What GAMSAT score do I need for Monash vs UNSW?

Monash — NOT required. Removed from Graduate Entry selection in 2017; never used for Direct Entry. UNSW — does not publish a GAMSAT cut-off (may not use GAMSAT; check the admission-test question above). GAMSAT results are valid for four years with ACER, but some graduate MD programs accept only the most recent two cycles — verify before relying on an older sitting.

What GPA do I need for Monash vs UNSW?

Monash — Graduate Entry: WAM minimum 70. Lowest accepted WAM (2025 cycle, student-reported) 81.179. UNSW — GPA not published in the structured AU requirements. Many AU graduate MD programs treat the GPA as a hurdle (above the floor, all candidates are weighted equally on GAMSAT and interview) rather than as a sliding-scale rank — confirm each school's specific model.

How do interviews differ between Monash and UNSW?

Monash uses: Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations × 8 min, 2 min reading). UNSW uses: Structured panel interview with two interviewers (academic staff, clinicians or community representatives). Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: October-December (Monash); November-December (UNSW).

When does each school release decisions?

Monash typically releases medicine offers December-January. UNSW releases medicine offers January. AU MD offers run through GEMSAS (graduate consortium) or direct school portals; if one is earlier than the other you may need to defer a decision while waiting for the second.

Back to Australian Medical School Compare

Australian Medical school comparison

Monash vs UNSW

Monash and UNSW are both Australian medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Monash is in Victoria while UNSW is in New South Wales. State of origin matters here: several schools rank local applicants ahead of interstate ones. Monash uses UCAT-ANZ and GAMSAT; UNSW uses UCAT-ANZ.

That mismatch means either preparing two assessments or choosing the school whose test suits you. They also recruit at different stages: Monash runs both undergraduate and graduate entry, UNSW runs school-leaver (undergraduate) entry. The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Panel — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Monash and UNSW.
Comparison field	MonashClayton	UNSWSydney
Quick comparison
Location	Clayton, Australia	Sydney, Australia
Entry pathway	Dual (UG + Grad)	Undergraduate
Admission tests	UCAT-ANZ + GAMSAT	UCAT-ANZ
GAMSAT	NOT required. Removed from Graduate Entry selection in 2017; never used for Direct Entry.	-
UCAT-ANZ	Direct Entry only. 2026 entry December round cut-off ~2380/2700 (~94th percentile, post-rebase). 2023 entry on old /3600 scale was ~2990 non-rural / ~2620 rural — not directly comparable due to 2024 UCAT-ANZ rebase.	No official minimum; competitive 2024-cycle cut-off ~3060 total on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile) for non-rural local applicants. UCAT-ANZ feeds the pre-interview composite alongside ATAR.
ATAR	Direct Entry minimum ATAR 90; competitive typically ≥99.45.	Minimum eligibility ATAR 96.00; competitive interview shortlist ~99.55; median offer-holder >99.60. Rural pathway minimum ~91.05.
Interview format	Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations × 8 min, 2 min reading)	Structured panel interview with two interviewers (academic staff, clinicians or community representatives)
Post-interview chance	Not publicly disclosed.	~40% of interviewees receive an offer.
Decision date	December-January	January

ATAR	Direct Entry minimum ATAR 90; competitive typically ≥99.45.	Minimum eligibility ATAR 96.00; competitive interview shortlist ~99.55; median offer-holder >99.60. Rural pathway minimum ~91.05.
Contextual ATAR	Monash Access Scheme provides adjustment factors for applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds; rural pathway adjustment available. Indigenous applicants can be admitted with ATAR 50+ (or equivalent) via VTAC.	Rural Entry Scheme (ATAR ~91.05); HSC Plus and Educational Access Scheme bonuses.
GAMSAT	NOT required. Removed from Graduate Entry selection in 2017; never used for Direct Entry.	-
UCAT-ANZ	Direct Entry only. 2026 entry December round cut-off ~2380/2700 (~94th percentile, post-rebase). 2023 entry on old /3600 scale was ~2990 non-rural / ~2620 rural — not directly comparable due to 2024 UCAT-ANZ rebase.	No official minimum; competitive 2024-cycle cut-off ~3060 total on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile) for non-rural local applicants. UCAT-ANZ feeds the pre-interview composite alongside ATAR.
CASPer	-	-
ISAT	-	-
GPA	Graduate Entry: WAM minimum 70. Lowest accepted WAM (2025 cycle, student-reported) 81.179.	-
Prerequisites	-	-
Place types	Direct Entry: ~234 domestic + 30 Extended Rural Cohort = ~264 (Clayton). Graduate Entry: ~70 domestic + 30 Rural End-to-End + ~30 international (Gippsland). BMP allocation 28.5% of all Monash medicine places.	~189 domestic offers (mix of CSP + ~28.5% BMP) + ~40-60 international ≈ ~230-250 total annual cohort (Fraser's aggregate).
Indigenous pathway	William Cooper Institute (formerly Yulendj Indigenous Engagement Unit) — admissions test (UCAT/GAMSAT) waived for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants; ATAR 50+ entry via VTAC with academi…	UNSW Indigenous Pre-Programs and direct Indigenous entry pathway available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants; MD-specific quota not publicly disclosed.
Bonded / rural	BMP 28.5% of all Monash places. Direct Entry Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) up to 30 places at Clayton; Graduate Entry Rural End-to-End Cohort 30 places.	Rural Entry Scheme drops ATAR threshold to ~91.05 and reduces UCAT requirement. BMP allocation mandated at 28.5% of CSP under the Stronger Rural Health Strategy.

Interview window	October-December	November-December
Interview details	Monash MMI uses 8 stations of 8 minutes each (with 2 minutes reading), delivered on the Clayton campus or virtually depending on cohort. Stations assess advocacy, collaboration, critical thinking, emp…	UNSW MMI runs ~10 stations of 5 minutes each with a 1-minute reading window. Stations cover ethical scenarios, communication and role-play, teamwork reflection, motivation, and structured current-issu…

Specialities	Rural Medicine, Clinical Research, Global Health, Indigenous Health, General Practice	Global Health, Indigenous Health, Infectious Disease, Rural Medicine, Health Equity
Established	1961	1961
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Monash runs a dual-pathway MD: Direct Entry (M6011, 5-year BMedSc+MD at Clayton, UCAT-ANZ + ATAR) and Graduate Entry (4-year MD at Gippsland / Churchill campus). Graduate Entry MD requires Monash unde…	UNSW runs a 6-year direct-from-school MD with two pre-clinical years followed by integrated clinical and research years. The Indigenous Entry Program offers an alternative pathway; rural-origin applic…
Official course page	https://www.monash.edu/medicine/som	https://www.unsw.edu.au/medicine-health

Monash

Clayton

Quick comparison

Location: Clayton, Australia
Entry pathway: Dual (UG + Grad)
Admission tests: UCAT-ANZ + GAMSAT
GAMSAT: NOT required. Removed from Graduate Entry selection in 2017; never used for Direct Entry.
UCAT-ANZ: Direct Entry only. 2026 entry December round cut-off ~2380/2700 (~94th percentile, post-rebase). 2023 entry on old /3600 scale was ~2990 non-rural / ~2620 rural — not directly comparable due to 2024 UCAT-ANZ rebase.
ATAR: Direct Entry minimum ATAR 90; competitive typically ≥99.45.
Interview format: Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations × 8 min, 2 min reading)
Post-interview chance: Not publicly disclosed.
Decision date: December-January

UNSW

Sydney

Quick comparison

Location: Sydney, Australia
Entry pathway: Undergraduate
Admission tests: UCAT-ANZ
GAMSAT: -
UCAT-ANZ: No official minimum; competitive 2024-cycle cut-off ~3060 total on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile) for non-rural local applicants. UCAT-ANZ feeds the pre-interview composite alongside ATAR.
ATAR: Minimum eligibility ATAR 96.00; competitive interview shortlist ~99.55; median offer-holder >99.60. Rural pathway minimum ~91.05.
Interview format: Structured panel interview with two interviewers (academic staff, clinicians or community representatives)
Post-interview chance: ~40% of interviewees receive an offer.
Decision date: January

Compare different schools

Monash vs UNSW - in detail

Admission tests compared

UCAT-ANZ cut-offs. Monash — Direct Entry only. 2026 entry December round cut-off ~2380/2700 (~94th percentile, post-rebase). 2023 entry on old /3600 scale was ~2990 non-rural / ~2620 rural — not directly comparable due to 2024… UNSW — No official minimum; competitive 2024-cycle cut-off ~3060 total on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile) for non-rural local applicants.

UCAT-ANZ feeds the pre-interview composite alongside ATAR.

GAMSAT cut-offs. Monash — NOT required. Removed from Graduate Entry selection in 2017; never used for Direct Entry. UNSW — not used or not published.

Timing shapes the choice as much as the score. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sits in March and September; UCAT-ANZ is mostly undergraduate and sits in July. A few schools run their own selection model with no national test at all.

ATAR and academic profile

Monash requires Direct Entry: ATAR minimum 90 (competitive typically ≥99.45) + UCAT-ANZ + MMI; VCE English (study score 35 EAL or 30 English) and Chemistry (30) prerequisites.

Graduate Entry: Monash undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Pharmacy Hons, Physiotherapy Hons, designated BSc units, or Federation Uni Bachelor of Biomedical Science via Gippsland Partnership) with WAM ≥ 70 + MMI + SJT. No GAMSAT for grad pathway since 2017.

UNSW requires ATAR 96.00+ (lowest selection rank 2025) plus UCAT-ANZ; English and Mathematics or Science prerequisites; MMI.

ATAR. Monash — Direct Entry minimum ATAR 90; competitive typically ≥99.45. UNSW — Minimum eligibility ATAR 96.00; competitive interview shortlist ~99.55; median offer-holder >99.60. Rural pathway minimum ~91.05.

Graduate-entry GPA. Monash — Graduate Entry: WAM minimum 70. Lowest accepted WAM (2025 cycle, student-reported) 81.179. UNSW — not applicable or not published.

Read every ATAR figure as a selection rank, not a raw score. Educational access bonuses, rural-origin uplift and Indigenous pathways all adjust it, so the published number is rarely the one that decides your application.

Interview formats

Monash uses MMI (Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations × 8 min, 2 min reading)); UNSW uses Panel (Structured panel interview with two interviewers (academic staff, clinicians or community representatives)). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, UNSW may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Monash is the better fit.

Interview windows: Monash interviews in October-December; UNSW in November-December.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a Integrated-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Direct Entry 5-year MD: years 1-2 foundations and clinical skills at Clayton; years 3-5 clinical placements across Monash Health, Peninsula, and rural 6-year integrated MD. Phase 1 (years 1-2): foundations and scientific basis. Phase 2 (years 3-4): clinical practice with rotations. Phase 3 (years 5-6

Intake size: Monash — Direct Entry (Clayton): ~264 domestic (234 + 30 ERC). Graduate Entry (Gippsland): ~70 domestic + 30 Rural End-to-End + ~30 international. Total combined ~390+ (Fraser's Monash MD 2027 guide).; UNSW — ~189 domestic offers (~135 CSP + ~54 BMP) plus ~40-60 international = ~230-250 total annual cohort (Fraser's UNSW Undergraduate Medicine Guide)..

A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Monash: Not publicly disclosed. UNSW: ~40% of interviewees receive an offer.

Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.

What makes each distinctive

Monash: Monash runs a dual-pathway MD: Direct Entry (M6011, 5-year BMedSc+MD at Clayton, UCAT-ANZ + ATAR) and Graduate Entry (4-year MD at Gippsland / Churchill campus). Graduate Entry MD requires Monash undergraduate study (closed to external grads since 2017 GAMSAT removal); no GAMSAT required for the graduate pathway.

The Direct Entry December round uses UCAT-only ranking before ATAR is released; the January round uses combined UCAT + ATAR.

UNSW: UNSW runs a 6-year direct-from-school MD with two pre-clinical years followed by integrated clinical and research years. The Indigenous Entry Program offers an alternative pathway; rural-origin applicants gain Rural Admission Scheme bonus weighting. Pre-interview ranking weights ATAR (or equivalent) and UCAT-ANZ; the MMI then carries roughly a third of the final composite.

Which is right for you?

Start with the admission test: Monash needs UCAT-ANZ and GAMSAT, UNSW needs UCAT-ANZ. Preparing for one well beats splitting your time across two. Check your state of origin before you apply — Monash draws heavily on Victoria applicants and UNSW on New South Wales, and an interstate application often faces a materially higher bar.

They suit different stages too: Monash is both undergraduate and graduate entry, UNSW is school-leaver (undergraduate) entry. Your preference list should ultimately weight: which admission test you can realistically score well in, whether your state of origin gives you a bonus at either school, and where you'd actually want to live for four to six years.

