GAMSAT in the UKSections, dates, fees, scoring and the schools that use it
GAMSAT is ACER's Graduate Medical School Admissions Test, sat twice a year (March and September) and used by 15 UK medicine programmes that ACER lists for applications through UCAS. UK registration costs £296; the test has a remote-proctored Written Communication section and two test-centre reasoning sections, each scored 0–100, and a result can be used for UK applications for two years.
For 2027 entry ACER accepts results from the March and September sittings of 2025 and 2026; the September 2026 registration has closed, and ACER says March 2027 registrations open in November 2026.
What is GAMSAT and what are the sections?
ACER describes GAMSAT as a computer-based test for applicants to graduate-entry medicine and allied health courses. In 2026 it runs in two windows: Written Communication by remote proctoring first, then the two reasoning sections at an in-person test centre about three weeks later. A science degree is not required, but ACER warns that success "will be difficult without a good knowledge and ability in the biological and physical sciences".
| Section | Where | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Communication | Remote proctored | 2 writing tasks | 65 minutes |
| Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences | Test centre | 62 multiple choice | 100 minutes |
| Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences | Test centre | 75 multiple choice | 150 minutes |
Written Communication is two 30-minute writing tasks, each offering four statements on a theme — the first socio-cultural, the second more personal and social. ACER says responses are scored independently three times and checked for plagiarism, including AI use. The test-centre sections add up to 4 hours 10 minutes of test time, with morning and afternoon sessions.
When are the GAMSAT sittings for 2027 entry?
ACER times the September sitting "to meet the UK admissions cycle" and the March sitting to fit Australian and Irish admissions — but you can sit either and use it anywhere. These are the latest dates ACER has published (2026 booklet). Dates for 2027 sittings were not published on 19 September 2026.
| Milestone | March 2026 sitting | September 2026 sitting |
|---|---|---|
| Registrations open | November 2025 | May 2026 |
| Standard registration closes | Mon 26 January 2026, 10am GMT | Tue 30 June 2026, 1pm BST |
| Late registration closes (and refund/deferral requests) | Thu 5 February 2026, 10am GMT | Mon 13 July 2026, 1pm BST |
| Written Communication window | 28 February – 1 March 2026 | 22 – 23 August 2026 |
| Humanities and Biological Sciences window | 20 – 22 March 2026 | 11 – 13 September 2026 |
| Results available | Late May 2026 | Mid November 2026 |
How much does GAMSAT cost in the UK?
Fees are paid online by credit card (Mastercard or Visa) at registration. The registration fee includes an online practice test e-book.
| Fee | UK amount |
|---|---|
| Registration fee | £296 |
| Late registration fee (added to the registration fee) | £71 |
| Refund administration fee | £51 |
| Deferral administration fee | £46 |
Which UK medical schools use GAMSAT?
ACER lists the programmes below as taking GAMSAT applications through UCAS. The list mixes four-year graduate-entry routes (A101/A102) with five-year A100 courses that admit graduates or non-school-leavers on GAMSAT — so it is longer than the count of four-year routes on Graduate Entry Medicine, which only counts the accelerated courses. ACER's general criteria are at least an upper-second (2:1) honours degree in any discipline — Liverpool also considers a 2:2 plus a Masters or PhD — and home fee status, except for Liverpool's A100 and the A101 programmes at Swansea, Ulster and Worcester, which ACER notes accept international students. Where a school's own page adds detail, it is summarised in the third column; a dash means we did not take anything further from that school's page.
| Institution | Course code | What the school's own page says |
|---|---|---|
| Brunel University of London | A100 | Home applicants shortlisted on UCAT or GAMSAT score |
| University of Chester | A101 | Threshold in UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT |
| University of Exeter | A100 | Graduates, and applicants more than two years past A levels, sit GAMSAT |
| University of East Anglia | A101 | — |
| Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (UCAS institution code I50) | A102 | Threshold in GAMSAT or UCAT |
| Keele University | A100 | — |
| University of Liverpool | A100 or A101 | Graduates applying to A100 currently need GAMSAT |
| University of Plymouth | A100 (and A206 dentistry) | GAMSAT is an alternative to A levels |
| University of St Andrews with University of Dundee | A101 | — |
| City St George's, University of London | A101 | — |
| University of Sunderland | A100 | — |
| University of Surrey | A101 | GAMSAT; UCAT accepted with certain science degrees |
| Swansea University | A101 | GAMSAT or UCAT (home) |
| Ulster University | A101 | — |
| University of Worcester | A101 | UCAT or GAMSAT |
ACER says applicants to Exeter and Keele should check eligibility on the universities' websites. Pears Cumbria published GAMSAT thresholds of 59 (home) and 53 (contextual) for 2026 entry. Compare every graduate route, including the UCAT-only ones, on Graduate Entry Medicine.
How is GAMSAT scored and how long does a result last?
