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UCAT Exam-Taking Strategy

UCAT Exam-Taking Strategy

This blog should only be three words long: practice, practice, practice! Take as many practice exams as possible that you can get your hands on and complete these under timed...

${reading_time(`This blog should only be three words long: practice, practice, practice! Take as many practice exams as possible that you can get your hands on and complete these under timed conditions. Review practice papers and (in particular) those answers you get incorrect to ensure that you identify where you made your error. The UCAT requires quick solutions for a particular set of questions and there is no better way to prepare for this type of exam than in completing similar questions. When I used to play competitive football, at training we would repeat several individual drills to ensure that each individual part or component was perfected. When combined, these techniques contributed to our overall game performance and success. You need to apply this to your UCAT preparation by breaking down each cognitive section into parts, with each part worked on individually. Just like football, improvement in the UCAT is dependent on how well you manage your ego by identifying your weaknesses. Be honest with yourself and realise that there’s nothing wrong with weakness in an area. You just need to put the time in to improve on these areas. Objectively, you could appraise yourself through tallying your practice test marks, or by asking a study buddy their thoughts on where you need to improve. This is the hardest part — nobody enjoys doing something tiresome; however, it is the only way to achieve success. As you will most likely be stressed, you must plan the day of your exam beforehand to make it as comforting as possible. Eat nutritious meals, arrange transport with plenty of time to allow for transportation issues, and have your bag packed with your required items (including ID) the night before. On the day of the exam, read questions carefully and use a process of elimination when required to decide on the correct answer. Treat each question equally, moving on to more feasible questions if you are stuck on a particular brainteaser. Finally, do not self-appraise your performance in the middle of the exam. The exam can be thought of as a marathon rather than a sprint, and any stumbles throughout the performance won’t have much of an effect if you don’t let them. The Institute of Medical Education UCAT programs focus on building specific competencies required for performance in the exam; so, if you have any further questions or would like to see how we can help you with your preparation, contact us today! Good luck in your exam and we look forward to working with you.`)} Arror right
UCAT Verbal Reasoning Tips & Practices

UCAT Verbal Reasoning Tips & Practices

Armed with a basic understanding of the types of questions that may be asked, it is time for candidates to move away from passive learning and commit to active learning tasks....

${reading_time(`Armed with a basic understanding of the types of questions that may be asked, it is time for candidates to move away from passive learning and commit to active learning tasks. This includes completing practice UCAT exams under examination conditions, review of these exams, and remediation of areas requiring improvement based on review of the exams. The above three steps are important to be completed in a cyclic manner. In this way, candidates take a reactive approach to improving their performance. For instance, after completion of the passive learning (theory) tasks pertaining to Verbal Reasoning section of the exam, a candidate may then complete a practice examination. After completion of this exam, at a minimum the candidate should review the exam and note the questions they were unable to answer including those they answered incorrectly and those they had to guess. Ideally, the candidate will review the entire exam and for each of the questions categorise them according to question type. From here the candidate should keep a running tally of the types of questions they have attempted, and their percentage success rates for each. As time goes on, trends will develop which orient remedial activities. For instance, a candidate may observe their success rates to be lower for questions requiring a broader vocabulary, or specific types of writing such as in poetry or literature. The candidate can then specifically address this weakness by seeking out further resources to assist.   As well as recording the types of questions attempted and success rates, for incorrect responses candidates should record the reason for their inability to answer. This can be for many reasons; however, it is important that this is recorded. Even for simple things like misreading a question, it is important candidates record this mistake. By reviewing this information regularly, candidates are much less likely to make the same mistake again. To implement this continuous improvement process, it is necessary to have access to many practice questions and formal strategies from a professional preparation company like the Institute of Medical Education. Our UCAT programs focus on building specific competencies required for performance in the exam, so contact us today to kickstart your exam preparation.`)} Arror right
UCAT Decision Making Tips & Practices

UCAT Decision Making Tips & Practices

Medical professionals are often confronted with complex situational tasks that require quick and accurate decisions. They must apply logic to reach a decision, evaluate arguments, and analyse statistical information —...

