From Exam Registration Timeline To Medical Applications
Reflecting on applying for medical school in 2021? The official GAMSAT 2021 test dates were released following COVID restrictions, which had led to previous changes in the GAMSAT 2020 format. In this article, we discuss a timeline of the 2021 GAMSAT, as well as some key post-GAMSAT dates to understand the progress of previous applications.
Let’s start with some previous key GAMSAT exam dates!
2021 GAMSAT March And September Registration Dates
Post-GAMSAT 2021 Dates
Please not that the exact dates and application timelines regarding offers released, additional offers and commencement varied between medical schools, and between medical schools which do and do not use GEMSAS as an application portal.
How Much Did The GAMSAT Cost?
The GAMSAT cost $515 (AUD), with a $100 (AUD) late fee if an individual chose to register after the 10th February 2021 (March) or the 20th July 2021 (September).
If registering from the UK or Ireland, the cost was £268 and €341, respectively. We highly recommended applying before the aforementioned dates to avoid the surcharge of a late fee.
Timely GAMSAT registration is also helpful for study hygiene - the sooner you lock yourself into an exam session, the sooner you can put together a constructive exam preparation timeline. The registration fee also included an online practice GAMSAT question document to familiarise yourself with the previous question format.
Once registered, you gained access to a sample of the software ACER uses for the real exam. This allowed you to learn to navigate the system which would have been encountered on the GAMSAT exam date.
How To Register For GAMSAT 2021?
GAMSAT registration is a fairly straightforward ordeal. The first step is navigating to the ACER GAMSAT website. Searching ‘ACER GAMSAT’ on Google returns the appropriate page as the very first result. The GAMSAT website home page contains a lot of useful information. First and foremost, a detailed (if somewhat monotonous) breakdown of every GAMSAT detail can be found in the GAMSAT information booklet link on the side of the home page.
The majority of these details are broken down and explained in practical terms across our Fraser’s GAMSAT blogs. Setting aside the information booklet, there are three further options on the ACER GAMSAT home page. These options are ‘Register’, ‘Prepare’, and ‘Sit’ - you should not worry too much about these pages as they largely contain information.
The following steps needed to be followed:
- You must create a GAMSAT account. As of January 2021, the link to creating a GAMSAT account sat on the right-hand side of the home page, just above the information booklet.
- Logging in will send you to a webpage where you will be able to view a list of assessments offered by ACER. With the exception of the GAMSAT exam, these are largely irrelevant.
- GAMSAT registration involves clicking on the ‘Available Actions’ drop-down menu next to the GAMSAT label and selecting ‘Register for the GAMSAT’. At the time, there was only the option for the 2021 March sitting of the GAMSAT.
- You now had the option to purchase material from ACER, of which there were seven different types, spanning from all three sections. These materials are not regularly updated and have been consistently identical for many GAMSAT seasons.
- The purpose of these materials is more to familiarise a candidate with the format of the exam, rather than to improve performance (as is the case with Fraser’s GAMSAT materials). Often, candidates find the ACER preparation material easier than the real exam.
- You would have needed to register for a specific test centre location at the time. For the March enrolment, there were test centres in most major cities around Australia, while the locations for the September exam were much more limited. This means that you may have needed to plan ahead in terms of exam timing and travel.
Once you have created your account with ACER GAMSAT, the page that you are taken to once you have logged in will store your GAMSAT registration information. This means that you will see a list of all past GAMSAT enrolments (including dates), as well as access your GAMSAT results. This will also allow you to confirm your details of enrolment.
How Long are GAMSAT Results Valid For?
In 2020 and 2021, GAMSAT scores were valid for two consecutive years, though there is no restriction on the number of times a candidate considered eligible can sit the exam. What this means for some people is that they had their first attempt in March of the year before they intend to apply to medicine.
The advantage of this is that there is less stress as it is possible to sit the GAMSAT again the following year. However, with every test sitting there are often considerable financial and time commitments involved. Weighing up a decision like this can be hard for people.
If this is you, we at Fraser’s have seen an abundance of different people in unique circumstances, so always feel free to reach out to us here.
A Bit About Us At Fraser’s
Fraser’s GAMSAT is a tuition company that was founded in 2010, with a focus on changing the way people prepare for GAMSAT and the long-term mentorship of students.
For more information about the GAMSAT preparation courses that we offer, click here!
Fraser’s GAMSAT provides a variety of different courses, including unlimited essays prompts, monthly new STEM questions drops, and personalised one-on-one private tuition by expert tutors with extensive experience.
Where to Next?
Stumbled across our older GAMSAT articles, but looking for some more up-to-date information? Read more here:
For free access to resources covering all sections of the GAMSAT:
- GAMSAT Section 1: Reasoning in Humanities
- GAMSAT Section 2: Written Communication
- GAMSAT Section 3: Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences
Take a look at the following resources:
