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Gamsat 2013

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 25 gh1


    DocDoom wrote: »
    Anyone want to play the annual score guessing game?
    I'm sitting on a rather unimpressive 59...hoping to get a place in Dublin!

    Wait how is 59 unimpressive? If I got 59 I would be on top of the world no joke!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4 DocDoom


    gh1 wrote: »
    Wait how is 59 unimpressive? If I got 59 I would be on top of the world no joke!

    Well, I has happy enough last year, was on the 85th percentile. I'm just worried the average is gonna shoot up this year and leave me hanging. Think it's kinda borderline for a place in Dublin.


  • Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭Nolimits12


    I have a feeling its going to stay the same, unless loads of super geniuses decide to take the exam this year. Then we're screwed! From looking at past results and cut offs, they all stay around the same figures.


    Luckily, I'm on a different grading scale to you guys doing med. Vets compete only against aspiring vets. Our gamsat score is only worth half of our application too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 239 ✭✭nerrad01


    I think everyone should have a good read of this thread, just to come to terms with some of the realities of being a gem graduate.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056894049


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 169 ✭✭DoctorDre


    I've seen that people in the UK can apply to sit the Irish GAMSAT in test centres in the UK...is the opposite also the case, i.e. can us Irish candidates sit the UK GAMSAT from a test centre in Ireland in September instead of travelling over?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4 DocDoom


    DoctorDre wrote: »
    I've seen that people in the UK can apply to sit the Irish GAMSAT in test centres in the UK...is the opposite also the case, i.e. can us Irish candidates sit the UK GAMSAT from a test centre in Ireland in September instead of travelling over?

    Nope...you gotta hop on the ferry I'm afraid...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 169 ✭✭DoctorDre


    DocDoom wrote: »
    Nope...you gotta hop on the ferry I'm afraid...

    Thought so! I wonder why we can't do this but they can :confused: Anyway, hopefully I won't be needing to sit it in September...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 383 ✭✭Biologic


    DocDoom wrote: »
    Nope...you gotta hop on the ferry I'm afraid...

    Where are you getting that from? The gamsat site says otherwise: http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/results/currency-of-results
    That's expensive misadvice to be giving if you're wrong.


  • Registered Users Posts: 34 arzieparzie


    Biologic wrote: »
    Where are you getting that from? The gamsat site says otherwise: http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/results/currency-of-results
    That's expensive misadvice to be giving if you're wrong.

    No they are right... you can use scores from any GAMSAT sitting to apply anywhere but there is no test centre in September in Ireland it is only in March. If you want to sit the GAMSAT again in Sept you'll need to go to the UK


  • Registered Users Posts: 4 DocDoom


    Biologic wrote: »
    Where are you getting that from? The gamsat site says otherwise: http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/results/currency-of-results
    That's expensive misadvice to be giving if you're wrong.

    Don't see how that says otherwise...


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 444 ✭✭Flange/Flanders


    DocDoom wrote: »
    Don't see how that says otherwise...

    They're right, you can use September results for Ireland.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 169 ✭✭DoctorDre


    Sorry I think I've confused everyone, I just wondered if there would be any test centres in Dublin for the UK exam in September rather than going over to the UK...don't think so though!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 383 ✭✭Biologic


    Yup, sorry, my bad. I thought DocDoom was saying you had to sit in the UK if you wanted to use the result there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 201 ✭✭chanste


    Hi folks, just read the last few posts and thought I might add my own experience for what its worth. I'm a final year GEM student at UL due to finish my last rotation in 5 weeks, and it really only seems like yesterday that I sat the GAMSAT exam. I really just wanted to say that all the things that worry you before the exam are not necessarily the things you will worry about having done the exam (I think I was really sweating about organic chemistry and stuff like that - turned out I did fine in that but cocked up the essays. I won't say that practice won't help because I certainly should have done more, but I would advise people to place more emphasis on keeping a clear head), and the things which you worry about of the course itself age, prev background etc (for me age was a big one - I was 28 starting) won't matter in the slightest once you've started. It's all about keeping on top of the course once you started. To that end I advise spending some time sorting out what way you will keep your notes etc and stick with it - I was still reorganising myself at Christmas in 1st year trying to find the most suitable approach. Studying in a productive group is far superior to studying on your own in my opinion but it can be difficult to organise.

