GAMSAT Tips & Suggestions

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Table of Contents 1. About the GAMSAT Syllabus 2. The Test Structure A. Test Format B. Test Timing C. Question Pattern: MCQs 2.1 Tips to Manage MCQs 3. Skills You Need 3.1 Section 1 3.2 Section 2 3.3 Section 3 4. Section 1 - Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences 4.1 Classification of vignettes A. Humanities B. Data Interpretation 4.2 Types of Vignettes - Humanities A. Fiction B. Non fiction 4.2.1 Things to Look out for in Fiction and Non-fiction Passages C. Proverbs and Quotations 4.2.2 Things to Look out for in Quotations and Proverbs D. Poetry 4.2.2 Things to Look out for in Poetry Vignettes E. Visual stimulus 4.2.4 Things to Look out for in Visual Stimulus in Humanities F. Combined vignettes 4.3 Types of Vignettes: Data Interpretation A. Graphs B. Charts C. Tables D. Textual data 4.3.1 Things to Look out for in Data Interpretation Vignettes 4.3 Distribution of Vignettes 4.4 Types of Questions Based on Vignette A. Broad Question Type: Drama B. Broad Question Type: Novels and Short Stories C. Broad Question Type: Non-fiction D. Broad Question Type: Picture Study E. Broad Question Type: Poetry 5. Section 2 - Written Communication 5.1 The Two Tasks A. Task A: Discursive/ Argumentative/ Analytical Essay B. Task B: Expository/ Reflective/ Personal Essay

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5.2 Essay Framework A. Title B. Introduction C. Separate body paragraphs D. Conclusion 5.3 Choosing a Comment(s) A. Selection B. Interpretation C. Planning 5.4 Evaluation Parameters A. Thought and Content B. Organisation and Expression 5.5 Tips for Writing a Good GAMSAT Essay 6. Reading List for Sections 1 and 2 7. Section 3 – Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences 7.1 Classification of vignettes A. Physics B. Chemistry 1. Organic Chemistry 2. Physical Chemistry

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1.

About the GAMSAT Syllabus

The GAMSAT tests your ability to analyse and interpret information and decision-making and problem-solving skills. Apart from these soft skills, the exam also assesses your understanding of basic scientific concepts and ability to apply the same.This syllabus structures in detail the key concepts you need to know and the strategies you must adopt to tackle the test. While the techniques and strategies outlined in this booklet will help you deal with specific questions, keep in mind that there is no shortcut to learning the concepts needed. A holistic understanding of the subjects is mandatory to deal with the extremely competitive entrance examination.

2.

The Test Structure A.

Test Format Section 1: 75 questions Section 2: 2 essays Section 3: 110 questions

B.

Test Timing Total testing time: 5 hours 30 minutes (excluding the 1-hour lunch break) Section 1: 100 minutes. 10 minutes reading time (not included within the 100 minutes) Section 2: 60 minutes. 5 minutes reading time (not included within the 60 minutes) Lunch break: 1 hour Section 3: 170 minutes. 10 minutes reading time (not included within the 100 minutes)

C.

Question Pattern: MCQs Questions come in the Multiple-Choice format, that is, you are are given 4 options and must choose only one as the correct answer. There is no negative marking in GAMSAT, so you can guess freely.

2.1

Tips to Manage MCQs  If two options seem equally correct, think logically and improve your odds. Refer to the vignette to find the best answer.

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 Be careful when you confront “All of the above” and “None of the above” options. These options are tricky; you must weigh all the given options carefully.  Elimination is a good method to deal with such options. If at least two options seem correct then choose “All of the above”. Conversely, if any one of the given options seems incorrect then eliminate “All of the above”  Be careful of negative words like “Which of the following is NOT true about respiration?” Often, you will find that there is emphasis on the negative word with the use of capitalisation.  Pay attention to the double negatives in the stem like “Which of the following is NOT false about respiration?”  You can easily eliminate some alternatives on account of being completely irrelevant and implausible.  Some options act as distracters. In this case it is important to read the vignette carefully to identify the core concepts that the questions test.  Choose the best answer and eliminate those options which make no logical sense.  Pay special attention to options in numerical problems. The correct option should be approximately or exactly close to the number you get after calculation.

3.

Skills You Need 3.1

Section 1           

3.2

Social sensitivity Analytical skills Critical thinking Logical processing of data Understanding premises and assumptions/cause and effect Argumentative reasoning skills Interpretation skills Translating data from various formats Problem-solving skills Speed-reading ability Comprehension skills

Section 2  Argumentative skills  Cohesion of thought

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3.3

4.

      

Communication skills Ability to engage Logic Flexibility of thought Organisation of expression Thinking on your feet Social awareness

      

Speed reading ability Comprehension skills Basic mathematical aptitude Analytical skills Interpretation skills Logical processing of data Reasoning ability

Section 3

Section 1 - Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences 4.1

Classification of vignettes A.

Humanities    

B.

Fiction Non fiction Poetry Visual stimulus

Data Interpretation     

Graphs Charts Visual Stimulus Text-based passages Tables

C. Science  Physics

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    4.2

Organic Chemistry Physical Chemistry Biology Biochemistry

Types of Vignettes - Humanities A.

