GAMSAT SEPT 2020

leo of cork · 24-08-2020 2:59pm #1

Hi guys,
Im sitting the Gamsat this September and they've changed the test to computer based.. anyone have any more information on this? Also if the test is spanned over 2 weeks does this mean they will be all different tests?
Thanks for the help in advance !

Blackboot · 25-08-2020 9:55am

Hi, I'm giving it a go in Sept too. I presume we get a date on the 7th and that a certain number of people will do it on that date, depending on capacity with social distancing etc. As I understand it, the exam will be questions taken from a bank of questions and will be different for each date as with the March sitting. Looking at the forums after that one the tests seemed to vary quite lot according to date.

leo of cork · 25-08-2020 10:40am

Blackboot wrote: »

Hi, I'm giving it a go in Sept too. I presume we get a date on the 7th and that a certain number of people will do it on that date, depending on capacity with social distancing etc. As I understand it, the exam will be questions taken from a bank of questions and will be different for each date as with the March sitting. Looking at the forums after that one the tests seemed to vary quite lot according to date.

That great thanks! I think we get date and location for the exam on the 3rd, I presume all sections will be on a computer incl the essay in section 2?

haileyr123 · 29-08-2020 8:37pm

Hi guys,
Do people think there is a strong likelihood the exam will be changed to an online format at home, similar to the march/may exam? If it worked for that sitting I find it hard to understand why they wouldn't, especially when things are still up in the air regarding Covid.
Many thanks in advance!

redser1 · 29-08-2020 8:42pm

haileyr123 wrote: »

Hi guys,
Do people think there is a strong likelihood the exam will be changed to an online format at home, similar to the march/may exam? If it worked for that sitting I find it hard to understand why they wouldn't, especially when things are still up in the air regarding Covid.
Many thanks in advance!

It didn't really work though, it was really unstandardised and caused a lot of debate in Australia, here not so much, but it really was crazy how it was undertaken, very very unstandardised

purnimasnow · 31-08-2020 11:35am

Is anyone else thinking it could be just held online again?

leo of cork · 31-08-2020 2:03pm

Its very strange the way they're doing it this time, everyone would have a different exam paper?
I feel like it will go ahead in Dublin unless the county goes into lockdown or numbers surge. But for as long as schools are open they won't do the exam from homes I reckon

purnimasnow · 31-08-2020 2:32pm

Yeah I sat it in June - it was a bit chaotic, I felt quite hard done by to be honest. Would really like to know what day I have been assigned if it is in a test centre to motivate me to study!!

leo of cork · 31-08-2020 2:35pm

Blackboot wrote: »

Hi, I'm giving it a go in Sept too. I presume we get a date on the 7th and that a certain number of people will do it on that date, depending on capacity with social distancing etc. As I understand it, the exam will be questions taken from a bank of questions and will be different for each date as with the March sitting. Looking at the forums after that one the tests seemed to vary quite lot according to date.

Since finding out the date of the exam has changed I haven't looked at my notes in 2 weeks! Forcing myself to do some section 1 today, so hard to concentrate when you don't have a deadline.. As per their website we should find out this Thursday, I find the acer messaging service very unhelpful also which is very annoying after paying so much for the exam!

Blackboot · 03-09-2020 2:05pm

Just been on reddit there. Some of the scores that got rejection notices were insane. People not getting in with a score of 70. I love Ireland.

Cal100 · 04-09-2020 8:57am

For those sitting the September/ Oct 2020 exam, I just received my admission ticket. 7am 4th of October in Croke Park Hotel, Dublin.

Blackboot · 04-09-2020 10:30am

I'm on the 28th at 2PM. The countdown is on now so.

leo of cork · 05-09-2020 9:54am

Im the 29th at 2pm, there's no room for change is there?

Blackboot · 05-09-2020 5:38pm

I doubt it.

purnimasnow · 17-09-2020 9:27am

Is anyone else concerned that they may have to postpone GAMSAT again? Or at least put it online like the June sitting?

Cal100 · 17-09-2020 12:35pm

purnimasnow wrote: »

Is anyone else concerned that they may have to postpone GAMSAT again? Or at least put it online like the June sitting?

Quite nervous haha. Absolute worst case scenario would be that they don’t host the Dublin venue at all which would obviously be terrible if they don’t offer the online alternative. That is a super pessimistic outlook but it’s hard to predict what they’ll do since they’re completely disregarding the Australians who can’t legally cross boarders to sit their exams. They’ve been told that it’s not ACER’s problem and they have to defer- no online offering

Blackboot · 17-09-2020 12:40pm

Some parts of Australia have been in a much more restricted lockdown for a while now and there is no sign of the exam going online. I'd say it'll go ahead.

