gamsat essay task b examples

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The GAMSAT has a reputation for being amongst the harder medical school entry exams available to write, used across graduate medical programs in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. The exam is sat either online via remote proctoring or in person at a test center, over 5.25 hours of test time. The GAMSAT is split into three sections, with an in-depth overview of the sections found here .

• Section 1: Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences
• Section 2: Written Communication
• Section 3: Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences

The three sections are weighted differently, with your overall score = (1 x S1 + 1 x S2 + 2 x S3). For lots of medical school applicants, section 2 comes as the most daunting: it's the only one of the sections that requires written work. Whilst section 1 and section 3 are in a multiple choice question format, section 2 consists of two separate essays to be written. For the majority of medical school graduate applicants, writing an English essay feels like forgotten history, an area untouched since high school usually.

The goal of section 2 is to test your general knowledge, your ability to draw on prior knowledge under pressure, and your ability to construct a cohesive argument or reflection. Section 2 allows for 65 minutes of test time, which includes 5 minutes of reading time and 60 minutes of writing time to do both task A and task B, two separate written tasks. The task A themes are typically about socio-cultural issues, and is better suited to an argumentative style of essay, whereas task B themes are targeted at more personal and social issues, allowing you to express yourself through a creative or reflective style of writing.

65 minutes is obviously not a lot of time to write 2 high quality essays, but As the two tasks are quite different, it may be beneficial to break down the task time to reflect the amount of effort each task would take. Typically, task A will take a little more effort and planning, so it may be beneficial to allocate 35 minutes: 5 minutes to develop a thesis and structure, 25 minutes of writing, and 5 minutes of reading over. Task B can usually be done with a bit less planning, so you can allocate 3 minutes to structure, 20 minutes to writing, and 2 minutes to read it over. Both tasks are presented in the form of a series of 4-6 quotes or phrases all relating to a common theme but each with a different message. It is your job to extract the theme of the prompts, and subsequently write a related essay.

At the end of this article, we've included an example of a Task A and another of a Task B for you to attempt as practice before going into your true GAMSAT preparation. Try them out with a timer, following the methods outlined in this article, and see how you feel about section 2 before starting your intensive GAMSAT preparation!

This task is usually seen as the more daunting task, testing your knowledge of current affairs and hot topics, and applying them to a well developed essay. This task is usually better suited to an argumentative essay as the topics at hand can be polarizing; however, you can choose to write this in whatever style you can most successfully write. I recommend writing this essay argumentatively, and give a clear guide on how to do so below. Usually, the prompts will have a common theme will belong to one of the following categories:

• Law and justice
• Gender and roles
• Collectivism and utilitarianism
• War and peace
• Government and democracy
• Clicktivism and media
• Journalism and news
• Religion and belief systems

The fool-proof method of writing Task A essay consists of:

• Extracting the theme
• Developing a thesis based on the theme
• Writing a skeleton essay*
• Introduction
• 3 body paragraph
• Developing that skeleton essay into a fully written complete essay

*skeleton essay: abbreviated, point-form version of your essay to use as a guide

Upon reading all the prompts presented in Task A, you will have to extract the common theme and develop a thesis based on that theme. You do not need to make use of every prompt, but stronger essays make use of at least 3 themes throughout the essay, either as support or for arguments. The thesis you develop will guide your entire essay and will introduce your argument to the exam marker in the essay introduction. Your thesis should roughly follow this model: statement of opinion + support 1 + support 2 + support 3, each support in your thesis should correlate with the topic of each of the body paragraphs in your essay. For example, if my thesis is

" Cats are the superior creature to dogs in the realm of domesticated animals, even though they are temperamental and emotional, as they have greater agility, more obvious intelligence, and often wear a softer fur coat."

then each of my body paragraphs will correspond accordingly:

• Body paragraph 1: cats have greater agility than dogs
• Body paragraph 2: cats have more obvious intelligence than dogs
• Body paragraph 3: cats wear a softer fur coat than dogs

In each body paragraph, I will develop the argument further and give examples or evidence for why I make that argument, and in the conclusion I will wrap up that same thesis without making any new assertions.

As there are quite a few common themes that can come up, I recommend developing a possible thesis for every theme listed above, and developing a skeleton essay for each of those theses. That way, when examination day comes, you can pick a thesis from your already pre-written theses you've stored away in your mind, and develop your essay based on a previous skeleton essay you've done for that thesis, tweaking it where needed. If I've practiced writing a thesis and skeleton essay on crime, and a theme of poverty comes up on my exam, I can easily think back to that thesis and skeleton essay and tweak those arguments to suit the prompts given, and ideally get my essay down faster than if I hadn't prepared.

This task is generally less challenging for most individuals as it doesn't typically require a structured argument. The goal for this task is to show your personal reflection. The prompts for Task B usually relate to a more personal theme, and can be separated into the following categories:

• Friendships
• Relationships
• Individuality
• Personality

When developing a thesis for Task B, it's best to base it around an experience you have been through, and explain what you have learned from it. To structure this essay, introduce the experience in your introduction, then explain the conflict or issue that arose from it. In your following paragraphs, explain why it was a struggle, then what you did to overcome this, and finally conclude with what you learned from the experience. As this essay is more personal, it is usually easier for individuals to call on their own experiences than to develop an argument based on fact, therefore may take less time than Task A.

Example Task B theses will follow slightly a different structure from Task A theses. Below I've written up two theses, but these are just a rough guide to show the range of personal reflective experiences that can be discussed. Make these your own, using your personal past experiences!

As a child, the idea of love exists in the context of 'grown ups' getting married and is frankly off-putting; but while ageing, you realise that love is present in so many forms: within family, with pets, and with romantic lovers.

Growing up with a small family, I struggled often when people remarked on the closeness with their own families; however, as I've gone through life, I have come to realise that family is what I chose for it to be, comprising of friends and loved ones, rather than formed by a blood bond.

• Create a loose thesis for each of the common themes that can arise in Task A and Task B
• Use specific examples
• Express yourself with strong vocabulary
• Proof-read your essay quickly at the end to avoid any grammatical errors or typos
• Don't make up any facts or statistics
• Practice essays before so you can quickly put pen to paper and recall on your skeleton essays
• Follow the step-wise approach

One method to improve both your section 1 and 2 is to pair the preparation: focusing on practice for the section 1 vocabulary questions can help elevate your section 2 essay writing. Some additional outside reading may also help your writing style and comfort, including The Meaning of Things by A.C. Grayling, Sapiens and Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, or anything else you find that may expand your general knowledge, vocabulary, and arguments. GAMSAT is meant to be a hard exam, and it takes time and commitment to prepare well for it. FutureDoc has a GAMSAT course to help prepare you thoroughly for each section of the exam, run live with a GAMSAT tutor.

Practice Section 2

Written by Hiba Al-Bahrani

A Beginner’s Guide to GAMSAT Section 2

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Prepping well for Section 2 is arguably the best and easiest way to boost your overall GAMSAT score. But there are a number of pitfalls people fall into.

Experienced writers can be overconfident and be caught out by the restrictive time limit.

Inexperienced writers can neglect this section in favour of prep for the more intimidating Section 3.

But if you want a nice score boost, I recommend you get serious about Section 2!

Essential Info

Section 2 is the “Written Communication” section for which you need to write two essays in response to two “tasks”. ACER want to see what kinds of ideas you can come up with on the fly and how well you can express them in writing.

Each task will consist of 4 “comments” or quotes (in the past it was 5) from which you can ascertain a common, general theme. Feel free to respond to one quote, 2-3 of the quotes or the whole general theme.

It isn’t necessary to give your essays titles. But it might help YOU to do so! More on this later…

Timing info

Number of essays: 2

Reading time: 5 mins

Writing time: 60 mins

Writing time per essay*: 30 mins

*You can actually spend more time writing one essay than another because you have a total of 60 minutes to write both.

Task A ( socio-cultural issues)

Writing style: argumentative, academic

Example topics:

• Government / democracy

Task B ( personal and social issues)

Writing style: emotional response, reflective

• Forgiveness
• Intelligence

Official advice from ACER

Each essay will require you to “produce and develop ideas in writing” meaning they’re testing your ability to come up with ideas off the cuff and express them effectively.

ACER warns that “pre-prepared responses and responses that do not relate to the topic will receive a low score.”

It might be comforting to know that you will not be assessed on the “correctness” of your point of view. So whether you’ll be expressing right-wing, left-wing or middle-ground views, in theory it should not impact on your score.

Unlike what you may have come across in your academic journey so far, you will not be asked to respond to a specific question or be given a title. Instead, you will need to ascertain a common theme FIRST from the comments/quotes provided and respond to that.

You will be marked on the “organisation and expression” plus “thought and content” of your essays…

Thought and content ( quality of what is said)

• “What is made of and developed from the task” (e.g. depth provided for each idea you present, shown you can understand both the explicit and implicit meaning in the quotes, backed your ideas with evidence and examples)
• “The kinds of thoughts and feelings offered in response to the task” (e.g. considered both sides of an argument, provided original and unexpected ideas)

Organisation and expression ( the quality of the structure developed and the language used )

• “Shape and form of the piece” (e.g. paragraphs, linking of paragraphs, logical order of ideas)
• “Effectiveness and fluency of the language” (e.g. grammar & spelling, jargon-free and appropriate wording, varying length of sentences)

Unfortunately, that’s all the detail you can get out of ACER about how exactly they will assess you!

