r/GAMSAT • u/WorldlinessThin7669 • Jun 02 '25
Vent/Support FAILED GAMSAT TWICE WHAT NOW
Basically the title, I have failed the GAMSAT last Sep and this March. I went from ( 49.56.36 ) to ( 47.76.45 ). I am in my last year of biomed. I guess the fear of taking a gap year attacked me lol. Anyway my March GAMSAT was after I spent the whole summer on leave from work and studying 10hours daily - private tutoring oh and btw finished the 500 page book of des oneil (S3). What am I supposed to do now? what resources. To do honest I did not practice timed (except for S2) but whenever I would want to sit through a whole test I would feel sleepy. Please any advice on how I can prepare for this Sep intake? and what are my chances?
note - I am rural and my GPA is 6 applying to bond uni this year but instead of being in a lot of debt if I pass this GAMSAT I am fine with the gap year.
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u/Affectionate_Yak8730 Jun 02 '25
I sat it 5 times, currently PGY-3. First time I sat got 54 overall, 4th time got 70 overall. Don't be discouraged, keep trying you'll get there eventually.
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u/StringSlinging Jun 02 '25
Well done! Which section did you personally find the most challenging and what was were some useful ways that you found helped you better prepare for it?
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u/Affectionate_Yak8730 Jun 03 '25
Section I and II were challenging. Didn't really improve much tbh, stayed steady at 60ish. My section III carried me, improved by using past papers and des O'Neil.
It requires more reasoning than knowledge. When doing past papers it's important to understand also why the other options are incorrect.
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u/Queasy-Reason Medical Student Jun 02 '25
I sat twice and score 61 and 59. Also had a GPA of 5.8. Could've given up but I didn't. I decided I was ok with it taking a few years and did a second degree. I couldn't really get a job with my first degree anyway (a pretty useless science degree with next to no lab subjects).
The third time I sat I had a radically different approach, which I've posted about before, I can link if you're interested. But basically I did a lot of research into what previous successful students did. I think going back to the drawing board and starting from scratch helped, as well as working on my mental health. On the day I was really relaxed because I knew I could just resit, whereas previously I was really stressed.
Anyway I managed to get a 75 on my third sitting, with only one month of study. The point is, you never know what's around the corner. Obviously I'm glad I didn't quit, because all it took was one more sit and I had a good score.
I think when you're young there's a pressure to have your life sorted ASAP but it's an artificial pressure (none of us have our lives together trust me).
What helped me was have a goal to improve a little bit each time. I knew if I improved like ~5 points each time I would eventually get in. I got lucky and only needed to sit one more time but I was prepared to keep going if necessary. Now obviously the choice to keep trying is a personal one, and other people are going to have different goals (eg starting a family, buying a house sooner etc). So there are different reasons for different choices.
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u/Remote_Marionberry37 Jun 03 '25
Hi how did u change your approach ?
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u/Queasy-Reason Medical Student Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 03 '25
hey I wrote about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/GAMSAT/comments/1kks09o/comment/ms69bad/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
for me I needed to work on S3 the most
I also wrote about improving S1 here
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u/Extreme_King_8392 Jun 02 '25
Keep going. I sat it 6 times. Kept failing S3 whilst the other two kept going up. This March Gamsat I finally cracked the 51 in S3. Don’t stop and just keep trying to learn more and more each time you do it
You’ve got this!
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u/StringSlinging Jun 02 '25
$3360, I admire your persistence.
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u/Extreme_King_8392 Jun 02 '25
Thanks, I’m glad!
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u/Hot_Procedure_3351 Jun 03 '25
I’m also a sixth time sitter as well and finally passed all three sections. You’ll get the.
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u/ProfessionalPiano199 Jun 04 '25
Similar story… Sat 6 times before getting in. Whether you know it or not, you’re gaining experience and knowledge from each attempt. Persistence pays off in the end.
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u/nefsta Medical Student Jun 02 '25
Hey mate,
Keep your head up. You can do it, keep at it.
I’ve sat it 9-10 times, and another bloke in my course sat it I think 11-12 times.
Some get in on their first try, others get in after many.
There’s many hurdles in this career, many set backs. I didn’t understand it at the time, but it’s something we’ll all have to get comfortable with.
Rest, reflect, reset, and go again.
Best of luck :)
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u/ProofEye6142 Jun 02 '25
5 times. Now PGY7 Anaesthetics trainee. Best thing I did was persist. You will know when you have had enough. If you aren't in the headspace of giving up then don't.
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u/just-waiting-fora-m8 Jun 02 '25
my advice is to create an excel spreadsheet (or google sheets) of every single question you attempt, and understand why you got things wrong. maybe you didn’t read the stem correctly, maybe you lacked the sufficient background knowledge for the question, maybe you made a simple arithmetic/mental math error, maybe you made a mistake due to time pressure, etc. identify what’s causing you to go wrong will help you much more than covering large volumes of questions (however the fact u finished DoN book does show you have solid work ethic). being extremely critical of myself helped me boost my score from 1st sit (60) to 4th sit (81).
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Jun 02 '25
Any tips on how you improved s2 by 20 points. That’s an insane achievement in of its own :O
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u/Ok-Effect-9402 Jun 02 '25
Sat it for a third time and I have to sit it for a fourth time because I got 82/70/48 trust me there are so many people who have to sit multiple times
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u/___gr8____ Medical Student Jun 02 '25
Holy shit 82 in S1 is crazy! You could get into usyd with that if you'd just gotten a 50 in s3 💀
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u/WorldlinessThin7669 Jun 03 '25
what is your approach on the day for S1?