${reading_time(`Medical professionals are often confronted with complex situational tasks that require quick and accurate decisions. They must apply logic to reach a decision, evaluate arguments, and analyse statistical information — sound familiar? That is because these themes form the basis for the Decision Making section of the UCAT. The questions presented in this section are either multiple choice or yes/no (typically for a series of statements). I have done the awkward part for you and asked the Institute of Medical Education UCAT experts for their recommended approaches in succeeding in this section. Venn Diagram questions. Only need to choose a correct answer from four options. You must either organise the data and select the relevant Venn diagram or select the best conclusion from a set by interpreting the diagram (practice makes perfect) Logical Deduction questions. Interpret a situation and then use logic to deduce the correct answer. Often candidates find trouble in the amount of information provided, which is why we recommend drawing diagrams to assist in organising the information to simplify your selection Probability questions. Present several possible outcomes in which you must select the most likely. We recommend revision of probability mathematics concerning numerical descriptions of how likely an event is to occur, or how likely it is that a proposition is true Analytical questions. Involve interpretation of graphs, charts, and passages of text. Practice with a range of charts and graphs (ideally with a study partner) and start a collection of those you find difficult for review.  Remember, preparation is key. You will have a simple on-screen calculator available for this section in the exam, but it’s useful to use the material provided to draw your diagrams and write rough calculations. Our UCAT Preparation programs comprehensively cover how to successfully approach each question type that you will encounter in this section, so contact us today to get your Medicine journey underway.`)} Arror right
UCAT Quantitative Reasoning Tips & Practices

UCAT Quantitative Reasoning Tips & Practices

The Situational Judgement subtest comprises the last section of the UCAT exam. It measures your capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviours in dealing with...

${reading_time(`A hypothetical: you are a junior doctor at a local hospital and your senior asks you to administer an urgent drug for a sick patient. To add more complexity to this situation, you must figure out the drug dose in the next 30 seconds. Though, due to your extensive training, you easily work out that you require the weight of the patient and the drug’s initial concentration. You find the patient’s weight in the chart and prescribe as follows:  Patient weight (kg) x Drug (mg/kg) = Drug dose (mg) Intense scenarios like these require the time-pressed quantitative skills — and surprise, surprise — are tested in the UCAT. Your exam might not be as exciting as working in the hospital, but you will need to work through similar calculations to score well. Quick and efficient calculation skills can only be improved with practice. To increase your mathematical accuracy and speed, we suggest you study a range of different multi-step mathematical questions that require addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In the exam you will be given an on-screen calculator to use; however, some questions may be faster to calculate manually. The questions that require manual calculations will become clear with practice. The type of questions you will face typically fall into a few groups (percentages, ratios, averages, and multiplication/division), each of which will require arithmetic. Since questions will be drawn from data presented, try learning how to skim data to identify the task required of you. Using the material provided in your exam, also try to lay out and organise the important data provided, to help conceptualise your thought process. Shortcuts are vital to success, so brush up on your scientific notation to simplify manual calculations. Learn to recognise numbers that just don’t seem right. Often in the rush of the exam we make scribing errors that we do not notice; understanding ball-park figures will help you identify answers that are clearly outside the correct range. Yes, it does take experience and practice to succeed, but it is achievable with continual repetition. Our UCAT Preparation programs comprehensively cover how to successfully approach each question type that you will encounter in this section, so contact us today for a free consultation.`)} Arror right
UCAT Study Group

UCAT Situational Judgement Tips & Practices

The Situational Judgement subtest comprises the last section of the UCAT exam. It measures your capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviours in dealing with...

