Uk gamsat 2014!

Scroll to see replies

Didn't use the Gold Standard and I've met many who would advise against it. It is over priced for what it is, if you can be bothered to spend a third and just find the information yourself, you'll achieve much the same.
Griffiths GAMSAT review is raved about and I can see why. I don't agree completely with his essay structure, it's a good starting point but needs filling out significantly and doesn't read well for a discursive essay. I used his template to an extent in the persuasive argument but not at all for the discursive. I have a feeling my discursive essay was far worse than my argumentative, thought that was more down to my ability to generate a discussion on the topics provided.
The review also provides a syllabus on S3 topics, a great place to start. You'll need to find your own resources to learn the material from, which I think is far better as everyone has a different learning style. I much prefer reading over revision texts, researching principles I find complex and just writing them on a whiteboard to organise my thoughts. I'm not a big note taker.
I've yet to find anyone who wouldn't recommend the Griffiths Review, though the bloke who write's it is a bit of pillock.

My advice for the GAMSAT:
S1: Most graduates should have an acceptable reading and comprehension standard. Read widely and a variety of peices. Practice the questions closer to the exam.
S2: Practice the essays, if you can write a page and a half in 20mins you're doing ok. Then just expand on your wider reading to be able to interpret quotes better and bring current events to the essay.
S3: A lot of people struggle with this as they think it's a science paper. I'm certain you could have got a decent score without any science knowledge, it's your interpretation of data and analysis that is being tested in this. Possessing science knowledge only speeds up your responses. I guessed ~25 questions this year, but spent a good while making sure all the other questions were topics I could do and answered well. Spend some time on gradually learning some of the core science topics, I only learnt the key ones highlighted in Griffiths.

About 6 weeks to the exam you want to be tackling questions, not learning new stuff. The exam evaluates exam technique and stress management as much as it does knowledge and critical thinking.

Thank you so much! I was thinking this about s3. Everyone raves about griffiths. So ill stay away from gold standard for now. I just got overwhelmed with the detail in exam question.need better technique for s3

Reply 381

Zorg

Original post by JNHE

I switched mine to the Track ID number, and got an email yesterday from George's saying I'd met the cut-off. I think the ID number is only one of a number of ways they match Gamsat scores to applicants (in fact, I suspect name, DoB etc is actually more reliable).

That good. I thought so, they have our address as well right? Should put people's nerves at ease in future then.

Reply 382

msha

Any update from Exeter and Swansea on GAMSAT cut-off scores?

Reply 383

kayakjack

Swansea is 58 according to their Facebook page

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 384

Zorg

Original post by msha

Any update from Exeter and Swansea on GAMSAT cut-off scores?

Yeah, the same as the one you got from this poster right here.

Reply 385

msha

Original post by kayakjack

Swansea is 58 according to their Facebook page

Posted from TSR Mobile

Thank you.... that's a shame! I got 55 and i was pinning my hopes on them.... in vain! :frown:

Reply 386

amyyy24

Does anyone know if St Georges have sent out rejections/emails about not meeting the GAMSAT cutoff?

I'm doubting the email they sent me about meeting the cutoff after someone said they phoned and said they only use the Acer score. Like saying I meet the cutoff was probably some mistake or something and I'm going to get a rejection anyway :s-smilie:

Call me paranoid, but everything stresses me out at this stage!

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 387

ohmyyjosh

Really thrilled with my results :smile:

67/57/79 Especially considering I thought I'd failed S2

My advice on the third section, that everyone seems to be most concerned with, is pretty simliar to what a lot of peopel have said. You won't need to know reams of scientific facts. Just knowing how to analyse data is the main thing, and the underlying theory does really help.

If you don't have a science background I would recommend spending the majority of your time revising chemistry. Not only is it 40% of the science section anyway, but it also crosses over a lot with both the biology and physics bit.

I found that A-level text books, and Youtube videos were more than enough (maybe needed a little bit of extra help with the acid-base stuff, but that's about it).

My first degree was in biology, so obviously I revised that less, though I did feel that the biology questions were actually fairly straightforward, and more a case of logic/reasoning rather than actual biological knowledge.

Physics... pah. Always been rubbish at it. I did lots (and LOTS) of practice questions, and apparently that was enough to not drag my S3 down significantly!

But yeah, it really was just a case of doing practice after practice. There's only so much you can get from textbooks - it's the applying it in exam situations that is the difficult bit.

Wouldn't recommend buying lots of the materials available - this was my first time sitting it, I bought the official practice papers and that's it.

Obviously everyone is different, but these are the things that seemed to work for me! :smile:

Reply 388

HCAssistant93

Original post by amyyy24

Call me paranoid, but everything stresses me out at this stage!

I've had a rejection from SGUL but I expected it as in way off the cut off

Reply 389

ceciafb

Original post by ohmyyjosh

Really thrilled with my results :smile:

67/57/79

79 for S3!!! amazing! congratulations :smile:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 390

Zorg

Original post by amyyy24

Call me paranoid, but everything stresses me out at this stage!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they've already told you that you've met the cut off score?
Why are you worrying? Bit silly to get worked up over nothing.

Not to mention the number of people who have stated SGUL use both calculations and others, who are in a similar position to yourself, have received confirmation that their score meets the cut off.

Reply 391

liam__

Original post by ohmyyjosh

Awesome S3 score there!

Completely out of curiosity, what was your Bio degree classification?

Reply 392

amyyy24

Original post by Zorg

I know it is! But someone posted they had 2 emails one saying they met the cut off and another saying they hadn't.

(Honestly I'm used to things going t**s up when it comes to medicine applications that generally I always assume the worst!)

Reply 393

Zorg

Original post by amyyy24

That is quite clearly a **** up. May just be the first email informing him of not making the cut off was in error and they had hoped to clarify the situation by sending the second one.

Everyone else has only received the one email, including those that are borderline like you. Assuming the worst isn't going be of help to anyone.

Reply 394

ceciafb

Original post by amyyy24

Have you spoken to them? Even if they said not to contact them I think this is a perfectly reasonable reason to speak to them, I imagine you would have heard pretty quickly though if they hadn't meant to send the confirmation email to you

Reply 395

amyyy24

Original post by ceciafb

Ahh, it'll be fine, it's just me being daft. I've been there 3 years already, they really don't like being asked inane questions so I'll leave it. Like you said, they're probably pretty quick at correcting themselves!

Reply 396

wl1

Original post by amyyy24

If it helps put your mind at ease I received an email yesterday telling me that I had not made the cutoff at 1448 and I received a rejection on UCAS at 1803. So if neither of those things have happened to you yet you are most probably OK.