GAMSAT by country
GAMSAT for international applicants
ACER runs test centres in five countries, and that list is still how most sites describe who can sit GAMSAT. It is out of date. The exam is now delivered through a mix of remote proctoring and test centres, and candidates in countries with no centre at all can sit the whole thing remotely — with approval.
- 5countries with test centres
- 1section remote for everyone
- A$568fee, charged in AUD
- A$208overseas levy where it applies
The test-centre map is no longer the market map
ACER states it plainly: “GAMSAT is a computer-based test, delivered via a combination of remote proctoring and in-person supervised test venues.” Written Communication is remote-proctored for every test taker, everywhere. Sections 1 and 3 default to a test centre — but living in a country with no centre is one of the two grounds for sitting those remotely too.
Who can sit Sections 1 and 3 remotely
ACER calls this Alternate Delivery. There are exactly two qualifying grounds, and approval is not automatic.
You qualify to request a fully remote sitting if either of the following is true:
- you live more than three hours’ drive from a test centre listed in the Information Booklet; or
- you live in a country where a test centre is not offered.
“Rest of World” appears on ACER’s venue list and is not a physical place — it is this pathway. The process has several traps worth knowing before you register:
- Requests close with standard registrations. Later requests, up to the close of late registrations, attract a late approval fee. Nothing is considered after that.
- Documentary evidence is mandatory— a utility bill, tenancy agreement, driver’s licence or notarised statutory declaration. ACER states that personal statements which are not officially notarised will not be accepted, and non-English documents need a certified translation.
- Approval arrives separately. A registration confirmation email does not mean your request was approved. Anyone not approved who does not update their booking has their registration cancelled.
- Bookings made without approval are cancelled automatically. ACER says so explicitly for Sections 1 and 3.
- Travel is not a ground. Remote delivery is not offered if you are travelling or on holiday, or if your preferred location, date or session reaches capacity.
The equipment rules, supported operating systems and the room setup are the same for every candidate in every country, so they live on remote proctoring rather than here. The short version: no Chromebooks, no tablets, no phones, no Linux, no virtual machines, no tethering, no second monitor — and you need a mirror to show the proctor a 360° view of the room.
What it costs from outside the three home markets
ACER quotes three currencies. If you are not in Ireland or the UK, you pay in Australian dollars.
| Charge | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | A$568 | Everyone outside Ireland (€378) and the UK (£296) |
| Overseas levy | A$208 | Sitting at a test centre outside Australia, Ireland or the UK. ACER names Singapore explicitly |
| Late registration | A$114 | Any registration in the late period. Cannot be waived |
| Change of country | A$83 | Switching the country your results are reported to |
| Remote-proctoring no-show | A$150 | One no-show is permitted per test session, then this applies |
Which universities are actually open to you
This is the constraint that matters far more than where you sit the test.
Australia is the most open of the three. International places exist at most of the 13 Australian institutions, though the application route often differs from the domestic one — Notre Dame’s international applicants apply direct rather than through GEMSAS, as do Wollongong’s, and international deadlines are separate from the domestic GEMSAS closing date.
Ireland operates the non-EU route as a genuinely separate admissions system: a different portal, an interview requirement, its own quota, full-cost fees, and MCAT accepted as an alternative to GAMSAT. RCSI is the only one of the 4 to publish both sides of its split, and it is striking — 52 non-EU places against 30 EU places.
The UK is the most restrictive, and the position varies institution by institution.
