GAMSAT by country
GAMSAT in New Zealand
You can sit GAMSAT in New Zealand. You cannot use it in New Zealand. Every institution in our dataset that admits on GAMSAT is in Australia, the United Kingdom or Ireland — so a New Zealand sitting is the start of an overseas application, not a local one.
- 3NZ test-centre cities across the 2026 sittings
- 0NZ institutions using GAMSAT
- A$568registration fee, charged in AUD
- 33overseas course records that do use it
The short version
ACER delivers the test-centre sections in Australia, Ireland, the UK, New Zealand and Singapore. Of those five, New Zealand and Singapore are delivery countries without any local institution that uses the score. Candidates sitting in Auckland, Christchurch or Hamilton are applying to Australian, UK or Irish programmes.
Where you can sit it
| Sitting | New Zealand venues |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | Auckland · Christchurch |
| September 2026 | Auckland · Hamilton |
Written Communication is sat remotely, roughly three weeks before the test-centre day, for every candidate in every country. Only Sections 1 and 3 are sat at the venue. If you live more than three hours’ drive from one of the venues above, you can apply to ACER to sit those two sections remotely as well — see international applicants for how that approval works.
What it costs from New Zealand
ACER quotes three currencies. None of them is the New Zealand dollar.
ACER states that all fees are charged in Australian dollars for anyone sitting GAMSAT outside Ireland or the UK, so a New Zealand registration is billed at A$568and the exchange rate at the time of booking applies. Late registration adds A$114. The fee includes ACER’s online Practice Test A e-book.
One figure we have deliberately not resolved: ACER charges an overseas levy of A$208 for test centres outside Australia, Ireland and the UK, but its published venue list attaches that note to Singapore only and does not repeat it against the New Zealand venues. We are not willing to state which applies without a clearer source. Confirm the total at registration.
Where a New Zealand-sat score can be used
The score is identical wherever you sat it. What differs is how long it lasts and what each system does with it.
| Destination | Institutions | Validity | Route | Fee currency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 13 institutions | 4 years | GEMSAS for most; Flinders, Sydney and Tasmania apply direct | AUD |
| United Kingdom | 15 institutions | 2 years (Ulster: 4) | UCAS, 15 October | GBP |
| Ireland | 4 institutions | 2 years | CAO for EU applicants; direct or Atlantic Bridge for non-EU | EUR |
Two consequences worth planning around. First, an Australian application gives your score twice the shelf life of a UK or Irish one — 4 years against 2. Second, UK international access is the exception rather than the rule: six institutions are confirmed open to international applicants and six confirmed closed, so the effective UK list is much shorter than 15.
Timing your sitting from New Zealand
The sitting you choose is dictated by the destination's deadline, not by when you feel ready.
- Australia: GEMSAS applications for the 2027 intake closed 29 May 2026. GEMSAS also rules out the September sitting in the year you apply, so a March result is the last one usable for that intake.
- United Kingdom:UCAS closes 15 October, and you must tick “UK” and add your UCAS Personal ID in your ACER account by midnight GMT on 31 October.
- Ireland:the EU route runs on the CAO’s separate, earlier graduate medicine track. The non-EU route runs on each university’s own deadlines.
Results are released in late May for the March sitting and mid-November for September. Work backwards from the deadline, not forwards from the test date.
The exam does not change by country
There is one GAMSAT, and sitting it in Auckland gives you exactly the same test as sitting it in Adelaide. Preparation is the same everywhere too — start with the free timed practice test.
Common questions
Does any New Zealand university require GAMSAT?
No New Zealand institution appears in our dataset of institutions that admit on GAMSAT, all of which are Australian, British or Irish. ACER lists New Zealand as a test-delivery country only. Confirm requirements directly with any New Zealand programme you are considering — we do not track New Zealand admissions criteria.
Can I sit GAMSAT in New Zealand and apply to Australia?
Yes. Where you sat the test has no bearing on where the score can be used. You do need to nominate the correct country in your ACER account so your results are forwarded to the right admissions body, and a change of country later attracts a fee.
What if I do not live near Auckland, Christchurch or Hamilton?
ACER allows a fully remote sitting of Sections 1 and 3 if you live more than three hours’ drive from a listed test centre, on application and with supporting documentation. Approval is a separate notification from your registration confirmation, and bookings made without it are cancelled automatically.
How much is it in New Zealand dollars?
ACER does not quote NZD. The fee is charged in Australian dollars at A$568, converted at your card’s exchange rate on the day you book.