GAMSAT SECTION 2
The Ultimate Guide to GAMSAT UK Section 2
Written by: Matt Amalfitano-Stroud
Section 2 of the GAMSAT (Written Communication) is the most unique part of the test, as it’s a writing task instead of a multiple-choice test. It’s also the shortest segment – with two tasks to analyse and complete in such a short amount of time, you’re going to need to be well-prepared to succeed in this part of the exam. This guide will explain what you should expect from Section 2 and how you can ensure you’re ready for anything it throws at you; let’s get started!
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THE BASICS OF GAMSAT SECTION 2
Let’s start off by looking at the basic format and requirements for Section 2 of the GAMSAT.
Section 2 of the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) is a test of written communication and interpretation. Throughout 2 tasks, you must be able to analyse a variety of quotations, determine a common theme and write a short piece to explain and justify your decision.
How does GAMSAT Section 2 Work?
As mentioned before, Section 2 consists of two separate tasks which each take the same format and have the same requirements. In each task, you will be given a selection of four – five quotes/statements from a variety of contexts. These quotes share a broad, common theme that links them together. Other than these quotes, you are not given any additional information to support your writing.
Your job is to decipher this theme and explain what it is and why you believe it to be the correct answer. There’s no set word count or limit for each of the two tasks, so it will be down to you to decide how many words will be required to effectively explain your case.
You’ll have 65 minutes in total to complete this section. Five minutes of this is dedicated to reading while the rest of the time can be spent planning and writing.
GAMSAT Section 2 Scoring
Section 2 of the GAMSAT is unique in many ways compared to the other Section 1 and Section 3, and the marking system is no different. While the other sections can be marked automatically as they are Multiple-Choice quizzes, written pieces must be assessed by human markers in order to accurately assign a score based on the quality of your work.
There are conflicting reports on how your answers are marked here, but your essay will be marked by 2 – 3 different markers (and potentially a computer system), who will assess your writing on two key factors:
Quality of Thinking/Discussion of Topic
How well you have been able to explain your interpretation of the common theme and your justification for this answer.
Quality of Language Used
How well you have been able to utilise written language to present your argument, via language and structure.
Using these factors, each marker will assign your two pieces with a combined score between 0 and 100. The scores from each marker will be reviewed and a final score will be assigned on the same scale (learn more about this in our GAMSAT Scoring Guide).
As with the other sections, your Section 2 result is used to calculate an overall GAMSAT Score using the equation below.
Overall Score = (1 × Section I + 1 × Section II + 2 × Section III) ÷ 4
Below is a quick summary of the whole GAMSAT format, including Section 2:
Exams.Ninja Tip
Note that you will not receive any marks on your work if you don’t correctly interpret the common theme among the provided quotes. The themes covered are generally very broad so it’s difficult to completely misinterpret the quotes. However, it’s still important that you take time to fully consider the correct answer before writing.
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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM GAMSAT SECTION 2
Section 2 questions don’t give you that much to work with, so it’s vital that you understand what you’ll be faced with and how you can use the prompts given to create a fantastic piece of writing!
We know the basic format of Section 2 now, but there’s a lot more that you need to know than just what’s on the paper. You’re going to need to learn how to interpret the quotes you’re given, plan out your writing and effectively express all of your thoughts within the limited timeframe – and you have to do all this twice!
Let’s take this one step at a time, starting with the interpretation stage:
Interpreting GAMSAT Section 2 Prompts
During the five-minute reading phase of the test, you’ll need to analyse each of the quotes you’re given in each of the tasks – that’s 10 quotes to analyse. It helps to take this stage one task at a time so as not to get confused or mix up quotes between questions.
To start, you may find it beneficial to take a look at each quote quickly to get a sense of what you’re working with. You may pick up on some obvious themes quickly, some of which may be shared between multiple quotes. From there, you will need to take a look at each quote individually and take the time to assess what each one actually means.
As you progress, you may find a common theme fairly quickly, at which point you’ll be looking to identify how that theme matches the remaining quotes rather than finding the theme within them. If you have any quotes that don’t seem to fit, it may help to re-evaluate your common theme or re-read the quotes to find what you’re missing.
The themes will be fairly broad in the GAMSAT, but that doesn’t make them shallow or uncomplicated. Each quote may feature a different stance on the same theme or could be more subtle than others, which are all factors that you will need to discuss in your writing to get the highest marks.
Exams.Ninja Tip
Your interpretation doesn’t need to be perfect or one-to-one with what ACER (the GAMSAT operators) have specified. Misinterpreting elements of quotes isn’t going to cost you the question as long as you have identified the main theme correctly and provided sufficient reasoning for your views. Some elements of the task will be subjective, so just write what you believe it means.
One important thing to note is that each task will deal with a different type of theme. Task 1 tends to deal with socio-cultural issues while Task 2 uses Personal/Social issues. Here are some examples of what can be covered in Section 2:
GAMSAT Section 2 Common Themes
Task 1: Socio-cultural Issues
- Economics
- Politics
- Law
- Welfare
- Science
- Ethical Principles
Task 2: Social/Personal Issues
- Art
- Culture
- Emotions
- Belief/Faith
- Family
- Personality
Our Example Question at the end of this guide offers an accurate example of what you should expect from the quotes you will be given in Section 2.