Common questions

Monash uses UCAT-ANZ and GAMSAT. UNSW uses UCAT-ANZ. The test mismatch means you may need to prep two assessments simultaneously, or you can pick the school whose admission test you're stronger in. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sat in March/September; UCAT-ANZ is undergraduate-leaning and sat in July; some schools (notably Bond and JCU) run their own selection model with no national test.

Monash — Direct Entry only. 2026 entry December round cut-off ~2380/2700 (~94th percentile, post-rebase). 2023 entry on old /3600 scale was ~2990 non-rural / ~2620 rural — not directly comparable due to 2024 UCAT-ANZ rebase. UNSW — No official minimum; competitive 2024-cycle cut-off ~3060 total on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile) for non-rural local applicants. UCAT-ANZ feeds the pre-interview composite alongside ATAR. UCAT-ANZ cut-offs are cohort-dependent, so the headline number from one cycle is not guaranteed for the next — use it as a planning anchor, not a guarantee.

Monash — Direct Entry minimum ATAR 90; competitive typically ≥99.45. UNSW — Minimum eligibility ATAR 96.00; competitive interview shortlist ~99.55; median offer-holder >99.60. Rural pathway minimum ~91.05. Selection rank typically includes Educational Access Scheme bonuses, rural-origin uplift, and (where applicable) Indigenous-pathway adjustments — your raw ATAR is rarely the final figure used.

Monash — Direct Entry: ~234 domestic + 30 Extended Rural Cohort = ~264 (Clayton). Graduate Entry: ~70 domestic + 30 Rural End-to-End + ~30 international (Gippsland). BMP allocation 28.5% of all Monash medicine places. UNSW — ~189 domestic offers (mix of CSP + ~28.5% BMP) + ~40-60 international ≈ ~230-250 total annual cohort (Fraser's aggregate). CSP (Commonwealth Supported Place) is the lowest student contribution; BMP (Bonded Medical Program) adds a 1-year return-of-service obligation in a Modified Monash Model 2-7 area after Fellowship; Full-fee places carry no bond but the highest tuition.

Monash — William Cooper Institute (formerly Yulendj Indigenous Engagement Unit) — admissions test (UCAT/GAMSAT) waived for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants; ATAR 50+ entry via VTAC with academic support via the Gukwonderuk Indigenous Health Workforces Centre. UNSW — UNSW Indigenous Pre-Programs and direct Indigenous entry pathway available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants; MD-specific quota not publicly disclosed. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.

Monash — BMP 28.5% of all Monash places. Direct Entry Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) up to 30 places at Clayton; Graduate Entry Rural End-to-End Cohort 30 places. UNSW — Rural Entry Scheme drops ATAR threshold to ~91.05 and reduces UCAT requirement. BMP allocation mandated at 28.5% of CSP under the Stronger Rural Health Strategy. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Monash runs a Integrated curriculum. UNSW runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Monash specifics: Direct Entry 5-year MD: years 1-2 foundations and clinical skills at Clayton; years 3-5 clinical placements across Monash Health, Peninsula, and rural clinical schools. Graduate Entry 4-year MD at the UNSW specifics: 6-year integrated MD. Phase 1 (years 1-2): foundations and scientific basis. Phase 2 (years 3-4): clinical practice with rotations. Phase 3 (years 5-6): pre-internship with research and electives. Ind

Yes — AU medical applicants typically lodge preferences across multiple schools via GEMSAS (graduate) or direct-undergraduate portals + state TACs (UAC for NSW, VTAC for VIC, QTAC for QLD, etc.). The two schools' selection mechanics differ enough that listing both is a legitimate diversification strategy. A common mistake is over-indexing on schools with the same test-and-interview profile; Monash and UNSW differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.

Where to go next

MonashEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full UNSWEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 25 August 2026.

Monash vs UNSW

Side-by-side comparison

Monash vs UNSW - in detail

Admission tests compared

ATAR and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What admission tests do Monash and UNSW use?

What GAMSAT score do I need for Monash vs UNSW?

What UCAT-ANZ score do I need for Monash vs UNSW?

What ATAR do I need for Monash vs UNSW?

What GPA do I need for Monash vs UNSW?

How do interviews differ between Monash and UNSW?

What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Monash and UNSW offer?

What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Monash and UNSW offer?

Does Monash or UNSW offer bonded / rural-entry places?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Monash and UNSW use?

Should I apply to both Monash and UNSW?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons