Understand the key differences between the GAMSAT and MCAT, including their format, content, scoring and university use, so you can work out which medical admissions test is relevant to your application.
If you are considering graduate-entry Medicine, you may come across two major admissions tests: the GAMSAT and the MCAT.
Both assess skills that are important for medical study, including scientific reasoning and critical thinking, but they are not interchangeable for every medical school. They differ significantly in their structure, content and scoring, and they are commonly associated with different admissions systems.
The most important rule is simple:
Check the requirements of your target medical schools before choosing which test to take.
For Singapore students, this distinction is particularly relevant because Duke-NUS Medical School currently accepts either GAMSAT or MCAT results for its MD and MD-PhD programmes. However, if you are also applying overseas, your wider university shortlist may determine which test makes more sense.
|
GAMSAT |
MCAT |
|
|
Full name |
Graduate Medical School Admissions Test |
Medical College Admission Test |
|
Administrator |
ACER |
AAMC |
|
Commonly associated with |
Selected graduate-entry programmes in Australia, the UK and Ireland, plus other participating institutions |
U.S. medical schools and many Canadian medical schools, plus selected institutions elsewhere |
|
Main structure |
3 sections |
4 multiple-choice sections |
|
Writing component |
Yes — 2 writing tasks |
No essay section |
|
Science component |
Biology, chemistry and physics with strong emphasis on reasoning |
Biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics plus psychology and sociology |
|
Humanities/reasoning |
Humanities and Social Sciences section |
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) |
|
Score scale |
Section and overall scores from 0–100 |
Total score from 472–528 |
|
Testing pattern |
Two cycles each year; current format is completed across two sittings |
Multiple test dates from January to September |
|
Accepted by Duke-NUS |
Yes |
Yes |
These differences mean that the best test for you depends first on where you want to apply, and only then on factors such as your academic background and strengths.
The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) is developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) with GEMPASS Australia Limited.
It is designed to assess skills including critical thinking, problem-solving, written communication and the ability to apply scientific concepts to unfamiliar situations. It is used in the selection process for a range of graduate-entry Medicine and health sciences programmes.
The current GAMSAT contains three sections:
For the 2026 format, candidates complete two written responses, 62 Humanities and Social Sciences questions and 75 Biological and Physical Sciences questions, with a total testing time of 5 hours and 15 minutes across two sittings.
One distinctive feature of the GAMSAT is its written component. Candidates need to develop and communicate ideas in two timed writing tasks, something the MCAT does not include.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
It is a standardised, computer-based, multiple-choice exam designed to assess problem-solving, critical thinking and knowledge of natural, behavioural and social science concepts relevant to medical study. All U.S. medical schools and many Canadian medical schools use MCAT scores in regular medical admissions.
The MCAT has four sections:
The AAMC's current 2027 guidance continues to describe the MCAT as a computer-based examination consisting of four multiple-choice sections.
Unlike GAMSAT, the MCAT has no essay section. However, it has a broader explicitly defined knowledge base that includes areas such as biochemistry, psychology and sociology in addition to biology, chemistry and physics.
The biggest practical difference is not simply the question format. It is how the two tests fit into different medical-school admissions pathways.
The MCAT is strongly associated with medical admissions in the United States and Canada. The GAMSAT is commonly used by participating graduate-entry programmes in Australia, the UK and Ireland.
However, these are not universal rules.
Some institutions outside these regions accept one or both tests. Duke-NUS in Singapore, for example, accepts either MCAT or GAMSAT.
For that reason, you should never assume:
“I want to study Medicine in Australia, so I definitely need GAMSAT.”
or:
“I want to study overseas, so MCAT will work everywhere.”
Admissions requirements need to be checked programme by programme.
The current GAMSAT format includes:
For 2026, Written Communication is completed through remote proctoring. The other two sections are completed at an in-person test centre approximately three weeks later.
The MCAT contains four multiple-choice sections.
The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section contains 53 questions in 90 minutes, while each of the other three sections contains 59 questions in 95 minutes.
The total MCAT content time is approximately 6 hours and 15 minutes, making it a longer single-day testing experience than the total GAMSAT testing time. Current Duke-NUS guidance reflects this MCAT content time, while AAMC's current guidance confirms the four-section structure.
The important difference is therefore not just length. GAMSAT currently spreads testing across separate sittings, whereas the MCAT is completed as a long test-centre examination.
There is considerable overlap in scientific reasoning, but the subject coverage is not identical.
The GAMSAT Biological and Physical Sciences section draws approximately from:
ACER describes the assumed knowledge as roughly first-year university-level biology and chemistry and Year 12 or A-level-equivalent physics.
However, the test is designed to assess whether you can apply scientific knowledge and interpret unfamiliar information, rather than simply reproduce memorised content.
The MCAT covers a broader explicitly specified range of disciplines, including:
For example, the Biological and Biochemical Foundations section primarily draws on biology and biochemistry, while the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section focuses heavily on psychology and sociology.
This means that someone preparing for the MCAT needs to account for areas such as biochemistry, psychology and sociology that do not appear in the GAMSAT as equivalent standalone content areas.
Both tests require strong reading and reasoning skills, but they approach them differently.