You will notice, though, that knowledge per se (e.g. regurgitating political/historical facts) is not credited.

How to prepare

Firstly , read around gathering ideas and build an ideas bank . Many people are a fan of the book The Meaning of Things by AC Grayling because each chapter is essentially a little essay in response to a likely Section 2 theme!

In supplement to AC Grayling’s book, read widely and make sure to consider opinions that may not align with your personal beliefs.

Seek to develop an understanding of different viewpoints and reflect on insightful or surprising ideas you come across. This is far more useful than memorising facts to regurgitate.

Free sources of Section 2 ideas include TED Talks , The Guardian: Opinion and The Conversation .

Secondly , decide on the structure you’re going to use (including if you’re going to use one at all!) and the phrases and language you’ll use as part of that structure. I provide example essay structures later in this blog post…

Thirdly , PRACTICE. You cannot get better at writing if you do not write! I recommend at least 20 practice essays , at least 16 of those timed (5-10 mins planning, 20-25 mins writing). Do not under appreciate the value of using 5-10 mins to plan your essays. This will help ensure quality over quantity.

Tips for practicing

• Naturally you’ll want feedback on your essays but, as I mentioned earlier, ACER (who administer the test) aren’t very open about their marking criteria. However, you can get your essays marked by ACER’s official marking system if you have some spare cash. Link: https://gamsat.acer.org/prepare/preparation-materials
• You could also form an essay exchange group with some study buddies. How does this work? You take turns setting the quotes each week using a quote generator. Every week you all write an essay in response and have your best go at marking each other’s work. I did this and it was a great help for me (plus I was able to steal some excellent ideas from other people!)
• On my FREE GAMSAT Resources Master List page I link to free quote generators and practice essays that you may find helpful.

My approach to Task A

This is your chance to show you can generate interesting, original (i.e. unexpected) ideas and arguments on the fly. This is the step-by-step approach I used to score 67 in section 2.

1. Ascertain the theme

Read all 4 comments/quotes. Look for keywords, sentiments and topics that are in common between them, as well as contrasts and paradoxes. It may not always be obvious, but a common general theme is always in there e.g. democracy, technology.

2. Create an essay title / question to answer

Once you have determined the theme (see above), you can choose to either respond to one comment/quote, or create your own essay title or question to answer based on that theme. Pick a title or question that you could imagine two people disagreeing over.

3. Pick a side

Now you have a self-made essay question to answer, or a title to respond to, decide which side of the argument you sit on. It doesn’t matter if it genuinely aligns with your actual views. No one is going to check!

4. Brainstorm

Come up with 3-4 supporting ideas for the side you have picked PLUS supporting evidence (e.g. recent news piece, historical fact, research finding or a quote from a notable person) for the assertions you will use. You may only find time to include 2-3 main ideas, but that’s fine. Lastly, come up with at least 1 idea that supports the opposing side of the argument to show you can foresee and understand different opinions.

5. Plan around a structure

The structure I used is below. Feel free to use it or a variation of it.

Style tips:

• Your idea bank should have breadth. But your essays should have depth!
• Link your paragraphs together.
• Vary the length of your sentences. Use both short and long ones.
• Use active words instead of having a passive voice e.g. “Teachers believe that…” vs “It is thought that teachers believe…”
• Aim for 300-500 words maximum. Depending on your handwriting, this could be the equivalent of 2-3 sides of A4 paper.
• It’s a myth that you need to memorise quotes and regurgitate them.
• It’s a myth that you can’t use “I”. Feel free to if it suits your writing style.
• Aim to be clear and persuasive. Stick to clear, plain language that gets your point across. There are no bonus points for sounding pompous!

Phrases you may find handy:

• Starting argumentative paragraphs: firstly, one reason for this, first of all, secondly, thirdly, finally, another reason is
• Contrasting: however, in contrast, despite, nonetheless, nevertheless, yet, on the one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, in spite of this
• Emphasis: clearly, indeed, in fact, most importantly
• Providing examples: moreover, similarly, furthermore, in addition, besides, also
• Concluding: consequently, in conclusion

7. Proof-read & edit

Leave a few mins at the end of each essay to read through them. Check writing is legible, there are no missing or duplicate words and that it all generally makes sense.

My approach to Task B

Task B is your chance to show you understand emotions and can learn from and reflect on experiences. This is the step-by-step approach I used to score 67 in section 2.

1. Ascertain the theme:

Read all 4 quotes. Look for keywords, sentiments and topics that are in common between them, as well as contrasts and paradoxes. It may not always be obvious, but a common theme is always in there e.g. love, ageing

2. Create an essay title / question to answer:

Once you have determined the theme (see above), you can choose to either respond to one comment/quote, or fashion an essay title or question to answer based on that theme.

3. Think of a relevant personal experience you learnt from:

This does not have to be a genuine experience of yours. You could adopt the experience of a friend, family member or even a character of a TV show or movie!

4. What did you learn from this experience? How could this relate to society as a whole?

Include a paragraph before your conclusion explaining an implication for society.

5. Plan around a structure.

Because this a reflective, more personal essay than Task A, definitely feel free to use “I” and delve into what you have felt and learnt. Analytical, argumentative writing is not as suitable for this task.

Otherwise, similar to Task A…

7. Proof-read and edit

• DO NOT MEMORISE TEMPLATE ESSAYS AND REGURGITATE THEM IN THE EXAM. You are setting yourself up for a bad score. ACER warn against this in their official advice! Develop the skill and confidence to respond effectively to whatever is thrown at you on test day instead.
• Back up every point you make with evidence.
• Consider an unexpected approach to the theme and individual quotes.
• Aim to come across as an expert (even if you’re not!). You must write with confidence.
• Read your practice essays out loud. This will help you spot awkward grammar and phrasing.
• It’s fine to write as if you are talking to the examiner for both tasks e.g. part-way through the essay you could share that you’ve changed your mind! “It now occurs to me…”
• Feel free to share how much you agree or disagree with certain comments/quotes.
• Don’t take comments/quotes at face value. Consider intended meanings i.e. read between the lines!
• Some people don’t recommend using a structure at all! Instead they suggest writing as if you are arguing a point in an email/text message/forum post. It’s important to find what works best for YOU and YOUR writing style.
• Keep your writing LEGIBLE. You won’t get any marks for writing that can’t be read!
• TheMedicBlog has produced a free essay marking guide. I didn’t use it myself but as it’s free might be worth checking out.
• Gather a wide range of ideas e.g. via The Meaning of Things by AC Grayling and TED Talks.
• When writing the essays, provide depth to a few ideas, rather than lots of ideas that you barely explain.
• Decide on the essay structure you’ll use (if you’ll use one at all).
• Practice either alone or with an essay exchange group of study buddies.
• Mark your own or study buddies’ essays to help improve your ability to critique writing, and in turn improve your awareness to improve your own writing.
• The only way to improve writing is… by writing! So write!!

Further reading:

• Marking sheet to use with your own essays or study buddies .
• Writing an introduction advice by GAMSAT English Tutor.
• Essay writing tips by GAMSAT Edge .
• Example essays on beauty on the Gold Standard GAMSAT forum .

Good luck!  Sign up to my mailing list  to get more tips in your email inbox.

Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error?  Please contact me via the  contact  page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article A Beginner’s Guide to GAMSAT Section 3.

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by Michael Sunderland  

The Task B hook

6  Comments

December 4, 2020 in  Task B

Michael John Sunderland, 1/12/20

When writing, especially vulnerably or emotively, if you choose to do so, you want to take on some responsibility for how what you say lands for other people. Furthermore, you want to be aware of how you position yourself relative to the reader. When I started writing task b narratives I looked retrospectively and frankly into the annals of my history and, much of what I had to say was probably quite grim by other people’s standards. I personally didn’t mind it, I have dealt with my stuff. Nevertheless, my history, as I saw it, was more or less a consecutive series of the worst imaginable traumas punctuated by my willingness to persevere, rise above, and stay true to my values. So that’s what I wrote. I have since learned through my Section 2 preparation, that truth is relative and my history is equally uplifting and beautiful. We’ll circle back to this later.

