GAMSAT

Dr Aileen O'Brien

Prof Peter McCrorie

St George's, University of London

What predicts future job performance? Validity ( r ) % add to IQ

IQ complx. job .51 65% integ/conscnt. .41 23% peer ratings .49 14% prev job perform. .45 14% biograph.data .35 2% no train.courses .11 2% yrs education .10 2% interests .10 2% age -.01 0%

Academic predictors of exam performance

Science A levels predict exam success in years 1 and 2 but not subsequent performance

But note that

Different cognitive & non-cognitive factors correlate with academic success in different schools, so cultures and teaching styles influence outcome.

Clinical performance is predicted by

interviews (sometimes)

previous study English & Humanities

learning style (deep or superficial)

measure of empathy / motivation

Suggested good practice for selection for medical school

Relevant factors: predictive validity and cost

Measure of IQ Structured interview assessing desirable

personal characteristics ? additional measures, e.g. structured

reference, group activity, psychometric tests, behavioural consistency exercise, etc

GAMSAT• Developed and validated by the

Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

• To assist in selection of students for graduate-entry programs

• To assess capacity to undertake high level intellectual studies in a demanding course.

Universities• St George’s, University of

London• The University of Nottingham

at Derby • The University of Wales at

Swansea • Peninsula Medical and Dental

School (5 and 4 year)• Keele University

GAMSAT scores correlate with GCSE & A level points

not with degree classnot with interview scores50% overlap with UKCAT

Designed to suit many educational backgrounds

More pattern recognition than specific facts

Need to know the sciences Not pass/fail, rather a screening test Not pass/fail, rather a screening test

for interviewfor interview Designed to provide a ‘level playing Designed to provide a ‘level playing

field’field’

What is GAMSAT?

Section I - Reasoning in humanities and social sciences

Assesses skills in the interpretation and understanding of ideas in social and cultural context. Some material is presented verbally, some more visual and tabular.

75 MCQs in 100 minutes

Example – Section I

Which is closest in meaning to the given proverb?

Death keeps no calendar A The evening crowns the day B Nothing is certain but death and taxes C Death devours lambs as well as sheep D We must live by the living not by the dead

Section II - Written communication

Test of writing, emphasis on generative thinking component of writing ability.

2 writing tasks, each from a choice of 5; total writing time 1 hour.

2 short pieces of prose, each marked x 3

Develop and title a piece of writing in response to the following comments

One friend in a lifetime is much; two is many; three is hardly possible

Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it

However rare true love may be it is less rare than true friendship

It is one of the great blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them

“A politician is an arse which everyone has sat upon except a man”..!

Section III- Reasoning in biological and physical sciences

Assesses knowledge and understanding of basic science and problem solving in scientific context– Identify knowledge in new contexts– Translate knowledge from one form to

another– Estimate measurements and recognise

limits in accuracy– Formulate hypotheses– Extrapolate and interpret data

Formulate generalisations

Deduce relationships from models

Analyse data

Follow line of reasoning

40% chemistry, 40% biology, 20% physics

110 MCQs in 170 minutes

When animal cells are placed in pure water, which one of the following is likely to move first and fastest across the cell membrane?

A glucose

B water

C amino acids

D sodium ions

St George’s entry requirements

2.2 degree in any discipline UK or EU resident GAMSAT Work experience Interview Police and health screening

Score calculated for St George’s

I + II + (2xIII)

4

I + II + III

3

Minimum score of

Paper 2 55

and must achieve 55 in one other paper and 50 in the other

Admission George's

GAMSAT

2:2

Reference and personal statement not used

GAMSAT “level playing field”

Multiple mini interview then decides