B.

Fiction    

Short story extracts Novel extracts Drama extracts Screenplay/script extracts

         

Essay extracts Reviews Extracts from newspapers/journals/periodicals Readers’ responses to articles/reports Interviews Quotations/proverbs/sayings Web content Blogs Communication Biographies and autobiographies

Non fiction

Types of Vignettes - Science A.

Physics

B.

Chemistry

C.

Biology

4.2.1 Things to Look out for in Fiction and Non-fiction Passages  Dialogues: Note what the characters say, the tone in which they speak and the subject of conversation.

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 Characterisations: Carefully note what the characters seem like. Remember that the passages are random, so you are not likely to know much about them. So, your inference must be as clear as possible, dependant only on the meagre information that you have at hand.  Character actions: Take note of how the characters behave. You can glean this from their body language, gestures, the way they speak and the words they use, and of course from the situation in which you find them.  Stage directions: This refers exclusively to drama extracts. Note the setting, that is, where you see the characters. This will help you get a better picture of the events that take place.  Words/phrases used in the passage: This is an extremely important point to note. Whether it is a fiction or a nonfiction passage, the words the author uses are extremely critical to denote the message that s/he conveys. You have to understand the meaning of the word/phrase with reference to the context in which the author uses it.  Tone/perspective of the narrator/author: The language the author uses and the style in which s/he writes reflect his/her overall sentiment. This is especially relevant in terms of nonfiction passages. If you read the passage carefully, you will see that the author might be detached, critical, analytical or humorous in tone. C.

Proverbs and Quotations  Standalone quotes by luminaries  Proverbs and adages  Quotations accompanying cartoons/poems/passages  Set of conflicting quotes

4.2.2 Things to Look out for in Quotations and Proverbs  Interpret in context: A proverb or a quotation might accompany a separate image or prose/poetry passage. In such cases, you must interpret the quotation/proverb in context. These

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vignettes in fact are easier; because of the fact that you actually have a hint of what the quotations mean.  Relate both/all vignettes: Relate both the quote/proverb and the image/prose/poetry to see how they fit each other. Once you understand the context, interpretation of the statement will become much easier.  Process of elimination: A problem that you will face with proverbs and quotations you are not familiar with, and those that do not accompany a passage or image, is the lack of context. The best you can do here is to eliminate the options and pick the one that seems closest to the statement.  Read a lot: That is the only way to become familiar not only with a variety of famous quotations, but with a variety of ways to express a thought. A quotation, or a proverb, after all, is only a way of expression that remains valid even when taken out of context.  Avoid using prior knowledge: Often, the vignette mentions the speaker of the quotation. Even if you are familiar with the personality, do NOT use your knowledge in the question. Any inference on the basis of your prior knowledge is not only unnecessary in this context, but is highly likely to be incorrect as well. D.

Poetry  Poem extracts  Song extracts

4.2.2 Things to Look out for in Poetry Vignettes  Figures of speech: The poet uses figures of speech to convey meanings. Familiarise yourself with the commonest figures of speech, such as metaphor, simile, personification and so on.  Read between the lines: What the poet is trying to say is often veiled behind the words. Read between the lines to see what can be the possible underlying meaning.  Infer from context: If you cannot understand the meaning of a particular line, infer the same from the entire poem as a

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whole. There is certainly some way in which it fits in the entire scenario.  Search for symbols: What are the recurring/constant motifs and symbols in the poem? These are significant and will help you understand the poem more easily.  Tone of the poem: Determine the tone the poet uses. It can be detached, sad or euphoric. Understanding this will help you interpret the lines much better.  Go by the question: If interpreting something becomes really tough, go with the option that comes closest to your understanding. If there is none, see which one you agree with the most.

E.

Visual stimulus    

Cartoons/sketches/photographs with captions Cartoons/sketches/photographs without captions Cartoons/sketches with speech bubble Cartoons/sketches without speech bubble

4.2.4 Things to Look out for in Visual Stimulus in Humanities  Be on a sharp lookout for details: Remember that every tiny bit of detail in the cartoon is there in order to draw your attention to something. Every object and person in a cartoon is significant.  Every cartoon has a message to convey: It might be a political issue, like some new policy formulated by the government that the cartoonist is opposing. Or, it might be a social issue. The cartoon is sure to have some conspicuous detail, a glaring clue to the message.  Facial features and other details: If there is an exaggeration of the facial features of the caricature, or some detail in the attire or expression, it is a dead giveaway of the message. It is very likely that the cartoonist has exaggerated the detail in order to better express the thought. It definitely has a very close connection to the story.

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 Semblance to other creatures: Often, the caricatures of people bear a close semblance to an animal. This is a very common trick, and the choice of the animal definitely points to some characteristic aspect of the person depicted that the cartoonist attempts to highlight. Sometimes, the artist uses animals behaving like humans to bring out a certain idea.  Labels or names: Often, the cartoonist labels an object or a person -in short, a feature- in the cartoon. The label is important because it acts as a very big clue to the interpretation of the cartoon. It is likely that the cartoonist chose to label that particular component in the cartoon to make the message clearer.  Accompanying quote/passage: Often, a quotation or a passage, or both accompany an image. In your interpretation of the image, take into account these as well. Both media are definitely closely connected. F.