${reading_time(`The Situational Judgement subtest comprises the last section of the UCAT exam. It measures your capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviours in dealing with them. Luckily, the questions in this section do not require medical or procedural knowledge.   The rationale behind this subtest is that medical professionals require high levels of integrity, perspective taking, team involvement, resilience, and adaptability. Therefore, it is important to think about the traits you are being tested on when considering each question: honesty and integrity working well in a team adaptability resilience (working successfully under pressure) safety goal-directed problem solving Where a question asks how you would respond to an ethical dilemma regarding admitting a fault, you need to recognise that this is testing your honesty and integrity. Be aware of your role in each scenario, as this will dictate the extent of your actions. It is important to appreciate your role within a greater scheme of events and to be able to act appropriately. Your role in a clinical scenario will differ if you have been assigned the role of a student compared to the role of a doctor. Thus, learn to identify with your character and use this to guide your approach. Reading about what makes a good doctor and good medical practice (the ethics of practicing medicine) will help you refine your responses.  Focus on the queries asked rather than the overall scenario when responding to questions; and finally… practice! I know we sound like a broken record, but practice really does make perfect. Practice working through scenarios within your study groups and under time constraints with your preparatory materials. With time and effort, you’ll see improvement! Our UCAT programs focus on building specific competencies required for performance in the Situational Judgement subtest, so contact us today to jumpstart your exam preparation.`)} Arror right
Happy Dream (Not Nightmare) Interview: MMI Preparation

Happy Dream (Not Nightmare) Interview: MMI Preparation

The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is unlike your traditional panel interview. MMIs consist of numerous stations (sometimes up to ten), each focused on a different question or scenario, set up...

${reading_time(`The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is unlike your traditional panel interview. MMIs consist of numerous stations (sometimes up to ten), each focused on a different question or scenario, set up in a separate room with a new interviewer. Many candidates make the mistake of preparing for MMIs as they would for a regular job interview, by getting straight to the point and answering questions directly. Recall that the role of Medicine Admissions Interview is to assess a candidate's suitability for a career in Medicine. Being frank and forthright in a medical setting may cause more harm than good; all options need to be considered — and communicated — to ensure appropriate care is provided to patients.   To succeed in MMI settings, you must first understand the key competencies as determined by the interviewing medical school i.e., the ability to: Interact effectively with peers, healthcare team, patients, and their families Contribute effectively as a team member Act ethically and demonstrate the capacity to care Communicate efficiently and assimilate, organise, and present information concisely Promote health maintenance   Naturally, these key competencies direct the topics explored at different interview stations. Although the content varies slightly between universities, the themes of MMIs generally centre around: Personal questions Emotional communication Problem solving Resilience and maturity Enthusiasm for Medicine Awareness of common issues in Medicine Ethics and empathy It is important to note that due to the high volume of candidates participating in Medicine Admissions Interviews each year, it is impossible to recruit large numbers of clinicians to assess all participants. Therefore, your assessors may also include academics, members of the administrative staff, medical students, or even individuals drawn from the wider community, like butchers and landscapers. So, why does this matter?Your final interview score will be based on your ability to answer the question/scenario presented and how well you communicate your response. You must practice sharing your answers in a universally understandable style — remember, as a doctor your job is to present information to patients in a comprehensible fashion. And when I say practice, I do not mean the weekend before your interview. Interview performance makes up a significant chunk of your ranking required for medical school offers, which is why you should start preparing for interviews before offers are released. It is recommended you spend at least a few weeks (or a couple of months) preparing, practicing scenarios under interview conditions with someone who understands the criteria.  When practicing, it is important to arrange your response according to a particular pattern. One such technique is the SPIES format, used for interpersonal conflict and ethical issues in clinical situations: Seek information – identify who the stakeholders are Patient safety – make sure the patient is okay before proceeding Initiative – can you do anything yourself to solve the problem Escalate – involve other colleagues if you require further assistance Support – support all those involved  For instance, you are a junior doctor in a hospital and overhear a fellow doctor talk down to a nurse who they say was high on illicit drugs in a nightclub last night. How would you address the situation? Using the SPIES technique, we can propose: Seek information – correctly identify that the nurse, doctor, hospital governing body, and immediate patients require attention. Patient safety – make sure to check up on all the patients who are currently under the care of the nurse. Initiative – ascertain viewpoints from both the doctor and the nurse (in a private setting and not in front of patients). You may have to involve the hospital disciplinary body if it is found that an employee is under the influence of intoxicating substances at work. Try to organise another nurse to look after the patients until more information is provided.  Escalate – seek guidance from senior registrars/consultants at the hospital and/or report the matter to the hospital disciplinary body. Support – If it is found that the nurse is under the influence of illicit substances, they should rightly be disciplined by the hospital’s governing body. However, the nurse should also receive counselling or directives to pathways to help resolve their drug problem, as taking illicit substances could be a sign of deeper mental health issues. Conversely, if the doctor who initially raised the concern was lying, a meeting with peers should be proposed to examine workplace bullying.  Other techniques for responding to general and ethical scenarios exist; however, you should work to develop a technique of your own to help organise your thoughts. Some MMI stations will require strong, robust responses covering a wide range of topics and this can only be achieved with well-articulated and organised answers. Importantly, once key stakeholders are identified, you should work through responses that address each viewpoint. The Institute of Medical Education Medicine Admissions Interview Question Generator provides example themes and interview questions that are assessed across a diverse number of medical schools. If you receive an offer for interview, our Interview Mentorship Program will give you the best chance at entry, so contact us today!`)} Arror right
What Motivates You To Sit The GAMSAT?

