GAMSAT and graduate medicine

Which route is right for you?

GAMSAT and HPAT serve different entry routes. For a first degree in medicine through the school-leaver route, read the undergraduate entry guide. This page focuses on graduate applicants eligible for EU fees applying through CAO.

For UCC, UCD, UL and RCSI in 2027, you need a 2:1 or better in your first Level 8 honours bachelor degree, with the award and classification formally ratified by 1 July 2027. A later graduation ceremony is acceptable if ratification is complete. EU fee eligibility is assessed by each school. These are the 2027 CAO graduate medicine requirements.

Your degree can be in any discipline, as UCC and RCSI explain. If your first degree is below a 2:1, ask admissions about your options before paying for GAMSAT; a later qualification does not automatically replace that first-degree requirement.

For eligible CAO applicants at these four schools, selection is by GAMSAT alone, with no interview, HPAT or Leaving Cert points added. Non-EU routes differ: for example, RCSI has separate applications, test and interview rules.

Irish schools and course codes

ACER lists these four established CAO medicine routes. Each programme lasts 4 years.

University of Galway’s planned Rural and Connected Health programme is a separate case: GY506, four years, with 24 places planned for 2027. Its published route includes a 2:1 degree, GAMSAT and a multiple mini interview. The programme and requirements remain subject to approval and accreditation; the four-school CAO booklet explicitly excludes Galway.

Plan tuition and living costs before choosing this route. RCSI explains that graduate medicine is outside the Free Fees Initiative. EU fee status does not mean tuition is free.

GAMSAT 2027 dates and applications

CAO’s 2027 booklet publishes the test windows and registration deadline below. ACER currently says registration opens in November 2026; it does not yet give an exact opening day. Check ACER when booking for component dates and arrangements.

These March windows cover different components of the same test cycle. Follow ACER’s booking instructions for which component takes place on each date.

The CAO application dates come from its 2027 timetable. Apply by the normal deadline and follow each school’s instructions; RCSI specifies 1 February for its EU graduate applicants.

ACER currently displays an Ireland registration fee of €378, checked on 25 October 2026. It is not labelled as a separate 2027 fee schedule. Confirm the price when registration opens; CAO application fees are separate.

Keep these steps separate

1. Check degree eligibility and fee status with the schools you want to enter.
2. Create an ACER account, register for GAMSAT and pay the test fee. Buying preparation materials does not register you for the test.
3. Apply through CAO for your chosen course codes, in your genuine order of preference.
4. Indicate Ireland in your GAMSAT registration and add your correct 2027 CAO number to your ACER account. Check the results recorded in your CAO application in late May. If your score is missing or wrong, send your results to CAO by post before 1 July 2027.
5. Arrange transcripts and any fee-status evidence early. The 2027 booklet sets documentation deadlines of 15 March for previous graduates and 1 July for 2027 graduates.

For reasonable adjustments, consult ACER’s registration instructions before the applicable deadline.

What is in GAMSAT?

The ACER 2026 information booklet, still its current booklet on 25 October 2026, gives the format below. Written Communication is taken remotely; the other two sections are taken at a test centre in a separate sitting. Check the 2027 instructions when released.

Humanities questions ask you to interpret ideas and arguments. Writing tasks assess how you develop and express ideas. Science questions require applying knowledge to unfamiliar information and problems. ACER describes the science level as first-year university biology and chemistry, and Leaving Cert or A-level physics.

That is 5 hours 15 minutes of test time across both sittings. ACER advises allowing about six hours at the test centre, including checks and the break. Read the remote computer requirements, test your setup and prepare your admission ticket and accepted photo ID. Calculators are prohibited.

Scores, offers and result validity

ACER reports three section scores and an overall score on a 0–100 scale. These are scaled scores, not percentages. The overall score weights science twice: (Humanities + Writing + 2 × Science) ÷ 4. Use your reported result; rounded section scores cannot reproduce it exactly.

Minimum eligibility is different from a competitive score

A qualifying degree allows you to compete; it does not secure a place. There is no fixed score that guarantees entry in 2027. The available places and applicants determine the offer cut-off.

CAO published these scores on 6 August 2026. The asterisk means not everyone on that score received an offer. They describe that round, rather than a minimum academic requirement or a prediction for 2027.

Which sittings count for 2027?

The four-school 2027 CAO booklet accepts September 2025, March 2026, September 2026, March 2027. September 2027 is too late for entry that year.

ACER’s general Ireland guidance gives two years’ validity and allows the best eligible result set to be used. Confirm the course-specific list of sittings instead of counting backwards yourself, and use a complete eligible result set.

Results are released through your ACER account. Its current results page gives mid-November 2026 for the September 2026 sitting; that is a 2026 result window. The 2027 CAO booklet expects scores in CAO accounts in late May 2027. Check yours: if it is missing or incorrect, post your results to CAO before 1 July 2027. All GAMSAT results must be recorded at CAO by 1 July for consideration for early August offers.

How to start preparing

Start with ACER’s official preparation materials and platform demo. ACER currently includes the Practice Test A e-book with registration and also offers interactive practice. Its demo helps you learn the interface; it is not an additional bank of new questions.

1. Try a small set of official questions to identify whether understanding, science knowledge or timing is the main difficulty.
2. For each error, record why the correct answer follows from the material and why your choice failed. Revisit the question after a gap.
3. Fill specific science gaps, then practise applying the concept in unfamiliar questions. Non-science graduates should allow time for this foundation.
4. Write timed responses and review the clarity, structure and development of your argument. Ask someone to read them and explain what was unclear.
5. Build towards timed section practice and complete the platform and equipment checks before test day.

ACER recommends broad reading, critical thinking and timed writing practice. It does not endorse commercial preparation courses. Judge paid resources against the specific gap you need to address.

Common questions