Planning for success
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There are many factors to consider when constructing your preparation strategy for the GAMSAT.
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These factors will influence how your learning cycles are constructed and where you start your journey.
Preparation for exams is most effective when viewed as a series of learning cycles.
One useful framework for understanding this process is Kolb’s learning cycle, which breaks preparation into four distinct stages:
- Concrete experience – for GAMSAT, this means taking a Mock.
- Reflective observation – this is analysing the results of your mock and finding strengths and weaknesses.
- Abstract conceptualisation – this is passive learning and includes making use of question explanations and seeking out new information to support your development areas.
- Active experimentation is a form of active learning, typically achieved by completing questions in a chosen area or through skills training.
The elements offered through Medify fit with the stages of your learning journey.
- Testing: take a concrete experience, such as taking a Mock.
- Reflecting: analyse the results of your mock and find strengths and weaknesses.
- Reading study notes and explanations: seek out new information to support your learning.
- Practising: complete focused practice sessions to improve strengths and reduce weaknesses.
Alongside these full study flywheels, you should aim to complete shorter learning cycles every time you complete a practice session.
Learning cycles have a lot of flexibility – the only fixed element is the order of the steps.
- The stage you choose to enter your first cycle is up to you.
- The overall length of each cycle can vary.
- The proportion of time spent on each stage will change as you improve.
There is no correct way to begin your GAMSAT preparation. You may decide to gather information before embarking on practice, or you might prefer to begin by taking a mock to assess the challenge ahead.
- Complete a short section mock to identify any strengths and weaknesses at the beginning of your GAMSAT journey.
- If you decide to begin your preparation with a full section mock, ensure you are familiar with the digital interface before starting.
- If you haven’t studied one of the science subjects for a long time, consider revisiting the fundamentals before attempting Section III.
The key is to choose a starting point that aligns with your current knowledge and learning preferences.
Section mocks have a fixed length:
- Full section mocks are 1 hour and 40 minutes for Section I and 2 hours and 30 minutyes for Section III.
- Short section mocks are 40 minutes for Section I and 60 minutes for Section III.
Look at the time available before your exam and work out how many mocks you want to do. Make sure you block out time for these.
Working with Medify’s question banks, reviewing analytics on past performance, and utilising study notes are all time-flexible and can be more easily built into your routine.
Use reflective observation to identify areas you want to work on as you practise.
You may have some known confidence gaps before you begin and may find other areas to develop while analysing your performance.
In each learning cycle, ask:
What are the areas I want to focus on, and how can I act to improve in them?
Effective preparation means that by test day, you have the ability to take the exam and achieve the mark you require to take the next step in your path to practising medicine.
Find something that works for you.
The time left before Test Day and the size of the gap between your current performance and your target indicate the gradient of your learning curve.
- Starting your preparation sooner increases the time you have available, reducing the gradient of your learning curve and making it more manageable.
- Shorter sessions and breaks are generally more sustainable than attempting to cram. This is especially true for GAMSAT, where there is no formal curriculum.
The GAMSAT is significantly different from other exams, such as those you sat in university and secondary school. In these exams:
- problems are set clearly.
- information is provided helpfully.
- content is organised on the basis of subjects or modules.
- there is a formal curriculum.
- the format is short-answer.
Whilst you will need to revise some science knowledge for Section III, the GAMSAT is not based on a formal curriculum.
In the GAMSAT, you must apply your skills and knowledge to questions in formats you will never have encountered at any other point in your education.
Other exams that test specific content generally require a passive approach to test-taking.
A passive approach involves answering all the questions in order and doing the straightforward work that each question explicitly asks for.
Instead of passively memorising content and only doing what a task explicitly states, you should develop an active approach focused on problem-solving to prepare for the GAMSAT.
An active approach requires adopting a range of strategies to save time and maximise marks:
- taking control of each section.
- answering sets or questions in the order that suits you.
- using alternative techniques appropriate for specific questions, such as eliminating wrong answers and selecting the one that remains, even if you have not proven it through straightforward working or logic.
This skillset can be developed through targeted practice, even if the question formats are unfamiliar.
GAMSAT questions follow recognisable patterns despite covering diverse topics. Focus on identifying question types and common reasoning strategies instead of memorising extensive content. Learning to spot these patterns quickly will improve both speed and accuracy.
