As the March 2022 GAMSAT drew near, it was a crucial time for aspiring medical students to intensify their preparation and understand the medical school admission pathways that followed.
Whether students were retaking the GAMSAT or experiencing it for the first time, the reality was that the online GAMSAT format had become the standard for the foreseeable future. So, in answer to the prevailing question at the time, yes, both the March and subsequent GAMSAT sittings in 2022 were computerised exams conducted at supervised test centres, adhering to the social distancing guidelines established by Australian State Governments.
Given Australia's strong push for vaccination, encouraging its population to be immunised before attending large gatherings, access to the March and September 2022 GAMSATs was restricted to fully vaccinated applicants. Although the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic had passed, some concerns lingered regarding the shift to an online format taken from home, particularly considering the nature of GAMSAT questions and the need for test-takers to be comfortable with typing instead of handwriting.
It became clear that digitisation was the established norm for the GAMSAT.
GAMSAT Background Over the COVID-19 Pandemic
ACER had demonstrated agility in adapting to a COVID-safe testing environment to ensure the integrity of the assessment during lockdowns, maintaining consistency in the evaluation process. Test centres in Australia and globally conducted the GAMSAT at supervised venues, providing each student with a computer and a reliable internet connection. Additionally, ACER supplied earplugs for students who preferred to work without external distractions. Candidates were also permitted to bring their own earplugs, with the stipulation that no audio or music could be played during the exam.
With the ongoing presence of COVID-19, it was important to remember that ACER could announce changes to testing arrangements even at the last minute. The eleventh-hour changes for Victorian students sitting their September 2021 GAMSAT, where they unexpectedly had to take the exam from home, served as a stark reminder of this possibility.
Testing Windows and GAMSAT Format
Historically, including the year 2020, which saw an alleged cancellation followed by a rescheduled exam in May, two testing windows were offered to eligible students annually. While the methods of performance assessment and score calculation remained largely consistent, the COVID-19 outbreak led to significant format adjustments in Section 1 and Section 3 for the 2021 sittings. These changes resulted in a reduction of the total number of questions, while Section 2 remained unchanged.
For the 2022 GAMSAT, ACER had informed students that the total number of questions and time allocation for Section 1 were increased. This adjustment aimed to more thoroughly evaluate students' diverse verbal processing and conceptual thinking abilities, particularly in relation to providing reasoned arguments on social and cultural contexts.
GAMSAT Format and Question-Styles
To give you the gist of the 2020 GAMSAT, the following table displays the old GAMSAT format vs the new GAMSAT exam.
2020 GAMSAT vs 2022 GAMSAT Format
Sections 2 and 3 had not undergone significant changes since 2020. The notable increase in the total number of questions for Section 1 meant that students with stronger abilities in this section were likely to see a greater positive impact on their overall GAMSAT score. The 2020 online GAMSAT's reduction in Section 1 questions had necessitated that students be proficient across all question types rather than relying on averaging their performance over a larger number of responses.
The revised GAMSAT format also continued to adapt to the computer-based system and the need to navigate information across different tabs. Drawing from past student experiences, ACER had provided students with up to 4 sheets of paper for jotting down strategies, formulas, and ideas for Section 2 essays, alleviating the need to do all their planning on the computer screen.
The 2022 GAMSAT would follow a similar testing protocol, allowing for the use of scrap paper to organise thoughts before typing them onto the computer. Students were often advised to fold their paper to keep their workings organised and maximise the available space.
Based on the information available at the time, it was reasonable to conclude that future GAMSAT exams would remain challenging, primarily because success required competency across all question types, discouraging selective preparation. Each question theme needed to be given equal attention for students aiming for the highest scores necessary for medical school admission.
A potential advantage of the online format was the fact that allocated reading time was no longer included within the total test duration. This provided students with an additional 5-6 minutes to review the question types and orient themselves to the section before commencing.
Furthermore, in previous paper-based GAMSAT sittings, invigilators had to distribute question and answer sheets and manage seating arrangements based on admission tickets, which was time-consuming. However, the shift to a paperless GAMSAT was expected to streamline the exam process as these tasks were replaced by computer systems. It was noted, however, that the reliability of ACER's computer systems on the day was a crucial factor, given past instances of technical issues affecting student exams.
In the 2022 GAMSAT, students began their test with Section 1 and Section 2 questions, followed by a short break before Section 3, a change from the longer two-hour break with a lunch period. This shorter break was seen as a significant benefit, particularly for students who experienced anxiety related to the prolonged interval before the demanding science section. The short break offered just enough time to relax and have a light snack without the pressure of managing a larger meal.
In short, the GAMSAT score calculation remained consistent for 2022. However, the interpretation of these scores was contingent on individual universities' decisions regarding the use of weighted or unweighted GAMSAT scores in their admissions processes.
The GAMSAT, as was well understood, served as a psychometric assessment tool used by medical schools to identify students with strong potential for medical studies. ACER, the organisation responsible for administering the GAMSAT, maintained a commitment to fair assessment and had a clear obligation to provide medical schools with high-quality GAMSAT scores derived solely based on merit. Therefore, students generally did not need to be concerned about the calculation process itself, although it was important to remember that the minimum threshold scores for different universities could vary each year.
In Conclusion
If you want a deeper dive on how scores are calculated read our GAMSAT Scores article.
In order to deduce the GAMSAT requirements across postgraduate medical schools, you have to familiarise yourself with the question-types to achieve a score in the top decile. This is an obvious fact but the thing about GAMSAT questions is that it can be unpredictable, forcing you to integrate numerous themes under a single section. In our experience, most students who prepare independently fail to develop multiple strategies, during their preparation to tackle the trickiest of GAMSAT questions.
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