Combined vignettes A unit in the GAMSAT Humanities paper can consist of a combination of any of the different types of vignettes. There can also be a unit that consists of related items of the same kind, that is, a couple of poetry vignettes.

4.3

Types of Vignettes: Data Interpretation A.

Graphs  Bar graphs  Line graphs  Scatter Diagrams

B.

Charts  Pie charts  Flowcharts

C.

Tables  Data tables

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D.

Textual data  Passage-based data  Puzzles

4.3.1 Things to Look out for in Data Interpretation Vignettes  Check for relations: Quickly note the relationship between the variables in each table, chart, or graph. Do they have a direct or indirect correlation? Where does the data spike or significantly decrease?  Look for closely-related points: Your first step is very crucial. The first point provided in the question may not necessarily initiate your solution. Try to look out for two (or more) most closely related points in the beginning and then it will be much easier to organise all the clues and/or conditions around them.  Link the question to the data: One common mistake in solving DI questions is using the wrong data. Make sure you understand what the question is asking, then stop and consider which table, graph, chart, or paragraph provides the information you have to interpret for the correct answer. Harder DI questions will require you to use more than one piece of data. The questions may be multi-step, so look closely for key phrases in the question that refer to the labels you already studied when you first reviewed the data.  Simplify: Always try to simplify the question by categorising data given into tables, Venn diagrams, etc.  Predict: You may be able to approximate an answer by rounding off numbers for certain questions. Be consistent in how you approximate, and only do so if the answer choices are far enough apart that estimation is prudent.  Read carefully: Don’t miss out on the units, the footnotes and wherever percentages have to be distinguished from the absolute value.  Visualise: If you make a note of the main points in a table or diagram (like a flow of events), it will help you to visualise the clues and/or conditions and you will be able to solve the puzzle very quickly. However, you have to be very careful while creating the same because a single error may lead to the whole table/diagram being incorrect.

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4.3

Distribution of Vignettes A percentage distribution* of the GAMSAT Section 1 questions will be as follows:  Fiction: 13%  Non-fiction: 53%  Poetry: 20%  Picture study: 4%  Data Interpretation: 10% *Note that the distributions given here are indicative of average ACER distribution.

4.4

Types of Questions Based on Vignette A.

Broad Question Type: Drama  Questions based on dialogues  Questions based on character actions  Questions based on stage setting

Based on the abovementioned broad question types, what are the questions you can expect?  What does character B mean when s/he says a particular word or line?  What does A mean about B by saying "XYZ"?  What does the dramatic excerpt suggest about the mindset of the characters?  What does the excerpt suggest of the relationship between characters A and B?  What impression of the surrounding is generated from the given details?  What impression of the character C comes through in the dramatic excerpt? B.

Broad Question Type: Novels and Short Stories  Questions based on the usage of words/phrases in the passage

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 Questions based on the characterisation in the passage  Questions based on the structure of the passage  Questions based on perspective/tone of author/narrator  Questions based on the theme/idea of the passage  Questions based on the setting of the passage Based on the abovementioned broad question types, what are the questions you can expect?  What does the opening line of the passage suggest?  What does the reaction of character A to a particular situation suggest?  How can the tone of the passage be best described?  How can the relationship between character A and character B be best described?  What does the author most nearly mean by the word ABC?  What can be gleaned of the character B from the extract?  What is most likely to be the point of discussion in the passage immediately following/preceding the given  How can the attitude of character A be best described?  What can be inferred of the narrator’s characteristics from the piece?  What is the format that the author follows in structuring the piece?  How is paragraph 1 related to paragraph 4?  What would be the most suitable title to the given piece? C.

Broad Question Type: Non-fiction  Questions based on certain words/phrases in the passage  Questions based on the theme/idea of the passage  Questions based on the structure of the passage  Questions based on the tone/point of view of the author

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Based on the abovementioned broad question types, what are the questions you can expect?  What is the basic idea that the passage is based on?  What is the message that the author is trying to convey in the given passage?  How can the structure of the passage be best described?  What is the relationship between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2?  What is the principal concern of the author in the passage?  What is most likely to be the topic of discussion in the passage immediately following the given one?  What is certainly NOT the concern of the author in the passage?  What does the author mean by the word ABC?  What does the word ABC most nearly mean, as used in the passage?  What does the author try to convey by using the phrase XYZ?  What is certainly not implied by the phrase XYZ used in the passage?  Which of the following arguments is the author most likely to disagree with?  How can the tone of the author be best described in the passage?  How can the point of view of the author be best described as in the passage?  What would be the most appropriate title for the piece? D.

