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Coronovirus - Gamsat MARCH 2020

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 galwaypharmer


    Definitely.... but they are money-obsessed. And they seem like a complete shambles. Pandemic or not, given the high stakes with this exam, there should be a more coherent approach....like even suggesting doing it without scrap paper in the first place, then oh you can use it actually, then pick your date, then no actually pick it again, and its first come first serve like we're ordering some type of pub food or something. Who is in charge in their offices, like things change but think things out a bit before you start blasting out emails


  • Registered Users Posts: 20 purnimasnow


    Despite it being stressful to sit the exam at home and from a computer - do you guys think we have some sort of advantage? It's split over two days so it will be less enduring physically, and the exam is much shorter (albeit not easier)? I sat the exam once before 3 years ago, and I have never experienced post-exam exhaustion like it!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 galwaypharmer


    Despite it being stressful to sit the exam at home and from a computer - do you guys think we have some sort of advantage? It's split over two days so it will be less enduring physically, and the exam is much shorter (albeit not easier)? I sat the exam once before 3 years ago, and I have never experienced post-exam exhaustion like it!!

    Maybe less exhausting but I doubt any easier, less questions, the more you get right is more important, and there will still be a bell curve with only a certain amount getting certain scores


  • Registered Users Posts: 36 corkgal_89


    Definitely.... but they are money-obsessed. And they seem like a complete shambles. Pandemic or not, given the high stakes with this exam, there should be a more coherent approach....like even suggesting doing it without scrap paper in the first place, then oh you can use it actually, then pick your date, then no actually pick it again, and its first come first serve like we're ordering some type of pub food or something. Who is in charge in their offices, like things change but think things out a bit before you start blasting out emails

    This made me laugh :D:pac: .. I wouldn't mind being in a pub ordering some food right now!! But yea, you're dead right.. hasn't really been thought through at all. Have you sat the GAMSAT before under normal circumstances out of interest?!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 galwaypharmer


    corkgal_89 wrote: »
    This made me laugh :D:pac: .. I wouldn't mind being in a pub ordering some food right now!! But yea, you're dead right.. hasn't really been thought through at all. Have you sat the GAMSAT before under normal circumstances out of interest?!

    Lol, its better to laugh at it at this stage, its become such a shambles. Yeah I sat it last March! Looking forward to when its all over now, regardless!:)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 36 corkgal_89


    Despite it being stressful to sit the exam at home and from a computer - do you guys think we have some sort of advantage? It's split over two days so it will be less enduring physically, and the exam is much shorter (albeit not easier)? I sat the exam once before 3 years ago, and I have never experienced post-exam exhaustion like it!!

    It's hard to know.. In one way I agree as it will be split across 2 days and there are less questions and will be less exhausting overall.. On the other hand, it depends what questions you get on the day you choose?

    I'm convinced that I'm going to pick the day that has the questions that will suit me least.. especially for the essay topic! That'd just be my luck!! :pac:;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭taxignorant


    Woke up early to try book sessions that will work for me for childcare to find an email from ACER GAMSAT saying proctorU won't open booking today and no idea when it will open.

    I'm beginning to doubt proctorU can cope with the demands during this pandemic. Trying to remain patient but it is certainly lots of additional stress, having to check constantly and I can't even ask my partner who is front line to request time off if I don't know what days we need (our kids will be in the house while I sit the exam). It's turning into a debacle, which isn't anyone's fault but it seems ridiculous that we can't even book the sessions, they didn't say if it is server problems or finding trained invigilators. Who knows?


  • Registered Users Posts: 36 corkgal_89


    Woke up early to try book sessions that will work for me for childcare to find an email from ACER GAMSAT saying proctorU won't open booking today and no idea when it will open.

    I'm beginning to doubt proctorU can cope with the demands during this pandemic. Trying to remain patient but it is certainly lots of additional stress, having to check constantly and I can't even ask my partner who is front line to request time off if I don't know what days we need (our kids will be in the house while I sit the exam). It's turning into a debacle, which isn't anyone's fault but it seems ridiculous that we can't even book the sessions, they didn't say if it is server problems or finding trained invigilators. Who knows?

    I know.. it's an absolute dose! I paid €408 for the exam as I missed the deadline to register by like 5 minutes (I thought the deadline was at 5pm on the day in question but it was actually 10am) and now here we are 6 weeks after the original exam was meant to take place with no solid indication as to when we'll be sitting the exam... I want that late fee I had to pay back!!!! :D:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 galwaypharmer


    Yeah its very unfair the way they are managing it...its hard to know how this will go!


  • Registered Users Posts: 36 corkgal_89


    Yeah its very unfair the way they are managing it...its hard to know how this will go!

    Yeah I know! I wonder will the courses even commence in September.. who knows!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 galwaypharmer


    Ah they will, there are lots of ways for a course to continue and social distance especially with online learning and everything!


