Section 3 · chemistry
GAMSAT chemistry questions
Chemistry ties biology for the largest share of Section 3, and it is the subject where the exam’s two hardest constraints bite: no calculator, and no periodic table.
The two rules that shape every chemistry question
There is no calculator, and there is no periodic table. Anything a question genuinely needs — an atomic mass, a constant, a pKa — is printed in that question’s own material.
The consequence is structural, not incidental: GAMSAT chemistry cannot ask for calculation-heavy arithmetic, so it asks for reasoning about magnitude, direction and relationship instead. Candidates who prepare by grinding stoichiometry drills are training for a different exam.
- 40%of Section 3 is chemistry
- ~30of 75 questions in a real paper
- 28original chemistry questions here
- 0calculators, formula sheets or data books
What ACER assumes you already know
ACER’s stated level is the first year of university studies in biology and chemistry, and A-level/Leaving Certificate/Year 12 in physics. First-year university chemistry, then — organic mechanisms, equilibrium, acids and bases, thermodynamics and kinetics, redox and electrochemistry.
What that phrasing conceals is how much of the difficulty sits in organic chemistry, which is heavily represented and rewards a specific skill: recognising a functional group and predicting what it does in an unfamiliar molecule, rather than recalling a named reaction. A mechanism you have never seen, built from steps you have, is the archetypal GAMSAT chemistry question.
What the no-calculator rule actually forces
It changes which chemistry is testable, not just how you compute.
| What you will not be asked | What you will be asked instead |
|---|---|
| Compute a concentration to three significant figures | Decide whether a concentration rises, falls, or is unchanged — and by roughly what factor |
| Work through a multi-step titration calculation | Read a titration curve and identify the equivalence point or the buffer region |
| Recall a pKa from memory | Compare two pKa values you have just been given and predict which species dominates |
| Balance a long redox equation under time pressure | Identify what is oxidised, what is reduced, and which direction electrons flow |
| Reproduce a named organic reaction | Predict a product from a mechanism and a functional group you can see |
Estimation is therefore a scored skill in its own right. Being able to say “that is about 10-5, so the pH is about 5” in ten seconds is worth more marks than being able to compute it exactly in ninety, given a budget of 2.0 minutes a question including reading time.
Sit a timed chemistry question set
Every chemistry unit in our Section 3 bank, run under a clock with a worked explanation for each item on submit. The real section interleaves all three sciences, so treat this as targeted revision rather than a simulation of exam day.
28 questions available. The real section has 75, so treat this as a diagnostic rather than a full sitting. The clock still runs the whole 150 minutes, which is deliberately generous — pace yourself against the real per-question budget rather than against the timer, or the timing practice is worthless.
Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences
- Questions
- 28(sample — the real section has 75)
- Time limit
- 150 min
- • No calculator, formula sheet or periodic table — as in the real exam.
- • Every constant you need appears in the question’s own material.
- • You can flag questions and return to them before submitting.
- • Scoring happens when you submit. Nothing is saved and no signup is required.
The conditions we replicate
- No calculator, as in the real exam. Every item is solvable by hand.
- No formula sheet and no periodic table.Every constant a question needs appears in that question’s own material.
- Shared stimulus units. Questions attach to a common piece of material in groups, as they do in the real section — not as isolated one-offs.
- All questions carry equal value, which is ACER’s own stated position, and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer.
- Original questions.Nothing here is transcribed from an ACER paper or another provider’s bank — see scope and limitations.
Frequently asked questions
How much chemistry is in the GAMSAT?
Chemistry is 40% of Section 3 — about 30 of 75 questions. Because Section 3 counts double in ACER’s weighted overall, chemistry alone is around a fifth of that score.
Is a periodic table provided in the GAMSAT?
No. Neither a periodic table nor a formula sheet is supplied, and no calculator is permitted. Any value a question depends on is printed in its own stimulus material.
How much organic chemistry is there?
Enough that it is worth prioritising. ACER publishes no topic breakdown within chemistry, so we do not claim a percentage — but organic reasoning recurs heavily, and it is the area where unfamiliar material is most common.
Are these real GAMSAT questions?
No. Every item is original, written to ACER’s published style and skills list. Reproducing real papers is not lawful — see past papers.