GAMSAT 2014?

DroghedaTutor

lawlesp4 wrote: »

Thanks will do, just one quick question though considesenering you did so well on your essays; what style did you approach them? I know there are loads of options, the one argumentative and one personal or two argumentative. I did the gradmed prep course and he recommended the first option but his personal essays where extremely personal; in the first person talking about a theme based around a situation which happened to you/someone you know. Any thoughts on that?

One argumentative, one reflective. About a third of the time including the reading time at the start went on planning. I had about 8 good points for each (current affairs examples, philosophical theory, persobal.opinion ... Bit of everything), then i spent a few minuted thinking out a great opening sentence and then i lashed down the rest using my planning list. Tight for time but a list of points makes it much easier to write under pressure. Can turn off your brain and just go into keep writing mode. I wrote 3-4 pages for both. This is required if you want to score really well on essays.

DroghedaTutor

lawlesp4 wrote: »

Btw I think its extremely safe to say that you got UL with a 56, I know you don't want to think like that until you know for definite but I'd say your pretty safe. So congrats on getting your first choice in advance, hopefully I'll be as lucky as you next year haha

Thanks! I hope you're right!

lawlesp4

Durf haha I did hear about that but didn't know if it was actually a reliable thing or not. DroghedaTutor that sounds like a good plan especially the way you used a bit of everything, my main problem with the essays has always been that I am a slow writer, I've been working on improving it and it has slightly but I suppose like you said having all your points clearly laid out in front of you will curb the time you will have to spend thinking while trying to write.

DroghedaTutor

lawlesp4 wrote: »

Durf haha I did hear about that but didn't know if it was actually a reliable thing or not. DroghedaTutor that sounds like a good plan especially the way you used a bit of everything, my main problem with the essays has always been that I am a slow writer, I've been working on improving it and it has slightly but I suppose like you said having all your points clearly laid out in front of you will curb the time you will have to spend thinking while trying to write.

Think of it from the point of view of the examiner.

1. They have to mark your essays: make it easy for them to read. No scrawl. Go a few seconds slower and write as neat as you can, while still writing quickly. Leave a line between paragraphs. Keep parqgraphs short (max three sentences). Use link words (on the one hand, on the other hand, similarly, conversely, ultimately, in conclusion etc. learn off a list of these links words, then use them in the same format, regardless of the essay topic. This will give you an automatic structure, cut out the need to think and cut out stress.

2. Give them something interesting to read. They'll be reading essays on the same topic all day (imagine how repetitive that is!) and they still have to rank tge essays (gamsat is a bell curve afterall), so write something different e.g. if the topic is travel, 99% of people will talk about going overseas broadening our mental horizons. Be in the 1% and talk about an unchartered walk you took in a lane near your house and how it cemented your link to home. You get the idea. Doing this will automatically push you up a lot of marks and it id easier than trying to write better than others. Score better by thinking better.

Durf

Research it a bit. The main point to take away is that if one has no idea and is 100% guessing then picking a different option each time diminishes the mathematical probability. However, picking the same letter for each guess improves probability.

It is then suggested that "B" and "C" are most likely for various reason (particularly "C"). But that seemed more based on a logiccal process of elimination than maths.

I wasnt sure myself, but after a bit of research and reading Dr Griffiths preparation book I was reassured.

letsdothis

lawlesp4 wrote: »

Hey guys, I sat the GAMSAT this year in Dublin (first time) and not happy with my result. The science section really threw me considering the stark difference in the shear quantity of some of the texts, I come from a science background and did quite a lot of science prep. I am taking it again in Sep in the UK and I was wondering does anyone who excelled in section 3 have any advice on how to improve my score, I've done the usual read my college books on chem, bio, physics and bought organic chem for dummies. If anything I thought the chem wasn't that bad but the bio was extremely tough to get through considering the time frame. Like I said any advice would be really appreciated and congrats to everyone who did well this year.

If you have a good basis in Science then you focus has to be on practicing GAMSAT style questions to improve your timing. Get your hands on as many GAMSAT practice papers as you can. The sample papers are never the same as the ACER tests but they will certainly help in timing. I had no science background and the first GAMSAT style questions that I worked on were the MCAT 101 Passages in Verbal Reasoning. Once I got my science up to the level of answering Sec 3 questions, I found that the 101 papers had really helped with my timing and techniques for digesting large amounts of information and making quick, confident answer choices. There are plenty of resources available online, particularly for MCAT. Again, it's about working on timing rather than precise papers. I used the KAPLAN papers for practice last summer. They presuppose more science knowledge than is required for GAMSAT, so keep that in mind if you use them. It's been said here before but taking full day sample papers under exam conditions and breaks is also vital. I saved 2 of the ACER papers and did them the week before sitting the GAMSAT last September. It may seem obvious but go through each paper after you do it, checking your answers (both right and wrong!) and get an idea of exactly which types of questions you are struggling with.

letsdothis

I'm considering cycling to UCD from town in September. Is anybody familiar with the facilities in and around the health sciences building? Is there adequate bike parking? Are there lockers for overalls, etc.? Shower facilities? Thanks.

RainBow_xo

letsdothis wrote: »

I'm considering cycling to UCD from town in September. Is anybody familiar with the facilities in and around the health sciences building? Is there adequate bike parking? Are there lockers for overalls, etc.? Shower facilities? Thanks.

There are plenty of spaces to park your park and there are lockers outside the sports centre. The only showers I know of are in the gym, I'm not sure if there are others anywhere else.

SwiftEagle

Hi guys, quick question. I have a 56 from which I am hoping is enough for UCC. However through my own ignorance I forgot to change my CAO after my results so currently I have UCD first and UCC second. Will this have a major impact on my results?? Or does the order really make a difference??