Broad Question Type: Picture Study  Questions based on the message conveyed by the cartoon  Questions based on facial features/expressions  Questions based on labels or names  Questions based on the event depicted in the image

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 Questions based on the dialogue given in the speech bubble  Questions based on the caption Based on the abovementioned broad question types, what are the questions you can expect?  What message is given out by the cartoon/image?  What is the centre of humour in the cartoon?  What is the proverb that goes best with the cartoon/image?  What is the speaker most likely to mean by the statement?  What would be the likeliest caption of the cartoon/image?  How can the tone of the cartoon be best described?  How can the setting of the cartoon/image be best described? E.

Broad Question Type: Poetry  Questions asked on the idea / Theme of the poem  Questions based on the narrator/ his point of view/ his relation to other characters in the poem  Questions asked on setting/ atmosphere of the poem  Questions asked on the tone of the poet  Questions based on particular lines of a poem  Questions asked on symbolism and imagery

Based on the abovementioned broad question types, what are the questions you can expect?  What does the opening line/closing line of the poem suggest?  What is the atmosphere in the poem like?  What does the phrase/word ABC / XYZ in line 4 imply?  What is the verb/adjective used in line 8 referring to?  What does line 5 imply?  Whom is the speaker addressing?

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 What can definitely be inferred of the speaker from the poem?  Which word does the poet use in order to emphasise a certain point in the poem?  Which of the following words do not express a certain idea in the poem?  Which of the following expresses the idea of the poem most appropriately?  How can the setting of the poem be best described?  How can the tone of the poem be best described?  What comparison has been used by the poet in order to refer to a certain idea?  The speaker’s state is reinforced by which of the following images?  What is the central topic/subject dealt with in the poem?  What would be the perfect / nearest synonym for the word ABC?  What is the relationship between the sections of the passage?

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5.

Section 2 - Written Communication 5.1

The Two Tasks A.

Task A: Discursive/ Argumentative/ Analytical Essay  State your stance- for, against, neutral  Validate your stance with arguments and examples

B.

Task B: Expository/ Reflective/ Personal Essay  Use a personal style  Explore your experiences  State your thoughts and illustrate with experiences  Evaluate the experiences with logical introspection

5.2

Essay Framework A.

B.

C.

Title      

Short Catchy Attention-grabbing Tone/slant setting Thought-provoking Glimpse into the topic

    

Begin with hook sentence Thesis statement Short Attention-grabbing Avoid stating your stance outright

Introduction

Separate body paragraphs  One paragraph for each argument

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D.

5.3

   

No repetitions No overlapping Sequencing of ideas Smooth transition from one paragraph to the next

    

Clear stance Reinforcement of stance Create opening for further thought No new argument presented Not a summary of the essay

Conclusion

Choosing a Comment(s) A.

Selection  Which topic do you have most to say about?  Do you agree or disagree? Or, are you neutral?  Check if you have enough support for the stance you wish to take.  Disagreeing might give you more arguments that agreeing.  Incorporate multiple quotes if you cannot choose.

B.

Interpretation  Quotes might reflect opposing principles.  Understand what the quotes mean before interpreting.  Interpretation can be radical, or very safe; it doesn’t matter.

C.

Planning       

5.4

Evaluation Parameters

Jot down points during reading time. Pen only most relevant points. Sequence your thoughts in order of importance. Avoid unnecessary ramblings. No ambiguity is permitted. Choose arguments you can validate and illustrate. Don’t deviate from the topic.

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A.

Thought and Content 1. Unity of subject: Adhere to the quote(s) you choose. Diverting from the topic is not acceptable. 2. Diversity of discussion: Flexibility of thought is essential, so try to explore the topic from various perspectives. 3. Attention to detail: Don’t assume the reader knows everything. Make sure your illustrations and arguments are clearly explained. 4. Factual accuracy: If you are putting in facts, make sure they are correct. Get proper names right; and avoid dates and names if you are unsure. 5. Separate but relevant ideas in each paragraph: Each paragraph is dedicated to a separate but relevant argument, idea or opinion. 6. Usage and incorporation of illustrations: Illustrations are a must. Ideally, there should be one relevant example supporting each argument. 7. Adequate elaboration of ideas/cohesiveness: Keep the essay tightly wound together. Elaborate your arguments, but no more than is necessary. 8. Self-contradiction/Taking a stance: Your stance may be neutral, but don’t contradict yourself by refuting your own statements. Present all sides of the issue if necessary, but stick to your own stance. 9. Originality of thought: Avoid making an entire essay out of a well-known tale, and don’t use the quote/quotes you choose verbatim to embellish the essay.

B.

Organisation and Expression 1. Essay structure: Stick to the title-introductionbody paragraph-conclusion framework. Each is equally important.

