%20(1).png)
How to Get Started with the ISAT
If you're an international student hoping to study medicine, dentistry, or another health-related course in Australia, you've probably come across the ISAT. It's often the first real hurdle in the application process — and knowing exactly how to approach it can save you months of confusion. Here's a clear, step-by-step guide to getting started.
What Is the ISAT?
The ISAT (International Student Admissions Test) is a three-hour, computer-based, multiple-choice exam independently developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). It consists of 100 questions split evenly across two sections — Critical Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning — with four or five answer options per question and no penalty for incorrect answers.
Importantly, the ISAT isn't a test of subject-specific knowledge. ACER designs it to assess reasoning skills: your ability to interpret written passages, analyse data, and work through mathematical relationships using only the information provided in the question. That means there's no fixed syllabus to memorise, but it also means the test rewards practice with the format far more than last-minute cramming.
Who Needs to Sit It?
The ISAT is required for international students applying to a specific group of universities and courses, including undergraduate medicine at Monash University (Melbourne and Malaysia campuses), the International Student Direct Pathway to graduate-entry medicine and dentistry at the University of Western Australia, undergraduate medicine at Western Sydney University, and select medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, and allied health programs across Australia, Estonia, Spain, and Ireland. Requirements vary by institution, so always confirm directly with your target university before assuming the ISAT applies to you.
Step 1: Create an ACER Account
All ISAT registration happens through an ACER account, which you'll also use later to access your results. You'll need a personal email address that only you use — this becomes your login for the life of your ISAT record.
Step 2: Register for a Test Window
ISAT runs in four test windows a year (roughly January, April–May, July–August, and October–November), with the final two days of each window reserved for resits. Registration currently costs AUD $430. Once registered, you'll receive an ISAT ID — quote this exactly on every university application, since an incorrect ID can delay universities from accessing your results.
Step 3: Set Up Remote Proctoring
Since the test is delivered under live remote supervision, you'll also need a separate ProctorU account. Do this early: you'll need to complete technical readiness checks and book a session time, and popular slots fill up quickly.
Step 4: Prepare Strategically
Because the ISAT tests reasoning rather than recall, the most effective preparation combines timed practice questions, review of your reasoning process (not just right/wrong answers), and full-length practice sittings to build stamina for the three-hour format. ACER sells official practice tests directly, which are worth doing under real time pressure before test day.
What Happens After the ISAT Test?
Results are typically released within two weeks of the end of your test window, and remain valid for two years — giving you flexibility if you need to defer an application or consider a resit. You can only resit the ISAT after 12 months have passed since your last attempt, so it's worth going in prepared rather than treating an early sitting as a "practice run."
Getting the Right Support
The ISAT rewards structured, consistent preparation over generic study. If you'd like tailored, one-to-one coaching built around your own strengths and target universities, Fraser's ISAT program is designed specifically around that approach.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)