For example, in Section I, Medify categorises questions into distinct categories that apply across all of the set types:
- Inference questions
- Detail questions
- Function questions
- New Info questions
- Global questions
- Comparison questions
These question types identify reasoning strategies rather than subject areas. During practice, try to identify different question types and develop appropriate strategies for each. This helps you transfer skills across different set types and reduces cognitive load on Test Day.
While the question sets in the GAMSAT cover a broad range of topics, they share commonalities in format, style, content or challenges.
For example, there are similar passages and visual formats that appear frequently in Section I:
- a non-fiction passage in an older style with complex syntax and unfamiliar grammar.
- a contemporary poem dense with imagery and symbolism.
- a cartoon with an awkward situation and a punchline in the caption.
If you can learn to recognise these common formats and challenges, you can use your past experience to guide and refine your approach in new sets.
Most stimuli in GAMSAT sets have logical organisation with key information in predictable locations. Practice identifying structural markers to navigate passages effectively.
Rather than practising questions for different sections in isolation, practice transferring analytical skills between Section I and Section III. Look for common analytical approaches that work across different sections:
- When you have to work with a longer text passage, the reading strategies recommended for Section I sets could help with complex textual stimuli in Section III.
- Working with visual data in Section III can help with navigating complex data sets and diagrams in Section I sets.
- The ability to recognise similarities in question types and basic logic, for example, identifying valid, categorically correct inferences, is helpful in both sections.
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Building skills requires practising problem-solving strategies and focusing on transferable techniques rather than content memorisation.
The process of preparing for high-stakes exams, such as the GAMSAT, can be a lonely or isolating experience. Forming study groups, either in person or online, can be an effective way to foster a supportive community where people can learn from one another.
If you decide that a study group would benefit your learning, look for three to four people with similar levels of commitment and complementary strengths. Meet regularly and base your sessions around a structured plan, for example, 30 minutes of practising questions, followed by 30 minutes of discussing different strategies and how well these worked.
Avoid groups that become venting sessions or purely social events. Set ground rules to make sure that you can focus on meaningful, productive practice, for example:
- no phones
- specific topics per session
- rotating leadership
- set times for silent practice and group discussion.
The most productive groups don’t just share answers but challenge each other with questions such as ‘Why did you eliminate answer choice B?’. Focus on quality discussion, not quantity of coverage.
When you have a busy schedule and a variety of commitments, it can become tempting to deprioritise exam practice.
Finding an accountability partner is a great way to ensure that you stick to your study plan.
- Partner with someone preparing for the GAMSAT when possible. Working with someone at a similar stage of preparation strengthens mutual accountability.
- If no GAMSAT candidates are available, any trusted person can provide accountability – they just need to check that you’re meeting your commitments.
- Schedule weekly check-ins in which you set specific goals and report on your progress.
- Avoid vague targets such as ‘practise more’; instead, focus on concrete, actionable goals, e.g., ‘Complete five Section I sets next week’.
Online GAMSAT forums offer valuable resources but require critical filtering. Look for posts with specific, actionable advice backed by score reports or clear reasoning. Experienced test-takers who explain their strategies in detail provide more value than anxiety-driven speculation.
- Avoid threads about ‘impossible’ questions or score predictions, as these fuel anxiety without providing solutions.
- Limit the time you spend on forums and always try to verify claims about the test by consulting information from credible sources. Remember: the loudest voices aren’t always the most accurate.
- Watch out for product placement. Not all forum users are authentic students.
Online forums often serve as a valuable springboard for building community. You can organise a study group or find an accountability partner online, which makes interactions more personal, structured and meaningful.
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Online communities that are organised around common goals, such as scoring high on the GAMSAT, can provide valuable forms of practical and moral support. However, these spaces can inadvertently foster a culture of competition and comparison, which is ultimately detrimental to effective preparation.
Someone always claims that they studied for two weeks and scored 80. These stories are often incomplete or untrustworthy, so approach such testimonies with caution.
Set boundaries around online discussions to protect your focus on what works for you. Mute social media keywords if needed.
While the GAMSAT community can provide meaningful support and resources, your preparation is ultimately unique to you. Comparing timelines, practice scores, or strategies often decreases confidence without improving performance. Focus on your trajectory, not what strangers claim to have achieved.