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2. Adherence to word limit: A too-long essay might become tedious to read, and you might lose track of thought and run out of time. Stay within the 300-500 word limit. 3. Sequencing of ideas throughout the essay: Keep a check that the flow of ideas in the writing is logical in terms of thought as well as fluid in terms of expression. 4. Style and readability: Easy reading is the key. Be consistent with the styles that you choose for a particular essay. Use short sentences. 5. Grammatical correctness: Grammar and sentence construction must be correct. Try to use transitional words/phrases. Subject-verb agreement is essential. 6. Punctuation: Apostrophe, quotation marks, commas, question marks, periods – should be used correctly. 7. Accuracy of spelling: There should not be too many errors in the spellings. Use British spellings. 8. Sentence length and structure: Short sentences are always better and easier to read than the lengthy ones. Active voice sentences are more desirable than passive voice. Sentences should be well-constructed and organised and excessively long and complex sentences are to be avoided. 9. Usage of acronym: Do not use acronyms. They vary from place to place, and using the full form is always safe. 10. Handwriting: Neat and legible copies make a good impression. Lower legibility might also lead to the reader misconstruing your thoughts. 5.5

Tips for Writing a Good GAMSAT Essay  Cogent arguments: There must be cogent arguments to support the opinions you present in an essay. Without these arguments, your opinions are open to interpretation, and this gives the impression that you do not have anything to say in favour of your ideas.

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 Give good examples: Put in illustrations to support your arguments. Examples always back up your arguments. You can take them from anywhere, including historical events, current affairs, stories and personal anecdotes.  Add a personal touch: In a reflective essay, a personal touch is always welcome. Of course, this is not mandatory, but a personal anecdote or a narrative in the first person is a good way to go.  Queen’s language: Always write the GAMSAT essay in British English.  Give a title: Do not omit to give a good title to the essay. Try to keep it crisp and catchy. The title should give a hint to the reader of what is about to come without saying too much.  Stick to the structure: Structure your essay properly. There should be a clear introduction, a body structure divided into several paragraphs, and a conclusion. Keep the separate arguments in distinct paragraphs.  Choose the topic wisely: Choose a topic you have ample to say about. Unless you have at least three to four arguments lined up, the essay will merely become repetitive. Avoid repetition at all costs.  Avoid ambiguity: Do not be ambiguous anywhere. The examiner should be in no doubt as to what your opinions are. An argumentative essay often requires you to weigh the pros and cons in the debate; in such a situation, make sure that you validate each and every point, both in for and against the topic.  Don’t leave unsupported hypothesis: Whatever hypotheses you present, make sure you back it up with arguments and examples. Without these, your stance claim remains unfounded.  Don’t be repetitive: Don’t repeat your arguments to lengthen your essay. This applies to vocabulary and examples as well.

6.

Reading List for Sections 1 and 2

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7.

Section 3 – Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences 7.1

Classification of vignettes A.

Physics  Forces 1. Newton’S first Law, Newton’s Second Law and Newton’s Third Law. 2. Vectors: vector addition , vector subtraction, vector components, vector trigonometry. 3. Resolving forces into perpendicular components. 4. Normal Forces, Friction, Static and Kinetic Forces. 5. Calculating forces on an inclined plane. 6. Laws of Universal Gravitation: mass and weight. 7. Calculating gravitational force between two masses.

 Linear Motion 1. Distance, Time, Speed, Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, Acceleration due to gravity (g), Friction and Air resistance. 2. Graphical representation of linear motion, including displacement-time and velocity-time graphs. 3. Kinematic relationship between displacement, time, velocity and acceleration assuming constant acceleration. 4. Analysis of graphs: calculating area under the curve. 5. Separating motion into horizontal and vertical components. 6. Understanding vertical motion.

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7. Concepts and application of air resistance. 8. Calculating projectile motion.  Non-linear Motion 1. Concepts of angular displacement, velocity and acceleration. 2. Relationship between angular displacement, velocity and acceleration. 3. Graphing rotational motion: calculation of radians and degrees.

 Energy and Work 1. Concepts of work, power, kinetic and potential energy. 2. Concepts and application of concepts Law of Conservation of Energy and Law of Conservation of Momentum. 3. Concepts of elastic and non-elastic collision. 4. Concepts of Elasticity and Hooke’s Law. 5. Calculation of elastic force and potential.  Fluids 1. Concepts of Density, Pressure, Hydrostatic Pressure, Atmospheric pressure, and Buoyancy. 2. Concepts of Archimedes Principle. 3. Concepts of surface tension. 4. Understanding the difference between cohesive and adhesive forces. 5. Patterns of liquid flow (streamline, laminar flow and turbulent flow). 6. Calculation of total hydrostatic pressure at depth. 7. Understanding effect of ice melting on water level. 8. Equation of continuity of liquid flow. 9. Understanding liquid flow through varying diameters. 10. Concepts of Bernoulli’s equation. 11. Application of Bernoulli’s equation.

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 Thermodynamics 1. Concepts of system, heat, temperature, specific heat capacity, conduction and thermal conductivity, convection and radiation. 2. First Law of Thermodynamics, and Second Law of Thermodynamics. 3. Calculating of specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity. 4. Understanding the relationship between pressure, volume and work. 5. Understanding work done by a system or work done on a system ...of varying volume and constant pressure.

 Electrostatics 1. Concepts of Coulomb's Law, electric field and electric potential. 2. Calculating the magnitude of forces between two point charges. 3. Calculating the electric field strength around a point charge. 4. Calculating the electric potential of a charge in an electric field.  Current electricity and Circuits

1. Concepts of Ohm’s Law: relationship between current, voltage and resistance. 2. Understanding series and parallel circuits. 3. Concepts of electric power and energy. 4. Understanding the concepts of Kirchoff’s Law.