What Motivates You To Sit The GAMSAT?

If you find yourself here reading this post, you are likely preparing for GAMSAT. You may be preparing to the sit the GAMSAT for the first time, or you may be...

${reading_time(`If you find yourself here reading this post, you are likely preparing for GAMSAT. You may be preparing to sit the GAMSAT for the first time, or you may be one of most candidates who are re-sitting the exam. In either case, it is important to consider and eliminate the internal obstructions which may impede your success. To do so, ask yourself the following questions: What is it that you want? If you haven’t asked yourself this question, you need to do this before progressing. What does the question even mean? The process of thinking about your real desires is paramount — it necessitates a recognition of whims versus ambitions. Whims will fall in the face of adversity while true desires will weather the storm. Wanting something means you are willing to forgo the alternatives. The cost of committing to an endeavour such as GAMSAT and a career in Medicine will evidently involve many sacrifices. Less evident is the imposed growth that such processes enforce, which represents a further challenge to accept and overcome. Awareness of your ambitions and why they are important to you will soften the blow of the sacrifices you will invariably be making both now while you study, and in your future work. What would your life look like to get what you want? After considering what it is you want, you may have landed on a career in Medicine which involves success in the GAMSAT (and if you didn’t, then pursue whatever else it is you want). Success requires a set of goals and an associated plan. Your plan at present will necessarily focus more on GAMSAT, and you will need to take responsibility in structuring your life so that you are maximising your potential. Taking responsibility for your studies prevents others from allocating your time (which will not assist you in your goals). But also keep in mind that planning your days, weeks, and months requires negotiating with yourself — you cannot be your own tyrant. Finally, what would your life be like if you habitually did the difficult tasks? Candidates that perform well in the GAMSAT (and in many other areas of life), make doing difficult tasks a habit. In GAMSAT, this means sitting practice exams under timed conditions, receiving honest feedback, and continually asking questions to improve. The result of these processes (whether failure or success) is always productive. Consider that your overall aim may be to score 70+ in GAMSAT and enter Medicine. The fastest way to this destination is via a routine committed to completing the tasks most avoid. It does not matter where you start, or the number of failures you encounter along the way — it is the process that is most important.`)} Arror right
Graphical Interpretation In GAMSAT

Graphical Interpretation In GAMSAT

Below is a common graph seen in GAMSAT — and commonly confusing for students — which pertains to glucose excretion depending on serum concentration. 