Collaborate wisely: the GAMSAT journey benefits from community support, but not all interactions are equally helpful. Focusing on speculation and competition can increase stress and decrease performance.
The GAMSAT uses a weighted scoring formula that will shape your revision strategy:
Overall Score = (1 × Section I + 1 × Section II + 2 × Section III) ÷ 4
This means that Section III counts for twice as much as each of the other sections in the overall score.
Consider your personal strengths when allocating revision time. If you consistently score well in one section, spend some time to keep up that strength while investing more hours in sections with greater potential for improving your score.
Keep in mind that each GAMSAT section has its own assessment method, which means that your approach must vary accordingly:
- The multiple-choice questions in Sections I and III reward speed, accuracy, and coverage.
- Section II values depth and clarity.
Your revision must therefore mirror these distinct demands.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that getting 70 to 80% of questions correct in Sections I or III yields a very high scaled score. You can achieve 100th percentile performance while still missing 20-30% of questions.
This mindset reduces anxiety and improves performance by allowing you to focus on questions where you can maximise accuracy.
Sections I and III feature multiple-choice questions. You get one mark per correct answer with no penalty for incorrect responses. This shapes the optimal strategy that you should practise when preparing for Sections I and III:
- Practise triage to prioritise questions where you’re most likely to succeed.
- Balance speed and accuracy to maximise marks.
- Work efficiently to answer questions correctly wherever possible.
- Answer every question, even if you are uncertain about the correct answer or running out of time.
Section II consists of two writing tasks which you must complete in 65 minutes. Your essays are evaluated on quality of thinking and clarity of expression.
The qualitative assessment in Section II requires a different approach to maximising your score from Sections I and III:
- Read and understand the prompt thoroughly before choosing your approach.
- Select the comments that best suit your knowledge and perspective.
- Brainstorm and plan your response before beginning to write.
- Pace yourself to complete both tasks within the time limit.
- Reserve time to review your work in the final minutes.
- Develop a focused and clear argument rather than trying to cover every possible angle.
- Develop your ideas fully instead of rushing through multiple superficial points.
Given the double weighting for Section III, you should analyse where your revision time yields the greatest return:
For a student with a scaled score of 60 in all sections:
- 5-point gain in Section III = 2.5-point overall gain
- 5-point gain in Section I = 1.25-point overall gain
If you’re equally capable of improving in multiple sections, prioritise Section III.
However, if Section I is significantly weaker and easier to improve, targeted investment there might yield better returns.
Consider the effort-to-improvement ratio for each section:
- Can you realistically improve Section III with your science background?
- Would improving your reading strategies in Section I offer quicker gains?
- Does Section II offer untapped potential through refining your essay writing technique?
Review your mock scores to identify which section shows the most variability. This often indicates the greatest potential for improvement through consistent practice.
For Section II, you should reflect on your technique each time you practise. Think about:
- whether you took time to plan.
- whether you structured each essay to simplify writing.
- whether you allowed enough time to write and review each essay.
Your revision strategy should reflect your unique profile:
- Science background: influences Section III approach
- Reading speed: affects Section I strategy
- Writing confidence: impacts Section II preparation
- Test anxiety: determines practice priorities
Create a personal scoring strategy based on your strengths:
- Which components of the test will you master?
- Which passage types or science topics will you attempt first?
- What’s your minimum acceptable pace?
- Where will you accept imperfection?
Your strategy should feel sustainable and confidence-building, not a constant struggle against your natural capabilities.
Strategic thinking about GAMSAT scoring helps you invest revision time wisely and develop realistic performance targets that maximise your overall score.
Create a weekly revision plan that adapts to your learning needs:
- Use 1-2 hour sprints when practising new skills – your brain needs regular breaks to consolidate learning.
- When you focus on mock exams and timed practice, longer sessions that mirror actual test conditions can help with building stamina. You should also allow sufficient time to fully review the questions, so these sessions will last longer.
Map out which section, set type or question type to focus on each day. Decide whether you’ll work on accuracy or speed for that session. This targeted approach prevents overwhelm and ensures systematic coverage of all areas.
Review and adjust your weekly plan at the end of the week based on progress and upcoming commitments.
