When Is GAMSAT September 2022 Held?

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Hey Will, when is the GAMSAT held in September 2022?

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The September 2022 GAMSAT sitting will be held between 5th to 9th September 2022.

But There’s Also A March GAMSAT

(⌐O_O)
Wait, but I read somewhere that there’s also a sitting earlier in the year.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
That would be the March GAMSAT – that was held between 18th to 23rd March 2022.

GAMSAT September 2022: The Details

(⌐O_O)
Ok, so if there are two sittings, which one should I sit…?

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That’s a very good question, and I go through the reasons in two separate posts – in GAMSAT March 2022: Why You Should Sit It, I focus on the March GAMSAT. 

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
In this post, I focus on the September GAMSAT.

(⌐O_O)
Then, let us wait no longer~

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Yep, let’s do it.

Advantage: Practice Run Possibility

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The first benefit, is that GAMSAT September 2022 is great for practice runs, for several reasons:

Reason: Not Enough Time

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Gamster, you know the difference in prep times available for the March GAMSAT, as opposed to the September GAMSAT, right?

(⌐O_O)
Yeah – it’s extreme: For the March sitting, you have around three months of summer holidays, then a gentle start to Semester 1; and for the September sitting, it’s the hectic times of final assessments of Semester 1, one months of winter holidays, then the ramp-up into mid-semester assessments in Semester 2.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
That’s right – so for normal uni students, there is less time to prepare for the September exam (AKA not months of holidays). So, if you were going to do a practice run anyway, the logical thing to do would be to choose the September exam rather than the March exam.

Reason: Not For Same-Year Med School Applications

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Ok, so you know how for the March GAMSAT, you can use it for same-year applications for every country, whereas for the September GAMSAT, you can only use it for same-year applications for the UK?

(⌐O_O)
Yeah, so it actually makes the September GAMSAT seem lower stakes.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Exactly – so since you can’t use the September GAMSAT scores for same-year application anyway, you might as well use it to give yourself an idea of what to expect from the exam (in terms of stamina and studying and stress-management), which will give you a better idea of how to prep properly for the March GAMSAT

Reason: Easier Time Retaining Prep For Next GAMSAT

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Also, it’s easier to keep your prep from the practice run for the real thing, if you choose GAMSAT September 2022 as your practice run.

(⌐O_O)
How does that work?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Ok, so after the September GAMSAT, are final assessments and exams for Semester 2, then months of holidays, and a gentle start to Semester 1, then the March GAMSAT.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Compare that to after the March GAMSAT, are mid-term assessments and exams for Semester 1, a short break, final assessments and exams for Semester 1, then a still-short (~1 month) holiday, mid-term assessments and exams for Semester 2, then the September GAMSAT.

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So, to start prep leading up to the September GAMSAT as a practice run – and continue prep until the March GAMSAT as the real thing, you will have more prep time and less distractions, and can retain your prep way better – and much less so, if you took the March exam first, followed by the September exam.

Advantage: UK/Ireland Focus

More Time For Prep For GAMSAT September 2022

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Hey Gamster, you know how there are ppl who actually live in the UK and Ireland?

(⌐O_O)
The way you say it, makes it seem like a conspiracy theory if I believe it.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Hold on – “if”?

(^ΦдΦ^)
So, are we to understand that you did not believe it by default?

(⌐O_O)
Oh, shucks….

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Anyway, assuming that ppl do live in the UK and Ireland…

(⌐O_O)
Stop hypothetical-ising a whole people!

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…Then they actually have an advantage, with the September GAMSAT.

(⌐O_O)
Oh, how?

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Ok firstly, their university academic calendar makes it so that, they have more time to prep for the September GAMSAT.

(⌐O_O)
Oh, just like the timetable advantage that most places have with the March GAMSAT.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
It’s actually more extreme than that: Check out the timetables for Exeter (UK), Liverpool (UK), Cardiff (UK), Cork (Ireland), Limerick (Ireland), Dublin (Ireland).

(⌐O_O)
Am I reading this right? It looks like they not only get at least 3 months holidays (like Australian unis), but the GAMSAT exam (early September) happens when they’re still on holidays!

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Well, GAMSAT is during Week 1 for some places (e.g. Limerick, Dublin).

More Venues

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Secondly, for the September GAMSAT, there are more venues for the UK, and less for the rest of the world.

(⌐O_O)
Ok, so if people live in the UK, it means they can arrange transport and accommodation a lot easier, or not need to arrange special plans at all?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
That’s right, and that hinges on the assumption that ppl really live there. (Which is not – and can never be – confirmed)

(⌐O_O)
God dammit.

Can Use For Same-Year Application

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Thirdly, UK & Ireland’s med school application process happens so late, that the September GAMSAT scores actually can be used for same-year applications.

(⌐O_O)
So, both March and September GAMSAT scores are good for same-year applications in UK and Ireland?!

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
That’s right, which leads to an interesting effect: In most countries, the March GAMSAT is the only one relevant for same year application – so ppl can use the September GAMSAT as the practice run, then sit the March GAMSAT as the real thing.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
But in UK and Ireland, things can be reversed – because March and September GAMSAT scores are equally relevant, and the September sitting is the last one of the year, British and Irish Gamsters can use the March GAMSAT as the practice run, then sit the September GAMSAT as the real thing.

(⌐O_O)
Thinking like that trips me out.

Advantage: Potentially Less Competition

(⌐O_O)
Say, Will – so you mentioned the advantages of doing the March GAMSAT….

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Sure did: Leading up to the March GAMSAT, most uni students get a long-ass holiday and not too much uni curriculum, meaning lots of free time and low stress, which makes it an optimal time for GAMSAT prep.

(⌐O_O)
Ok, and the September GAMSAT is the opposite….

