Getting started in Section II
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Section II consists of two writing tasks: Task A and Task B. In each task, you’ll read four comments on a common theme. You must then write an essay that responds to one or more comments.
You must complete Section II in 65 minutes. This time allocation includes both tasks, with no subdivision between them.
This means it’s up to you to divide the time as you see fit. At Medify, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for each writing task. This leaves you with 5 minutes to allocate as you need on Test Day.
You must be disciplined in monitoring the time and in ensuring that you finish the first writing task with sufficient time remaining for the second task.
At Medify, we recommend that you break down each 30-minute task into the following steps:
The most common mistake GAMSAT test-takers make is to begin writing their essays within the first few minutes of the section. This leads to muddled thinking and poorly articulated ideas.
In order to write the best possible essay, you must take a disciplined, step-by-step approach and pace yourself appropriately.
This will also give you the best chance of finishing the first task with enough time to write a high-quality response to the second task. There’s no point spending all your time crafting the perfect answer to the first task if it means your second answer is below par and scores poorly.
Section II tests your ability to generate and develop ideas in writing. This skill is vital for the medical profession and underpins almost all university-level work you’ll encounter during your studies.
Your work will be judged on two things:
- The quality of your thinking
- How well you articulate that thinking through language
This means you must answer each question thoughtfully and in a clear, logical and organised way.
Section II includes two different writing tasks. Task A will ask for a response to a general social or cultural theme, whilst Task B will be on a more personal theme.
GAMSAT strives to make these tasks non-culturally-specific so as not to disadvantage anyone because of their linguistic or cultural background.
Each of your essays will be assessed by three independent evaluators, who will mark your work according to two main criteria.
The first is Thought and Content, which refers to the quality of what is said. This includes what you make of and develop from the task, and the kinds of thoughts you offer in response to it.
The second is Organisation and Expression, which refers to the quality of the structure you develop and the language you use. This includes the shape and form of your piece, and the effectiveness and fluency of your language.
There are no ‘correct’ responses to GAMSAT Section II prompts. This is fundamentally different from Sections I and III of GAMSAT, where answers are objectively right or wrong.
Instead, Section II essays exist on a spectrum. Some responses are thoughtful and clear, whilst other responses are less thoughtful and less clear.
Thoughtful and clear essays show:
- Correct understanding of the theme
- Analysis of the implications of some pros and cons related to the theme
- A clear stance in relation to the theme
However, it’s not enough just to have a good understanding of the theme and a convincing argument: you must also structure your essay well and articulate your ideas clearly.
This can be achieved by:
- Outlining carefully
- Structuring paragraphs and sentences appropriately
- Reviewing what you have written
Careful analysis and planning will enable you to write a well-thought-out essay containing concise and balanced arguments. Careful writing and reviewing will help you to present all of this clearly and without any major rough spots.
Even if your points are good, clear and well structured, you will be marked down if you misunderstand the core theme. That’s why understanding the theme correctly is more important than perfect prose.
A clearly structured essay that demonstrates solid thinking about the theme will score better than an eloquently written essay that misunderstands what the task is actually asking.
This means that the first step in your process — identifying the theme — is crucial.
Walkthrough
Section II essay
This exercise will give you a first go at writing a Section II essay.
It’s very common to find Section II of the GAMSAT daunting. Aspiring medics tend to be more comfortable with the hard sciences than with open-ended essays on general and personal topics. Students often tell us that they feel their strengths lie in memorising facts, solving problems and applying formulas — not in generating and articulating original ideas about abstract themes.
However, being more comfortable with science doesn’t mean you can’t excel at writing. You can approach Section II with the same systematic preparation you’d bring to any other challenging subject.
Whatever your background and comfort level with this section, there are concrete strategies that you can use to improve your writing and attain higher marks.
Doing well in Section II is a skill, and like any skill, it can be developed through deliberate practice and the right approach.
The key to overcoming your anxiety about Section II is structured practice and developing a reliable process for approaching any writing task.
This process will give you confidence on Test Day because you’ll know exactly what to do, step by step, no matter what theme you encounter.
Remember: the examiners aren’t looking for literary genius. They’re looking for clear thinking, organised writing and effective expression — all of which can be learned and improved.
If you do not speak English as a first language, the focus on writing can make Section II seem doubly intimidating.
Speakers of English as a second language may access a bilingual dictionary during the exam. The dictionary must contain only translations of English words and phrases into another language and must not contain definitions of English words in English.
It must be a printed dictionary and will need to be shown during proctoring.
This can remove some anxiety about understanding the theme and making sure that you’re expressing your ideas exactly as you mean to.
It may be tempting to memorise set responses and hope they’ll be applicable to the themes you encounter on Test Day.
Nevertheless, the skills you develop through practice — identifying themes, brainstorming, outlining and writing — will serve you far better than any memorised essay ever could.
The prompts change each year and could cover a huge range of themes. Pre-written essays are likely to be irrelevant to the prompt you receive on Test Day and will therefore score poorly.
Despite its name, Section II will be your first GAMSAT exam. You will sit it through remote proctoring approximately three weeks before Sections I and III.
Things on Test Day will therefore feel less familiar for Section II, so it’s common to feel more nervous. That may sound daunting, but knowing what to expect helps you to prepare.
Read through our GAMSAT Essentials tips on remote proctoring so that you know what to expect. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to focus on the strategies that will fire you to a great SII score.
Be ready for long proctoring waits when you sit Section II. These delays are normal, but can throw you off your game if you’re not expecting them.
Firstly, remember that as soon as the test begins, you can implement the same tried-and-tested strategies that you’ve nailed throughout your preparations.
You can then pass any waiting time constructively. You might:
- Mentally recap your planned exam timings.
- Think about a recent article you’ve read, whatever the topic. This will distract you from the wait and make sure your mind’s open and ready to come up with ideas for Tasks A and B.
- Practise making arguments and counter-arguments. Again, it doesn’t matter what the topic is – it just gets you in ‘analysis’ mode.
If you still find yourself getting anxious during proctoring waits, use stress management techniques to stay as calm and focused as possible. You might try:
- Box breathing
- Positive visualisation
- Progressive muscle relaxation
In progressive muscle relaxation, you:
- Tense a muscle for a few seconds
- Slowly release for a few seconds
- Move onto another muscle or body part and repeat
Physical relaxation from releasing muscle tension tricks your mind into relaxing too. Progressive muscle relaxation can also help with the discomfort of sitting at a computer, without being able to move around, for longer than expected.
Throughout your SII preparations, bear in mind that the exam itself will be sat on a computer. Your essays will therefore be typed on a keyboard.
It is therefore crucial to:
- Practise writing essays using a computer and keyboard.
- Build your typing speed.
If you can, work on your touch typing skills. This will reduce the number of typing errors you make and need to correct during the review stage.
Plagiarism is taken very seriously in Section II. GAMSAT runs all essays through an online plagiarism checker and checks them against a database of previously submitted essays.
Candidates caught plagiarising face serious penalties. Their registration might be cancelled without refund or their results might be withheld.
In the most serious cases, candidates might incur a temporary or permanent ban from the GAMSAT. These consequences can derail a medical career before it even begins.