Admissions Tests (UCAT ANZ & GAMSAT)

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Section 5: Admissions Tests (UCAT ANZ & GAMSAT)

Beyond academics, nearly all Australian medical programs require an admissions test to assess candidates’ abilities and aptitude for medicine. There are two main tests, used in different contexts: the UCAT ANZ (for undergraduate admissions, and some provisional entry paths) and the GAMSAT (for graduate admissions). If you’re applying, you will likely need to register and sit one of these exams (sometimes both, if you are applying broadly across undergrad and grad programs in the same year, though most applicants focus on one route).

UCAT ANZ (University Clinical Aptitude Test – Australia/New Zealand)

The UCAT ANZ is a standardised, computer-based test taken by students in their final year of secondary school (or those applying to undergrad medical courses). It’s designed to evaluate aptitudes like logical reasoning, problem-solving, pattern recognition, and interpersonal judgement, rather than specific curriculum knowledge. The test is about 2 hours long and is typically sat in a Pearson VUE test centre (with options for some candidates to sit at home if approved under special conditions). As of 2025, the UCAT ANZ consists of four sections (often called “sub-tests”): three cognitive sub-tests and one situational judgement sub-test. These are:

• Verbal Reasoning: Assesses your ability to read and critically analyse written information.
• Decision Making: Tests logical reasoning and decision-making with text, charts, and graphs.
• Quantitative Reasoning: Focuses on numerical problem-solving (basic mathematics interpreted in word problems or data).
• Situational Judgement Test (SJT): Examines your understanding of real-world scenarios and appropriate behaviours or responses, especially in interpersonal or ethical situations.

(Note: Until 2024, the UCAT included a fifth section, Abstract Reasoning. However, starting with the 2025 UCAT cycle, the Abstract Reasoning sub-test has been removed to refocus the test¹. The current format adds more questions/time to Decision Making instead. If you see older references to five sections, be aware of this change.)

Each cognitive sub-test (Verbal, Decision, Quantitative) is scored from 300 to 900, and these three are summed to give a total cognitive score (out of 2700)¹. The Situational Judgement is scored separately on 300–900 (often interpreted in bands by unis). In practice, when you receive results, you’ll have something like: Verbal 620, Decision 680, Quantitative 700, (Abstract – not applicable anymore), Total = 2000, and SJT 650 (Band 2 for example). Universities mainly use the cognitive total score for interview selection, sometimes with a minimum SJT band requirement, depending on the school’s policy.

Who takes UCAT and when? If you intend to apply for entry into an undergraduate medical course (or certain dental and clinical science courses) for the following year, you must take UCAT in the mid-year of your application year. For example, Year 12 students in 2025 will sit UCAT between July and early August 2025 for admission to 2026 entry courses². Key dates: Registration for UCAT ANZ usually opens in March and closes by mid-May; testing sessions run from 1 July to early August each year². You book a one-day timeslot in that window. Results are delivered to universities directly in early September, and you receive your scores immediately after testing.

Universities requiring UCAT: The majority of undergraduate medical programs in Australia (and New Zealand) use UCAT. This includes, for example, UNSW, Monash, University of Queensland (for provisional entry), Western Sydney/Charles Sturt Joint Program, Newcastle/UNE Joint Medical Program, University of Adelaide, Curtin, James Cook University’s pathway via Townsville? (JCU actually does not use UCAT – they have their own process, see below), University of Tasmania, etc³. Additionally, some undergraduate dental surgery courses also require UCAT, but our focus here is medicine. A full list is available on the UCAT official site and includes all the consortium universities². We have listed the medicine programs using UCAT in our Pathways Explorer as well.

Notably, James Cook University (JCU) and Bond University are exceptions among undergrad-entry schools – neither uses UCAT ANZ. JCU has its own application form and selection criteria focusing on rural experience and interest in tropical medicine, and Bond uses an interview and psychometric testing but not UCAT. So if you apply to those two, you don’t need UCAT for them, but if you apply elsewhere you likely do. (Some international applicants to undergrad medicine might take a different test – more on that in Section 11 and below under ISAT.)

Using UCAT scores: Universities use UCAT primarily to decide whom to invite for interviews. Typically, an applicant’s UCAT score is considered alongside their ATAR when shortlisting. Some unis have a threshold UCAT score – e.g., they might only consider students who scored above the 80th percentile in UCAT for interview. Others rank applicants by a combination (for example, Monash uses a formula combining UCAT and ATAR to determine interview invites). There is no “passing” score for UCAT; it’s competitive. Each year’s percentiles shift, but generally a score around 2850+ (old scale out of 3600) was top 10%. With the new scoring (out of 2700), expect a top 10% score to be roughly 2200+. It’s hard to predict, so focus on doing your best rather than chasing a particular number. After interviews, many universities then weigh interview performance heavily (along with UCAT and ATAR in some weighted aggregate) to make final offers.