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 corcaigh96


    Is anyone here sitting GAMSAT to gain entry to graduate entry vetmed? I can't help but feel it's not as necessary as it is for GEM, just to whittle down the numbers of irish applicants to 5 or 6, but I'm still paranoid it won't go ahead at all and that'll be my chance of 2020 entry gone, woohoo!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 galwaypharmer


    Not applying to vet met, but I would say it will go ahead, Universities will need all the students/fees they can get at the moment, international students will be way down with this pandemic, trinity have an embargo on recruitment because they anticipate such losses due to lack of international students.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 corcaigh96


    Yeah, I contacted UCD a while back and they did note that ACER are aware of how much universities need this to go ahead. Currently wondering how the lack of international students will affect our chances of getting a place, usually for vetmed they only take on 5-6 Irish grads, so hoping they'll bump it up this year! I assume it'll be the same for GEM.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18 markocokram


    I just chose two lovely Sunday AM spots on ProctorU so that's a massive relief.

    I was also wondering if anyone thinks that acceptance scores might go down this year? I think they might for a number or reasons; 1) Potentially less international students because of you know what and the unit's will be hungry to fill those spots. 2) Higher unemployment therefore some may find it harder to afford the tuition fees. 3) People can't do prep courses or grinds die to restriction (I know people would have already done them leading up to March).
    What do people think?


  • Registered Users Posts: 20 purnimasnow


    Careful when you are booking, the times are in IST not GMT!


  • Registered Users Posts: 18 markocokram


    You gave me a scare for a second but all g :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 34 galwaypharmer


    I just chose two lovely Sunday AM spots on ProctorU so that's a massive relief.

    I was also wondering if anyone thinks that acceptance scores might go down this year? I think they might for a number or reasons; 1) Potentially less international students because of you know what and the unit's will be hungry to fill those spots. 2) Higher unemployment therefore some may find it harder to afford the tuition fees. 3) People can't do prep courses or grinds die to restriction (I know people would have already done them leading up to March).
    What do people think?

    Fingers crossed! If the test is comparable to other years and scores stay the same, it makes sense points would drop


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 corcaigh96


    Am I correct in saying IST is 5 and a half hours ahead of GMT?


  • Registered Users Posts: 36 corkgal_89


    This may be a really silly question.. but how are they going to monitor the whole different questions scenario?

    I originally thought that they'd have different questions for each day and that it would be going ahead on each day at the same time.. but surely if you can pick what time your sitting is across 6 days this will cause issues? As in, if you were sitting was first thing in the morning and someone else was sitting the exam later that afternoon.. surely you'd have time to leak the questions to them if you were that way inclined!?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9 corcaigh96


    Christ I'm an idiot, it's IST as in Irish Standard Time? Not Indian Standard Time. Hopefully this mistake isn't indicative of my performance on the day


  • Registered Users Posts: 36 corkgal_89


    corcaigh96 wrote: »
    Christ I'm an idiot, it's IST as in Irish Standard Time? Not Indian Standard Time. Hopefully this mistake isn't indicative of my performance on the day

    Are we sure about that!? Aaaah, why is this is confusing!! I thought it was IST that’s 5.5 hours ahead too and booked my slots accordingly! Will need to change them if it’s Irish standard time so..


  • Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭taxignorant


    I chose GMT+1 Ireland for time zone when I set up my account, so I thought Irish standard time?


  • Registered Users Posts: 587 ✭✭✭Planemo


    Just booked mine there and the times are in BST :confused: (also picked Ireland when registering my account). I'd say shoot them an email if you're really unsure.

    EDIT: When I booked I thought it was 12pm but it's 12AM BST?? I don't mind doing a test at midnight but WTF


  • Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭taxignorant


    There was also an option. GMT - UK / Eire on the drop down on account set up. I think that is BST British standard time. Thank goodness they have a countdown to next exam on the webpage �� it's so much easier to just rock up to OReilly hall at 8 in the morning on the bicycle! Maybe in September ��


  • Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭taxignorant


    I actually just googled "what time zone am I in" thank you Larry and Sergei, it said GMT+1 - I'm located in Dublin. Where are you planemo?


  • Registered Users Posts: 587 ✭✭✭Planemo


    Also Dublin.

    Figured out how to change the test time to the afternoon for S1+2 but S3 is only letting me pick 12am.


  • Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭taxignorant


    It's like a question from Section 1 ...comprehending the time your exam starts, lol. Below is from ireland.com ,..

    "GMT is an absolute time reference and doesn't change with the seasons.

    The time on the island of Ireland is the same as Greenwich Mean Time less than half of the year.

    During the summer it becomes GMT+1, that's Irish Standard Time (IST) in the Republic and British Summer Time (BST) in Northern Ireland.

    BST and IST start from 01:00 GMT on the last Sunday of March until 01:00 GMT on the last Sunday of October."


  • Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭taxignorant


    You need to adjust the time in the drop down menu above and click search, it should load other options for you then


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9 corcaigh96


    I had never heard of Irish Standard Time so even though I had my ProctorU account set to GMT+1, when I saw times listed in IST I Googled "difference between IST and GMT" So of course Indian Standard Time was the answer and I ran with it lol.. I had my time slots booked accordingly too!

    Here's how I checked if I was correct: I found a website that does countdowns to any date or time you set and compared it to the exam countdown on the ProctorU site. Turns out I was off by 5.5 hours and when I changed my booking according to Irish Standard Time both countdowns matched up. So apparently IST = Irish Standard Time. Might help anyone else wanting to triple check theirs, would definitely make a nice practice Q!!


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