    I ended up in Limerick which was disappointing for me at the time because I wanted to stay in Dublin, I only heard about their PBL curriculum afterwards so this hadn't crossed my mind. Some people like it, others don't - I did. Every now and then I come across a consultant that takes a pop shot at it, people commenting on it that haven't seen it in action are showing their own ignorance. There is an entire thread somewhere about the pros and cons of UL which I've added to from time to time, but I'll just say that all my worries about having to move kind of seem silly now. Its not like I would have benefited much from hanging around with my friends during the week - medicine has a way of keeping your evenings busy anyway. The difficulty of the course will be reflected by how much work you put in. I know that sounds like the same thing everyone is saying, but really it is true. At the times when I've been focussed and organised the course has been handy, and at the times when I haven't I've been punished with having to do repeats etc, and they are INCREDIBLY stressful when you consider how much money repeating a year is.

    Kinda worried about the state of healthcare in Ireland now at this stage. I'll take anything I'm given and be happy with it at least for now, but the intern matching is centralised so hopefully I can get back to Dublin. Definitely a lot of people looking at options abroad. Hopefully it will be better when you guys are coming through.

    Anyway, apologies if the above is a bit waffley or repeating what someone else might have said. As it happens I am having difficulty with my own advice and procrastinating. Going to try get back to work now. Good luck to everyone in their GAMSAT anyway.


  • Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭demure


    Hey all...
    Just wondering if you can help with this... I am really confused by how the CAO system works.
    I got 58 in the Gamsat and I intend to use this result for Sept'13 entry. My hope is to stay in Dublin as all my family and friends are here, but if I am not given a place here I am prepared to move to either Cork or Limerick (I think in this order of preference).
    Because my score is quite borderline I really don't know what tactic to use to ensure I am in SOMEWHERE in September. The CAO informed me I should be giving them the order according to my preference. It would be certainly between UCD or RCSI for me, thirdly Cork and lastly, Limerick. But if I put these two down as my first choice, should all Cork and Limerick accept their offers, if it comes to round x, there may be no places left for other people...?
    I would really appreciate some help with this, thanks in advance :)!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 614 ✭✭✭beardedmaster


    Ok, so your score is 58 and your order of preference is

    1 - RCSI
    2 - UCD
    3 - UCC
    4 - UL
    (the order of the Dublin colleges doesn't really matter for this example)

    Let's pretend the results come out and the required scores are

    RCSI - 60
    UCD - 59
    UCC - 57
    UL - 55

    The way the CAO works, is that you are assigned a course based on:
    1) Your order of preference
    2) If you have the points

    So in this case, you don't have the points for your top 2 choices (RCSI & UCD), so you are given your next preference, UCC, as you have the points. So off you pop to Cork.

    Basically, as the CAO said, if you put them in your order of preference, and you have a good enough score for any of them, you will be guaranteed a place in whichever your top choice is that you have the score for.

    However, let's say after you accept your offer for UCC, the points for UCD drop (due to people not accepting their offers/deferring), and low and behold, you get an offer for UCD. You still have your place in UCC, and you can accept the place in UCD, if you so wish. But you'll never get an offer for UL, as you already have the points for UCC, and UCC is higher on your preference list.


  • Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭eire_245


    might be worth noting that if you are borderline then sort of prepare yourself if you do want to switch, i got ucd in the 2nd round last year and they literally give you 24 hours to decide but i had already got my loan in place and house down at UL so wasn't really an option.

    Id also advise to take the bank loan into consideration in choosing as without it grad meds a no go for most! we had ppl drop out because they couldnt sort out their loan.....and the full loan is essentially gone now, so factor in only receiving a fees only loan


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 169 ✭✭DoctorDre


    This day next week it will be almost over! :eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭demure


    Thank you so much Beardedmaster and Eire, that's very helpful!
    You really put my mind at ease, see I was under the impression that you got a reply from each of the Unis separately, and it moved down the order choice simultaneously with the rounds; say round 0 - RCSI - reply, onto round 1 - UCD - reply, and so on! I was well freaked out by my system, wth was I thinking ;)!
    Well, I will be resitting the Gamsat next week, hoping for a few points up to secure a place in Dublin... Wishing all of you sitting it as well the best of luck!!!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    demure wrote: »
    Hey all...
    Just wondering if you can help with this... I am really confused by how the CAO system works.
    I got 58 in the Gamsat and I intend to use this result for Sept'13 entry. My hope is to stay in Dublin as all my family and friends are here, but if I am not given a place here I am prepared to move to either Cork or Limerick (I think in this order of preference).
    Because my score is quite borderline I really don't know what tactic to use to ensure I am in SOMEWHERE in September. The CAO informed me I should be giving them the order according to my preference. It would be certainly between UCD or RCSI for me, thirdly Cork and lastly, Limerick. But if I put these two down as my first choice, should all Cork and Limerick accept their offers, if it comes to round x, there may be no places left for other people...?
    I would really appreciate some help with this, thanks in advance :)!!

    I'm in the exact same boat as you. Same score same situation. Except it's just not financially feasible for me to leave Dublin. So I'll be aiming for a 60 this time I hope. I was in touch with the Program Office in the Dublin med colleges and though it's difficult to predict what the points will be, they expect:

    UCD - 58-59
    RCSI - 59-60

    I think since the full loan is no longer an option a lot of people can't do it anymore. I was also wondering to anyone who is in GradMed did you start working at the loan after CAO or did you prep some papers beforehand or something. Anyways, best of luck to everyone on Saturday. Gotta get back to the papers now :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭demure


    Well I will keep my fingers crossed for us, Hypnos!
    Let's kick ass this Saturday though, even a point in a difference could make it a whole lot easier for us!
    On a positive note, the overall (gradmed, mature and ordinary) number of applicants to Medicine dropped by 7% from last year, that's according to the news on Today fm a week ago..
    Best of luck studying!!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    That was a fun exam :) Opinions anyone?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4 JordanKelly1


    Hypnos wrote: »
    That was a fun exam :) Opinions anyone?
    What did you make of it? I thought it wasn't the hardest but the section 3 was and I come from a science background!:0 but I fell asleep a lot in the exam lolz


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭chips365


    section 1 was hard to call, a lot of poems. Section 2 in my opinion was fine but i wasnt prepared for it and i knew that going in. I hadn't read a whole lot but i know ill be sitting it again. Section 3 left me stunned. I actually have zero confidence in the answers i choose. I'm pretty happy I sat it just for a feel of what the exam is like. Plan for next time: do more practice papers, focus on science!


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    Having a chemistry background Section 3 was such a lovely sight to behold. So much chemistry on the exam and I couldn't have expected more chem. It completely saved my ass when it came to timing. I knew a good few of the chem answers without even having to read the text associated with it (e.g NMR, naming, stereochem and Org Chem) So I was lucky there. Section 2 went ok. Last time I sat the GAMSAT I got a 71 in section 2. I doubt I got that much this time but I still expect a decent score from that. Section 1, I can never tell. It's a hit and miss type of section to me. I just don't have any feelings towards it. I like the cartoons in it.

    Anyways managed to almost finish section 3 this time around. Was left 8 questions short with 3 mins to go, so had to the old random selection for them. Chips whats your background in?
    It's so difficult to tell how you did in the exam because your score is based on how others did. I'm just hoping it went well enough for a 60, I just find it hard to be confident with such an ambiguous exam :S


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 162 ✭✭NeuroCat


    Having a biochemistry background really didn't help me much with section 3. I have a feeling it was absolutely tragic.

    Section 2: I feel the structure of my essays may let me down, the content was decent but the boredom topic may have made for a rather boring essay...

    Section 1: As always, it's a hit and miss section, wont know until I get the result I fear!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4 JordanKelly1


    NeuroCat wrote: »
    Having a biochemistry background really didn't help me much with section 3. I have a feeling it was absolutely tragic.

    Section 2: I feel the structure of my essays may let me down, the content was decent but the boredom topic may have made for a rather boring essay...

    Section 1: As always, it's a hit and miss section, wont know until I get the result I fear!
    Hi! Studying biochemistry aswell and sounds like your paper went the same as me. Section 3 was dodgey enough ..way too much O chemistry!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 162 ✭✭NeuroCat


    Hi! Studying biochemistry aswell and sounds like your paper went the same as me. Section 3 was dodgey enough ..way too much O chemistry!

