GAMSAT – The Scoring Process Decoded

Illusive and alluring, the GAMSAT scoring system is supposed to be strictly confidential. ACER tries really hard to keep things under wraps, however, the guessing game continues. The scoring pattern is complicated and difficult to understand as GAMSAT aims to allow only the best brains into the medical universities.

Many believe that GAMSAT is based on a popular scoring pattern known as item response theory (or IRT). To a layman like you and me, it is a method where each section of questions is calibrated according to its difficulty level. Candidate scores are also calibrated on that same difficulty level scale, according to his or her ability. These are then converted into scores on the GAMSAT scale of 0 – 10 for each of the three sections. The exact formula for this calculation is:

GAMSAT Section score = (estimate in logits* + 5) x 10

(*’logits’ being the unit used for calculation in the IRT system)

The net score is calculated using the following formula:

Overall Score = (1 x Section I + 1 x Section II + 2 x Section III) / 4

This means that the marks you obtain in Section I determine your score in the other two sections. Section II and III scores are made standard using the mean of score received in section I. It is obvious that GAMSAT aims at giving equal importance to all the three sections. You cannot just answer one particular section well and ignore the rest and at the same time hope to qualify GAMSAT with flying colours! Make sure that during your preparation, you devote a good amount of attention to all the sections.

Did you know that not answering questions can significantly impact your overall score? The GAMSAT scoring system seeks to trace a pattern in the answering mode of students. So try not to leave vast sections of questions unanswered. Attempt as many questions as possible to get a better score. If you do not know the answer, rather than just leaving it altogether, hazard a guess and mark the OMR sheet. After all there is no negative marking!

Section II, which is a test of written communication, is reviewed by three independent examiners who give marks on a scale of 10. If there happens to be a significant difference between their scores (a difference of 5 or more), a fourth examiner is called upon to check the essay. The three nearest scores of each essay are aggregated and added to the final score.

GAMSAT aims to assess the overall capability of a student rather than a specialised skill. The scoring system is such that it traces the loopholes in the general IQ and awareness of the person.

I hope that the scoring process has been decoded for you and some of the GAMSAT secrets have been revealed. However, it is always better to devote your precious time in sharpening your skills rather than trying to decode the GAMSAT scoring process. It might so happen that the more you try to get to the secrets, the more they become elusive.