Do I Really Need A Gamsat Prep Course?
I get a lot of emails from Gamsat students asking - Do I really need a Gamsat Prep Course?
This is a reasonable question since a Gamsat prep course usually costs quite a bit of money.
Gamsat is already an expensive test and so it isn't unusual to wonder if it's really necessary to spend even more on a preparation course.
So let me try and answer the question as honestly as I can.
The quick answer is NO.
You don't NEED a course to prepare for Gamsat - at least most people don't.
This especially applies if you have plenty of time to prepare. If you're starting your studies say 6 months to a year ahead of time.
Because then you have plenty of time to investigate the test.
You can afford to spend hours reading Gamsat forums and online discussions to discover the latest trends in the test, what to study, where you can find all the best free resources online etc etc.
And you should have enough time to repeat this process for ALL THREE sections.
You'll be able to spend the hours necessary doing this for the humanities section, the essay writing section AND the science section before you actually begin to spend time actually studying anything.
And if half way through you discover you got some wrong or outdated information, it's no problem because you'll still have months before the test to correct the wasted time.
This also especially applies to science graduates who have a head start over humanities graduates without a science background.
So if money is tight then yes you can do it all yourself.
The Benefit Of A Professional
On the other hand, just because you don't NEED a Gamsat prep course, that doesn't mean that all Gamsat courses are a waste of money or that you won't get any benefit from them.
Let me give you an example.
When you learn to drive a car you don't NEED a professional driving instructor.
Most countries allow anyone with a driving licence to accompany you in the car and you can learn this way.
You can go out in a car with your parents and practice until you think you're ready to take your driving test.
But that doesn't mean hiring a professional instructor is a waste of money.
A professional instructor will have a car with dual controls allowing you to take more autonomy straight away and make more progress much sooner because the instructor can correct any mistakes you make immediately.
The instructor probably knows all the routes the examiners will take you on during your driving test and make sure you practice these exact roads.
And an instructor, through experience knows when you're ready to take your test, so you won't waste time and money by having to repeat it several times.
So if you can afford it then you'll probably improve your chances of passing your driving test first time by hiring a professional instructor.
The same goes for Gamsat.
What Type Of Gamsat Course?
The next question is what type of course is the most helpful?
In my opinion you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive attendance courses to have a science undergraduate give you high school level science lessons.
For most people a home study guide type course is more than sufficient. You should be looking for guidance about the test more than anything to save you the hours of investigation I talked about above.
If you'd like my list of recommended courses and some other important criteria to consider when choosing the ideal Gamsat prep course for you, then check out my other article in this blog about how to choose The Best Gamsat Preparation Courses which you may be interested in.
Best of luck!
Dr Peter Griffiths
Further Resources
For more help with GAMSAT check out Griffiths Gamsat Review GAMSAT Home Study Course which takes you step by step through all three sections with advanced strategies for each.