    I didn't actually do any extra study for section 3 though, I didn't even get a chance to do a practice paper lol. My thesis took over my life in the past 12 weeks :( So it really wont surprise me if I do terribly in it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭chips365


    Hypnos wrote: »
    Having a chemistry background Section 3 was such a lovely sight to behold. So much chemistry on the exam and I couldn't have expected more chem. It completely saved my ass when it came to timing. I knew a good few of the chem answers without even having to read the text associated with it (e.g NMR, naming, stereochem and Org Chem) So I was lucky there. Section 2 went ok. Last time I sat the GAMSAT I got a 71 in section 2. I doubt I got that much this time but I still expect a decent score from that. Section 1, I can never tell. It's a hit and miss type of section to me. I just don't have any feelings towards it. I like the cartoons in it.

    Anyways managed to almost finish section 3 this time around. Was left 8 questions short with 3 mins to go, so had to the old random selection for them. Chips whats your background in?
    It's so difficult to tell how you did in the exam because your score is based on how others did. I'm just hoping it went well enough for a 60, I just find it hard to be confident with such an ambiguous exam :S

    I'm a nurse but also have a background in Arts and Psychology. Section 1 to me was ok but as you said its hard to call. The essays i managed to write something but never in a million years would have been prepared for task b. For the science I have the knowledge but what let me down is not doing the practice papers and actually taking the time to work through the questions so when i opened section 3 i wasted time reading the entire passage instead of just been able to skim through it for the relevant information. How many times have you sat the exam and do you mind if i ask you what score you got? A 71 in section 2 is very good so im guessing you must have done pretty ok on your last sitting!


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    NeuroCat wrote: »
    Having a biochemistry background really didn't help me much with section 3. I have a feeling it was absolutely tragic.

    Section 2: I feel the structure of my essays may let me down, the content was decent but the boredom topic may have made for a rather boring essay...

    The boredom topic surprised me a little. It was quite difficult to make boredom sound interesting. The big government went a lot better for me.
    I do recall very little biochem on the exam. The Beer Lambert law, but to be honest it doesn't come up much at all. I don't remember more than 2-3 biochem questions in the last exam either. I have all the ACER practise papers and there is very little biochem in it.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    chips365 wrote: »
    I'm a nurse but also have a background in Arts and Psychology. Section 1 to me was ok but as you said its hard to call. The essays i managed to write something but never in a million years would have been prepared for task b. For the science I have the knowledge but what let me down is not doing the practice papers and actually taking the time to work through the questions so when i opened section 3 i wasted time reading the entire passage instead of just been able to skim through it for the relevant information. How many times have you sat the exam and do you mind if i ask you what score you got? A 71 in section 2 is very good so im guessing you must have done pretty ok on your last sitting!

    Goes like this:

    Attempt 1: (When I was a 3rd Year) - March 2012

    S1: 52 S2: 58 S3: 61 Overall: 58

    Attempt 2: (Just started 4th year) - Sept 2012

    S1: 49 S2: 71 S3: 54 Overall: 57


    Everything would have been fine had the S3 in Sept not been so God Damn difficult. I was also pretty tired, sick and I had a bad headache over those couple days so my second attempt really let me down. There was also so much more Physics/Bio/Phys Chem in the September exam and that wasn't too great. My strongest field is O. Chem so there was too little of it to save me in the exam and I was majorly stuck for time on the second attempt because I just couldn't think because my cold was making my sleepy and tired. Ended up falling behind by around 21 questions and just had to randomly pick an answer. A shame but hopefully this time everything went better....

    Really hoping I got the 60 I'm looking for this time around. I'm sure I didn't get over 70 on S2 this time but I'm cautiously confident that I got more than 54 on S3 :) S1 is just impossible for me to predict.


  • Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭WoolahUrma


    How many sat in Dublin? How many places are available in Limerick? I found section 3 horrendous, 1 and 2 seemed, emphasis on seemed, ok, but I do have a psychology background.


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    WoolahUrma wrote: »
    How many sat in Dublin? How many places are available in Limerick? I found section 3 horrendous, 1 and 2 seemed, emphasis on seemed, ok, but I do have a psychology background.