You receive a score for each section and an overall score, all on a 0–100 scale that ACER stresses are not percentage marks. Scores are scaled so results are comparable between sittings, and your statement includes an approximate percentile chart — but ACER says universities consider section and overall scores, not percentile rankings, and set their own cut-offs each year.
Overall score = (1 × Humanities and Social Sciences + 1 × Written Communication + 2 × Biological and Physical Sciences) ÷ 4.
| Where you apply | Result can be used for |
|---|---|
| UK and Ireland | Up to two consecutive years after the test |
| Ulster University | Four years |
| Australia | Up to four consecutive years |
Applying in Australia instead? The Australian GAMSAT guide covers GEMSAS cut-offs and schools.
GAMSAT UK — FAQs
Do I need to be a graduate to sit GAMSAT in the UK?
Usually you need a completed or in-progress bachelor’s or honours degree. ACER makes an exception for applicants to Exeter and Plymouth, where people who believe they have reached the necessary maturity can sit it; Plymouth says you do not need to be a graduate to apply with GAMSAT.
How much does GAMSAT cost in the UK?
ACER lists a £296 registration fee for UK candidates, plus £71 if you register in the late period. The fee is paid in full by credit card at registration.
How is the overall GAMSAT score calculated?
Each section is scored 0–100 (not a percentage). ACER’s formula is: overall score = (Humanities and Social Sciences + Written Communication + 2 × Biological and Physical Sciences) ÷ 4. Universities set their own cut-offs and consider section and overall scores, not percentiles.
How long is a GAMSAT result valid for UK applications?
Two consecutive years in the UK and Ireland, according to ACER; Ulster University accepts results for four years. For programmes starting in 2027, ACER lists the March and September sittings of 2025 and 2026 as usable.
Can I sit GAMSAT more than once?
Yes. ACER sets no limit on the number of sittings, and if you have more than one current score, universities automatically use your highest-performing score set unless you tell them otherwise.
Sources (accessed 19 September 2026)
Every fact on this page comes from one of these documents, each opened on the date above. Where a source did not state something, this page does not state it either. Admissions rules change between cycles — check the source before you act on it.
- ACER — GAMSAT home page (quick reference) — what GAMSAT is, eligibility, delivery mode, section question counts, registration feeshttps://gamsat.acer.org/
- ACER — GAMSAT Information Booklet 2026 (PDF) — 2026 key dates, section timings, Written Communication tasks, late, refund and deferral feeshttps://gamsat.acer.org/files/GAMSAT_Information_booklet.pdf
- ACER — GAMSAT Registration — September 2026 registration closed; March 2027 registrations open November 2026; test centre countrieshttps://gamsat.acer.org/registration
- ACER — GAMSAT Test day — 4 hours 10 minutes of test-centre time; morning and afternoon sessionshttps://gamsat.acer.org/test-day
- ACER — GAMSAT Results — results release, 0–100 scales, overall score formula, two-year UK validity, Ulster four-year validityhttps://gamsat.acer.org/results
- ACER — University admission (UK) — UK programmes that use GAMSAT through UCAS, degree and fee-status criteria, 2027-entry timeline, UK results form deadlinehttps://gamsat.acer.org/university-admission-uk
- Swansea University — Medicine (Graduate Entry) MB BCh — accepts GAMSAT or UCAT (and MCAT for international applicants)https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/medicine/medicine-graduate-entry-mbbch/
- University of Chester — Graduate Entry Medicine — minimum threshold in UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT; 2:1 degreehttps://www.chester.ac.uk/study/graduate-entry-medicine/
- Pears Cumbria School of Medicine — Study — GAMSAT or UCAT threshold; 2026-entry GAMSAT thresholds; two-year GAMSAT windowhttps://cumbriamed.ac.uk/study/
- University of Surrey — Medicine (Graduate Entry) — GAMSAT as the aptitude test; UCAT accepted for certain degree subjectshttps://www.surrey.ac.uk/undergraduate/medicine-graduate-entry
- University of Exeter — BMBS Medicine — graduates and applicants more than two years past A levels must sit GAMSAT; ranked on overall scorehttps://www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate-degrees/bmbs-medicine/
- University of Plymouth — BMBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery — GAMSAT as an alternative route to A levels; results valid two yearshttps://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/bmbs-bachelor-of-medicine-bachelor-of-surgery
- University of Liverpool — Medicine and Surgery MBChB — graduates applying to A100 currently required to have taken GAMSAThttps://www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/medicine-and-surgery-mbchb
- Brunel University of London — Medicine MBBS — home applicants invited to interview on UCAT/GAMSAT score; GAMSAT valid two yearshttps://www.brunel.ac.uk/study/courses/medicine-mbbs
- University of Worcester — Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBChB — UCAT or GAMSAT result to be entered on the UCAS formhttps://www.worcester.ac.uk/courses/medicine-graduate-entry-mbchb