| UK institution | International applicants |
|---|---|
| City St George's | Closed — home fee payers only |
| ScotGEM | Closed — Home/RUK fee status only |
| Keele | Open — same GAMSAT thresholds; UCAT also required, minimum 1950 |
| Pears Cumbria | Closed — home fee status only |
| Plymouth (Medicine) | Admitted, but the international pathway runs on UCAT, not GAMSAT |
| Plymouth (Dentistry) | Admitted, but the international pathway runs on UCAT, not GAMSAT |
| Exeter | Unverified on the GAMSAT route specifically. Confirm directly |
| Liverpool | A100 open; A101 graduate entry has no overseas places |
| Swansea | Open — UK, EU and overseas; MCAT also accepted for international applicants |
| Ulster | Open — separate international route, IELTS 7.5 with no band below 7.0 |
| Brunel | Open, but international applicants need no UCAT or GAMSAT at all — apply direct |
| Chester | Open — direct application, not UCAS. International fee £46,000/yr |
| Surrey | Unverified — ACER implies no, Surrey shows an overseas fee field. Confirm directly |
| UEA | Closed — UK home fee payers only |
| Sunderland | Closed — cannot accept international applicants |
| Worcester | Open for 2027 entry — international fee £49,300/yr |
GAMSAT or MCAT, for North American applicants
The answer depends entirely on your target list, and for most lists it is not a choice.
MCAT is not accepted anywhere in Australia — none of the 13 Australian institutions in our dataset takes it. It is not accepted on the EU route in Ireland at all. Where it is accepted is narrower than most North American applicants assume: the Irish non-EU route, and a handful of UK schools that accept UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT interchangeably — Chester, and Swansea for international applicants.
So the decision reduces to a simple test:
- Applying to Ireland as a non-EU candidate, and nowhere else? MCAT is the usual default, and Atlantic Bridge — the official North American application partner — is where those thresholds are published.
- Applying to Australia, or to most of the UK? GAMSAT is not optional. There is no MCAT alternative.
- Applying to both? GAMSAT covers every one of those systems. MCAT covers one of them.
| Institution | GAMSAT figure | What kind of number | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCSI — Non-EU interview invitation | 60 | Minimum to apply MCAT 503 accepted as an alternative — non-EU only | 2026 entry |
| UCC — Non-EU | 58 | Minimum to apply MCAT 505 accepted as an alternative — published by Atlantic Bridge, not by UCC. This is a separate, higher figure than the EU cutoff. | 2026 entry |
Recency rules differ between schools, and they are shorter than you think
Ireland’s non-EU routes each set their own window — RCSI accepts a test written within four years, UCC within three, UCD within two years of the programme start. A score that is still valid for one Irish school can be expired at another.
Score validity by destination
The same score has a different shelf life depending on where you send it.
| Destination | Validity | Institutions | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 4 years | 13 institutions | GEMSAS for most; Flinders, Sydney and Tasmania apply direct |
| United Kingdom | 2 years — Ulster is a named exception at 4 | 15 institutions | UCAS, 15 October |
| Ireland | 2 years | 4 institutions | CAO for EU applicants; direct or Atlantic Bridge for non-EU |
The exam does not change by country
Wherever you sit it, and whichever admissions system you are aiming at, it is the same test with the same sections and the same syllabus. Preparation does not need a national version — start with the free timed practice test.
Common questions
Can I sit GAMSAT if there is no test centre in my country?
Yes, with approval. Living in a country where no test centre is offered is one of ACER’s two grounds for a fully remote sitting of Sections 1 and 3. You must apply by the close of standard registrations and supply documentary evidence of where you live, and approval is notified separately from your registration confirmation.
Is the remote version of the test easier or different?
It is the same test. What differs is the environment: a proctor, a 360° room scan, a locked-down machine and a stricter equipment list. ACER also notes that proctors cannot add time and do not give countdown warnings, which the test centre invigilation does.
Which country should I nominate in my ACER account?
The one you are applying to, not the one you are sitting in — that nomination controls where your results are forwarded. UK applicants must also add their UCAS Personal ID, and Irish applicants their CAO number, or the results will not reach the admissions body. Changing country later costs A$83.
Do international applicants face higher GAMSAT thresholds?
Sometimes, and sometimes in the opposite direction. Swansea’s published international cut-off for September 2024 entry was lower than its home cut-off, while Ireland’s published non-EU minimums sit above several EU cut-offs. The quotas are separate, so the two are not really comparable.
Is GAMSAT worth sitting if I am aiming at the UK?
Consider the UK position carefully first. Nottingham has dropped GAMSAT for 2027 entry, UCAT is an accepted alternative at eight UK institutions, and several of the GAMSAT-only routes are closed to international applicants. Our UK page sets out the evidence.