${reading_time(`A graph is a visual representation of the relationship between two or more variables (X and Y variables). They enable more straightforward comprehension of data and make the process of interpretation more efficient, as it may be inefficient and cumbersome to report data in a table (or worse, still in written form). Typically, there will be an independent variable (the X-axis, usually time or some intervention) and the dependent variables (the Y-axis). When assessing a graph, take the time to understand the variables and to hypothesise what the relationship may be prior to looking at the body of the graph. In many cases you will be able to hypothesise the relationship based on knowledge from your studies. Students who fail to do this are likely to become confused when looking at the graph. After predicting what the relationship might be based on your knowledge, you can refer to the body of the graph for the depicted relationship. At this point, you are not interested in forming conclusions, only reporting what you see. The best way to do this is to verbalise your findings: “As <X-variable> increases, <Y-variable> increases/decreases in a direct/exponential manner.” In some cases, there may be no change in the dependent variable as the independent variable changes (in which case there is no relationship). Below is a common graph seen in GAMSAT — and commonly confusing for students — which pertains to glucose excretion depending on serum concentration.  Glucose excretion from the kidneys is dependent on its serum concentration.  When we examine the figure, we can deduce that the independent variable is the amount of sugar in the blood. The dependent variables are the amount of sugar filtered to form filtrate (not yet urine), the amount of glucose reabsorbed into the blood from the filtrate, and the amount of glucose that is excreted in urine (formally filtrate, and not reabsorbed). Firstly, consider the relationship between serum glucose and glucose in the filtrate. Without looking at the graph, you will know that this will be a positive and direct relationship. At this point, we are not interested in the other two dependent variables. As serum glucose goes up, filtered glucose will go up. Assessing the graph, we can see this is indeed the case. Secondly, the relationship between serum glucose and glucose reabsorption from filtrate back into blood can be considered. With knowledge of renal physiology, we would expect that to a certain serum (and therefore filtrate) concentration that all glucose in the filtrate would be reabsorbed, but that at some point the resorptive function would become saturated and over a window of concentration that decreasing amount of additional glucose could be absorbed. The relationship would therefore initially be positive and direct before flattening out after which no relationship would exist. This is indeed the case when looking at the purple line in the graph shown. Finally, consider the relationship between serum glucose and excretion of glucose. As serum glucose increases, we would expect glucose excretion to only increase once reabsorption is saturated. The relationship should therefore commence flat prior to rising and then becoming positive and direct.`)} Arror right
GAMSAT Section III Rationale and General Study Practices

GAMSAT Section III Rationale and General Study Practices

Unlike university examinations which are designed to assess acquisition of knowledge, Section III of GAMSAT is written to test for competencies in problem solving via the application of knowledge. This often involves...

${reading_time(`Unlike university examinations which are designed to assess acquisition of knowledge, Section III of GAMSAT is written to test for competencies in problem solving via the application of knowledge. This often involves novel contexts that students have never seen; however, the principles underpinning the assessment item should be familiar to students who have studied for the exam. The rationale for the style of assessment in GAMSAT is three-fold: Need to assess for prerequisite knowledge – Graduate medical programs are four years in length. Traditionally, the initial two years of a graduate medical program are spent covering theory while the final two years are spent gaining experience in various clinical rotations. From day one, medical programs require students to be ready to study clinical medicine and there is not time to learn basic scientific concepts. Knowledge therefore is a definite pre-requisite for the examination, however high performance requires a more in-depth and intuitive understanding of concepts not typically acquired through tertiary studies. The nature of medicine – While medical schools teach students about diseases, patients present with undifferentiated complaints. It is then up to the clinician to bridge the gap between their training, and the unique problem reported by the patient through critical thinking. Section III of the GAMSAT is very similar in that it requires students to take their scientific knowledge and apply it to a unique problem by referring to core principles acquired during their study.  Efficacy as a selection tool – As the demand for medical school training positions outweighs supply by approximately 10-to-1, a process of selection is necessary. The tools used in this process of selection need to determine both acquisition of a prior body of knowledge and the ability to critically reason through problems. Furthermore, the selection tool needs to be of sufficient difficulty that many candidates cannot achieve maximal results as this would preclude discrimination of the relative quality of such candidates.  What then is the implication of such considerations? The only way to solve the problems presented in Section III of GAMSAT in a timely manner is to develop an understanding of concepts along with their applications, contexts, and inter-relationships with other concepts already understood. It also means gaining experience in applying such concepts in differing contexts through completion of practice exercises. Concepts understood on a superficial level or not understood at all need to be re-evaluated and modelled to fit within the candidate’s cognitive set.  How is an intuitive understanding of scientific concepts achieved? Active study is task-directed study that involves students seeking out information to close knowledge gaps and answer questions regarding gaps or inconsistencies in knowledge. The aim is to create an innate understanding of the laws underpinning the sciences (the rules of the game).`)} Arror right
Key Concepts Required For GAMSAT: The Physical Sciences And Chemical Systems