    Doesn't really matter how many people sat it in Dublin. Your score depends on all the people who sat it. There are test centers in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, London and other UK cities (Yeh for the Irish Gamsat :P) We have to go over there if we want to sit the UK one. They get to stay there.
    An approximate figure to the amount of people yesterday was 400-500 in Dublin. I know the exam hall was packed and there are a few other board rooms so I think that's it.

    The only number that's available is that every year 10-12K people sit it in total. So I'd say for the UK one per year is half of that 6K. So some rough maths now. So you can imagine 6,000 people sat it yesterday in the Irish and Australian GAMSAT. Since we're not compared results wise to the Aussies, I'd say around 3,500 of us sat it yesterday (Ireland and UK test centers) for the Irish Gamsat.

    As for how many places Limerick has, it's 120 I think* (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I do know that Limerick has the most places and I would expect the points for it will be 54, since they dropped to 53 by the second round last year.


  • Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭WoolahUrma


    Thanks for that Hypnos, here's hoping anyway, when do we get the results?


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    Ah it varies from year to year. They never really tell you or notify you. They just say 6-8weeks. I promise you it won't be 6 weeks anyway. You just get an email that magical morning and your heart goes from 60-180 and your blood pressure varies :) ehm last year 2012 they were released around May 21st. Could have been the 24th. They said Mid-May and it ended up being a week later.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭chips365


    Hypnos wrote: »
    Goes like this:

    Attempt 1: (When I was a 3rd Year) - March 2012

    S1: 52 S2: 58 S3: 61 Overall: 58

    Attempt 2: (Just started 4th year) - Sept 2012

    S1: 49 S2: 71 S3: 54 Overall: 57


    Everything would have been fine had the S3 in Sept not been so God Damn difficult. I was also pretty tired, sick and I had a bad headache over those couple days so my second attempt really let me down. There was also so much more Physics/Bio/Phys Chem in the September exam and that wasn't too great. My strongest field is O. Chem so there was too little of it to save me in the exam and I was majorly stuck for time on the second attempt because I just couldn't think because my cold was making my sleepy and tired. Ended up falling behind by around 21 questions and just had to randomly pick an answer. A shame but hopefully this time everything went better....

    Really hoping I got the 60 I'm looking for this time around. I'm sure I didn't get over 70 on S2 this time but I'm cautiously confident that I got more than 54 on S3 :) S1 is just impossible for me to predict.


    Mate they are great scores, you have UL under your belt from your first attempt! And UL accepted on 52 last year, my mate got 52 and got an offer. cant remember on which round but basically a few people had to turn down the offers because they simply cannot get the money to fund the course and I think that problem is going to be reflected again in the entry points this year... either that of the positions for international students is going to increase!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭chips365


    WoolahUrma wrote: »
    How many sat in Dublin? How many places are available in Limerick? I found section 3 horrendous, 1 and 2 seemed, emphasis on seemed, ok, but I do have a psychology background.

    couldn't agree with you more, i have a psychology background aswell, and the trinity sciences for nursing and i found s3 absolute hell. If (and i probably will) have to repeat the gamsat, im focusing more on s1 and s2. Didnt find them too bad but i underestimated the amount of work needed for them so going to put more time into them. Only about 55 in limerick sat it!


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    chips365 wrote: »
    Mate they are great scores, you have UL under your belt from your first attempt! And UL accepted on 52 last year, my mate got 52 and got an offer. cant remember on which round but basically a few people had to turn down the offers because they simply cannot get the money to fund the course and I think that problem is going to be reflected again in the entry points this year... either that of the positions for international students is going to increase!

    Maybe, but unfortunately I don't have the means or the finances to go to Cork or UL. It has to be Dublin unfortunately :( Had I the money for Cork or UL I wouldn't have even sat it again after the first time. The points are down because the 100K loan doesn't exist anymore. So that means a lot of people can't do it. The loan barely covers the fees now :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 18 IEMedAp


    Hello all. Been reading the thread with interest. I am in the relatively fortunate position of already having taken GAMSAT (Sep 2011) and I will be using that score in my application. I forget my score but I think it was S1: 66 - S2: 73 - S3: 59.