Let’s stop for a moment. Reading that line about the trauma, check into your body. How do you feel? As I write I am subtly aware of heaviness, a sense of peripherally “dealing with” something, and a lack of vitality and aliveness. At worst I may have triggered people through the mention of trauma. That okay, you can release that now, it’s gone, and you’re feeling uplifted, free and alive again 🙂

What I wrote was momentarily bleak and misanthropic. It could be profound and engaging and it could move and connect with you, but I still would have achieved that relatedness through engaging the faculties within you that drain you or make you suffer (however momentarily). This creates your marker as somebody who was drained by your writing, and your best possible scenario (if done artistically) is leaving them with the same feeling you get at the end of Titanic, Schindler’s List, or the Pianist. You might get a good review, but it’s through the thicket of their exhaustion. As we have discussed, people are highly susceptible to their biases and emotions. If I can create the marker however I like with my writing, I might as well choose to have my work marked by someone relaxed, uplifted, laughing, happy, whose guard is down, and who likes me. It is human nature to overestimate risk when afraid or fearful (e.g “my toilet paper is going to run out” during covid), and underestimate risk when happy or relaxed (“I can go to the beach without sunscreen, I’m never going to get skin cancer”). So being marked by someone whose guard is up is going to make them err on the side of conservativeness in their marking; whereas being marked by someone happy, relaxed, and who likes you is going to make them take more “risks” or be more outlandish in their appraisal of your work. Also consider that they are reading essay after essay of things that probably don’t make sense and were rushed and they’re probably already feeling exhausted. If you are the moment of relief in the stack of drainers they are going to feel very positively (thankful, even) toward you. I’ve dealt elsewhere in my writing with that it’s relatively hard to shift someone’s perception of you very far off their initial impression (which implies them reflecting better on mistakes after an initial good impression), and so your very first line necessarily needs to give the best possible impression. This is what your hook achieves, and is especially important in a task B response (if you choose to writing reflectively or through the use of narrative at the beginning).

So what should it look like?

When Liv (another of our group members, and someone who scored in the top few percent in her own gamsat) handed me her first ever essay for marking during my own preparation, the first line stunned me. Here it is:

“I’ve always chewed loudly – I really can’t help it, I promise. I’ve tried everything to stop it from taking smaller mouthfuls, chewing more slowly and even eating quieter foods. I guess I just have loud teeth or something. That’s not as bad as my brother though, who seems to … “

Now how do you feel? For me, it’s real. It makes me remember moments of my childhood of well-being, and innocence. Despite my history, see how she has created me as somebody entirely different than I was earlier in my post? This will mediate my behaviour in response to her (and as a side note, is a perfect illustration of the fact that our lives and everything in them are reflections of us and our own behaviour, but I digress). Furthermore, through her self-effacing and humorous appraisal of herself I immediately feel unthreatened and intrigued. My guard is down. Now this is key! If you imagine all the circumstances in which the marker’s guard has been down .. maybe moments of playing with children, intimate chats with lovers or best friends, laughing with family or falling in love. And then imagine all the moments that the marker has felt guarded: break ups, job interviews, public transport. By being self-effacing, authentic, real, and humorous – and therefore bringing their guard down – you are unconsciously making the marker feel about you how they felt at the best times in their life versus the worst. This is all unconscious but this will make a person feel like they are marking the people who made them feel that way previously (the children, best friends, lovers etc). It’s not so much that you make them feel the worse by not taking their guard down, because that will be most people’s default state; however by explicitly being bleak and misanthropic you do thrust them back into those negative psycho-emotive states, which isn’t wining you any battles. There are two implications we have discussed so far:

• Avoid being bleak and misanthropic
• By being self-effacing, authentic, real, relatable, transparent about your own flaws and imperfections you are able to bring the marker’s guard down.

I will add a third, now, too:

• Thrust the reader IMMEDIATELY into your world, or the world of your narrative.

So I started writing like this, and it made a PROFOUND difference to my writing. Here are some of the hooks I subsequently wrote for task b with the topics they were a response to in parenthesis :

– I once told my pregnant wife i wish she weren’t pregnant. I’m cringing writing it and knowing you’ll read it. Ugh. (Imagination/Empathy)

– I pooed my pants in year four. I can still remember confronting the reality of the situation in the fluorescent tinged bathroom stall of the school toilets. Horror crawled over my skin like so many beetles, dignity squelched into the trenches under the boots of the sobriety of the weight in my pants. Luckily no-one saw. I thank God, still, for escaping the ridicule and embarrassment of the rest of the kids in my class finding out. Back then laughter was not a spontaneous expression of freedom and humanity, or a coping mechanism. Laughter was a weapon. We either laughed at somebody else; or were laughed at by somebody else. I was desperate for it not to be the latter. So I wiped my hands clean and ran from that bathroom, unable to see the humour until many years later. (Laughter)

– I didn’t always get coldsores; they came home with me from a hostel in Cambodia. A consequence of recklessness, the invincibility that enlivens young people and… more directly: kissing someone with a coldsore. (Humour)

– I met my son on a Sunday (Love)

– “Save our Earth!” the placard read, in bold red letters. It was lofted above matted dreadlocks, sported by my 20 year old self in tattered garments and no shoes. I lived in a tree. I’m not even lying: I half wish I were. I learned many things in those years as a Greenpeace activist, the most bitter of which is that much of the world thought they knew me before I opened my mouth. (Clothing)

Try dealing frankly with the qualities of yourself that aren’t perfect and refined. This not only paints you in a positive light to the marker, but shows maturity and self awareness. Crucially, it also gives latitude for self-reflection and further displays of maturity and growth as you subsequently reflect on the narrative in light of the theme.

Do they all have to be upbeat and funny?

No. You might not be a naturally funny person. I’m not. Frankly, I never quite achieve that same light hearted style that Liv has. But in trying to, I learned to write frankly about my own imperfections and it had the desired effect nonetheless. Indeed, it can sometimes be inappropriate to respond to the task with humour or lightheartedness. A perfect example is in response the topic of death. Every time I read the hook from Helena’s repsonse I get goosebumps.

Have a read:

“It’s nearly midnight and my grandmother is dying. The ventilator obscures the bottom half of her face and is the source of her rapid, labored breaths, which aggressively heave her small, crumpled body in the ICU bed. Her fine blonde hair, a featured I have inherited, is greasy and undone….”

Just that first line. “It’s nearly midnight and my grandmother is dying.” Aside from being a gut punch, within 8 words I am right there next to her in the room. Powerful! Where, with the benefit of the rest of the response, it can be improved is in balancing the emotive thrust into the sobriety of time of great adversity for her; with elements that take care of the reader gently and considerately, so that they’re never made to feel heavy (for long). Darkness or intensity can be contrasted with light and humour to play with the marker (putting them on a rollercoaster) but if you choose to do this you must be sure to end on a positive and optimistic note.

• Be sure to end on a positive and optimistic note if you’ve been anything but upbeat in the rest of the essay.

Application

Now that we’ve learned the four rules above, let’s apply it to one more hook. I won’t give my thoughts on it yet, have a read, and see if you can identify any good or bad qualities in each sentence or the hook as a whole (disclaimer: I stole this from Des O’Neal.. i think?? I’m guessing because of the font, idk. Pretty sure this guide is out of print, but thanks D!)

“I would always hope that I could make it to the safety and comfort of the gym before the first tears fell. I knew only too well that crying would only be interpreted by the bullies as cause to inflict even more misery upon by already sorrowed and oppressive existence. It was 1992, I was 10 years old, and it was the worst and best year of my life.”

What do you think? The most valuable 30 seconds of this reading will be working through it yourself rather than skipping to the answer. Active learning is far more beneficial and long lasting that passive learning. In fact, in the spirit of that I will wait a couple of days, let you guys answer in the comments, and I’ll post my thoughts in the comments in a few days..

About the author 

Michael Sunderland

My name's Michael, I achieved 91 in Section II, and 82 overall, in the September '20 sitting. I'm here to show you how I did it. Let's get to work :)

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Hi Michael, I’d like to sincerely praise you for your work, however, it must wait until after my problem.

I can’t see the pieces of Liv and Helena’s essays you reference. It appears that the text or image has dropped out. If this is a technical issue on my end, I will troubleshoot. Otherwise, a friendly heads up.

As noted initially, the praise. I have only just stumbled across you and what a pleasure it has been! Thank you for your commitment to sharing your knowledge with people like me. Your willingness to guide others and formulating ways to do this on such a large scale is commendable.

Sincerely, thank you.

Thanks for the love, glad you’re enjoying the content and finding it useful.

Re: Liv and Helena, this post was originally made in my 90+ Facebook group ( https://m.facebook.com/groups/419297965763290/ ). That upload had a screenshot which you are correct appears to be missing from this one.

Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I will try and have it fixed by the end of the day.

Should be fixed now

Dear Michael, You are truly inspirational. Thank you sincerely for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with us. I’m just beginning the preparation for section II and am realising I might not actually have enough time for March21 sitting! In any case, thank you once again and I will have a look at the resources you recommended.

Many thanks once again 😍

I’m very glad to hear you’ve found it useful.

Re: time in the build up to March, you don’t need to get your head around everything I discuss in all my blogs and resources to do very well. Just be on the hunt for the very next thing that requires correction and do that. And then the next thing, and then the next. 🙂

Let me know if there’s anything I can do to further help.

I liked how the last example dived right in from the first sentence, using a vulnerable and significant memory. However, the general mood was a bit bleak and it sort of rubbed off the wrong way. The writer may have turned it around in the subsequent paragraphs, but a touch of humour or light-heartedness sprinkled throughout the first few sentences would have been quite nice and set the essay off to a good start, like your poop example above: explicit, yet enjoyable! Getting bullied is something that a lot of us can probably relate to, so finding light in the situation would have been more relatable. Especially because the author said it was partly the best year of their life. Thoughts?