 Magnetism

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1. Concepts of magnets: permanent, induced and electromagnets. 2. Concepts of magnetism, magnetic force, magnetic field, magnetic induction and electromagnetism. 3. Understanding polarity of magnets and magnetic fields around a bar magnet. 4. Calculating the magnitude of force on a moving charge in an external magnetic field. 5. Understanding the mechanism of induction. 6. Calculating the direction and magnitude of force on a current carrying wire in an external magnetic field. 7. Calculating the magnetic field created by current carrying wires.

 Waves 1. Concepts of Transverse waves: Peaks and Troughs, Longitudinal waves: Compression and Rarefactions, frequency, wavelength, period, amplitude, wave velocity, and node. 2. Concepts of superposition of waves: constructive and destructive interference. 3. Concepts of standing waves. 4. Concepts of sound intensity, timbre, beats, and Doppler effect. 5. Concepts of reflection, refraction, and Snell’s Law. 6. Concepts of simple harmonic motion, spring oscillator and pendulum. 7. Concepts of relative sound intensity scale. 8. Understanding reflection and refraction of waves: Snell’s Law. 9. Calculation of the time period and frequency of simple Harmonic Motion. 10. Understanding the mechanics of simple pendulum. 11. Understanding the Doppler effect and calculating the apparent frequency detected when the source is in relative motion.

 Nuclear Physics

1. Concepts of atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, atomic number, mass number, isotopes, and Law of conservation of mass.

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2. Concepts of radiation: alpha particle, beta particle and gamma radiation, half life, nuclear fission, fission chain reaction and nuclear fusion. 3. Understanding the forces within an atom and their effect on nuclear stability 4. Understanding the process of different types of radioactive decay. Understanding the constituents, charge and penetrance of different types of radiation. 5. Understanding the rate of radioactive decay is dependent upon half-life. 6. Understanding nuclear fission and its role in generating nuclear power. 7. Understanding the process of nuclear fusion.

 Basic Math 1. Concepts of basic exponentials and basic logarithms. 2. Understanding of linear graphs, exponential and inverse graphs 3. Understanding the concepts of interpolation and extrapolation in graphs. B.

Chemistry 1.

Organic Chemistry  IUPAC nomenclature  Alkanes, Alkenes and Alkynes 1. Steric hinderance and Pi bond. 2. Understanding that cycloalkanes forms bonds at angles that minimise the energy state of the structure. 3. Conformations of cyclohexane (boat and chair conformations). 4. Conformations of alkenes and alkynes: understanding that steric hindrance results in cis isomers being less stable than trans isomer.  Alcohols, Ethers, Aldehyde and Ketones

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1. Hydrophilic, Lipophilic and Resonance. 2. Understanding the role of pi electrons in resonance and the rules of resonance. 3. Understanding the role of H bonding in determining the boiling point of alcohol 4. Understanding the change in physical properties of alcohols as they get larger (e.g., solubility in certain media, boiling point etc.) 5. Understanding the chemical properties of alcohols (as Bronsted acids and bases, and as nucleophiles) 6. Understanding the acidity of aldehyde due to resonance.  Carboxylic acid, Esters, Amines 1. Understanding the acidity of carboxylic acid.  Benzene compounds  Reaction mechanism:addition, substitution, elimination, redox, rearrangement  Isomer 1. Structural isomer, conformational isomer: Newman projections 2. Isomers undergo inter-convertibility, understanding that enantiomers have identical physical property but different chemical reactivity.  Stereochemistry 1. Chirality, Enantiomer, Fischer projection, Diastereomer, optical activity, Racemic compound and meso compounds. 2. Representing compounds containing chiral carbon with Fischer projections. 3. Understanding enantiomers polarise light towards different directions (D or L). 4. Understanding that meso compounds are not optically active.

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5. Determining chiral configuration (determining R or S nomenclature). Biochemistry  Carbohydrates 1. Determining the chirality (D or L) of carbohydrate. 2. Concepts of Glycosidic linkage. 3. Understanding polysaccharides.  Lipids 1. Concepts of Triglycerides. 2. Understanding saturated fatty acid vs unsaturated fatty acid. 3. Concepts of saponification. 4. Understanding the effect of double bonds on melting point and the typical phase of saturated and non-saturated fatty acids at room temperature.  Protein 1. Concepts of amino acids, peptide bonds, Nterminal and C-terminal residue. 2. Concepts of zwitterion and isoelectric point, and physical property of amino acids. 3. Understanding that the side chains determine the chemical property of amino acids. 4. Understanding peptide bonds and their role in protein formations. 5. Concepts of Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary structure of protein. 6. Understanding that secondary structure can be either alpha helix or beta sheet.

 Other lab techniques and structure determining methods for organic compounds 1. Chromatography, Titration, 2. Basic understanding of IR-UV-visible spectroscopy 3. Basic understanding of NMR spectroscopy

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4. Basic understanding of Mass spectroscopy

2.