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Yep, as mentioned in the Practice Run section – which is why ppl use it as a practice run~

(⌐O_O)
So if the September GAMSAT disadvantages normal uni students, what about ppl who aren’t normal uni students?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Very good! The September GAMSAT is harder schedule-wise to prep for, so normal uni students won’t have as much time to prep; and also, because more of the normal uni students will have a practice-run mentality, they’re likely to go soft on themselves during prep or the exam. 

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This potentially makes the September GAMSAT less competitive for ppl who aren’t normal uni students.

(⌐O_O)
Like, what types of people?

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More specifically, the following demographics, actually benefit from the September GAMSAT:

• Studying part-time
• Studying Summer Semesters or trimesters
• Studying in the UK or Ireland
• Academically disciplined
• Graduated and not studying

Benefits To Part-time Students

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Part-time students have a lower study-load already, so they have more room to take on GAMSAT prep.

(⌐O_O)
What if they study part-time because they have other responsibilities, like work or childcare?

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Then that just means they have better time management skills than normal full-time students…

(^ΦдΦ^)
Who may be more used to procrastinating and cramming and pulling all-nighters.

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…Which makes busy part-timers more prepared for take on GAMSAT prep anyway.

Benefits To Summer Semester & Trimester Students

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Students who study all throughout the year, don’t actually benefit from taking the March GAMSAT.

(⌐O_O)
Isn’t that a bad thing?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
It might be a bad thing if we were discussing the March GAMSAT, but we’re talking about the September GAMSAT.

(⌐O_O)
That’s true.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
And just like the students who juggle uni with other responsibilities, the students taking an accelerated pathway – with less downtime and more workload – have more academic discipline. 

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This means these accelerated students experience prep for the September GAMSAT at the same difficulty level as the March GAMSAT, while reaping the benefits of the September GAMSAT being less competitive.

Benefits To British and Irish Students

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As mentioned above, British and Irish universities have a different structure, with Autumn Semester (Semester 1) starting in September, and Spring Semester (Semester 2) finishing in May or June.

(⌐O_O)

Yeah, and when the September GAMSAT is on, they’re even earlier in their Semester 1 timetable (and that’s if uni’s even started for them yet) – meaning they have little to no competing interests for their time and energy.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Yep, so students in the British Isles have a huge leg-up for GAMSAT September 2022.

Benefits To The Academically Disciplined

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Gam, have you heard of the saying “if you need something done, get a busy person to do it”?

(⌐O_O)
I think so – why?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
The quote is talking about the right type of busy ppl.

(⌐O_O)
There are right and wrong types of busy people?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Yep – the wrong type are busy out of circumstance: Whether out of poor choices or time-management, they have responsibilities that stack up and spill over, and are “busy”, because they are always putting out fires.

(⌐O_O)
I think I’m sometimes like this – especially during assessment time.

(^ΦдΦ^)
That’s most ppl, so it’s not unusual.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
In contrast, the right type are busy by choice: They have great work ethic and time management, and are busy, because they are operating on their edge, and want to squeeze the most out of the 24 hours in their day.

(⌐O_O)
That reminds me of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Similarly, for the academically disciplined, they can wake up earlier, study without getting distracted, and keep their motivation and energy levels up despite the responsibilities of real life, and so on. 

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For them, there’s not much difference in prepping for the March or September GAMSATs – they will find time for the necessary prep; and if they take GAMSAT September 2022, they will simply benefit from the lower level of competition.

Benefits To Graduates

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So, if you’re a uni student, you’re advantaged by the academic calendar for the March GAMSAT, and disadvantaged for the September GAMSAT.

(⌐O_O)
Does that mean that candidates who are not in uni, have it the opposite way?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Well, graduates don’t necessarily get disadvantaged for the March GAMSAT – it’s more like the advantages and disadvantages of the academic calendar don’t apply to them.

(⌐O_O)
So, there’s no difference for them whether they sit the March or September GAMSAT?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Not in terms of uni anyway – they can still be affected by their responsibilities, like how busy work is at different parts of the year. 

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
The point is, they don’t systematically experience the disadvantage of prepping for GAMSAT September 2022, which can translate to a relative advantage over their uni-dwelling competitors.

Summary: Why Sit GAMSAT September 2022

(⌐O_O)

So, which people should sit the September GAMSAT?

You Want A Practice Run

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
So firstly, ppl who want a practice run: Since you can’t use GAMSAT September 2022 scores for same-year med school applications, you can sit the September GAMSAT in 2022, then sit the March GAMSAT in 2023 if need be, and apply in 2023.

You’re In The UK Or Ireland

(⌐O_O)
But med schools in UK and Ireland accept September scores for same-year applications.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
I was getting to that: so because British and Irish candidates can use both March and September scores for same-year applications, and their academic timetable heavily favours September GAMSAT prep, they should definitely focus on sitting GAMSAT September 2022.

You Want Potentially Less Competition

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Lastly, because uni students outside the UK and Ireland are systematically disadvantaged by their academic timetable when prepping for GAMSAT September 2022, they are more likely to be less prepared, or less dedicated (due to the practice run mentality).

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So, if you’re any of the following demographics, you can likely benefit from taking GAMSAT September 2022 seriously:

• Studying part-time
• Studying Summer Semesters or trimesters
• Studying in the UK or Ireland
• Academically disciplined
• Graduated and not studying

Want loads more tips and strategies?

(⌐ಠㅿಠ)
Including learning about a side-gig that pays $60 or more?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
Yep – with no qualifications, labour, or dodgy-ness.

(⌐O_O)
I’m in.

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
If that’s a yes, then check out the FastGAMSAT ebook pack on the homepage!

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
And yes, that’s Snarksy on the cover.

( ^ΦдΦ^)
Draw me like one of your French girls, Willeo.