    I was absolutely convinced I had failed Section 3. Just remember you are scored both in relation to your cohort and previous cohorts. A high score means you have done relatively well - it does not necessarily mean you did well in absolute terms. You can do relatively badly (in terms of number of questions answered correctly) but still get a decent score (on the basis that others did far worse). I would say I was guessing approximately 50-60% of the answers for Section 3.

    I think my score would get me an offer for all of the medical schools, unless the ask suddenly rises, which it might. I am not based in Ireland. I think this excludes me from virtually all loans, so I am not sure what my options will be, but once I have the offer(s) I shall start worrying about that.


  • Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭WoolahUrma


    Thanks again Hypnos, I assume that it'll be a few days before I stop trying to figure out the various permutations of how I might have done. The wait is going to be worse then the exam itself. Back to what chip was saying there, I studied pretty hard for the last couple of months and I got the sense that the effort put in might not correlate well to my result. I know its as much an iq test as anything else but in the practice tests I saw an improvement in my performance. in the actual test the questions my timing went off and the questions seemed more difficult. Did you all notice this? You'll have to take my word for it when I say that I didn't suffer from any anxiety during the test.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭demure


    I am still getting over the difficulty of Section III this year.
    Like some of you, I am a Psych grad too, and I have to say I found this year's SI a little easier than September's. This, however, maybe due to the good night sleep I managed to get this time, relative to not getting a wink of it the time before!
    I would not say my essays will be better than September's; I managed to get a decent 75 then, not sure can I top this with somewhat limited views I offered on governments. Just don't have any ;) Boredom, on the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed!
    SIII. I would rather repress the experience. I found it horrifically complex. In contrast to September, there was not too much biology to it, or things you could simply 'figure out'; it was loaded with Org Chem and, surprisingly, there were a lot of questions on spectroscopy. It would be fair to say a quarter of my answers were based on pure guess work.
    Fingers crossed we did better than we think all!


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    WoolahUrma wrote: »
    Thanks again Hypnos, I assume that it'll be a few days before I stop trying to figure out the various permutations of how I might have done. The wait is going to be worse then the exam itself. Back to what chip was saying there, I studied pretty hard for the last couple of months and I got the sense that the effort put in might not correlate well to my result. I know its as much an iq test as anything else but in the practice tests I saw an improvement in my performance. in the actual test the questions my timing went off and the questions seemed more difficult. Did you all notice this? You'll have to take my word for it when I say that I didn't suffer from any anxiety during the test.

    Yeh I'm guilt of thinking about how I got on too. I'd have to disagree about the IQ test. I don't think it's an IQ test at all. If you did the HPAT by any chance, the last part of the HPAT (the patterns etc); that was an IQ test, no one had an inherent advantage. GAMSAT has a good proportion to do with how well you can express yourself (S2), understand social science (S1). To make it worse they give you time stress to see how you cope under stressful conditions and how well you problem solve and process information under the pressure of time. If you know the answer without even having to look for it in the information test, then it's hardly an IQ test since you have that knowledge. I think it's partially testing your knowledge and how quick can you think on your feet. ACER says the standard of the science section is University level so it's not really and IQ test if you can learn some topics in the sciences. I do agree that it's not really a test you can just study for, but practice is the best thing you can do for it. Besides IQ's don't change if you study topics in the sciences whereas GAMSAT scores do. And playing chess and solving rubik's cubes won't help with your GAMSAT score but I'm sure it will boost your IQ :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭WoolahUrma


    I guess I was trying to say that learning by rote is not very useful for the test and topics revised tend to be twisted around in new and interesting ways to test your ability to problem solve.


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    WoolahUrma wrote: »
    I guess I was trying to say that learning by rote is not very useful for the test and topics revised tend to be twisted around in new and interesting ways to test your ability to problem solve.

    Yeh that's pretty much it :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 18 IEMedAp


    WoolahUrma wrote: »
    I guess I was trying to say that learning by rote is not very useful for the test and topics revised tend to be twisted around in new and interesting ways to test your ability to problem solve.

    I did virtually no preparation for the science section, except some practice papers and a bit (and I mean a bit!) of Organic Chemistry reading.

