Ep 42: What March 2026 GAMSAT Taught Us and How to Prepare for September

Dr Tom (00:00)
Here’s what just happened. Here’s what it tells us about the GAMSAT, and here’s exactly how to use that information if you’re sitting in September. So, the March 2026 GAMSAT is done. Some people walked out relieved, some walked out rattled, and some walked out wondering whether anything they studied actually helped. So today, Will and I are going to debrief what happened, what our students, and what the people who follow us and have emailed us have noticed, and more importantly, what this means if you’re sitting the September GAMSAT.

So welcome back to the Nurses Doing GAMSAT podcast, a podcast for nurses, professionals, science students, and future doctors preparing for the GAMSAT. I’m Dr Tom, founder of ThankFlip GAMSAT, and today I’m joined by Will, our lead tutor, Section 3 tutor, former boot camper, third-year ANU med student, and someone who scored 81 in Section 3.

In this episode, we’re going to do three things. First, we’ll debrief the March 2026 GAMSAT and share what we’ve heard about this exam. Second, we’ll talk about what March tells us about the GAMSAT and what’s going on with it. And third, we’ll help you plan for September 2026: when to study, what to study, and what not to waste your time on.

As always, resources are linked in the show notes, including study tools, diagnostics, and ways to get help with your prep. So if this episode helps, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. But before we get into the debrief, Will, welcome back to the podcast.

Will (01:48)
Yeah, it’s good to be back.

Dr Tom (01:50)
And for anyone who hasn’t heard your earlier episode, give us the quick version. Who are you, and why should people listen to you on the GAMSAT and Section 3?

Will (02:02)
I mean, I think you did a pretty good intro of me already. I’m a very simple man. I feel like you summarised me into five main points, which is the majority of me. But Tom knows me well as the guy who transforms Section 3 into a sort of puzzle GAMSAT. I like to see it as a way to conquer the troubledness of the GAMSAT by breaking it down into its fundamental elements, into something that can really be put together quite easily when you change your mindset about things.

I’m all about GAMSAT mindset. If you want to really break me down into my essence, that’s what I’m all about.

Dr Tom (02:37)
Yeah, I remember when we first interviewed you for this role and you said that you think of Section 3 like a puzzle, and you’re kind of a detective solving a puzzle. And I thought that was brilliant, because that shifts the whole approach to this section. And Section 1 is kind of like that as well. It’s a puzzle. So that’s fantastic, and we’re going to talk about that today.

And you’re not just someone who did well once. You’ve also helped people prepare, you’ve seen them go from struggling to improved, from panicking to performing really well, and you know what makes sense. That’s why I think the puzzle approach is a really clever way to think about it.

But before we get into the student feedback, a quick caveat: this is not ACER’s official breakdown of the exam, because they don’t release one. This is what our readers, listeners, and students have reported to us, what they felt, and what stood out to them.

And that matters, because the student experience tells us what caught people off guard, where preparation helped, and where students need to adapt for September. So let’s start with Section 1.

Now I know, Will, that’s not one of your strengths, and it doesn’t have to be. But what have you come across people saying about Section 1?

Will (04:07)
Doesn’t have to be at all.

In terms of what both the other tutors and the students have been saying, people really struggle with poetry. That’s always a clear and big one, which makes sense. It’s a bit more out there and conceptual. But I think the main thing is that a lot of people are always shocked by how much of it is not poetry, and how much of the exam is actually fiction and non-fiction.

If they get really good at that, they end up doing a lot better and feel more confident, because it makes up most of the section. A lot of those skills carry between Section 1, 2 and 3, because your analysis and writing come together between 1 and 2, and your ability to read long text and synthesise information links between 1 and 3. So there’s like a network there that people pick up quite frequently by building those skills together.

Dr Tom (05:15)
Yeah, I agree. Section 1 is often left last. People worry about Section 3, then Section 2, and then maybe squeeze in Section 1 somewhere along the line, mostly with poetry study. And look, poetry is important.

