links. Speed, velocity, acceleration, and uniformly accelerated-motion links. |
Motion graphs; projectiles; medical-device timing stems. Motion graphs; projectiles; medical-device timing stems. |
| Newton’s laws and torque Newton’s laws and torque |
F = ma, equilibrium (net force / net torque = 0), lever relationships. F = ma, equilibrium (net force / net torque = 0), lever relationships. |
Force diagrams, joints, and statics-style reasoning. Force diagrams, joints, and statics-style reasoning. |
| Energy, work, and momentum Energy, work, and momentum |
Kinetic and potential energy, W = Fd, conservation of energy and momentum. Kinetic and potential energy, W = Fd, conservation of energy and momentum. |
Collisions, energy transfers, and “before vs after” stems. Collisions, energy transfers, and “before vs after” stems. |
| Fluids Fluids |
P = F/A, hydrostatic pressure, density, Archimedes / buoyant force. P = F/A, hydrostatic pressure, density, Archimedes / buoyant force. |
Blood, lungs, IV fluids, and pressure–depth questions. Blood, lungs, IV fluids, and pressure–depth questions. |
| Electricity and magnetism Electricity and magnetism |
Electrostatic force, electric field, magnetic force on charges. Electrostatic force, electric field, magnetic force on charges. |
Charged-particle paths; instrument and imaging stems. Charged-particle paths; instrument and imaging stems. |
| Electric circuits Electric circuits |
I = Q/t, V = IR, series and parallel combinations, electrical power. I = Q/t, V = IR, series and parallel combinations, electrical power. |
Circuit diagrams and sensor / battery models. Circuit diagrams and sensor / battery models. |
| Optics and waves Optics and waves |
v = fλ, refraction, simple lens / magnification relationships. v = fλ, refraction, simple lens / magnification relationships. |
Light, sound, and imaging questions. Light, sound, and imaging questions. |
| Radioactive decay and exponentials Radioactive decay and exponentials |
Half-life and exponential-decay forms. Half-life and exponential-decay forms. |
Tracers, dose, and any “half as much each step” model. Tracers, dose, and any “half as much each step” model. |
| Maths fluency Maths fluency |
Rearrangement, fractions, scientific notation, logs, and basic trig. Rearrangement, fractions, scientific notation, logs, and basic trig. |
Almost every quantitative stem, including biology and chemistry. Almost every quantitative stem, including biology and chemistry. |
You will also see physics-style maths inside biology and chemistry units — graphs, rates, and proportional reasoning — even when the stem is not labelled as physics. That is why a short, fluent equation list still matters for a section that is “only” 20% physics.
Formulas are not the exam. GAMSAT ® questions reward digesting a stem, spotting a relationship, and making a logical inference. ACER specifically designs items to avoid simple “plug in and solve” recall.
Memorising a long GAMSAT ® physics equation dump is the wrong target. Fluency with a short set of Year 12 relationships is useful, because those relationships are often assumed and because a familiar formula is faster to rearrange when the stem gives a cousin of it. The preparation that transfers is: recognise the variables, manipulate the algebra, check units, and apply the same equation in a new context.
If a formula is on your cheat sheet and you cannot (1) state it in words, (2) solve for each variable, and (3) name a graph or experiment that uses it, keep practising that row. Then stop adding more equations and start doing mixed Section 3 sets. For the broader physics plan, see GAMSAT ® Physics: How to Prepare.
These are the habits that make a GAMSAT ® physics cheat sheet look useful and still fail under time:
If a mistake keeps repeating, log the formula, the unit error, and the graph you missed. That log is more useful than adding another page of GAMSAT ® Section 3 physics equations you have not practised.
GradReady’s free GAMSAT ® Physics Formula Sheet is a Year 12–level physics cheat sheet of the main equations used in Section 3 study. Use it throughout preparation, or as a model for your own formula list. It is a study resource, not an official ACER exam booklet.
No. ACER does not give you a separate GAMSAT ® formula sheet on test day. If a particular Section 3 question needs a relationship that is not assumed Year 12 knowledge, the formula usually appears in the stem, graph, table, or diagram.
Yes, when a question needs a specific or unfamiliar equation. ACER often includes that formula in the stimulus. Basic Year 12 relationships such as F = ma or P = F/A may still be assumed, so a study cheat sheet is for fluency, not for taking into the exam.
You do not need to memorise a long physics equation dump. Become fluent with core Year 12 relationships and practise rearranging them. ACER designs Section 3 against simple plug-in questions; the score comes from applying formulas to new stems, units, and graphs.
No. ACER does not publish an official GAMSAT ® formula booklet. The Information Booklet sets assumed knowledge at Year 12 / A-level / Leaving Certificate physics and says the test focuses on problem solving with that prerequisite knowledge. Official practice materials are listed on ACER’s preparation page.
No. You cannot bring a printed GAMSAT ® physics cheat sheet or other notes into the exam. Use the formula sheet only in study, then rely on fluent core relationships plus any equations ACER prints in the question.
Cover Year 12 families: motion, Newton’s laws and torque, energy, work and momentum, fluids, electricity and magnetism, circuits, optics and waves, radioactive decay, and the maths used to rearrange them. Print the free GAMSAT ® physics formula sheet above, then test each relationship in practice questions.
No. ACER does not permit calculators in GAMSAT ®. Practise rearranging Year 12 physics formulas for GAMSAT ® , checking SI units, and estimating with scientific notation so the formula sheet still works under exam conditions.
Yes. Use the free GAMSAT ® physics cheat sheet PDF as a model, then write a shorter personal GAMSAT ® formula list of the relationships you actually use. A condensed handwritten list is easier to reconstruct on the whiteboard than a long dump.
There is no official ACER chemistry formula booklet either. Chemistry equations belong on the GAMSAT ® chemistry guide. This page is the GAMSAT ® physics formula / cheat sheet for Year 12 Section 3 physics.
Learn one topic family, rearrange those equations, then apply them in MCQs the same day. Do not finish the whole sheet before any practice. A formula is not exam-ready until you can use it in a new stem without a calculator.
Full physics topics, question types, and study tips beyond the formula list.
Science-section strategy across biology, chemistry, and physics.
Physics topic checklist with the wider exam syllabus.
Quantitative chemistry relationships that sit beside a physics formula sheet.
Apply formulas to short worked science samples.
Timed Section 3 practice under exam-like conditions.
Broader free resource library for all sections.
Overall preparation strategy and scheduling.
Put short formula-sheet drills into weekly physics blocks.
Pair chapter review with the equations on this cheat sheet.
The only official practice e-books and interactive tests — use them to benchmark formula application.
For further tips and advice, sign up for our GAMSAT ® Free Trial to watch a recording of our GAMSAT ® Section 3 Workshop. Check out the 10 minute excerpt below.