One thing to remember: UCAT results are only valid for the year of application – you cannot reuse a UCAT score from a previous year². If you reapply, you must sit the exam again that year. So, 2025 UCAT is for 2026 entry, 2024 UCAT was for 2025 entry, and so on.

What does UCAT test? UCAT is an aptitude test. You don’t need specific medical knowledge. But that doesn’t mean you don’t prepare – practising the question styles can significantly improve speed and strategy because the exam is time-pressured. Verbal reasoning will give you passages to read and ask inference questions. Decision making might include logic puzzles, syllogisms, probability questions. Quantitative reasoning involves interpreting data and basic calculations quickly (you can use an on-screen calculator). The SJT gives ethical or teamwork scenarios and asks you to rate the appropriateness or importance of certain responses. Medical schools use this to gauge traits like critical thinking, quantitative aptitude, and your judgement in people-related situations³.

In essence, UCAT ANZ is a crucial hurdle for school-leaver entry. It often differentiates among the many applicants who all have high ATARs. So, a moderate ATAR student can sometimes earn an interview with an excellent UCAT, and vice versa. You’ll want to allocate time in the months before July to practice UCAT questions and perhaps do simulated tests.

GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test)

The GAMSAT is the admissions test used by Australian (and some UK/Irish) graduate-entry medical programs. It is a significantly different exam from UCAT – longer, knowledge-based as well as reasoning-based, and typically taken by those in university or who have already finished a degree. GAMSAT is administered by ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) and sponsored by the Consortium of Graduate Medical Schools. It is usually held twice each year: around March and September, with the March sitting being the key one for those applying for the next year’s intake (September is often used by those who want an early try or are applying the following cycle).

Structure of GAMSAT: GAMSAT is designed to assess the capacity to undertake high-level intellectual studies in medicine, and it covers a mix of humanities, social science, written communication, and science reasoning. The exam has three sections:

• Section 1: Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences – tests critical reading and thinking with passages from social sciences, literature, essays, etc. You answer multiple-choice questions analysing tone, themes, and logic.
• Section 2: Written Communication – you have to write two essays (or structured written responses) in a short time. Usually one is more reflective/personal (based on a set of quotes or prompts about a general idea or social theme), and one is more argumentative (on a socio-cultural or political issue). This section evaluates your ability to organise ideas and express yourself in writing under time pressure.
• Section 3: Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences – this is the science section, covering biology, chemistry, and physics at about first-year university level (with an emphasis on biology and chemistry). It is multiple-choice and tests application of scientific knowledge to problem-solving.

The test is long – historically around 5.5 to 6 hours including breaks. However, since 2020, GAMSAT has seen some format changes: in 2021-2023, ACER introduced a dual sitting format where Section 2 was done online on a separate day, and Sections 1 & 3 at test centres. For example, for March 2025, candidates completed Section 2 in a remote proctored session on 1–2 March and then Sections 1 & 3 in test centres on 21–23 March⁴. This format may continue, but always check the official GAMSAT Information Booklet for the current structure.

Each section of GAMSAT is scored on a scale of 0 to 100. An overall GAMSAT score is a weighted average (Section 1 + Section 2 each 25%, Section 3 at 50% for most universities). A competitive GAMSAT score for medicine is often in the 60s or above. Average scores hover in the low 50s (by design). For popular programs like University of Melbourne or UNSW (grad entry), scores in the high 60s or 70+ are very strong; mid-50s might be the cutoff range for some universities, though it varies by year and school. Some schools also have minimum section cut-offs – e.g., “no section score below 50” – to ensure balanced ability. Always check individual med school rules on GAMSAT usage.

Who takes GAMSAT and when? GAMSAT is for those who will have a bachelor’s degree before starting med. You can take it as early as your penultimate year of undergrad. Many take it in their final year or after graduation. Registration for the March GAMSAT usually opens in November of the previous year, and closes by late January⁵. The test is held in March; results come out in May (in time for graduate program applications which are typically due around May-June via GEMSAS). The September GAMSAT has registration mid-year and results by late November. GAMSAT scores are valid for 2 years for applications³. That means if you took March 2024, you can use that score to apply in 2024 for 2025 entry, and also in 2025 for 2026 entry, for example. (Most applicants use their best score when applying.) There is no limit to the number of times you can sit GAMSAT, but you can only sit once per available session and there must be 12 months between attempts, i.e., you can’t do two consecutive March exams³. So practically, many take it in March and if needed, again in the next March or a September in between.

