The Exam in Ireland

Here we provide an overview of the pertinent information relating to the GAMSAT Exam in Ireland. For more information on the exam itself also visit our UK site.

Registering for the Exam

To sit the exam you will need to register directly with the examination board, ACER.

The next sitting will take place over 2 sessions. Section 2 (Essays) will be completed by remote proctoring in early March 2026 and the S1 + S3 will take place in test centres in Mid March 2026. Dates will be released in mid Novemeber 2025.

It is advisable to read the Information Booklet before registering to ensure you meet the requirements for Irish graduate programmes. You can do this via the ACER website

Test Centres in Ireland

There are a number of test centres throughout Ireland and in 2026 this includes Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Derry and Sligo

Applying to Medical Schools

Registering to take the GAMSAT Exam is done separately from applying to study at a medical school in Ireland. This you will need to do through the Central Admissions Office, and the application facility is now open.

The application process is similar to that used on graduate programmes in the UK with the key exception that Irish medical schools do not interview. As such your score is even more important as it will form the basis of selection to courses.

GAMSAT Structure and Release Dates

The next sitting will take place over 2 sessions. Section 2 (Essays) will be completed by remote proctoring on 23rd and 24th August. Section 1 and 3 will be completed at a test centre on 13th and 14th September 2025 depending on location.

The test is divided into three sections:

Section	Section Title	Content	Description
I	Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences	62 Questions (multiple choice) - 100 minutes	This section tests skills in understanding and interpreting ideas in social and cultural contexts. Most of the source material will be in the form of written passages, but some units will utilise visual images and tables of data.
II	Written Communication	2 Essays - 65 minutes	This section assesses your ability to develop and produce ideas in writing. The task A essay is more analytical in style and focused on socio-cultural issues. Task B deals with issues of a more personal nature.
III	Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences	75 Questions (multiple choice) - 150 minutes	This section is made up of questions from the scientific disciplines in the following proportions – Biology (40%), Chemistry (40%), Physics (20%). The level of scientific knowledge generally equates to first-year undergraduate level in Biology and Chemistry, and A level (or equivalent) for Physics. Questions are based on passages, tables and/or graphical displays of data. They measure problem solving ability within scientific scenarios, to offer hypotheses, extrapolate reasoned conclusions and identify connections between given variables.

OVERALL SCORE

The overall score is achieved as follows:

Overall Score = (1 x Section I + 1 x Section II + 2 x Section III) / 4

Scores are valid for two years. So results from March 2025 are valid for applications for 2025 and 2026 entrance.