Blackboot · 17-09-2020 12:44pm

And we don't really have any borders as such to cross. It's unlikely Dublin will go into total lockdown where everything is gone. I wonder how many will be doing the exam at any one time?

hcoben111 · 17-09-2020 1:02pm

purnimasnow wrote: »

Is anyone else concerned that they may have to postpone GAMSAT again? Or at least put it online like the June sitting?

yes very much so. Dublin will most likely go into level 3 which says no indoor events can take place so who knows what they will do. To be honest if its going to happen (level 3) Id rather they just do it do we will know in advance, nothing worse than stressing about the exam itself and then stressing if its even going ahead and where

Cal100 · 17-09-2020 2:15pm

I don’t think I can post screenshots here but the following is stated on the ACER website:

“Candidates should be aware that, if changes to government restrictions for COVID-19 mean we can no longer permit you to sit at your allocated test centre, your test will have to be delivered through a remote proctoring service. Please familiarise yourself with the GAMSAT Online FAQs relating to remote proctoring so that you are prepared for this possibility.”

hcoben111 · 17-09-2020 3:06pm

Cal100 wrote: »

I don’t think I can post screenshots here but the following is stated on the ACER website:

“Candidates should be aware that, if changes to government restrictions for COVID-19 mean we can no longer permit you to sit at your allocated test centre, your test will have to be delivered through a remote proctoring service. Please familiarise yourself with the GAMSAT Online FAQs relating to remote proctoring so that you are prepared for this possibility.”

Interesting.IMO it will be done through proctoring again and I think thats why they are running it online in centers incase this happened

Blackboot · 17-09-2020 4:39pm

Radio 1 saying now that Dublin going to be in level 3 tomorrow. Bars and restaurants still open, will Gamsat come under some sort of educational exemption?

coopersock · 17-09-2020 10:43pm

I think it will go online via remote proctoring for Dublin. I think ACER are making a distinction between situations as below:

1) where test centres can run the exam in person, it will go ahead, even if some people can’t get there due to restrictions in the area they’re travelling from (they have basically said tough luck to people who fall into this category in Aus);

2) where test centres can’t run the exam in person due to restrictions in the area where the test centre is located, all people due to sit the test at that location will have to sit online via proctoring.

That seems consistent with their comment above and their general approach. At least I am hoping that’s what they’ll do. There’ll be uproar about the exam not being standardised as some sitting at home and some in test centres, but it’s the fairest in the circumstances. It would be grossly unfair to deny certain people a chance to sit the exam due to something so completely out of their control... fingers crossed anyway!

Cal100 · 18-09-2020 8:09am

ACER’s response to my email re lockdown and test in person:

We expect GAMSAT to go ahead in Dublin. Our understanding is that people will be able to travel for essential purposes, education being listed as one of these. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will advise candidates if anything changes.

At the moment the government advice for tertiary education is: Further, higher and adult education to escalate all appropriate protective measures and limit congregation as far as possible.

We are taking every precaution in the running of the test centres. For Dublin we are running over two socially distanced rooms that meet the minimum Level 3 quota of up to 25 people.

All computers will be disinfected and rooms cleaned between sessions, and we are asking candidates to wear masks/face shields at all times.

Regards
The GAMSAT Team
ACER

coopersock · 18-09-2020 10:56am

Cal100 wrote: »

ACER’s response to my email re lockdown and test in person:

We expect GAMSAT to go ahead in Dublin. Our understanding is that people will be able to travel for essential purposes, education being listed as one of these. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will advise candidates if anything changes.

At the moment the government advice for tertiary education is: Further, higher and adult education to escalate all appropriate protective measures and limit congregation as far as possible.

We are taking every precaution in the running of the test centres. For Dublin we are running over two socially distanced rooms that meet the minimum Level 3 quota of up to 25 people.

All computers will be disinfected and rooms cleaned between sessions, and we are asking candidates to wear masks/face shields at all times.

Regards
The GAMSAT Team
ACER

Great news! We just need certainty really!

Blackboot · 18-09-2020 12:35pm

This is good to hear.

haileyr123 · 19-09-2020 2:00pm

Hi
I would be thinking they should put the Dublin sitting online for sure with the updated level 3 restrictions but it seems like acer will avoid this if at all possible.
Does anyone know where to find solutions for the Section 1 of the acer practice tests? I can only find detailed solutions for section 3
Many thanks,

Peek1 · 21-09-2020 7:21pm

Hey,

Just in case some don't check the gamsat subreddit.
Couple people saying there that hotels in Dublin have cancellations from ACER.

I don't know anything else, you can check the subreddit if you want to read people speculating more, probably better off waiting for official acer email.

hcoben111 · 21-09-2020 10:03pm

yes ive seen that too and on a FB group.. should get an email in the morning

haileyr123 · 22-09-2020 8:34am

My email: I am going to be sitting the GAMSAT 2020 in Dublin which has now been elevated to level 3 restrictions as there has been a surge in Covid cases in Dublin. With this in mind I was wondering will the exam be administered remotely?
Many thanks in advance

ACER reply: Thank you for your email. We understand that the restrictions in Ireland have tightened and we are making alternative arrangements for affected candidates. We will notify candidates as soon as we can, regarding what happens next. A breakdown of the online exam can be found in the Candidate Information Booklet

Cal100 · 22-09-2020 9:07am

haileyr123 wrote: »

My email: I am going to be sitting the GAMSAT 2020 in Dublin which has now been elevated to level 3 restrictions as there has been a surge in Covid cases in Dublin. With this in mind I was wondering will the exam be administered remotely?
Many thanks in advance

ACER reply: Thank you for your email. We understand that the restrictions in Ireland have tightened and we are making alternative arrangements for affected candidates. We will notify candidates as soon as we can, regarding what happens next. A breakdown of the online exam can be found in the Candidate Information Booklet

Hey, I got the exact same response minus the last sentence about the breakdown of the online exam. That would seem to indicate that they plan on going ahead with the online one! I was worried that they might postpone or worst case, cancel so this is great news

GAMSAT SEPT 2020

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