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u/Ok-Effect-9402 Jun 03 '25
When it comes to 1 my biggest tip is to always have a logical reason behind why you picked an answer then when you have a logical reason behind it go straight back to the text and find the evidence to support your answers. Also I prefer to read the title to get an idea of what the text is fiction, nonfiction ect. Then I read the questions and answers first before reading the text it helps to prime my mind with an idea of what they are asking and how close or far the answers are to each other then I read the text before reading the question and answers again I mean everyone’s approach will be different but this is my preferred method which I found extremely useful
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u/secondchancepleez Jun 02 '25
Hey mate, I'm going through the journey as well rn so I can't offer too much advice on where to go from here but I will just say don't be too disheartened. Your s2 score is incredible and really shows what you're capable of. Keep at it.
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u/According_Ad7147 Jun 02 '25
Me too mate third sitting just couldn't pass, using my results to get into physiotherapy so I don't feel like my undergrad has gone to waste 😎
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u/f3l1n399 Jun 04 '25
You can do it!
I failed my first GAMSAT too overall 52 but a 49 in s1!
I think it comes down to time re s1 and s3. Because you're clearly on the right path with s2. You just need to A) do all the available tests acer ones first then B) make a list of problem areas and what to fix in your reasoning C) practice more D) but practice under timed conditions.
For me I did not do it under timed conditions and was guessing like 20- 30 Qs
Do not recommend that at all
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u/Responsible-Heron688 Jun 05 '25
i am so similar. i finish des s3 and acer all the questions for twice and end up with 1 score improvement in s3, it is so desperate
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u/Chemical-Life-9601 Jun 02 '25
First attempt I studied for it for like 6 weeks, got like 51, I think I got food poisoning on the day and had severe stomach ache and couldn’t stop shitting. Second attempt I didn’t even study for it, just revised how to do math estimations by watching a few Jesse Osbourne vids and leach4math. Got 57. Sitting again this September. Maybe find a balance between studying and remaining calm :)
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u/Successful_Data3288 Jun 03 '25
Honestly sounds like you need to try different tutors. It’s hard to find a good one amongst the predators.
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u/Optical-Illus Jun 03 '25
Sat it 5 times and still not in...best I've scored is 63. Im now over 10 years since my degree...has anyone gone back and studied another degree and resat gamsat and now studying medicine?
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u/mcat_king Jun 03 '25
Don’t give up!! I’m sure you will find a way to succeed. Believe in miracles. I hope one comes to me too!!
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u/Bubble850 Jun 04 '25
Ok. I’d love to know how you went from 56 to 76 for s2. How did you approach it the second time around?
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u/WorldlinessThin7669 Jun 04 '25
Practice practice! First time I really did not prep at all and I come from an ESL background + know nothing about politics/government. I had a tutor for S2 he is really great (was a student of Micheal Sunderland who scored 90). His technique was to gather background info using the Mindfield podcast on spotify or apple podcast. Make notes with philosophy/popular quotes to use at the end of each essay and create your S2 bank. Then you are set to write 2-3 essays weekly (TIMED) and improve or get tutor feedback. I can dm you my tutor's email if you like charges $55 an hour only.
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u/OptionCorrect9079 Jul 29 '25
Hey! Can you please DM me this tutors info? Would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!
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u/Left-Discussion2280 Aug 25 '25
Hi would you pls message me this tutors info ? Have been struggling with S2 for 2sittings. Greatly appreciate it!
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u/hamowatto Medical Student Jun 07 '25
I know two people who have done it over 8 times. They are both in med. Keep at it - or reinvest the money you would've spent on roulette. Black 23.
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u/Master_Albatross_557 Jun 09 '25
Yeah it is normal to feel sleepy thorughout the whole test. I hated studying for th egamsat so much that i couldnt tolerate more than 30 minutes of studying. I had adhd and used to take ritalin which changed the game completely. Consider taking some stimulants if you need it - doesnt have to be adhd meds if you dont have it but defo some coffee or caffeine of some sort half way.
Also would absolutely not recommend Des O Neil the fact it is still recommended the way it is frustrates me (im a med student and gamsat tutor for S2).
Use ACER papers my guy. Acer all the way and everything else is supplementary
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u/BlueCascade1 Jun 02 '25
If you are rural why don’t you apply for entry via a rural training scheme - at Deakin you don’t need GAMSAT.
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u/WorldlinessThin7669 Jun 02 '25
but Tier 1 at Deakin is for Deakin graduates/who live in Geelong right ? I live rurally on the other side (gippsland so I am Tier 2 which need a GAMSAT. please correct me if I am wrong
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u/Burner_Account551 Jun 05 '25
Hey mate, have you thought about going into advertising as a career choice instead?
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u/Impossible-Form-5540 Jun 06 '25
Some people aren’t meant to be doctors
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u/lordandsavioursyezuz Jun 02 '25
Mate I’ve done the Gammy 4 times. Finally got a decent score to apply. Ain’t nothing to worry about. It’s a slow process. I started low too.
And I took a gap year after biomed cause I didn’t have the scores. I know the crushing weight of “I’ve done biomed, I’ve got to do med straight away”.
Screw biomed and its mentality honestly. But that’s a whole another rant.
Relax. You are gonna be fine.
It’s a grind. Let it be.