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The Ultimate Guide to GAMSAT Section 2

Please note that GAMSAT ‘Section II: Written Communication’ has been renamed to ‘Written Communication Section’. To ensure this article is easy to follow, we’ll refer to this section as ‘Section 2’ throughout. Read about the latest changes to the GAMSAT .

In our GAMSAT Section 2 guide, we’ll walk you through what to expect in Section 2 and how best to prepare for it. We’ll also go through a free example Section 2 task with expert guidance on how to structure this essay.

Just starting GAMSAT revision? We recommend building your GAMSAT knowledge by going through GAMSAT preparation material, such as:

• GAMSAT FAQ – view 30+ GAMSAT questions, including which dental/medical schools require the GAMSAT
• GAMSAT preparation tips – find out how to get the most from your revision
• GAMSAT preparation mistakes – explore common pitfalls to avoid while preparing
• GAMSAT timing – learn how to overcome GAMSAT time pressure

Once you’ve finished going through this article, we recommend reading the ultimate guide to GAMSAT Section 3 , to give you a comprehensive overview of the entire GAMSAT exam. If you missed the first article in this series, make sure you check out our ultimate guide to GAMSAT Section 1 too.

Table of contents

Gamsat section 2 structure, what does gamsat section 2 test, how should i approach preparation for gamsat section 2, free example task for gamsat section 2.

GAMSAT section

Number of GAMSAT questions

Section time

Time per question

Written Communication

Approximately 30 minutes

For GAMSAT 2024 testing, Section 2 will now be delivered via remote proctoring and will take place approximately two weeks before Section 1 and 3 (these sections will take place at a test centre as normal). Remote proctoring is a form of online remote test delivery which includes being supervised by a remote proctor via screen sharing and webcam monitoring. Learn more about how remote proctoring will work including top tips for ensuring it goes smoothly.

The purpose of GAMSAT Section 2 is to test your ability to effectively and logically express your thoughts. Essays marked will be judged on quality of thinking and how well you articulate this thinking through written language. In order to do this, you must identify the common theme running through the presented comments, and plan and structure your essay before you begin writing.

This section is split into two writing tasks: Task A and Task B. In each GAMSAT Section 2 task, you will read four or five comments on a common theme and must write an essay that responds to one or more of them.

• Task A tends to focus on socio-cultural issues, such as law, religion and economic narratives. It’s best suited to an argumentative essay style. 
• Task B tends to focus more on personal and social issues, such as emotions, feelings and the lived experience. Therefore, a creative or reflective essay could be the best option if you feel comfortable writing in this style.

For those with a pure science background, Section 2 can be the most daunting part of the GAMSAT exam. Not only this, the digital exam format means you’ll need to type out your responses (with no automatic spelling and grammar checks). If this is something you struggle with, we advise improving your typing speed and accuracy before sitting the GAMSAT.

For GAMSAT Section 2 preparation, we recommend that you break down the steps and timing for each task as follows:

• Assess the task (2 minutes)
• Brainstorm your response (4 minutes)
• Outline your essay (4 minutes)
• Write your essay (17–18 minutes)
• Review your essay (2–3 minutes)

As you can see, you should spend just over a third of the time limit planning and reviewing your essay, and allocate the rest to writing time.

According to the ACER GAMSAT Information Booklet , you’ll be assessed on ‘the quality of the thinking about a topic’ and ‘the way in which ideas are integrated into a thoughtful response to the task’. This means you should concentrate more on the depth and organisation of ideas, rather than breadth. A sensible guideline to follow for a non-creative essay is an introduction, a few body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

To perform well in this section, it’s critical that you demonstrate that you have correctly understood the theme, thought through different angles on the issue or topic, and taken a clear stance in relation to it. This can be achieved through analysing the task and brainstorming carefully.

In GAMSAT Section 2 essays, it’s a good idea to write about a few concepts that you understand, and communicate these in a logical and coherent way, rather than to present too many ideas in an unstructured manner. Also, some students can focus too heavily on individual quotes and end up missing the overall theme, or fixate too much on the theme and neglect the variety of opinions on a topic. Success in GAMSAT Section 2 requires a careful balance between the two.

Task A example essay question

Consider the following comments and develop a piece of writing in response to one or more of them.

Your writing will be judged on the quality of your response to the theme, how well you organise and present your point of view, and how effectively you express yourself.

Comment 1 The internet is an elite organisation. Most of the population of the world has never even made a phone call. Noam Chomsky

Comment 2 The internet is forever demanding that the real world be redefined to suit its whims. Terry Pratchett

Comment 3 The Web is a tremendous grassroots revolution. Tim Berners-Lee

Comment 4 The internet’s primary function is to allow people to hear what they want to hear.

Task A example essay guidance

Here’s a step-by-step process of how to approach this task:

Step 1: Assess the task (2 minutes)

1. First, assess the task by reading through all the comments and identifying the overarching theme. In this initial stage, your focus should be on determining which comments you can thoughtfully explore in relation to the theme. This will guide the subsequent decisions you make when planning and writing your essay. As we know that Task A will generally be on a socio-cultural theme, this can help with the first step of identifying the theme in the task. 

Step 2: Brainstorm your response (4 minutes)

2. After identifying the core theme and comments you wish to use, you should think about some pros and cons, as well as your own opinion. In this brainstorming phase, you should reflect on both sides of the topic and note down a few succinct examples for each side. Try to pursue ideas that you find interesting or exciting, as this sense of authenticity can develop your ideas and improve your writing. 

You can use any method to capture your thoughts in response to the task, such as a spider diagram or a table with arguments ‘for’ and ‘against’ the statement. By the end of this step, you should have comprehensive notes on many relevant ideas and examples, ready for organising.

Step 3: Outline your essay (4 minutes)

3. Now it’s time to decide how you would like to present all of this thinking to the reader. You should carefully select ideas that will strengthen your essay, and disregard anything that doesn’t contribute to the overall argument. Make sure you decide on your conclusion before organising your chosen ideas into a logical and coherent structure as follows:

• Introduction: Identify the theme and define the key concepts (use relevant brainstorming notes).
• Two body paragraphs: Explore one side of the issue in the first paragraph and explore the other side of the issue in the second paragraph. Provide examples in both paragraphs and arrange all your notes on comments, pros and cons, and examples.
• Conclusion: This is where you should state your own opinion. A strong conclusion accounts for everything that has gone before it (both pros and cons), and makes a logical deduction from that.

Step 4: Write your essay (17–18 minutes)

4. After assessing and planning your essay, it’s time to start writing! 

• Introduction: The purpose of the introductory paragraph is to provide a clear indication of what’s to come. Identify the core theme, briefly define any key concepts within this theme, and then finish by indicating the other side of the theme.
• First body paragraph: Present the first side of the argument as clearly and convincingly as you can, and include one or two points with supporting examples which connect to one of the comments.
• Second body paragraph: Present the other side of the argument as clearly and convincingly as you can, and include one or two points with supporting examples which connect to one of the comments. The key difference between this and the first body paragraph is that you’ll need to show an awareness of the previous paragraph, such as through terminology like ‘however’. 
• Conclusion: In the final paragraph, you should assert your own opinion – this means you need to pick a side. You could start by directly stating your opinion, and then give reasons as to why you come down on that side. Alternatively, you could briefly summarise both sides, then move swiftly to your opinion. Whatever approach you take, try to end on a strong note to show that you’re in control of the logic presented in the essay.

Note that you can easily adapt this structure to write an essay with a different number of paragraphs. For example, if you want to write one paragraph for all three comments in a task, you would simply plan for three body paragraphs instead of two.

Step 5: Review your essay (2–3 minutes)

5. If you’ve successfully carried out the first four steps, then this step shouldn’t take too long. You can use this time to proofread your essay, which includes checking the grammar, spelling and punctuation. If you have time, you could even add a sentence or two throughout to strengthen the essay if needed. However, by this point, your essay should be close to perfect. This time would be best spent reviewing your work rather than making any major changes.

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Free GAMSAT Quote Generator - Section 2 Essays

One of the key steps in preparing for Section 2 of the GAMSAT ® exam is getting into the habit of writing GAMSAT ® essays regularly - The earlier, the better. To help you do this, we’ve put together a free and comprehensive GAMSAT ® Quote Generator with over 90 Section 2 Essay Prompts, covering 40+ themes to help you generate Quotes for GAMSAT Section 2 Essays.

Take advantage of our GAMSAT ® Quote Generator to get you started on your GAMSAT Essay Writing Preparation - Click the generate button to display a new random essay prompt!

Theme: Punishment

• When a man is penalized for honesty he learns to lie. Criss Jami, Salomé: In Every Inch In Every Mile
• The man who has a conscience suffers whilst acknowledging his sin. That is his punishment. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
• To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves. Federico García Lorca, Blood Wedding and Yerma
• Criminals do not die by the hands of the law. They die by the hands of other men. George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
• The liar's punishment is, not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else. George Bernard Shaw, The Quintessence of Ibsenism

How to make best use of GAMSAT Quote Generator

The best way to use the GAMSAT ® Random Quote Generator is to emulate the real exam as best you can. This means limiting the materials you have available to you, putting on a timer and trying your best to treat the essay like the real thing. This will help you build up important examination skills, whilst also improving the writing itself.

