ISAT – UCAT – GAMSAT International Certificates: Meeting the entry requirements when studying Medicine in Australia

Would you like to know specifically how rigorous it is to study Medicine in Australia? Let’s learn about ISAT, UCAT, GAMSAT certificates with SET Education! These are the indispensable entry certificates when you decide to study Medicine in Australia.

Requirements to study Medicine in Australia

Medicine is one of the tough professions and requires you to invest a lot of time and effort. If you would like to study Medicine in Australia under the undergraduate and postgraduate programs, you need to pay attention to the strict selection criteria of the universities. There is an indispensable entry certificate in addition to the application documents like other majors.

Undergraduate Medicine

The program of this level in Australia is similar to that in Vietnam. Students will study a course lasting 5 to 6 years. This period may vary from university to university. To study Medicine in Australia at undergraduate level, firstly you need to pass the baccalaureate exam. This score in Australia is calculated on a 100-point scale. The required score of medical universities in Australia is often very high, up to 99.8 points – an almost perfect score.

After that, some universities require you to pass the UCAT (formerly UMAT) test and an interview with the university you are applying to study Medicine in Australia.

For non-Australian applicants, you usually need to take the ISAT to be eligible to study Medicine in Australia. In addition to the usual requirements for high school achievement and English language certification.

Postgraduate Medicine

After completing an undergraduate medical program in Australia, you can continue to study Postgraduate pathways and Postgraduate if desired. Some universities require you to pass the ISAT or GAMSAT.

If successful, you will enter a course of about 3 to 4 years and graduate with an M.D (Doctor of Medicine) or a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy).

Types of special entry certificates when studying Medicine in Australia

As discussed above, there are several certifications that you need to get if you want to study Medicine in Australia. Detailed information about these types of certificates will be introduced to you shortly.

ISAT Certificate

ISAT stands for International Student Admissions Test. This is a certificate for international students wishing to study Medicine at undergraduate level in Australia.

This is an online test developed by ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research). The format of the test is a computer-based multiple-choice test. The test duration is 180 minutes.

Register for the test

To register for the ISAT to study Medicine in Australia, you will first need to register online on the Prometric website. This is a worldwide partner in organizing exams for ACER. The exam fee is 320 USD/candidate, paid via visa card.

Because it is administered online, there will be no available timetables for this test. During the registration process, you can choose the test date and time that suits you best.

ISAT Exam Structure

This exam structure consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. Each question will have from 4 to 5 answers for candidates to choose from on the computer. ISAT certificates are valid for 1 year from the date of issue. This allows you to plan your study and prepare for this certificate for your medical studies in Australia.

Although it is a certificate used to consider medical entry requirements in Australia, the ISAT exam is not based on any specialized knowledge in a specific field. The purpose of this exam is to assess your practical skills. These include critical and quantitative skills. These skills are all necessary for you to study Medicine in Australia.

Critical skills
This skill involves understanding and analyzing information. As well as skills to apply and expand ideas; evaluate and draw appropriate conclusions. These skills test questions are drawn from knowledge of the humanities and social sciences.
Quantitative skills
This skill involves the analysis and application of information; drawing conclusions and solving problems. These skills test questions are drawn from general math and science subjects.

UCAT Certificate

UCAT stands for University Clinical Aptitude Test. This is an exam for local candidates wishing to study Medicine in Australia.

The test is used to assess the ability of candidates enrolled in the medical or dental majors of universities. This test can also be used as a reference when you interview for a job in the future. UCAT is organized by Pearson VUE – a partner specializing in organizing online exams for universities in Australia.

Register for the test

To register for the test, you need to do 2 steps. First, you need to register for an online account on the Pearson VUE website.

Account information such as full name, date of birth must be the same as the information on your ID, email address, etc. If the information is wrong, you will not be able to take the UCAT exam. At the same time, you will not be refunded any costs that you have already paid.

After successful account creation, you will receive an email containing a password allowing you to log in to your account. You should reset this password to ensure personal security. Also, you will need to provide your credit card information to pay the exam fee during registration for the UCAT exam. After successful registration, you will take the test according to the schedule you have chosen.

Exam Structure

UCAT is a computer-based test. The test duration is 120 minutes.

The purpose of this test is to assess a range of important abilities in the practice of the medical/dental/clinical science fields. That is also the condition to study Medicine in Australia that candidates need to achieve.

The test consists of 5 separate sections. Each section is assigned a different number of sentences and duration to complete. The test format is in the form of multiple-choice questions.
The 5 sections of this test include:

● Verbal reasoning: Assessing the ability to critique information presented in writing: 44 sentences (1 minute of instruction, 21 minutes of test taking).

● Decision making: Assessing decision making and sound judgment using complex information: 29 sentences (1 minute of instruction, 31 minutes of test taking).

● Quantitative reasoning: Assessing the ability to critically evaluate information presented in numerical form: 36 sentences (1 minute of instruction, 24 minutes of test taking).

● Abstract reasoning: Evaluating the use of deductive and inductive methods to infer relationships from information: 55 sentences (1 minute of instruction, 13 minutes of test taking).

● Situational assessment: Measuring the ability to understand real-world situations and identify appropriate solutions to resolve them: 69 questions (1 minute of instruction, 26 minutes of test taking).

GAMSAT Certificate

GAMSAT stands for Graduate Medical School Admissions Test. It is a test developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) together with the Association of Graduate Medical Institutions.

For some universities, this certificate is required for you to study Medicine in Australia at postgraduate level. This test is designed to assess the skills you have acquired through previous experience and learning. Including a clear understanding of basic science concepts, as well as general skills in problem solving, critical thinking and writing.

Register for the test

Registration for the UCAT exam is similar to that of the UCAT exam. These two exams are jointly organized by ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research).

Exam Structure

The GAMSAT questions are based on documents from a variety of sources. They often ask candidates to read and think about a piece of text or interpret information on an image. This requires you to use mathematical relationships and apply reasoning skills during the test. This test is held twice a year, in March and September.

It is the huge amount of knowledge that makes GAMSAT the most prestigious qualification you must earn if you want to study Medicine in Australia.
Total duration to complete the test is 5 hours 55 minutes. The GAMSAT test is divided into three sections, including:

● Reasoning in the humanities and social sciences: 75 questions, 10 minutes of reading materials and 100 minutes of test taking.

● Media writing: 2 questions, 5 minutes reading materials and 60 minutes of test taking.

● Reasoning in biological and physical sciences: 110 questions, 10 minutes of reading materials and 170 minutes of test taking.

Of the three types of certificates above, ISAT is for international students, while UCAT and GAMSAT are for local students. However, some universities still require international students to meet the GAMSAT to study Medicine in Australia. You can see details in the article “Studying Medicine in Australia – Undergraduate and Postgraduate Levels” for specific requirements of each university.

This article has provided general information about 3 international certificates including ISAT, UCAT and GAMSAT for students studying Medicine in Australia.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Good luck with your study plans in Australia!