Failed GAMSAT twice — what finally worked for my third attempt?

by Preethi N. 113 views3 replies
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Preethi N.OP
May 27, 2026

So I just got my results back and I finally passed with a 58 overall — Section III killed me the first two times (49, then 51) but I managed a 61 this time around. I wanted to share what actually made the difference because I spent way too long doing the wrong things and I know others are in the same boat.

The biggest shift was treating it less like a knowledge test and more like a reasoning exam. I'd been grinding biology and chemistry content from a massive study guide I bought, but honestly the content only takes you so far. What moved the needle was doing timed GAMSAT practice test sets under real conditions — no pausing, phone off, full sections. I did about three full mocks in the final six weeks and reviewed every wrong answer obsessively, not just checking the right answer but understanding the reasoning chain.

Section I was actually my weakest area emotionally — I kept second-guessing myself on the humanities passages. Anyone else find that the exam tips about "going with your gut" are actually true for Section I? Curious what others experienced.

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Kevin O.
May 28, 2026
Congrats on the 58! That Section III jump is huge. I had a similar experience — wasted my first four months on content memorisation and barely moved my score. The turning point for me was learning to work backwards from answer choices in science questions. Once I stopped trying to recall facts and started eliminating systematically, my score went from 53 to 62. Also, don't sleep on Section II — a lot of people treat it as a throwaway but a strong essay score can carry your overall.
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Megan P.
May 28, 2026
Do the full mock. Seriously. The time pressure is its own skill and you can't replicate that with unit questions. I did my first one at 8 weeks out, it was rough, but I knew exactly what to fix. Knowing your weak spots with time to address them is so much better than a surprise on exam day.
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Sarah M.
May 28, 2026
How many hours a week were you studying in that final six-week stretch? I'm about 10 weeks out from my sitting and I'm averaging maybe 12-15 hours per week but I'm wondering if I need to ramp up. I've been working through a study guide and doing individual unit questions but haven't attempted a full mock yet — is that a problem at this stage? A bit scared to see the real score honestly.

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