You don’t have to do this from the start - but rather build up to this kind of situation gradually. This will allow you to focus on getting the quality of writing first, and then achieving this same quality under pressure.

The other essential ingredient in practicing for this section of the GAMSAT ® exam is to have your essays read and critiqued by people other than yourself. Although sometimes daunting, getting feedback on your writing is one of the most effective ways to improve. The more people you share your work with, the more likely you are to receive valuable and memorable feedback for developing your ideas and limiting your mistakes. It is worth consulting the GradReady GAMSAT ® essay marking service, where you can get 10 essays marked by our expert tutors with personal feedback within 72 hours.

How do GAMSAT Essay Quotes work?

In each of the two tasks in GAMSAT ® Section 2, you will be presented with five quotes that relate to one or more themes. Your task is to identify one of these themes and write a piece in response. Thus, it is important to remember that the quotes are there as a prompt or a guide, rather than a traditional essay question. It is not necessary to respond directly to any or all of the quotes, but rather to respond to the themes and ideas contained in the quotes.

Understanding the Theme

• Read the first two quotes
• Compare both quotes - Are there any related words or ideas?
• Note down any common words/themes
• Read the third quote - Are there any common ideas you can add to your list?
• Repeat with the rest of the quotes

After this process you should have a “word cloud” that points to the key overarching theme - However, it’s important to note that the stimuli are often designed such that there are a number of sub-themes that may be relevant. The point here is not to limit the scope of your writing but to expand it and bring in other relevant ideas - In fact it’s fine to draw on either the overarching theme or a sub-theme, so long as you demonstrate that you have actively engaged with the stimuli.

Let’s look at a worked example below:

• I don’t know half of you half as well as I shouldn’t like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. (J.R.R. Tolkien)
• After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations. (Oscar Wilde)
• Water cannot be cut and blood is thicker than water. (Malaysian Proverb)
• It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being. (John Joseph Powell)
• Isn’t everyone a part of everyone else? (Budd Schulberg)

What are some themes you can identify? Let’s break it down quote by quote:

As you can see there are multiple themes that you could draw from the above stimuli - It’s important to note that you don’t need to write about a theme that is presented in all of the quotes provided, you can choose a theme that may only appear once or twice in the stimuli.

Now it’s time to implement all the above steps in practice! We’ve prepared a GAMSAT ® essay writing PDF checklist you can download below. It contains a step-by-step checklist to help you identify the themes and write a high-scoring GAMSAT ® essay.

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GAMSAT Essay Writing Tips

You need to get feedback on your essays. It is vital that you get your friends, family, tutors and anyone else to read these essays, and be modest and inviting of critique. It is of utmost importance to be criticised and then learn from your mistakes. GradReady has a GAMSAT ® essay marking service, where you can get 10 essays marked by our expert tutors with personal feedback within 72 hours.

You need to possess a great deal of self-critique. After every essay you write, you must read it out loud to yourself, and listen if it makes sense. You can find some free example Marked GAMSAT ® Essays here.

Don’t feel the need to write under time pressure from the word go. It’s more important that you develop and improve your essay writing skills before gradually applying realistic time pressure.

You need to vary the type of essays that you write! You should make sure you try argumentative, personal reflective essays, fictional creative essays, poetry, and any other medium that can work in the GAMSAT ® exam. Even though it’s recommended you write an argumentative essay, you are able to write in almost any style in the ‘reflective’ essay segment – this is meant to be a creative endeavour and demonstrate that you can identify, and express emotions of the characters involved.

Make sure to also sign up to our GAMSAT ® Free Trial to watch a recording of our GAMSAT ® Essay Writing Workshop! Check out the 10 minute excerpt below:

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An overview of what to expect in Section 2 of the GAMSAT® Exam, how to prepare and how to perfect your essay technique.

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Download our Essay Writing Guide and read through our free Example Essays featuring low, medium and high quality responses with feedback from tutors.

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Section II Essay Structure

You don’t need to memorise a dictionary to score well in the GAMSAT Section II, it’s your expression of ideas that mostly dictate how well your essays are scored.

In general, I like to point students to consider blending  philosophy  into our essay writing, since doing so will introduce students to a vast array of ideas that often overlap with GAMSAT topics. We have plenty of resources to get you started . The only thing left to do is to incorporate our ideas into a fully-fledged essay. Not unlike an artisan cheesecake, there are certain steps that we must follow to arrive at the ideal outcome. Below is the  secret recipe  for how to structure your writing and score well.

*Don’t worry, I will explain this shortly. See Body Paragraph 1.

INTRODUCTIONS

The introduction should serve as a simple outlay for the ideas you will be discussing in your essay. To start you off, I suggest following a simple, 3 sentence format.

• Present your opening  Social Problem  and how it relates to the topic.
• How does this  Social Problem  impact the individual. Is it an urgent matter?
• Allude to your philosophical solution of choice; how can it solve the problem?

As your writing skills develop, you may find yourself adding more content to your introduction. However, always be sure you refer back to these core fundamentals within each essay. Below is a sample introduction written for a topic on “technology”  (May 2020 GAMSAT prompt ).

“ (1)  The unimpeded progression of digital transformation has revolutionalised the process in which we interconnect with family and friends, yet, the transparent nature inherent within this form of communication has encouraged uniformity in the way we express ourselves.  (2)  In many ways, technology has subdued our individual identities, to live in such a state that is bereft of true expression, is a heinous sin to ourselves and a disservice to our precious earthly time.  (3)  In alleviating this irrational phenomenon, introspection into our virtues can provide clarity in finding meaningful purpose within ourselves.”

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

I’ve been making constant reference to a  Social Problem , what exactly does it mean? A  Social Problem  is a problem that allows us to link the theme of the prompt, to a current-day issue. This helps give substance to our discussions, we’re also able to discuss content that we’ve prepared for. For  Social Problems  it is important to prepare issues that are generally applicable to a wide array of prompts.

What are some  Social Problems?

• Extravagance.  Materialistic goods and lavish spending habits are almost synonymous with a successful businessperson. Our addiction to this lifestyle creates severe interpersonal problems, especially when we begin to use money as a measure of self-worth.
• External validation.  Perhaps due to an increase in the capabilities of technology, the ease of communication between many individuals has potentiated the value of external opinion. Our society and in the individuals within are constantly plagued by anxiety and worry of meaningless comments and ‘likes’.
• Selfishness.

Critically, these discussion points can be applied to a wide array of GAMSAT prompts. Below is an example of how a prompt on “love” can be linked to the broad  Social Problem  of “extravagance”.

Our society promotes an insatiable love for consumerism and materialistic goods. This deeply ingrained habit has perpetuated countless disruptions to an authentic social order. As a collective, we often define ourselves and acquaintances by the number of extravagant gifts and exotic clothes we own; our perception of self-worth can be simply quantified with a dollar symbol. Moreover, our society sets this example for all individuals to follow, a life in pursuit of glamour and glitz, free from the ‘distractions’ of meaningful relationships and passions. Those who follow this path are condemned to an insincere lifestyle that would ultimately yield unrewarding results. Love is an essential element to a fulfilling and sustainable life, a crucial component that is underappreciated within our era.

BODY PARAGRAPH 2

Here, the main goal is to make your examiner  care  about what you have to write. I mean, it’s all  great  to say that we live in a consumerist, sexist, racist, selfish, and overall problematic society, but why does any of that  matter ? Why should you (or your examiner)  care  about any of this?

To solve this riddle, I usually have one key suggestion.

• Authenticity.  We should care, simple because we only have one life to live.  We need to make the most of the time that we are given, to maximise the meaning and true gratification within our lives.

Here is how you can incorporate this simple idea into a GAMSAT prompt on “success”.

“The transient nature of our existence, necessarily hastens the need for us to redefine success. With each waking moment diminishing, how wasteful must it be, to spend our times fulfilling society’s norms of successful life. The subjective opinions of others, will often corrode our own resolve, leading us to choose regretful actions in the pursuit of success and prestige. We don’t want to live out own later years with regret, reminiscing of missed opportunities that could have brought us meaning within our lives. We must realise in earnest, that to find forms of long-lasting gratification, would be the only true success worth pursuing.”

BODY PARAGRAPH 3

This is the fun part, pick and choose some  philosophical ideas  to provide a solution to all the problems you were previously discussing. I give some advice on curating philosophical evidence  here.

Here is an example of how Confucian philosophy can be applied to a prompt on “space travel”.

“Whilst space exploration seeks clues outward toward the infinite oblivion, to find true meaning within our lives we must turn inward toward our personal chasms. Classical Chinese philosopher – Confucius once mused, “The virtues of courage and sincerity are bedrock to a wholesome lifestyle.” Just like how the first astronauts courageously boarded the spaceships, we must also show courage and faith in pursuing our dreams. These Chinese virtues denounce a life in pursuit of materialistic goods, opting instead for time spent in pursuing the subjective ideals of each individual. By acting with these virtues in mind, we take the first steps in fabricating an exploration of our most sincere desires, whatever they may be. In doing so, we act as role models for those around us, promoting meaningful lifestyles that are worth exploring.”