Key Concepts Required For GAMSAT: The Physical Sciences And Chemical Systems

The physical sciences lie at the heart of all the other disciplines relevant to Section III of GAMSAT. This is reflected in the hierarchy of sciences

${reading_time(`The physical sciences lie at the heart of all the other disciplines relevant to Section III of GAMSAT. This is reflected in the hierarchy of sciences:     The key implication of the hierarchy is that all sciences are premised on irreducible physical laws (mathematics). Even the biological and physiological processes witnessed on a macroscopic level are at their core explainable by these physical laws. The division of sciences in GAMSAT is 40% biology (including physiology), 40% chemistry (20 % organic and 20% physical), and 20% mathematical physics. Hence, 40% of the Section III exam is comprised of what would be classified as “hard” or classical sciences in the form of physical chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The other sciences are more applied. What this means is that the higher-level sciences describe concepts not based on their own laws or general principles. Subjects such as biology and physiology (and medicine) are somewhat arbitrary in that their level of focus is not premised on universal laws. This makes them less efficient to study, but in some instances more interesting. The “softer” sciences are, however, premised in the universal laws of physics (ergo mathematics). This is an important consideration for those preparing for GAMSAT as there is significant yield in comprehensive study of the physical sciences. Consider the following key broad physical concepts: Energy and heat Temperature Matter and mass Pressure Volume Force Charge The above represent the most important concepts in physics and physical chemistry, but also in organic chemistry, and physiology. The principles underpinning these concepts are also responsible for the biological processes many candidates’ study for GAMSAT. Understanding the above seven physical concepts is by far the highest-yield approach to studying Section III. It is these concepts that students should always seek to relate their understanding of scientific systems. Chemical science is more proximal to these physical laws than are the human sciences; for instance, consider the concept of electrostatics. By learning the principles that underlie electrostatics and atomic anatomy, much of the organic chemistry curriculum can be surmised without the need for rote learning. It follows therefore that an understanding of electrostatics is essential for the GAMSAT. Fundamental to an understanding of chemical systems is comprehension of energy transfers during chemical reactions. Before considering energy transfer, principles students need to understand intuitively are that of the system, its surroundings, and the universe (comprising both system and surroundings). In the context of chemical systems, temperature is more superficially described as a measure of the random motion of particles in a system (or the average kinetic energy) and heat is the transfer of energy due to establishing a temperature difference. Those who are familiar with the above will collectively recognise the concepts as the basis of the subject of chemical thermodynamics. Why is this subject important? By its understanding, students can predict the way chemical reactions will propagate. Rather than rote memorising the negative and positive signs of Gibbs Free Energy, and the spontaneity of reactions, it is more important to understand why it is so.`)} Arror right
Key Concepts Required For GAMSAT: Biological Science

Key Concepts Required For GAMSAT: Biological Science

To understand biological systems most students will have studied the cell, its specialist components, and their functions. However, during the study of such a microcosm, it is easy to lose...