Physical Chemistry  Moles and Avogadro’s number, Stoichiometry  Bohr atom: speed of light, Planck’s constant  Atomic Structure 1. Concepts of wave mechanical atom, Principal quantum number, Angular momentum quantum number, Magnetic quantum number and Magnetic moment of the electron. 2. Understanding Bohr atom with respect to the hydrogen atom: concepts of the discrete atomic spectra of the hydrogen atom. 3. Understanding the wave-mechanical model, orbital shapes, rules of electron configuration. 4. Understanding the relationship between wavelength and frequency of electromagnetic radiation, and calculating the energy of a photon of a known frequency or wavelength.  Periodic Table 1. Understanding the structure of the periodic table with regards to electron configuration. 2. Understanding periodic trends with regards to atomic radius, ionic radius, ionisation energy and electronegativity 3. Understanding the process of ionisation and the direction with ionisation with regards to position on the periodic table 4. Understanding the effect of periodic trends on the strength of hydrogen halide acids  Chemical Bonding 1. Ionic bond, covalent bond (polar covalent bond), metallic bonding 2. Intramolecular bonding: Hydrogen bonding, permanent dipole-dipole attractions, temporary dipoledipole attractions

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3. Concepts on electrical conductivity in metals a. Understanding the geometrical arrangements of molecules. Concepts of relative strengths of different types of intermolecular forces.  Chemical Kinetics and Chemical Equilibrium 1. Collision theory, Transition state theory, factors affecting the reaction rate 2. Understanding the factors that affect the rate of the reaction (i.e., orientation of the molecules and activation energy) 3. Understanding that reaction rate is equivalent quantitatively to the change in concentration of reactants and products. 4. Rate Laws: Forward and Backward Reaction 5. Understanding the factors that affect the reaction rate (eg. concentration, surface area of the reactants, temperature of the reaction) 6. Chemical Equilibrium, Reaction quotient, equilibrium constant 7. Determining the reaction quotient and calculating the constant of equilibrium 8. Le Chatelier’s Principle 9. Applying Le Chatelier’s principle to determine the direction of a reaction when a change occurs at equilibrium: change in temperature at equilibrium, change in pressure at equilibrium, change in volume at equilibrium, and change in concentration at equilibrium. 10. Catalyst Concepts that catalysts decrease the time taken to reach equilibrium but does not change the equilibrium constant itself  Thermochemistry 1. Standard state, Enthalpy : Endothermic reaction, exothermic reaction, entropy, Free energy: Gibb’s Helmholtz reactioN 2. Understanding that enthalpy change determines the heat of the reaction 3. Understanding factors that influence entropy and entropy of reaction 4. Calculating free energy and determining the spontaneity of a reaction.  Gases 1. Ideal Gas, Boyle’s Law, Charles’s Law, Gay-Lusac’s Law, Avogadro’s Law

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2. Graham’s Law of Effusion, Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures, Ideal Gas Law, 3. Universal Gas Constant, Real Gases 4. Understanding the differences between ideal gas and real gas 5. Understanding the impact of intermolecular forces and molecular size on the pressure and volume of real gases 6. Understanding the relationship between pressure, volume, temperature and quantity of gases 7. Understanding the relationship between temperature, kinetic energy and average speed 8. Understanding the factors that affect rate of effusion.  Phases 1. Solid, liquid and Gases, Melting/ freezing point, Evaporation and Condensation, Melting and Boiling Point, Sublimination, Specific heat capacity, Triple point and Critical Point 2. Factors that influence the phase of substances (temperature, pressure, and strength of intermolecular forces). 3. Understanding the phases and changes of phases at a molecular level. 4. Enthalpy and entropy changes associated with phase changes 5. Calculating the energy requirements associated with temperature changes of substances with defined specific heat capacity 6. Understanding the temperature vs pressure diagrams in the context of phases 7. Understanding why evaporation occurs temperature is below boiling point

 Solutions and Solubility 1. Solute, Solvent, Solubility 2. Molarity, Normality and Molality, Mole fraction 3. Solubility product, Common ion effect 4. Understanding that the polarity of the solvents determines the type of solute that dissolves 5. Understanding that the process of dissolving can be either an endothermic or exothermic process 6. Understanding the effect of temperature and pressure on the solubility of solids and gases 7. Calculating ionic concentrations of a solute with a defined solubility product

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8. Concepts of the relationship between molality of a solution on the boiling and freezing points  Acids and Bases 1. Acid and Conjugate base, Base and conjugate acid 2. Dissociation constant of acid, base and water 3. Definition of pH: concepts of acidity and basicity 4. Strong and weak acid, Strong and weak base 5. Acid dissociation constant (Ka), pKa, Base dissociation constant Kb (pKb) 6. Buffer and Titration Curve 7. Understanding the dissociation of water and how it affects hydrogen and hydroxide ion concentrations 8. Calculate pH from the hydrogen ion concentration 9. Concepts of periodic trends on the strength of acids and base 10. Understanding factors that determine the strength of oxoacids 11. Understanding that metal hydroxides are strong bases while nitrogen bases are weak bases 12. Calculating the concentration of hydrogen ions (or pH) of weak acids with defined pKa 13. Relationship between base constant and acid constant 14. Calculating the pH of weak bases

Biology

 Biomolecules 1. Understanding of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and Nucleic acids. 2. Understanding the difference in structure and function between carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. 3. Understanding the role of biomolecule in cell biology.  Enzymes 1. 2. 3. 4.