Universities requiring GAMSAT: All the graduate-entry medical schools in Australia require GAMSAT for domestic applicants (University of Sydney, Melbourne, ANU, Deakin, UWA, Flinders graduate stream, UQ, Griffith graduate stream, Monash graduate stream for Biomed alumni, Wollongong, Notre Dame, Macquarie, etc.). If you’re applying through GEMSAS, you will nominate your GAMSAT ID and all those schools will get your scores. A few programs allow alternative tests for certain categories (for instance, international applicants to some MD programs might use MCAT instead, and some specific pathways like Indigenous entry may waive the test). By and large, if you’re a domestic grad applicant, GAMSAT is mandatory. Graduate-entry dental and some other health professional programs also use GAMSAT (e.g., dentistry at UWA, medicine at University of Otago in NZ, etc.), but again, our focus here is med.

Using GAMSAT scores: Similar to UCAT for undergrads, GAMSAT is primarily used to decide who gets an interview. Each grad school often combines GPA and GAMSAT in some way to rank applicants for interview offers. For example, University of Melbourne equally weights GPA and GAMSAT to determine interview invites; University of Sydney (which, as of 2021–2024, did not use interviews for domestic intake) simply ranked by a combination of GPA 50% and GAMSAT 50% to give offers⁶ – note USyd’s policy has been evolving, so check if interviews are reinstated. Most others (UNSW, UQ, Monash, etc. for grads) use a mix. Some have a formula, others have minimum thresholds (e.g., “ANU requires minimum 55 in each section, and uses a weighted score to decide interviews”). After interviews, a final ranking is made using interview score plus GAMSAT and GPA to various extents. GEMSAS provides details per school each year.

What does GAMSAT test? GAMSAT is intended to assess higher-order thinking, problem-solving and the ability to formulate and communicate ideas in a written format, combined with a foundation of basic science knowledge. Unlike UCAT, you are expected to have some knowledge base: roughly first-year university level biology and chemistry, and year 12 level physics. However, memorising textbooks is not enough – the questions often present unfamiliar scenarios, data or experiments and require reasoning to apply knowledge. For Section 1, reading widely (novels, essays, journals) and practising comprehension questions helps. Section 2 requires practice in writing coherent essays quickly; being up to date with general topics (think human nature themes for one essay, current affairs for the other) is useful to produce rich content. Section 3 is often the hardest for those from a non-science background; it includes, for example, interpreting chemical reaction graphs, understanding physiological processes described, or reasoning through a physics principle in a new context. It’s not purely rote – it’s reasoning in the sciences.

Preparation and timing: GAMSAT preparation can be a significant undertaking. Many start studying 3-6 months in advance. Since it’s offered twice a year, some candidates plan a “trial run” in September then a main attempt in March. The cost of the exam is also significant (several hundred dollars per attempt)³. Ensure you plan around your university schedule or work, as dedicating time to GAMSAT study (especially brushing up on science topics or practising essays) can improve performance.

Summary of UCAT vs GAMSAT:

• UCAT ANZ – for school leavers (and some non-standard paths), purely multiple-choice, no knowledge required beyond basic math/English, taken mid-year, used by undergrad programs. It’s more of an IQ/aptitude test and is shorter. Scores are used in the immediate year.
• GAMSAT – for graduate applicants, a mix of multiple-choice and written, expects some undergraduate-level knowledge, taken in March (or Sept), used by graduate programs. It’s a marathon exam testing both reasoning and curriculum-based knowledge. Scores can be reused for two years.

Both are critical filters in the admissions process. Performing well can dramatically boost your chances, whereas a low score can eliminate you before later stages (even if you have great grades). Therefore, preparing for the relevant test is as important as maintaining your GPA or ATAR. We’ll touch on preparation strategies in Section 9, but for now remember to register on time: missing the registration deadline for UCAT or GAMSAT would mean losing a whole year, as there are no exceptions or late sits². Mark those dates!

(Note for International Applicants: Some Australian med schools require international candidates to sit the ISAT instead of UCAT – see Section 11 for details. ISAT is another test by ACER, 3 hours long, used by a few undergrad programs for overseas students³. Domestic students do not need ISAT.)