${reading_time(`To understand biological systems most students will have studied the cell, its specialist components, and their functions. However, during the study of such a microcosm, it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture: the major function of life is to survive and to hopefully propagate. The only way for an organism to survive is for cells to maintain the conditions of life i.e., homeostasis. This is perhaps the most important concept to consider in your study of biological systems as it predicts the behaviour of systems entirely.  In your studies of physiology, it is therefore important to understand three things about all the major systems you study. If you cannot explain these in a basic sense and you have studied the systems, it is likely you have become too consumed in the details: What does the system do? Why does it do this? How does the system do it? By asking such questions and ignoring everything else (for now), you are taking a critical approach to the system — all you want to know is what the system does, why this is important, and how it meets this objective. Because of this process, you will be able to easily apply the universal knowledge to comparable systems in different organisms. If you have sat GAMSAT before, you will know how important it is to be able to apply existing knowledge in new contexts. For example, consider the respiratory system: It provides important substrate to the body in the form of O2, whilst also removing CO2 waste It also has minor roles in temperature regulation and some endocrine function It operates to ensure ATP energy can be produced through oxidation, and damaging waste products do not accumulate i.e., the respiratory system controls blood O2 and CO2 concentrations to control systemic pH The system manages O2 and CO2 concentrations through dynamic pressure changes based upon changes in volume controlled by contraction and relaxation of muscles surrounding the thoracic cage. Inside the bellows (lungs), exchange occurs down concentration gradients (passive diffusion) between the lungs and blood stream. Without a moving stream of blood, the system is redundant. Once you understand the basics, it is time to increase the level of detail. In this case, you may choose to learn more about gas transport, or choose to learn the names of the muscles responsible for inspiration and expiration. Importantly, you now have no doubt in your mind as to the key questions examined.`)} Arror right
How to Write A GAMSAT Essay

How to Write A GAMSAT Essay

Section II of GAMSAT can be a challenging section for those who are unprepared. The section requires the candidate to write two complete essays in 60 minutes. Instead of the luxury of...

${reading_time(`Section II of GAMSAT can be a challenging section for those who are unprepared. The section requires the candidate to write two complete essays in 60 minutes. Instead of the luxury of simply picking answers from MCQ options, Section II presents candidates with the challenge of synthesising a novel response in the shape of a formal essay. More challenging is that the candidate does not know what the topic will be, and the fact that there are two essays that need to be typed. Writing strong GAMSAT essays requires sophisticated skills in two domains: essay structure and composition, and content. The importance of these two proficiencies is emphasised officially by ACER. Assessment focuses on the way in which ideas are integrated into a thoughtful response to the task. Control of language (grammatical structure and expression) is an integral component of a good piece of writing. However, it is only assessed insofar as it contributes to the overall effectiveness of the response to the task and not in isolation. Candidates are not assessed on the ‘correctness’ of the ideas or attitudes they display. It is therefore important to consider the structure and content components of essay-writing before reviewing the essays. Structure refers to everything outside of the content or ideas expressed in the essay. This includes the style of essay (e.g., argumentative versus expository), paragraph structures, transitions, phrasing, and vocabulary. The aim of the candidate is to build this structure during their preparation, and to practice refining it so that it becomes second nature. This structure may be referred to as the candidate’s essay template and is reproduced for every essay written. The purpose of the essay template is to streamline the process of delivering the content under exam conditions. Getting this right will mean the candidate wastes zero time thinking about how to express themselves and will also make the essay a joy to read for the examiner. Content refers to the ideas that the candidate produces in response to the stimulus topic. This requires existing knowledge, and supplementation of that knowledge to develop sophistication. In responding to most topics, the candidate cannot hope to know enough about the topic to score well without doing some elementary research for each. It is therefore recommended that candidates research a pre-determined list of topics prior to their exam. Once the candidate possesses this knowledge, and their essay template is refined, the task in the actual exam is to combine the two in response to the exam topic. The best way to develop your essay template and knowledge of content is to write many essays under exam conditions. Once each essay exercise is complete, it is important to seek formal feedback and then to refine the essay. This method provides the following benefits: Candidates gain experience writing essays under timed conditions Candidates gain experience using their essay template in the context of an exam Candidates gain exposure to many different essay topics, and the examination will test their existing knowledge of what is known, highlighting areas of deficiency Candidates can refine their essay based on objective feedback with the process of improving both their approach and knowledge of the essay topic Candidates who write 50+ essays can virtually secure themselves a 70+ in Section II if they do the work Writing these essays can be self-directed or guided through a formal GAMSAT program, like those offered by the Institute of Medical Education. You can also try our GAMSAT Essay Writing Quote Generator to help improve your writing, which provides 68 essay themes with example arguments against each prompt. Contact the Institute of Medical Education today — our qualified team of university-trained academics can appraise and provide essay feedback, helping you develop a well-rounded piece of writing. `)} Arror right

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