HopefulGEM

SwiftEagle wrote: »

Hi guys, quick question. I have a 56 from which I am hoping is enough for UCC. However through my own ignorance I forgot to change my CAO after my results so currently I have UCD first and UCC second. Will this have a major impact on my results?? Or does the order really make a difference??

Won't make the slightest bit of difference as long as you have ucc ahead of UL:)

Redser87

SwiftEagle, the only way it would matter is if supply/ demand changes. If the demand for UCD is significantly lower than in previous years, the required points may slip. However, it would need to be a significant difference in demand. All sorts of factors could affect the demand (cost of living in Dublin, higher numbers of people from Limerick or Cork who took the test and want to stay at home, etc). Just looking at the percentile/ points trends though from the last few years it is unlikely that UCD will slip down that far, so you are probably all right. It's just a waiting game at this stage!

SwiftEagle

Thanks guys I appreciate it. Does anyone have a idea of the appropriate dates for the zero/first/second rounds? I'm rather nervous about loans if I am lucky enough to ascertain a place.

RainBow_xo

SwiftEagle wrote: »

Thanks guys I appreciate it. Does anyone have a idea of the appropriate dates for the zero/first/second rounds? I'm rather nervous about loans if I am lucky enough to ascertain a place.

Round zero offers are 31st July
Round One offers are 18th August
Round Two offers are 28th August

letsdothis

Eligibility email received...another hurdle passed!

Lub

Oh god, I just had a mini heart attack when I misread it as "...have denied you" rather than "...have deemed you eligible..."! Agh! That's a relief.

letsdothis

Lub wrote: »

Oh god, I just had a mini heart attack when I misread it as "...have denied you" rather than "...have deemed you eligible..."! Agh! That's a relief.

Same!

IloveGEM

Hi everyone,

Ive been keeping my eye on this thread for a while and there's some really good stuff! Im really stressing out because when I was filling out my CAO application i forgot to fill out the section on why I wanted this particular course as was more focused on my studying for the GAMSAT itself. I only remembered this week that I left it blank eeekkk!! I have a 56 with UCC as my first choice. Do you think that the fact that I left that section (probably the most important part of the Qualifications and Assessment Section) blank will severely effect my chances considering that the previous few years it was 56* for UCC??

Thanks!

Blue_Zebra

IloveGEM wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Ive been keeping my eye on this thread for a while and there's some really good stuff! Im really stressing out because when I was filling out my CAO application i forgot to fill out the section on why I wanted this particular course as was more focused on my studying for the GAMSAT itself. I only remembered this week that I left it blank eeekkk!! I have a 56 with UCC as my first choice. Do you think that the fact that I left that section (probably the most important part of the Qualifications and Assessment Section) blank will severely effect my chances considering that the previous few years it was 56* for UCC??

Thanks!

The section on why you waned the course???

"EU Entry Requirements

Candidates must hold a minimum 2.1 (second class honours, grade one) result in their first honours bachelor degree (NFQ Level 8).

For candidates who meet this requirement, GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admissions Test) will then be used as the sole instrument to select students for the programme."

IloveGEM

Thanks Blue_Zebra I think I will sleep tonight . Is that for every course of would certain university's bee more picky and dive into the personal information of a couple of people on the same GAMSAT score?

RainBow_xo

Blue_Zebra wrote: »

The section on why you waned the course???

"EU Entry Requirements

Candidates must hold a minimum 2.1 (second class honours, grade one) result in their first honours bachelor degree (NFQ Level 8).

For candidates who meet this requirement, GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admissions Test) will then be used as the sole instrument to select students for the programme."

I don't know what to feel right now as I do not recall coming across that section when I was filling out my form oh well:pac::pac::pac:

IloveGEM

It could have been part of the mature students section I really cangt recall!!

Blue_Zebra

IloveGEM wrote: »

Thanks Blue_Zebra I think I will sleep tonight . Is that for every course of would certain university's bee more picky and dive into the personal information of a couple of people on the same GAMSAT score?

Nope, random selection applies.

Redser87

No, nothing to worry about AT ALL, random selection! Just like based on LC points, say if two people with 55 are competing for the last place, it goes to random selection, which is decided based on CAO numbers (for LC people anyway) - but it really is random.

Clicli91

Anyone else not get an eligibility email?!!

RainBow_xo

Clicli91 wrote: »

Anyone else not get an eligibility email?!!

Did you get one way back in like April or something?

Clicli91

RainBow_xo wrote: »

Did you get one way back in like April or something?

I did!it's all so close now so kinda going into a bit of panic mode!

HopefulGEM

Ugh guys this wait is KILLING me!

Robgreen87

Hi guys, I hope you are all well. Quick qs - I am applying from the UK and just had a glance at my CAO application via the website. If the worst case scenario occurs and we receive no offers on the 31st July due to poor Gamsat scores, does the Offers/Acceptance Section on your CAO application tell you that you have no offers available at this time or does another message show?


Thanks

jibber5000

Got the email back from the CAO and it says I am ineligible for selection..

Originally when I sent off the documents I just included my final year results letter from the college which included the results for my whole degree..

I subsequently sent in my original degree parchment before the July 16th deadline..

Now It says I am ineligble and have until Wednesday to appeal..Would this be because I did not have every years results on a separate letter from the college does anyone know?? Wee bit stressed about it now!

beardedmaster

jibber5000 wrote: »

Got the email back from the CAO and it says I am ineligible for selection..

Originally when I sent off the documents I just included my final year results letter from the college which included the results for my whole degree..

I subsequently sent in my original degree parchment before the July 16th deadline..

Now It says I am ineligble and have until Wednesday to appeal..Would this be because I did not have every years results on a separate letter from the college does anyone know?? Wee bit stressed about it now!

They want results from each individual year, not just final year results and/or your degree grade.