CONCLUSIONS

Keep it simple, you’ve done all the hard work already. Follow a similar 3 sentence structure to your introduction, aim to summarise your ideas in a captivating way.

Below is a sample conclusion for a topic on “government control”.

“Whilst the Government aims to promote the interests of most, it’s actions paradoxically detract from the freedom to make our own choices. When such circumstances could adversely effect the fulfillment we find within life, we ought to reject the oppressive ideologies of massed Government thinking. To do so, the teachings of virtue ethics elects us to find the courage to lead our own path, one that is tailored to our own wishes. Whilst breaking into an authentic and individual lifestyle may prove daunting, we are eternally rewarded with knowledge that our efforts are condensed on a noble cause, ourselves.”

FINAL WORDS

Follow this structure and you’ll be well on your way to scoring 70+. All these components are complete in our high scoring  sample essays .

If you’re after a more detailed explanation, including expertly  collated  philosophical ideas,  quote banks  and even  more  sample essays, check out our   essay guides . The September 2020 edition has a completely  new  refresh of  philosophers  so you can rest assured you’ll be writing on something unique.

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Sample Essays: Task A & Task B

Section 2 GAMSAT Essays: Frequently Asked Questions

Every GAMSAT sitter  will have a different approach to preparing adequately for GAMSAT Section 2 . A common misconception that we come across is that a high GAMSAT score can only be achieved through unique and authentic ideas. While having a novel perspective on a particular subject is helpful, it is logistically difficult. More than 5000 students across the nation sit the GAMSAT . All of these students are given the same instructions, the same Section 2 quotes and the same fixed time limit to write two GAMSAT essays . Thus, it is extremely likely that there will be a degree of overlapping ideas and essay content, regardless of depth or how abstract your thoughts are.

Don’t strive to be unique, strive to have a well-thought-out, fluent essay that responds to both the theme and the comment.   

In March 2023, we found that students who reported failing to write a response to the S2 quote (‘s) suffered massively in their Section 2 GAMSAT scores compared to other students that were similarly positioned based on our internal rankings. Sometimes in striving for uniqueness, students ended up writing on topics that were far-fetched or incorrect. It is better to stand out with respect to the point of your ideas, examples, language and structure, but not the theme you write on, as your GAMSAT scores will suffer tremendously. 

What is the difference between GAMSAT Section 2 Task A and Task B?

ACER has clarified that both Task A and Task B in GAMSAT Section 2 are centered around prominent themes. Delving into Fraser’s GAMSAT insights, Task A predominantly focuses on socio-cultural matters, often exploring the realm of 'inter-personal' relationships. This encompasses areas such as legal systems, religious beliefs, economic structures, and prevailing societal narratives.

On the other hand, Task B leans towards the 'intra-personal' domain, highlighting individual experiences and emotions, cognitive processes, and personal journeys.

Can I just memorise an essay and rewrite it to different themes?

The short answer is no. An experienced marker who has graded countless essays will very quickly detect a pre-formed ‘template’. Similarly, memorised essays that do not address the question theme are very likely to be scored poorly. Don’t make these common mistakes in your Section 2 GAMSAT preparation .

How can the examiners so easily discern memorised essays?

Well, it will be clear that the focus is on adapting poorly thought out templates.

Rather than addressing the dominant themes and related themes based on the given prompts, pre-written essays deploy concrete insinuations that are very much out of harmony with the pertinent themes that are being assessed. That is, the focus will always be on the template, and thematic relevance will be an afterthought. It simply stands out. Memorising the essay is more likely to result in failure as they are inherently flawed approaches—if not fraudulent. Let your honesty, integrity and humility shine through by being organic, responsive, quick witted and insightful.

If my essay has more ideas, will I get a better score?

Most students will become trapped by the thought that the more ideas the essay incorporate, the higher your GAMSAT score will be. This is entirely unfounded. In fact, candidates will score higher in Section 2 by favouring quality over quantity . This means that writing a three-page essay examining five individual evidence points at a very baseline level with little-to-no extrapolation of deeper meanings will score less compared to an essay that uses one or two pieces of supporting evidence.

Moreover, the supporting evidence should vary between a theory and actual examples to substantiate your claims, flowing into a deeper exploration of meanings and implications behind the evidence. Keep in mind that you have roughly an hour to come up with two pieces of writing - the examiners don’t expect you to rattle off countless ideas. Rather, successful students focus on the few, not the many. Have a clear message that you want to convey in your writing. Don’t convolute your essays with obscure and weakly formed ideas. 

Does Task A have to be more argumentative, and Task B more reflective?

All too often, students hear that Task A should be approached in an argumentative manner and that Task B should be written as a reflective piece. This is pure hearsay. You should be authentic in your approach no matter which writing style you choose to use – whether you elect to write a narrative, monologue, poetry, commentary, exposition, feature article or an amalgamation of multiple writing styles. If it has fluency, structure and responds to the task, you’re good to go.

With what little ACER reveals, in consideration of this, candidates are assessed on:

• The quality of thought and content in your essay
• The shape and form of your essay
• The effectiveness and fluency of the English language

One of the biggest challenges you face in Section 2 GAMSAT writing is the writer's block. While you may not address the elephant in your GAMSAT prep, it can be a huge obstacle if not tackled in its early stages - read our elaborate piece on beating the writer's block !

I didn’t do well in high school English, can I still write a good GAMSAT essay?

How you performed in high school has little to no bearing on your performance in GAMSAT Section 2 . The truth is that most students pursuing a career in medicine do so because they have an aptitude in maths and science as opposed to the humanities. Furthermore, a high school English curriculum has little relevance to the style of writing required to succeed in Section 2 of the GAMSAT . In high school , you typically were asked to write an essay on a piece of literature that had likely been studied extensively in the past.

Consequently, it was much easier to anticipate the kind of essay prompts you were likely to get on the day of the exam. You had the benefit of pre-determining what kinds of quotes and writing template you were going to utilise in order to maximise your mark. In this respect, students who were able to memorise pre-written essays and write a large amount within a specific time period tended to perform well.

This is in stark contrast to the GAMSAT exam structure . You are much less reliant on a predetermined template which you can simply adapt to a given prompt. Rather, you are posed with the challenge of coming up with an organic reflection in response to a particular theme in real-time. Also, why structure is undoubtedly an important component of performing well in Section 2 - you have much more flexibility than you did in high school. This is why we advocate for each student to practice, perfect and implement their own unique writing style.

Sure, some students may prefer to stick to the introduction - 3 body paragraphs - conclusion approach, which is absolutely fine. However, you can also opt for use of creative writing or personal anecdotes if that is more appropriate for the message you want to convey. We have seen students perform remarkably well who come from English as a Second Language background, performed poorly in high school English and never saw themselves as ‘good’ writers. It was through persistent practice and the freedom to express themselves in a way that they felt comfortable that allowed them to achieve a fantastic score in Section 2 . 

How long should a GAMSAT essay be?  

With respect to length, there is no hard and fast rule as to the perfect length of a strong GAMSAT essay . What is most important is to clearly describe your point of view on the particular topic that you will be writing about. With that being said, we know that we have 65 minutes dedicated to Section 2 . We suggest that you use at least 5 minutes for planning purposes, which realistically leaves approximately 60 minutes of actual writing time. Historically, we have encouraged candidates to aim for about 500-600 words per task.

However, now that the GAMSAT is online , some students can comfortably write more in the allocated time period. During your Section 2 GAMSAT preparation , you should be assessing how you require to collect your thoughts and write two coherent essays. As you continue to progress, you will get an estimate of how many words this means for you as an individual. If you can write two high-quality essays that are less than 500 words for each, that is completely fine. Again, there is no magic word count that will ensure success. The deciding factor on the day of the GAMSAT exam will be the quality, rather than the quantity, of your writing. Continue to practice and find your own sweet spot. 

Do I have to address all of the quotes to get a high score in GAMSAT Section 2? 

The quotes tend to cluster around a particular theme, rather than separate prompts to be addressed individually. While you are certainly able to incorporate some, if not all, of the quotes into your writing - doing so is not sufficient to guarantee a high score in GAMSAT Section 2 . As you are reading the quotes, hone in on the pertinent idea or subject that they attempt to address such as war, friendship or conformity. You will often find that the quotes presented to you have varying positions on the overarching theme.

Your point of view may agree with some of the quotes and disagree with others, in which case it would not be wise to incorporate the phrases that are seemingly contrary to your opinion. High scoring essays in Section 2 are often well-formulated pieces that demonstrate a high tier of writing expression and abstract thinking. Quotes from the stem, as well as real-world examples with which you may be familiar, can be used to substantiate your viewpoint, but not as the foundation of your writing. Use our quote generator tool , practice including quotes if and when they are appropriate rather than mindlessly including them in your essays.

Where to from here?

GAMSAT Section 2

How to Beat Writer’s Block in Section 2 GAMSAT

GAMSAT Section 2 Quote Generator 

GAMSAT Section 2 - Example Essays   

Perfecting your Section 2 Introduction

GAMSAT AGE: Am I too Old for GAMSAT?

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Gamsat Review Blog

Everything you need to know about GAMSAT by Dr Peter Griffiths

GAMSAT Essay Examples

Below we have reproduced one of our GAMSAT essay examples sent to us by a student for marking complete with the markers detailed comments.