The GAMSAT has a Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences section. Candidates may need to interpret different forms of written and visual material and make judgments based on arguments, ideas and context.
The MCAT's equivalent reasoning-heavy component is Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, or CARS.
CARS uses passages from humanities and social sciences and tests comprehension, analysis and reasoning. Importantly, the AAMC states that outside subject knowledge is not required for this section; the information needed to answer the questions is contained within the passages and questions themselves.
A major difference remains that GAMSAT also requires candidates to produce written arguments, while MCAT reasoning is assessed entirely through multiple-choice questions.
The two scoring systems are completely different, so their numbers should not be directly compared.
GAMSAT candidates receive three section scores and an overall score, each reported on a 0–100 scale.
For ACER's overall score, the science section receives double weighting:
Overall GAMSAT Score = (Humanities + Written Communication + 2 × Biological and Physical Sciences) ÷ 4
These scores are not percentages. Universities set their own admissions thresholds and may consider both section scores and the overall score.
Each MCAT section is scored from 118 to 132.
The four section scores are then added together to produce a total between 472 and 528, with a midpoint of 500.
The MCAT is scaled and equated rather than graded on a curve, meaning scores are designed to have the same interpretation across different test dates and forms.
A GAMSAT score of 70 and an MCAT score of 510 therefore cannot be meaningfully compared just because one number appears numerically higher or lower.
For Singapore students, start with your medical-school shortlist, not with the exam itself.
Duke-NUS currently requires applicants to submit either GAMSAT or MCAT results, alongside its other admissions requirements.
Because either test can satisfy this requirement, your broader application strategy becomes important.
For example:
This does not mean one exam gives an admissions advantage at Duke-NUS. It means that when both are acceptable, your other applications and individual preparation needs can help determine which is more practical.
Both tests currently have Singapore testing options.
ACER lists Singapore as a test-centre location for the in-person GAMSAT components, while Written Communication is remote-proctored. For the 2026 GAMSAT cycle, ACER also applies an overseas test levy for Singapore candidates.
The AAMC's international testing calendar also lists Singapore MCAT dates for the 2027 testing year.
Availability can change, so you should check the relevant registration system before building your application timeline around a particular test date.
Your target programmes should come first, but academic background can still affect how you experience each exam.
You are comfortable with:
GAMSAT also permits applicants from non-science degree backgrounds to sit the exam, although ACER makes clear that strong biological and physical science knowledge is still important for success.
You are comfortable with:
However, test preference should never override admissions requirements. A test that suits your strengths is not useful if your target programme does not accept it.
There is no meaningful universal answer.
The exams challenge candidates in different ways.
The GAMSAT includes timed written communication and places considerable emphasis on reasoning from unfamiliar humanities and science material.
The MCAT has no essay component but covers a broad range of specified natural, behavioural and social science knowledge across four sections and involves a long single-day examination.
As a result, one candidate may find GAMSAT more challenging because of the essays and open-ended reasoning, while another may find the MCAT more demanding because of its breadth of content.
Rather than asking which exam is objectively harder, a more useful question is:
Which exam does your target programme require, and what skills will you need to develop to perform well on it?
Yes, provided you meet the relevant registration and eligibility conditions.
However, preparing seriously for both can require substantial time and resources. There is usually little value in taking two admissions tests simply to keep every possible option open without first developing a clear university shortlist.
The MCAT also has formal attempt limits. AAMC currently allows up to three attempts in one testing year, four attempts across two consecutive testing years and seven attempts in a lifetime.
ACER states that there is no restriction on the number of times an eligible candidate may sit GAMSAT.
This is another reason to understand each test's rules before deciding when to sit it.
A practical way to choose is to follow these steps:
For most students, Step 2 is more important than comparing which test appears easier.
Admissions policies can also change between cycles, so always use the official university admissions pages for the year in which you intend to apply.
Duke-NUS currently lists GAMSAT or MCAT results as part of its MD admissions requirements. Its published requirements should be checked for your application cycle rather than assuming one test is preferred.
No. The current MCAT consists of four multiple-choice sections. GAMSAT, by contrast, includes a Written Communication component requiring two written responses.
Yes, but in different ways.
Both assess scientific knowledge and reasoning. The MCAT explicitly covers areas including biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology, while the GAMSAT science section focuses on biology, chemistry and physics and places substantial emphasis on applying knowledge to unfamiliar information.
A science degree is not automatically required simply to sit either test.
ACER states that students with non-science first degrees can sit GAMSAT. For the MCAT, AAMC eligibility is based primarily on your intention to apply to an eligible health-professions programme rather than possession of a particular undergraduate major.
Your medical school may, however, have its own degree or prerequisite requirements.
If U.S. medical schools are a major part of your application strategy, the MCAT is generally the relevant test. AAMC states that all U.S. medical schools use MCAT scores for regular admission.
You should still verify the requirements of every programme on your shortlist.
Choosing an admissions test is only one part of planning a medical-school application.
For Singapore students considering Duke-NUS or overseas medical programmes, a structured approach can help you identify the correct admissions test, understand the skills it assesses and build your preparation around your university application timeline.
Icon Education can support students with admissions-test preparation and broader medical-school application planning, helping them focus their time on the requirements that are most relevant to their target programmes.