Exams.Ninja Tip
Don’t rush to finalise your decision before you have fully analysed all of the quotes. While it’s easy to believe that you have the answer from looking at 4/5 of the quotes, you always need to ensure that everything in the task lines up with your answer. You may miss something that will change your whole perspective on the task, which could cost you all of the marks for the task.
Planning GAMSAT Section 2 Writing
After your five minutes are up (or potentially during, depending on how fast you have interpreted the themes in each task), it will be time to start planning your writing. This isn’t going to be an identical process to other essay writing tasks you may have completed in the past for several reasons:
1. Form
Section 2 isn’t technically an essay writing task because you don’t have to write an essay. Applicants have to option to write in any format they see fit, including more creative and unconventional formats, as long as the writing reflects everything that is required for the question. More on this in a bit!
2. Essay Length
We mentioned before that there is no set word count for these tasks. That isn’t really to benefit those who want to write long pieces but more so because you aren’t expected to write that much in this section. With the restricted time and requirement of two pieces, you’ll need to prioritise efficiency when it comes to your essay structure.
3. Time
Time is the biggest restriction for this section, so it’s going to impact the planning phase just as much as the writing phase. You’ll have a digital whiteboard to use, but you shouldn’t spend more than 10 minutes finalising your plans for both tasks – and that’s only if you’re a fast typer!
So this planning phase may be more challenging or fairly simple depending on where your skills lie. However, the basic principles of essay planning still apply here – albeit in a more condensed form.
Creating a basic structure for your work with set discussion points is essential to avoid unfocused writing and repeated statements. Efficiency will be your greatest asset, so simple but effective language should be the aim. Most test-takers will take on quotes one at a time, often finding connections between them to allow for natural flow, and this should all be determined in your plan.
However, before that, you’ll need to decide on the form your writing will take. As mentioned before, you have an open approach to how you wish to write your work, be it conventional essays or more creative forms of writing. Some examples of less conventional writing formats include:
- Blog Post/Article
- Script
- Speech
- Narrative Text
- Poem
You most likely have never seen an opportunity to write academic work in the form of a script or blog post before (especially in medicine), but all of these options and more are available to you should you wish to deviate from the standard essay format.
With that being said though, most applicants still choose to write in a simple format. The GAMSAT markers aren’t awarding points based on the creativity of your work, so writing in these formats will only benefit you if you feel you can express your points more effectively and efficiently in this way. What’s important is that your work is well-written and offers valid arguments for your answer.
Remember, you’re time is extremely limited so you shouldn’t fixate on the perfect form or structure for your work. Once you have your key points organised in a manner that makes sense, it’s time to start writing!
How to Write for GAMSAT Section 2
Writing should take up the bulk of your time as you don’t want to rush through either of the tasks. With an effective plan in place, your priority now is to get the words down in a manner that is well-structured, makes sense and explains everything you need to cover.
To manage your time effectively, understand that your work can be as short as it needs to be. A typical GAMSAT Section 2 essay is 400 – 500 words, but these are not set requirements. If you feel you can cover all of your points effectively in less or if you think you will need more to properly make your point, the choice is yours.
The length is not important, but rather the following two elements of writing. These are the two factors that the markers will be assessing your work on, so ensure that your work is written with this in mind:
Quality of Thinking/Discussion of Topic
This relates to the content of your writing. Essentially, the markers expect your work to clearly explain why you believe the provided quotes have a common theme between them. This is the whole point of the piece, so you need to ensure that the reader can fully understand how each quote fits the theme – at least from your perspective.
Clear explanations will earn you points, but the highest-scoring essays will feature the following elements:
- A clear thesis that summarises your thoughts on the overall theme within the task.
- Unique, thought-provoking and generally well-explored discussions of the themes and quotes at play.
- Backing with additional evidence where appropriate (though this doesn't need to be too in-depth).
- Displays of empathy, logic and other qualities of medical professionals.
Quality of Language Used
Markers are looking for good-quality writing in GAMSAT Section 2 submissions. This doesn’t mean that they are looking for masterful uses of vocabulary and creative structure, but they do require work to be clear, concise and well-structured. Fluency in English also isn’t the primary concern in the GAMSAT, so minor mistakes will not cost you too many points as long as the intention behind the writing is still clear.
In most cases, simpler writing will actually be favourable, as these are some of the key elements markers look out for:
- A logical, well planned structure that offers a clear flow from point-to-point with good connectivity.
- Efficiency in writing, avoiding overlong and irrelevant discussion.
- An appropriate use of language and tone when considering the topic being discussed (primarily for more creative works).
- Generally easy to read and understand, making each point clear.
By focussing on these key areas – and ensuring you have correctly interpreted the task – you should find yourself performing well in this section. It’s the most open-ended task in the exam and that freedom can be either liberating or terrifying! However, effective preparation and practice will help you learn the best GAMSAT writing techniques that work for you. Let’s see what you can do to get yourself ready!