The focus of each session should alternate between sections and skill types. For example:
- Monday: Section I, Non-Fiction – accuracy
- Tuesday: Section III, Biology – speed work
- Wednesday: Section II essay planning
This variety prevents mental fatigue and maintains engagement.
Within each session, specify exact goals, for example, ‘complete 3 poetry sets untimed with full review’, instead of ‘prepare for Section I’. Vague plans lead to unfocused and unproductive practice.
End each session by noting what to prioritise next time you focus on the same section or skill. Your future self will thank you for the clarity!
If you are struggling with a specific question or set type, always build accuracy first. This requires untimed practice.
- Work through questions methodically, checking explanations after each one to understand the reasoning strategies required to identify the correct answer.
- It is essential to check that you are getting answers right for the right reason and that you reflect on what you could have done differently.
You should only work on speed once your accuracy improves. You need to establish strong understanding before you can implement reliable shortcuts. This progression from accuracy to speed mirrors how you develop any complex skill: first learn to do it right, then learn to do it quickly.
Improving your speed requires timed practice. This is also where full sections or longer batches of questions will be useful. Any timed practice will be good for developing your GAMSAT speed, which you will need to refine without compromising accuracy.
Decide how often you will want to sit a mock in your GAMSAT revision period. This will depend on how much time you have left until Test Day and how many mocks you have yet to sit. Schedule mocks based on your available time and work commitments.
Medify’s GAMSAT mocks allow you to devise strategies that suit your weekly schedule and study plan.
Short mocks are available for both sections. These take only 40% of the time of the actual test:
- The Section I short mock takes 40 minutes.
- The Section III short mock takes 60 minutes.
These short mocks are helpful for assessing your strengths and weaknesses for different set and question types within individual sections. You can also turn to short mocks if you would like to complete mocks on a regular basis but have limited time.
Full Section I and Section III mocks are available separately at Medify.
- A full Section I mock takes 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- A full Section III mock takes 2 hours and 30 minutes.
You can complete full section mocks on alternate weeks if you want to do one mock per week but do not have enough time for a full mock that includes both sections.
You should complete one full mock during your preparation journey in order to simulate the experience on Test Day as closely as possible.
You should allocate 4.5 hours for a full mock for both sections. This includes the time for both sections, as well as a 15-minute comfort break between the sections.
Your final mock should be 4-7 days before Test Day: this is close enough to be relevant, but far enough to recover from any stress.
We would not advise sitting a full mock within 48 hours of the test.
Every practice session requires review time. Budget this into your schedule: for every hour of practice, allocate at least 30 minutes for reviewing explanations.
Reviewing is essential in untimed practice, as you cannot improve your accuracy without allowing time to read the explanations. Focus on the most efficient route to finding the correct answer as well as the reason why it is correct.
Analysing your performance is even more essential in timed practice. If you sit a mock and don’t review it, all you will get is a score. While performance data is valuable for identifying trends in your performance, the real value and improvement come not from the data but from careful review of the explanations afterwards.
As you review GAMSAT questions, whether from untimed practice, a short or a full mock, consider why you got questions right or wrong.
If you got a question correct, did you get it right for the right reasons?
- You might have missed a step.
- There might be a faster approach, or perhaps there is a technique you overlooked.
Even if you got a question correct, the explanations can help you improve your performance on Test Day.
If you got a question wrong, reflect on what you can learn from your mistakes.
- Did you fall for a wrong answer trap, and if so, why?
- Did you make an error in your rough working, or when you originally examined the data or diagram?
- Did you miss an important detail in the text that would have guided you to the correct answer?
Take time to learn from your mistakes. Any mistake you make in your GAMSAT revision is one you can avoid on Test Day. This review process is where real learning happens.
The final week requires a shift in focus, not intensity. Make targeted attacks on 2-3 remaining weaknesses where quick gains are possible, but don’t attempt major overhauls.
Dedicate ample practice time to brushing up strengths, especially if you’ve neglected them recently. Strong areas often deteriorate without maintenance. During the final week before Test Day, you get more benefit from bolstering strengths than focusing on weaknesses.
Complete your final mock 5-7 days before the test, leaving sufficient time for review and recovery. The goal is arriving at Test Day sharp but not exhausted.