100 marked essay examples like this are included in the Griffiths  GAMSAT Review Home Study Course together with our complete blueprint to writing high scoring Gamsat essays.

We include both high scoring and low scoring essays so you can see the characteristics of both.

For more help writing your GAMSAT essays and to get 100 marked examples like the above please check out Griffths GAMSAT Review

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Sample Section B Essay

“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character”.

I was protected from other people by a book which I used as a shield to defend myself from them as I sat in the airport departure lounge. The book was “The Selfish Gene”, which highlighted the fact of my separation from others, but not in a way I could take comfort from.  Finishing this, and the flight being delayed, I started another, a novel by F Scott Fitzgerald, and read of the main character that “he maintained his psychological health by completely ignoring the frailties of others”, or words to that effect, which caused me to reflect that I was much the same, and suddenly I was struck with the realisation that my attitudes were limiting and self-destructive, and as I went to stand in the queue at the departure gate I resolved to be more tolerant and understanding. The next hour was a revelation.  I found myself engaged in watching people, but I became aware of my own conditioned reflexes. I realised that I was looking exclusively at women, for a start, and remembering “The Selfish Gene” I realised that this was an automatic habit built into the nervous systems of men.  Nevertheless, the author of that book insists that we have the power to rise above out genetic conditioning, and here I was, I thought, already cutting out half the human race from consideration.  Not a good start.  Nevertheless it was a woman who next caught my attention, a young mother struggling to control a lively three year old while attending to the needs of a baby in arms.  I could relate to this, and so could most of the people in the queue that I stood in, except for the middle-aged man in front of me who fairly bristled with irritation at the noise which was distracting him from reading his newspaper.  I could feel a wave of disapproval for his attitude ripple through the queue, and I marvelled at the man’s complete oblivion to the mood of the people around him.  But then, I reflected, normally I too would be so self-involved that I would not have noticed either.  As time passed I realised that I was tuning in to the life around me in a way that was quite new.  The more I empathised with other people the bigger the space I seemed to inhabit. People disembarking from a plane began to pass by.  Young men wearing suits and carrying laptops hurried past, and instead of feeling irritated at the spectacle of these men who worked in finance in the city (and who made a fairly minimal contribution to society in my opinion), I felt compassion instead, because I could see the stress beneath the energy, the fear of losing position in the rat race, and the lack of resources to deal with worldly failure.  Normally such an attitude would be beyond me.  Then the successful middle-aged men who the young men wanted to emulate came by and suddenly I ran out of empathetic power.  I felt myself relapse back into my usual hostility.  I have been through the same process many times since then – an access of empathetic energy followed by a collapse back into conditioned reflexes, with a minimal gain over a long period of time.  Sivenanda was right.  It takes protracted and patient effort to develop good character. The weight of inertia is tremendous and the struggle to overcome it has to be continuous.  Real growth, I have become convinced, is very slow.  That isn’t a truth that is popular in our culture of instant gratification, but accepting it is probably the beginning of emotional maturity. 

(605 words)

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How To Prepare For GAMSAT – All Three Sections!

Let's see exactly how to prepare for GAMSAT!

From: Matthew Re: How To Prepare For GAMSAT

Okay, so you want to know how to prepare for GAMSAT? Well, firstly the GAMSAT is a prerequisite test run by ACER for the admission into dental and medical schools in Australia, Ireland, and the UK.

There are 3 sections in the GAMSAT.

Section 1 This section is called Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences. Students are given 100 minutes to complete 75 multiple-choice questions.

Section 2 This is the Written Communication section. Students are given essay Task A and B to complete in 60 minutes total.

Section 3 This is called the Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences section. Students are given 170 minutes to complete 110 multiple-choice questions.

Before we start I would like to announce that you can get your free GAMSAT questions by clicking the link below:

Free GAMSAT Practice Test

Get Your Free Section 3 Test Now – Click Here!

Now we will get into the valuable content!

How to prepare for GAMSAT Section 1?

For this section students should be familiar with the following types of texts as these are likely to come up in the exam – essays, poems, cartoons, dramas, editorials, graphs, figures, short stories, essays, letters, journals, and biographies. All of these types of stimulus material can be categorised into the following 4 categories:

1. Prose (in all diverse types)

2. Poetry (including Drama)

3. Social and/or Behavioural Sciences

4. Editorial Cartoon and/or Graphic Representations

An in-depth analysis of these different categories are covered in detail in  The Humanities Bible.

The Humanities Bible provides over 75 questions and solutions for all of the categories.

Regular reading and practice are the most effective ways to prepare for this section. An e-book reader is a worthy investment. E-books can easily be downloaded through the Amazon store and unfamiliar words can easily be learnt via the inbuilt dictionary. This is a great way to improve your vocabulary through reading.

Suggested Readings

Some great readings that will help prepare you for the type of texts you will receive in Section I include:

• The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Defying Hitler – Sebastian Haffner
• English Passengers – Matthew Kneale
• Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
• The Penguin Book of Twentieth Century Essays – Ian Hamilton
• A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
• The Story of My Life – Helen Keller

Students should aim to improve their by utilising the tools on www.vocabulary.com. Students should practice questions from the MCAT word list.

Section-I-like questions can also be found on readtheory.org.

Our team has released a Full Length GAMSAT Practice Test , which is identical to the actual GAMSAT exam. Students should complete all of the Section I practice questions in this test. Students should then check all answers and go back and see where they went wrong. This is the most effective and fastest way to improve your score in Section I.

The 4 ACER booklets are also a must-have resource to practise your Section I comprehension skills.

How to prepare for GAMSAT Section 2?

• In the exam, students are to complete two essays – both Task A and Task B.
• Essays should be at least 350 – 400 words.
• Five quotes are provided for each essay task and all of the quotes surround a common theme.
• Task A deals with socio-cultural issues and Task B deals with social and personal issues.
• A title is recommended for each essay. Be creative! The markers are looking for the best ideas. Ideas are more important than spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• The best ideas get the best marks, so planning your essay in the first 5 minutes is the key to success. When planning your essay, read the series of 5 quotes carefully and determine the overall theme. The theme is quite obvious. Some examples of themes include: freedom, crime, poverty, wealth, punishment, science, technology, love, friendship, humour, suffering, youth, beauty, ageing, conformity, originality.

How to prepare for GAMSAT S2 – Task A

Task A is an argumentative essay. Each paragraph should be planned out.

Paragraph 1: Introduction – explanation and interpretation of a chosen quote or standpoint you have concerning the overall theme.

Students should aim for three body paragraphs. They should be Thesis, Thesis, Antithesis (or Thesis, Antithesis, Antithesis).

A concluding paragraph should then sum up and reconcile between the Thesis’ and Antithesis. Common themes that students could expect in the GAMSAT Task A include:

How to prepare for GAMSAT S2 – Task B

Task B is a personal essay. It should be written with feeling. Students need to be able to explain and visualise how other people may be feeling in different life situations.

The quotes that students receive have a personal theme, which allows students to relate the themes to their own experiences in life.

Paragraph 1: Acquaint the reader with the topic/theme and state your specific point of view.

There should be 3 body paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a different idea that supports your specific point of view.

A concluding paragraph should summarise the main points, then support the main view and end with a great impact on the reader.

Common topics that students can expect in the GAMSAT Task B:

• Originality

How to prepare for GAMSAT Section 3?

This section of the GAMSAT includes physics at year 12 level and biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry all at university level. The exam consists of 20% organic chemistry, 20% physics, 20% general chemistry, and 40% biology.

Candidates are required to use their knowledge and the understanding of concepts in order to answer questions. This section involves the analysis of tables, charts, scientific information, and graphs.

It is important that students practise questions under timed conditions. The ACER booklets are a great start for practice questions.

The AceGAMSAT team have released a ‘Full-Length GAMSAT Practice Test’ which contains 110 questions that are just like the real exam, so this is definitely a valuable resource.

If you want to know how to study for GAMSAT, then the following Section 3 topic list below is extremely valuable.

These refined topic points are covered in great detail in the respective AceGAMSAT study guides.