Exams.Ninja Tip
As with any essay task, you should aim to leave yourself time the end to review your work. You’re writing will be much shorter than you’re used to, so yo shouldn’t need more than 5 minutes to properly review both of the tasks. However, it’s still important to check that you covered everything as effectively as possible and correct any simple mistakes you may spot.
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HOW TO PREPARE FOR GAMSAT SECTION 2
Preparing for Section 2 can be challenging and time-consuming, but once you’ve perfected your own writing techniques, you’ll find the actual exam much less stressful!
Throughout your time in higher-education, you’ve likely had a lot of experience with academic writing and have been able to hone in on your specific writing style. This will act as a great starting point for your GAMSAT prep, but you’re going to have to approach things a little bit differently in order to get top marks. Here are some ways to prepare yourself:
1. Write, Write, Write!
Writing is the most effective way to prepare for Section 2 of the GAMSAT – or any writing task for that matter! GAMSAT prep is convenient in some ways as you’ll only be writing short pieces under 1,000 words, meaning you can get through multiple pieces in a single study session.
Initially, your writing doesn’t need to involve answering traditional GAMSAT questions but rather it can be about anything. In these early stages, the goal should be to perfect your writing style to match the needs of the GAMSAT.
For many of you, this may mean you need to practice your efficiency. Good academic essays can be 4,000+ words long and cover dozens of points, but that just isn’t going to work in the GAMSAT. You need to be able to present the same quality of writing in a fraction of the space, so learn to cut out the fat while writing to prevent bloat in your work.
2. Start Off Big & Learn To Edit
Following on from the first point, it may not be simple to edit your work while you’re writing. Therefore, you may find it easier to start off writing in your typical style and review your work afterwards to try and reduce the amount of fluff.
As you continue this process, you may discover some bad habits that are padding out your writing or making it unnecessarily complicated to read. Once you’ve identified the issue, you can take the steps to stamp them out before the testing date so that you’re left writing highly efficient, easy-to-understand texts that will earn you top marks.
If you’re struggling to do this yourself, perhaps give it to someone you trust, telling them that it needs to be simple and short. Chances are they’ll have some feedback on how to make it fit that description better.
3. Use Practice Resources
While developing your writing skills is important, remember that you also need to be able to answer the question that the test will present you with. As the testing date gets closer, you will need to begin practising with actual GAMSAT-styled tasks, which isn’t always easy to do.
GAMSAT past papers aren’t released to the public, while ACER tends to charge for the majority of its official practice materials. Therefore free options are limited. Investing in GAMSAT materials is usually a good idea, especially if you are able to access materials for all three sections as you can do with GAMSAT.Ninja (which also provides free access to certain features including practice questions).
The difficulty with GAMSAT prep is that half the challenge comes from interpreting the quotes, which means you can’t really set the practice tasks yourself without help from a trusted family member or peer. If you can do this, however, it will provide you with a very effective preparation strategy!
4. Utilise Exam Conditions
By the end of your preparation, you should be able to confidently complete two separate tasks within the 65-minute window you’ll be given in the test. It’s important to be strict with yourself while practising for an exam, so you should aim to set aside at least an hour each week to do a full Section 2 simulation, complete with realistic marking.
As well as this, you should aim to complete at least one full mock GAMSAT before the testing date in order to see how well you’ll cope with the gauntlet of testing that’s ahead of you. It’s exhausting and pretty inconvenient to set up, but if you can do it once, you should be able to do it again for real!
There’s plenty more to learn about GAMSAT prep in our GAMSAT Preparation Tips Guide, but for now, let’s take a look at an example of a GAMSAT Section 2 task:
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GAMSAT SECTION 2 EXAMPLE QUESTION
GAMSAT Section 2 tasks are simultaneously very simple and very deep, so let’s take a look at an example of one and how it could be approached!
GAMSAT Section 2 Example Task 1
1. Some believe that the government is most effective at determining how public money is spent. Others believe it is the public themselves.
2. The founding principle of modern government is to redistribute wealth.
3. When the rich support the vulnerable, everyone prospers.
4. Redistributing the wealth of the nation is a complicated process that prompts many important questions about how to do it in a fair and reasonable way.
The common theme among these quotes is Redistributing Wealth – how money can be given back to society by the government or by the rich and what impact it can have.
GAMSAT Section 2 Example Task 2
1. There are three certainties in life; taxes, death and change.
2. Some say life is nothing but change.
3. It’s not about the fact that things change; it is how you deal with change that matters.
4. Wisdom is dealing with chaos in a calm manner.
The common theme among these quotes is Change – how change is perceived and dealt with.
That covers everything. you need to know to start your GAMSAT Section 2 preparation! It’s not an easy task to get used to but with consistent practice, you should find this to be one of the easier portions of the whole test. If you want to go back to the GAMSAT Basics, check out our Definitive GAMSAT Guide, or if you’re to begin your preparation, sign up to GAMSAT.Ninja for free now!
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