Gamsat Studying

[CrazyMiner]

Can anyone give me some pointers on how to study for the GAMSAT? I have bought a load of Gradmed intensive study course books from someone who attended the course last year but there is just so much of it!

I don't come from a science background (BCC at GCSE triple science) and I just seem to be getting lost reading through the hundreds of pages in these booklets.

How much of the information do you ACTUALLY need to know? Can you get by on a basic understanding of it all, or will the test be looking at how much you can remember and put into use. As far as i'm aware the science parts of the test are multiple choice, so I suppose that with a basic understanding you could work some parts out.

I'd appreciate an experienced view of how best to make use of the next 2 months before I sit the test (I haven't registered for it yet - don't want to pay £200 to find i'm still trying to work what a ribosome does :P)

[Pete_m]

To be honest, it is all about practice...

I used the GRADMED practice pack last year to go through the tests, identify areas where I was weak, then start researching areas that I couldn't easily answer. No point in studying things I already knew or could work out.... Thinking back, I did the followings things....

1. Gap analysis - identify gaps in knowledge
2. Time practice - timed environment to get used to the pace!
3. Get used to the format of the questions and thinking behind them

I agree with your science statement that you can eliminate some wrong answers and work things out with common sense and basic maths - they are testing observation and thinking processes.

So, in summary - if I were you I'd start doing the practice papers, work out your scores, and target your work from there.

Good luck!

[rustyblueyez]

I have to agree with pete_m, that's the way I prepared for it.
If you need learning material for the areas you are not so hot on, get AS/A Level revision texts, they're easier to get into than more comprehensive textbooks and cost/weigh considerably less!
We had a very high proportion of organic chemistry on last years paper, Organic Chemistry for Dummies was great for me.

Don't neglect your written skills particularly practicing essay writing, 1 hour for 2 essays is hard work.

Everything in the GAMSAT comes down to time, there's never enough of it, so learn to skim through the paper and find the questions you can do most easily and go from there.

Good luck and happy revision!