• The Biology Bible
• The Organic Chemistry Bible
• The General Chemistry Bible
• The Physics Bible

GAMSAT Biology Syllabus

Macromolecules Carbohydrates Nucleic acids Proteins Lipids

The Cell Cell theory Cell size Visualisation of cells Cell structure Prokaryotes Eukaryotes Endomembrane system Mitochondria and chloroplasts Cytoskeleton Cell movement Fungi Virus

The Cell Membrane Structure Phospholipids Passive transport Active transport Endocytosis and exocytosis

Energy, Metabolism and Respiration Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Cellular metabolism Glycolysis Aerobic respiration Kreb’s Cycle Electron transport chain Enzymes

Mitosis and the Cell Cycle Binary fission Eukaryotic cell cycle Interphase M Phase

Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis Stages of meiosis Meiosis VS mitosis

Genetics Overview Mendel’s first law: The Law of Segregation Incomplete dominance Codominance Punnett Squares Mendel’s second law: The Law of Independent Assortment Male VS female chromosomes

The Nervous System Resting potential Action potential The synapse Types of neurons Divisions of the nervous system The eye The ear The nose and mouth

The Endocrine System Chemistry of hormones Hormones in detail

Reproduction Male reproductive system Female reproductive system

The Digestive and Excretory System Mouth and esophagus The stomach The small intestine The pancreas The liver and gall bladder The large intestine Absorption The kidney

The Cardiovascular System Anatomy of the cardiovascular system Blood vessels The blood

The Respiratory System

The Lymphatic System

The Immune System

Muscle Skeletal muscle Cardiac muscle Smooth muscle

Homeostasis

GAMSAT Organic Chemistry Syllabus

Basic and Common Functional

Organic Chemistry Basics

Molecular Representations 3D bond-line structures Identifying lone pairs of electrons resonance Hybrid orbitals

Alkanes Naming alkanes Naming substituents Constitutional Isomers of alkanes Newman projections Cyclohexane and chair conformations

Stereochemistry Isomerism Important concepts in stereoisomerism Designating R and S Relationships between enantiomers and diastereomers Meso compounds Fischer projections

Substitution Reactions Alkyl halides The SN2 mechanism The SN1 mechanism

Elimination Reactions: Structure and Preparation of Alkenes Nomenclature of alkenes Stereoisomerism in alkenes Elimination reactions E2 reactions E1 reactions

Addition Reactions Hydrohalogenation Hydration Hydrogenation Halogenation

Radical Reactions

Alcohols and Phenols Physical properties of alcohols Acidity of alcohols and phenols Preparation of alcohols using Grignard reagents

Spectroscopy Infrared spectroscopy Nuclear Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Aromatic Rings Nomenclature of aromatic rings

Aromatic Substitution Reactions Electrophilic aromatic substitution Sulfonation Nitration Activating groups Deactivating groups

Aldehydes and Ketones Introduction Nomenclature of aldehydes Nomenclature of Ketones Preparation of aldehydes and ketones Important reactions of aldehydes and ketones

Carboxylic Acids Nomenclature Structure of carboxylic acids Acidity of carboxylic acids Preparation of carboxylic acids Reactions of carboxylic acids

Amines Classification Nomenclature Properties of amines Preparation of amines Important reactions of amines

Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins Introduction Structure and properties of amino acids Acid-Base properties Peptide synthesis Protein structure Protein function

GAMSAT General Chemistry Syllabus

Atoms and Molecules Atoms Elements The periodic table Ions Molecules Naming inorganic compounds Chemical reactions and equations Types of Chemical Reactions Oxidation numbers and redox reactions Oxidising VS reducing agents

Gases Kinetic molecular theory

Kinetics and chemical equilibrium The collision theory Equations for reaction rates Determining the rate law by experiment Reaction orders Rates of reversible reactions Catalysis Equilibrium The reaction quotient Le Chatelier’s principle

Thermodynamics The first law of thermodynamics The second law of thermodynamics Thermodynamic functions Internal energy Temperature Pressure Enthalpy Entropy Gibbs free energy

Solutions Units of concentration Vapor pressure Solubility Phase Diagrams

Acids and Bases Definitions Equilibrium constants for acid-base reactions Logarithms Titrations Buffers

Electrochemistry Oxidation-reduction Potentials Galvanic cells Electrolytic cell

GAMSAT Physics Syllabus

Translational Motion Scalars and vectors Adding and subtracting vectors Resolution of vectors and trigonometric functions Distance and displacement Speed and velocity Acceleration Uniform accelerated motion

Force, Motion, and Gravitation Mass, weight, center of mass Newton’s first law, second law, and third law Gravitation Special right triangles Free fall motion Projectile motion Friction Inclined planes Circular motion and centripetal force Tension Pulley systems

Equilibrium Translational and rotational motion

Momentum and Collisions

Energy and Work Energy Work Energy conservation Power

Fluids and Solids Density Specific gravity Pressure Buoyancy and Archimedes’ principle Fluids in motion Fluid viscosity and determination of flow Surface tension Solids

Wave Characteristics and Periodic Motion Transverse and longitudinal mechanical waves Mathematical representation of a wave Superposition of waves, phase, interface Resonance Standing waves Harmonics Periodic motion

Sound Production of sound Intensity and pitch Beats Doppler effect

Electrostatistics Charge, conductors, insulators Coulomb’s law, electric force Electric field, electric field lines Potential energy Equipotential lines and electric dipoles

Electromagnetism Electromagnetism Electromagnetic spectrum

Electricity: Electric Circuits Current Ohm’s law Resistance and resistivity Resistance in circuits Batteries and electromotive force Kirchoff’s laws Capacitors and dielectrics Power

Light and Optics Visual spectrum and polarisation Images Mirrors Refraction, dispersion, Snell’s law Lenses

Atomic and Nuclear Structure Protons, neutrons, electrons Isotopes, atomic number, atomic weight Fission and fusion Radioactivity Nuclear reactions and radioactive decay Half-life

AceGAMSAT Products

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Gamsat Notes

June 28, 2017, gamsat notes in essay examples , exam preperation | june 28, 2017, essay example rundown – how to write essays for the gamsat.

This post will run through how to write essays for the GAMSAT. It will detail how tackle the structure, and reduce the chances of getting writers block. Time is of the essence during the GAMSAT exam and your essays are a way to show that you can handle pressure and produce the goods.

Here are a few points to consider when writing your essays.

You will be given a list of quotes to start, and asked to produce an essay on one or many of the quotes, referencing them where necessary. It is entirely OK to use only one of the quotes, and as I have done in a number (if not all) of my essays – not actually make a direct reference to it.

The quotes may be old, new, contemporary, abstract; a mixture of all or other types, or none of those mentioned here – who knows. Don’t let this throw you off. Find a quote that you can make some connection of context with and run with it.

Essay Title

You should produce an essay title . No it is not required. Why come up with a title? It makes your life much easier when it comes to writing the actual content for your essay. If you lose your train of thought, or need to remember what you are even writing about – all you have to do is look at the title. Without coming up with a title and writing it down, you are already putting yourself in a risky situation.

Use Emotion

You are writing quickly, and in order to do so effectively; you should write from the heart. Do not mask your opinions when writing as this will effect the flow for the reader. Do not try to please everybody when writing. You write what and how you feel as you go and have no time for other peoples feelings at the time.

Structure – Most Important Point

Having a structure in your head before your enter the exam is the best way to tackle the essay section. Here is a structure to help you formulate your essays:

• Reference the title stating your opinion on the matter (e.g. controversial, one-sided, high media presence… etc.)
• On one hand
• On the other hand
• Take a side (usually the first side proposed, but not necessarily)
• Thirdly… etc.
• In conclusion/Ultimately/In the end, I feel…
• I’d suggest to counter your argument slightly here again to show you are empathetic and have at least an ounce of humility
• Then back up your favoured argument and conclude your essay

GAMSAT Notes Examples:

The following is the first essay I wrote (1 of 16 in total). See the bolded text depecting where the structuring described above has been used. The other example essays will also have the structure bolded throughout to help show where and how it is used. The title of the post will be the quote used to formulate the essay (except for this description post).

“The Best Argument Against Democracy is a Five Minute Conversation with the Average Voter”

Essay Title: Is democracy providing society with their wants and needs?

The question of whether society appreciates the role of government in providing them with their wants and needs is a controversial one.

On the one hand , government provides a wide range of benefits, such as; child benefits, government issued health cards – providing low cost/free heath care, pensions, among many more. These are clearly very beneficial for society as a whole.

On the other hand, the media will quickly have us believe that our government is a greedy, corporation like institution, where we must select the lesser of evil candidates to take office and run our country. It appears ever too often that we hear of shady government deals with large multinational corporations; costing many of the countries taxpayers, and benefiting only a select few of those closely related to the deal.

Ultimately, I believe society benefits more from our government than caveats. Firstly, our education system is highly desirable, especially when compared to that of the United States (tuition fees related). Although this is a popular topic of debate in the past number of years and should be watched closely. Secondly, society also benefits from our government being pro-disability focused. Regulations in building and construction require features such as wheelchair access as standard to ensure all able, and disable bodied people can gain access to any building. This flows generously into that of fire standards and fire safety. Our government has strict safety regulations that we almost unconsciously benefit from.

Finally, Ireland has an attractive corporate tax rate; which helps vastly in attaining corporations to set up their European headquarters (Google, Facebook, etc.); providing jobs, increasing pay standards, and overall improving the quality of life.

In conclusion, Democracy; at least in Ireland, is benefiting society as a whole in my opinion. A lot of work is needed to ensure improvements can be made in the future. Democracy does benefit society in comparison to other systems of government, but this does not mean it is the most appropriate either. Government systems evolve over time along with everything else. I believe Democracy is a step in the right direction; but we are not there yet in terms of the perfect solution (which there may not be one).

Recommended Reading for Section 1

Related Notes:

• Essay Example: “The Liberty of the Individual Must be thus far Limited; He must not Make Himself a Nuisance to Other People”
• Essay Example: “The Best Argument Against Democracy is a Five Minute Conversation with the Average Voter”
• Section III Preperation
• Section I Preperation

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