Gamsat-Late entry

mick2478

Hi All,

I've decided only now to do the Gamsat this coming March and I was wondering if anyone else managed to get a good score after only a couple of months of study? I know it's late and unfortunately I don't come from a science background but do you think with non-stop study it's possible this late?

Thanks

sReq | uTeK

mick2478 wrote: »

Hi All,

I've decided only now to do the Gamsat this coming March and I was wondering if anyone else managed to get a good score after only a couple of months of study? I know it's late and unfortunately I don't come from a science background but do you think with non-stop study it's possible this late?

Thanks

Yup defo possible with non stop study.

PyramidUp

Best of luck!

sneakysnake007

Yup definitely. Give it 100% focus and if you find you're slacking, tell yourself "I do not want to do this again in 6months time." It works even better when it's your second time taking it lol.

Urethra Franklin.

Oooh ok I didnt want to open a new thread so I decided to post here as its in the same topic. I am considering sitting the GAMSAT in September however I have found myself in a position where I will only have amonth to study for it(lots of details dont want to go into specifics). I know that realistically this is not enough time to prepare adequately for the exam to achieve a score that would ge eligible for GEM but is it even worth my while at all sitting it? I was kinda aiming to do it for the experience and having had a proper go at it before the March exams but given that Ill probably do horrifically is it even worth it, is there anything to gain when youre so ill prepared?

PyramidUp

I did exactly that in March and found it very beneficial. I was in the same boat, non-science background and almost zero preparation time but wanted the experience and found sitting the March exam very beneficial.

I picked up a number of tacit and practical tips from sitting it. Also gained confidence that I could get a good enough score if I can provide adequate study time for it.

If you can afford it I would strongly recommend doing it.

LikeDolphins

Hi there, I'd definitely recommend sitting it and seeing how you get on. I was in final year this year (non-science) and never sat GAMSAT before; I didn't have much time to study so I just did a bit of biology, some chemistry (but I don't think any of it helped), no physics. However, I did do a good few essays and section 1 qs as I felt more ground could be gained there with little time, and I liked English.

I very nearly didn't sit the exam in March, I was terrified and quite stressed with college but I felt I'd nothing to lose at that stage. The first two sections went ok, a bit time pressured but the fact that I had accepted it wasn't going to be brilliant helped me stop over-thinking. For Section 3, I just answered the biology and the maths-like qs where you could manipulate the info in the question - about 40 qs in all. I wish I was joking when I say this, but I guessed every other science answer by answering the same letter (about 70 questions). Afterwards, I thought I'd get an overall score of 40/45 if I was lucky, but apart from a slightly bruised ego I didn't regret sitting it as I learnt a lot.

I got my results last week and was pleasantly surprised - I somehow managed to get 60, with 53 in science. I'm beyond shocked but hopeful for offers in August. I'm just saying, it's not all about the science section; if you recognise and play to your strengths, you could surprise yourself! If you're stuck on a question, remember it's multiple choice and you have at least a 25% chance of being right. If you can afford to sit it a couple of times, what's the worst that could happen? There were a good few empty seats on the day of people who didn't turn up but I'm so glad I gave it a go.

Arabella19

Urethra Franklin. wrote: »

Oooh ok I didnt want to open a new thread so I decided to post here as its in the same topic. I am considering sitting the GAMSAT in September however I have found myself in a position where I will only have amonth to study for it(lots of details dont want to go into specifics). I know that realistically this is not enough time to prepare adequately for the exam to achieve a score that would ge eligible for GEM but is it even worth my while at all sitting it? I was kinda aiming to do it for the experience and having had a proper go at it before the March exams but given that Ill probably do horrifically is it even worth it, is there anything to gain when youre so ill prepared?

Hi,

I did the GAMSAT last March (2017) with 2 months study but to be honest, the last month is where I really put in the work ( I was doing a PhD at the time, which I have subsequently converted to a Research Masters). If you have one month and can put in a good amount of time, I think it is possible to get a score for GEM in Ireland. I got 63 and I am from a civil engineering background, so would have been back to basics with chemistry and biology.

My strategy would be to:
Get list of science topics that are assessed and go very quickly through them to get a general overview (you do not need to know anything off my heart - you just need to understand the scientific principles) - Anything you have difficulty understanding, watch Khan Academy videos online
A few things that will make the science questions easier - understanding various types of graphs, how to manipulate graphs, calculating slope and area in a graph and what that means, manipulating formulas, manipulating SI units, drawing and manipulating organic compounds - its all about using your background understanding and quickly applying this to the question in front of you. Being able to do things fast helps a lot!
Go through all science section of the Acer practice tests (after review above) - Once completed, watch the Gold Standard YouTube videos on how they solved the Acer science questions - very beneficial for strategy and a different perspective
For section 1, I got a MCAT book with practice passages and did one every day. I also used the Griffith guide for tips on how to analyse poems, cartoons, different types of writing etc.
For section 2 - write out two essay plans (one for essay 1 and one for essay 2) - do a practice essay every day timed
For the last couple of days - do the Acer Practice tests under timed conditions
On the day - keep motoring through the questions, even if you feel like its going terribly! - I did and was pleasantly surprised in the end!!