Time it will take to learn all GAMSAT material

[Duo]

hi i am considering sitting the gamsat. i was planning on sitting the msat and gamsat this year, but because of my current university commitments i dont know if i will have enough time to learn all the material required for the gamsat.

im currently planning on sitting the msat this november and only applying to KCL for 2008 entry and then maybe taking a year to study for gamsat and applying for 2009 entry.

How long do you (anyone) think it will take to learn the gamsat material to a level that would be good enough to meet the cut offs? keep in mind i am currently doing a non-science degree.

Thanks in advance

[aspirant doc]

Non science degree grads often fare better in Gamsat than science grads, cos Section 1 and particularly section 2 essays can confound sciencey types, so you're in good company here, fear not!

It depends when you last did science and to what level (for me it was last done 16 years before I started learning for Gamsat, so you don't face that problem!). It also depends how much time you've got, how good at science you are and most importantly of all, how much you want to do it.

I started with GCSE revision books in June 2005, got to AS books by September 2005, did stuff at weekends specific for Gamsat that went all out over Christmas holidays, and did the exam in January 2006, doing well enough to get above the GEP offer cut off. In terms of time, I didn't have much at all with a full time job, voluntary work, work experience etc, but I really really wanted to do well in it.

As a very rough generalisation, most successful Gamsitters study for a few months before the exam. A year is a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooong time to have Gamsat nagging you, you may want to rethink that!

Another suggestion I'd make is that just applying to one uni in one year is a bit of a waste of time (let alone money), go for gold, believe in yourself and get on with it.

But all this is just my opinion...

[mussed]

I'm doing a non-science degree. I'd done A-Level Physics, I can do maths and I'd done AS Chem, but I definitely didn't remember any chem or know any bio at all. I did a month solid (after the end of Christmas term) and I was OKish today - I don't think I could have really done much more, if that makes sense. Remember it's in September this year, which makes it a lot easier to study for - August's a relatively free month for most students! You really don't need a year... it's a concept based, multiple choice exam, not "write an essay, with diagrams, on meiosis".

[Duo]

thanks for the advice...now reconsidered and i think i might aswell give the gamsat a go this year. it cant hurt, well apart from my bank balance. im gonna have to do all the studying from middle/end of june until september when the exam is. i have gcse revision guides, and can prob get hold of some alevel stuff. hopefully that will be enough because getting first year degree stuff will be a bit tricky.

going to be doing the msat aswell but judging from the practise paper on the website that shouldnt be very difficult. just need to make sure my essays are up to scratch, which i will be doing for the gamsat anyway.

wish me luck. no doubt ill be posting on here about numerous things as time draws nearer to application time.

[nqemtp]

I sat the GAMSAT on Friday, and I'm a Humanities grad that hadnt touched science for 7 years, and wasnt that good at it back then either (mainly due to lack of interest, funny how you're perspective changes as you get older!)

What it comes down to is your purpose for sitting it. If you are sure you want to be a doctor, you will study hard for it. But, if your commitment is lacking, you will not do well at all.

Think of it this way: The purpose of the exam is to see if you are capable of the level of study and logic required to do the degree. It is as useful a test for your own abilities and ambitions, as it is as a selection tool for the Unis.

Personally, I started studying 3 months beforehand and felt that I did fairly well. Although, that meant studying every day that I was off, and probably averaging around 20hrs a week or so. Of course, I am a bit of a perfectionist so this level may not necessarily be the amount you need to do. Given the timeframe you have, you will easily have it all done by then.

Final word of advice, don't neglect practice for the essays, they are the rocks upon which many people run aground.

[stxidf]

I have some GAMSAT practice papers for sale

I have put them on ebay:

Hope they are of help.
Item number: 200069760826
Ian
stxidf@nottingham.ac.uk

[kt765]

Thanks to everyone for the above information. I was wondering the exact same thing Duo. I want to take the GAMSAT in September 2007 for 2008 entry and was getting really depressed, as thought there was no way I could do it all. I have a 2.1 and an MA in English and Chemistry and Biology A levels (B and C grade). Hopefully if I start with GCSE papers then progress to A level grade I should be ok for September. Its been 5 years since I did A levels so I'm scared!