But like you said, for this exam we had reports there was maybe one poem, maybe two, and the rest was fiction and non-fiction. And if you get good at Section 1, it absolutely helps with Section 2—your understanding of language, your ability to articulate yourself, and your analytical thinking. And for Section 3, depending on your background, especially for people with English as a second language, improving Section 1 really does help.

And it also carries across to Section 3. The reports we’ve seen suggest passages this time were a bit shorter than what bootcamp students are used to in our materials, which is actually a good thing, because they’re prepared for longer, more complex passages.

But this time they were shorter, which meant people could get through them more quickly. One interesting thing is that some passages had seven or eight questions attached. So what does that mean?

If you think about Section 1, you’ve got 62 questions. A single passage might have anywhere from one to eight questions. If you struggle with that one passage and it has eight questions, that’s eight marks. So it puts a lot of emphasis on individual passages, which increases pressure and stress, especially if passages are short but dense.

Will, when you did the GAMSAT, what was your experience like with Section 1? I know Section 2 and 3 were your strengths, but how did Section 1 go for you?

Will (08:11)
Yeah, as you said, a lot of students do Section 3 first, then Section 2, then think, “Man, I can’t write an essay,” and leave Section 1. I was the opposite.

My Section 3 felt like a puzzle, but Section 1 was like, “Man, I don’t know what’s going on here.” When I sat my first GAMSAT, it was rough. I got in the sixties.

Then I realised that if you break it down, it’s a comprehension-based exam. There’s reasoning there—you have to understand and read—but it’s about what is this person actually trying to say? What’s the tone? What’s the subtext? That’s something Ryan often talks about.

And when you start doing that regularly in daily life, like thinking, “What’s the subtext of this article I’ve just read in The Guardian?” it starts to click.

On my second attempt, I went from about a 62 to a 72 in Section 1. It was very rewarding because I put a lot of work into it. I remember doing question after question and getting no real improvement at first—hovering around 30–40% in practice. It felt like nothing was working.

But then it clicked.

And with the shorter passages and more questions per passage, I think that’s going to intimidate a lot of people. But it doesn’t change the overall strategy. Something we talk about in the bootcamp is: do the questions you can do best first, build confidence, then come back later.

Fundamentally, it’s very scary—almost one-sixth of your exam in one passage—but you build into the flow as you go. It’s like a slow-starting engine. You’re not expected to be at full speed immediately.

Dr Tom (10:29)
Yeah, and it’s dangerous if we think, “Right, now I just need to prepare for short passages.” The only thing you can expect in GAMSAT is the unexpected. Next time it might be long passages again, and maybe more poetry.

So prepare for long passages, but don’t be surprised if they’re short—and be relieved if they are, because that’s a good thing. Some students actually finished with 20 minutes spare because they were used to longer passages.

Fiction and non-fiction are key. Be confident in breaking down poetry because those skills transfer. But overall, nothing here really changes the long-term strategy. People always say the GAMSAT changes, and then it changes again. You just need adaptable reasoning skills.

Alright, let’s move on to Section 2.

Now, as you know, this is done separately. These days you do Section 2 in August, and Sections 1 and 3 in September.

Section 2 is always interesting because the big variable is the topics. Will, do you remember what came up when you did the GAMSAT?

Will (13:19)
It was a long time ago. I remember one was on happiness, and I wrote about how you can’t possibly write an essay on happiness in 30 minutes. That’s all I remember.

Dr Tom (13:24)
Fair enough.

So this year, there were a few combinations. One was whistleblowers and choices. Then social trust or law enforcement. Another was certainty. Then awards. Then predestination or coincidence. And another was philanthropy and regret.

Will (15:15)
I would love certainty—that’s something I could talk about all day. Whistleblowers is a huge one. That’s pretty tough essay material.

Dr Tom (15:35)
And you don’t get to choose. You get one combo and that’s it.

