UK GAMSAT - A second chance draw?

The GAMSAT® Exam is one of the most competitive entrance exams anywhere in the world, and the difference between a score of 63 and 65, for example, could spell the difference between entrance to medicine or the unwelcome aspect of choosing a different career. With this in mind, and the fact that there will doubtless be small differences in any student’s performance on any given day, the UK GAMSAT ® Exam is an interesting proposition. In some senses, it offers an opportunity for those seeking entrance into medicine a second shot at achieving the marks they are aiming for. 

Specifically, it is possible to:

• consolidate further on the preparation put into the March GAMSAT® Exam
• make a second attempt on the actual exam itself with the benefit of having experienced the earlier GAMSAT® Exam, but without having to wait a whole year between the experiences
• have the ability to use the best of two marks for entry into medicine

It is quite likely (particularly if the March GAMSAT® Exam was your first experience of the exam) that factors such as a lack of sleep, overall anxiety, or perhaps just feelings of being overwhelmed may have resulted in a performance at that time which you feel less than satisfied with.  Of course this is something you will only know for sure in May when you receive your results, but the good news is that UK GAMSAT® Exam registrations open in early June each year, so this is at least one timeline in the medical school admissions process that aligns nicely.

It is worth noting that your performance in the UK GAMSAT® Exam will not result in your admission to Australian Graduate Medical Schools any earlier than if you resat the GAMSAT® Exam the following year in March.  What this means is that if you sit the September GAMSAT® Exam you will not receive an actual offer from a place as a result of sitting this exam until November of the following year, 14 months on.  This results in some treating the UK GAMSAT® Exam as a “practice GAMSAT® Exam”, a means of working on flaws in their approach until they reach the next major round of GAMSAT® Exam which is of course in the month of March for the following year.  It is naturally up to you whether you take this approach or not but it should be remembered that the UK GAMSAT® Exam result has the same value as your other score,  therefore it is recommended that your preparation for this exam really be a continuation of the work which you have already put into your March exam.  What the UK GAMSAT® Exam represents, is a chance at consolidating on the work you have already done up until this point. 

If you're resitting the GAMSAT exam and you struggled with Section 3 in particular like most students, especially Physics, check out our guide on GAMSAT Physics: How to Prepare.