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Study Guide

How to prepare for Section 3 of the GAMSAT

Dips Thaker |

Why should you listen to me?

Hi, I’m Dips, a medical student at the Australian National University. In 2023, I improved from 60 → 80 on the GAMSAT. I’ve helped so many students score 75+ and secure CSP medicine/dentistry spots in every cycle since. This is a blog I wish I had when I was first preparing.

What is GAMSAT Section 3?

Section 3 tests your ability to apply scientific reasoning to problems in biology, chemistry and physics. It's not just about memorising content - it's about understanding how to think critically under timed conditions. By intergrating these three disciplines, Acer assess how well you can: 

  • digest new concepts
  • analyse and interpret data
  • discover relationships
  • translate knowledge from one form to another
  • formulate and apply hypotheses
  • make generalisations
  • deduce consequences from models
  • follow and evaluate a line of reasoning
  • evaluate evidence
  • categorise and select information relevant to problems
  • generate and apply strategies to solve problems
  • make comparisons
  • extrapolate
  • interpolate
  • estimate and recognise limits in accuracy

(Source: GAMSAT Information Booklet 2025 by Acer)

How to Study for GAMSAT Section 3: A Comprehensive Guide

Achieving excellence in Section 3 of the GAMSAT is all about preparation—but not all preparation is created equal. This guide will outline the study plan, resources, and mindset that helped me achieve an 80+ score (99th percentile).

The Approach

Treat GAMSAT as a game made up of specific skills (that outlined earlier) that you need to master. Whilst you need to know a lot of content, it will almost never be assessed directly. Instead, section 3 questions blend recall of key concepts with problem-solving. 

I see many students make the mistake of treating GAMSAT just like regular undergrad exams. They stress excessively over content - spending wayyyy to long learning the minor details that will never be assessed. Instead, start off by thoroughly attempting Acer questions. This will help you identify specific gaps in knowledge that you can bridge.

What do I mean by thoroughly attempt section 3 questions?

  1. Annotate each question stem. Summarise paragraphs into concise dot points.
  2. Translate informaiton into other formats (e.g., flowcharts, diagrams, pathways, etc).
  3. Write out your reasoning for every answer option - why you selected or rejected it. Even if it is an "easy" question.
  4. After you mark the question, think of another way to solve the question.

When done right, this approach will take you wayyy to long to do answer each question. That is a good thing. In the first phase of your preparation, you want to learn not perform. 

Soon, I will be publishing a flashed out blog on how to do practice questions. There is an art to it.

Building an Effective Study System

Everyone's study plan will differ based on their background, strengths, and preferences. Instead of prescribing a one-size-fits-all schedule, here are considerations to help you design a plan that works for you:

  • Sart off by doing untimed Acer questions.

    This can't be overstated: use Acer papers as your guide. Understand the structure, question types, and time constraints thoroughly. Find gaps in your performance, then fix it. 

  • Create a Mistake Log.

    Nothing speaks like data. Maintain a "mistake log" to track the questions you get wrong, and more importantly, why you got them wrong. This log can include:

    • The types of mistake (e.g., misinterpreation, content gap, time pressure).
    • A reflection on how to approach similar questions differently. 
    • Summarise the concepts or rules that need review.
  • Speed is a consequence of good understanding and problem-solving

    Once you get comfortable with the content and the skills needed to answer section 3 questions, you will naturally improve your speed. Nonetheless, you can still practice doing "sprint" exams under timed conditions.

    For example, do a set of 15-20 questions with appropriate time constraints closer to exam day.  

    Why not less questions? Because, let's be honest, we don't spend equal time on every question. Some questions need 15 seconds, others more than 3 minutes. You need to do  at least these many questions to stimulate the pacing the real exam. 

    Why not more? Whilst I recommend to do the online practice exam in full length, papers 1-3 are better off done in blocks to make sure you're consistently doing questions everyday. Binging exam papers will not help. Consistent > bursts.

So, how long does it take to prepare for GAMSAT?

For most people, 2-3 months is of consistently studying 2h+ every day and 3-4h on weekends is what it realistically takes to achieve an overall 75+ score. Every is different but this is the average I've observed among the 20+ students that I've taught.

Conclusion

Almost everyone can score 75+ scores. You just need to be intentional about how you invest your time studying. I've said this to all of my students: most people wish they studied more for the GAMSAT. They just needed to study the right way.

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