Will (16:03)
I think these are actually approachable in a way, because you can bring in personal experience and beliefs. But whistleblowers is niche.

Dr Tom (16:43)
You can approach it by layering themes or using examples from medicine, government, or corporate settings. But yes, it requires flexibility and abstract thinking.

Will (18:02)
My approach used to be stream of consciousness planning. I’d brainstorm ideas, draw a circle, and branch out until something clicked, then build paragraphs from that.

Dr Tom (18:55)
Exactly. You need planning time. You don’t just start writing. You need structure: thesis, paragraphs, examples. Even paragraph structure matters. That first few minutes sets everything up.

For September, this means think abstractly. Topics can be very specific or very broad.

Let’s move on to Section 3.

Will (20:58)
The feedback is the same every year: “So many graphs and tables.” People feel overwhelmed. But that’s the point. They want to see how you handle unfamiliar, dense information.

It’s not about using every graph—it’s about identifying what’s relevant and building a general understanding first.

Dr Tom (22:48)
Exactly. People try to categorise questions into known topics, but GAMSAT doesn’t work like that. They might give you something like fish gill anatomy, which you’re not expected to know.

You’re expected to interpret new information quickly and use what’s relevant.

And because it’s digital, different people get different versions, so there’s no fixed blueprint. But the reasoning principles stay the same.

Will (25:51)
I remember thinking I’d be fine in Section 3 because of my science background. Then I got destroyed in practice questions. I realised I was trying to brute force it with knowledge instead of reasoning.

The exam isn’t asking you to know everything. It’s testing whether you can understand what’s in front of you.

Dr Tom (29:40)
Exactly. It’s reasoning over memorisation. Students over-invest in content because it feels controllable, but the exam tests interpretation under pressure.

Will (30:59)
Timing is another big issue. Some students don’t practice timing at all, others get so stressed they freeze. You need both timing strategy and pressure management.

Dr Tom (33:20)
If you remove time pressure, the questions feel much easier. But that pressure is the real test.

And better students don’t just do practice questions—they review them deeply. They analyse why they got things wrong.

Will (35:20)
And people over-focus on Section 3. But Sections 1 and 2 matter just as much overall. You need balance.

Dr Tom (36:47)
Let’s talk September timing. Essays are in late August, Sections 1 and 3 in September, results in November.

Now is the time to start preparing.

June is foundations. July is building. August is exam-level practice for essays and increasing pressure for Sections 1 and 3.

Will (41:17)
June is about basics—building reasoning foundations.

Dr Tom (42:06)
Exactly. Identify weaknesses and build from there.

Will (45:08)
We now teach reasoning in stages: basic skills, then integration, then advanced application under pressure.

Dr Tom (49:05)
What’s working: diagnostics first, consistent short study blocks, deep review, and practising uncomfortable areas.

What’s not working: passive content consumption, random question grinding, leaving essays too late, and waiting for motivation.

Will (52:36)
Doing lots of questions isn’t useful unless you review them properly. Quality matters more than quantity.

Dr Tom (54:21)
Essays can’t be left to the end. They take time to develop. And motivation isn’t reliable—you need systems instead.

Will (55:54)
In medicine, no one cares if you’re motivated. You just have to get it done.

Dr Tom (56:31)
Exactly. The best students are consistent and organised, not just motivated.

Will (57:55)
We’ve improved our courses by integrating content better and building reasoning step-by-step rather than in isolation.

Dr Tom (1:01:33)
Final thought: it’s not about doing a million questions. It’s about doing fewer questions extremely well.

Will (1:02:10)
Exactly. Quality over quantity.

Dr Tom (1:02:36)
That’s our March 2026 debrief and September preparation roadmap. If you sat March, use this to guide your next steps. If you’re sitting September, start now with diagnostics and structured preparation.

Thanks for joining us, Will.

Will (1:02:47)
Always happy to be here.