    It is possible, on the basis of logic and reason, with a basic grasp of chemistry, to pass Section 3. My only hope of doing well in the round was to nail Section 1 and 2. I can well imagine some scientifically minded sorts will be the opposite.

    I do not think learning by rote will be much use either.


  • Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭WoolahUrma


    IEMedAp wrote: »
    I did virtually no preparation for the science section, except some practice papers and a bit (and I mean a bit!) of Organic Chemistry reading.

    It is possible, on the basis of logic and reason, with a basic grasp of chemistry, to pass Section 3. My only hope of doing well in the round was to nail Section 1 and 2. I can well imagine some scientifically minded sorts will be the opposite.

    I do not think learning by rote will be much use either.


    Couldn't agree more. I did quite a bit of study over the past couple of months and I still felt like I let myself down a little in the third section but like you say, I was always going to be leaning on 1 and 2 anyway.

    After the exam everyone that looked so nervous before hand was very eager to talk which was kind of endearing. By and large, the science people didnt like sections 1 and 2, and the Humanities people gave out about section 3. I am just hoping that it was a relatively difficult one so the score won't look too bad.

    I think we're all in that boat.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭chips365


    Hypnos wrote: »
    Maybe, but unfortunately I don't have the means or the finances to go to Cork or UL. It has to be Dublin unfortunately :( Had I the money for Cork or UL I wouldn't have even sat it again after the first time. The points are down because the 100K loan doesn't exist anymore. So that means a lot of people can't do it. The loan barely covers the fees now :(

    Ah thats sucks, Dublin for you so! You probably have secured a place anyway so thats something! I really don't know how people are funding the course themselves. It really is overly expensive. Thing is I have worked with the students from UL on the wards when they come out on clinical placement and I have to say that the majority of them find it a nightmare to get the money and the fee's are higher for them. One girl was a 3rd year and she didnt know if she could finance her final year. It's a lot of pressure and they tell me its next to impossible to work part time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    My problem is only in S1 really. I just have no idea how I do in it. It seems so random. I think that S2 is the easiest. It's 1 hour and I don't have problems when it comes to writing essays. I actually find S3 more difficult regardless of the background in chem. S3 is the places where I look for high marks though. I did a couple of weeks practice in Physics there before the exam and it helped a reasonable amount since I managed to get some of the answers out for Physics. Some people are naturally talented and are able to deal with S3 without a background but I couldn't imagine doing well in it myself without a chemistry background. It also helps time wise. Anyways its a long wait now and hope everyone gets what they want in the end :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭WoolahUrma


    Hypnos wrote: »
    My problem is only in S1 really. I just have no idea how I do in it. It seems so random. I think that S2 is the easiest. It's 1 hour and I don't have problems when it comes to writing essays. I actually find S3 more difficult regardless of the background in chem. S3 is the places where I look for high marks though. I did a couple of weeks practice in Physics there before the exam and it helped a reasonable amount since I managed to get some of the answers out for Physics. Some people are naturally talented and are able to deal with S3 without a background but I couldn't imagine doing well in it myself without a chemistry background. It also helps time wise. Anyways its a long wait now and hope everyone gets what they want in the end :)

    I have the same problem in s3. In practice tests I would feel like I would have had the answers nailed only to find that I had missed out on something that should have been plain to see.

    If you have a lot of experience in reading dense material then s1 is easier. I would imagine that if you have a background in English lit or law that that would be the best prep but as anything that I have read has said, it's very difficult to practice for s1, outside of timing concerns. More so then s3 it often seems to be the best answer rather than the right one which can be very frustrating during the exam.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭Hypnos


    WoolahUrma wrote: »
    I have the same problem in s3. In practice tests I would feel like I would have had the answers nailed only to find that I had missed out on something that should have been plain to see.

    If you have a lot of experience in reading dense material then s1 is easier. I would imagine that if you have a background in English lit or law that that would be the best prep but as anything that I have read has said, it's very difficult to practice for s1, outside of timing concerns. More so then s3 it often seems to be the best answer rather than the right one which can be very frustrating during the exam.

    It's all over now anyways but for some reason I've been thinking about it all day and I just keep doing different possibilities; where I went wrong and what's the best/worst case scenario (results wise)...


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