Catalyst, Activation Energy, rate of reaction. Lock-and-key model, Induced-fit model, Transition state. Michaelis-Menten Equation, Lineweaver-Burk Equation. Concepts of enzymes as biological catalyst and protein.

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5. Concepts of enzymes increase the rate of chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy. 6. Understanding the induced-fit model used to explain the function of an enzyme. 7. Understanding how enzymes stabilize the transition state of reactants. 8. Understanding the Michaelis-Menten equation as a mathematical model for enzyme kinetics. 9. Concepts of Lineweaver-Burk equation as an alternate way to represent Michaelis-Menten equation and enzyme kinetics.

 Cell 1. Concepts of phospholipid membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, golgi apparatus, cytoskeleton, intracellular signalling, and homeostasis. 2. Understanding the structure and function of cell components: organelles and membranes. 3. Understanding how cell communicates with each other via receptors, hormones and neurotransmitters. 4. Understanding cellular communication involves a cascade intracellularly via receptors. 5. Understanding homeostatsis at both cellular and systemic level.

 Metabolism 1. Concepts of ATP, glucose, glycolysis, Kerbs cycle, anerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration. 2. Understanding the role of ATP as an energy molecule. 3. Understanding how the transfer of electrons allow for the transfer of energy and bonding. 4. Understanding how glycolysis produces energy for a cell. 5. Understanding how the Krebs cycle generates energy for a cell. 6. Understanding the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

 Cell Nucleus

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1. Concepts of DNA, mRNA, tRNA, genes, introns, exons, promoters, methylation, and histone acetylation. 2. Understanding how a gene is transcripted into mRNA. 3. Understanding how the cell nucleus controls protein synthesis. 4. Understanding how mRNA is translated at ribosomes and used to synthesise proteins. 5. Understanding the mechanism of gene regulation to control a cell.  Mitosis 1. Understanding of G1 phase, S phase, G2 phase, chromosomes, and mitosis: interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. 2. Understanding the stages of a cell cycle and the stages of mitosis.  Genetics 1. Concepts of traits, alleles, genotype, phenotype, Mendelian inheritance, Homozygous, Heterozygous, Dominant genes, recessive genes, and Co-dominance. 2. Understanding the concept of Mendelian inheritance, difference between genotype and phenotype, difference between homozygous and heterozygous. 3. Concepts of dominant and recessive genes and their pattern of inheritance. 4. Concepts of co-dominance of genes (eg. the ABO blood group system).

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Meiosis 1. Concepts of haploid, diploid, gametes, fertilization, meiosis, and homologous chromosomal pairs. 2. Understand the gametes as formed through meiosis. 3. Concepts of chromosomal inheritance as related to meiosis. 4. Understanding ploidy in gamete production.

 Nervous System

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1. Understanding neurons, axons, dendrites, myelin sheaths, synapse, and action potential. 2. Understanding the structure and function of a neuron. 3. Understanding how action potentials are propagated through a nerve. 4. Understanding the difference and importance of myelinated versus unmyelinated nerve fibres. 5. Understanding that the nervous system can be divided anatomically into the central and peripheral nervous systems. 6. Understanding that the nervous system can be divided functionally into sensory and motor nervous system. 7. Understanding that the motor nervous system can be divided into voluntary and involuntary subsystems. 8. Understanding that the involuntary motor nervous system can be divided into the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

 Gastrointestinal System

1. Mouth, Oesophagus, Stomach, Duodenum, Liver, Bile duct, Pancreas, Small intestine, Large intestine, rectum, digestion, Absorption, Villi, Microvilli, Hepatic Portal Vein, Appetite, Vitamins and Minerals. 2. Understanding the role and function of each part of the digestive system. 3. Understanding the importance of surface area for absorption. 4. Understanding that the hepatic portal vein carries absorbed nutrients from the intestinal system to the liver. 5. Understanding that fatty acids are absorbed via different mechanisms. 6. Understanding how apetite is an interaction between the brain and digestive system, facilitated by nerves and hormones. 7. Understanding the role of vitamins and minerals in body health.

 Musculoskeletal System

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1. Axial skeleton, Haversian system, PTH, Calcitonin, Smooth Muscle, SkeletaL system, Antagonistic muscles, myofibrils, sarcomere, actin, myosin, troponin, length-tension relationship, Preload, Afterload, Isometric contractions, Isotonic Contractions 2. Concepts of the major bones of the body. 3. Understanding how bones are regulated by both PTH and calcitonin. 4. Identifying the major muscles of the body. 5. Understanding how muscles are grouped functionally. 6. Understanding the histological organisation of skeletal muscle. 7. Understanding that the sarcomere is smallest functional contractile unit. 8. Understanding how actin, myosin and troponin interact cyclically during sarcomere contraction. 9. Understanding the control of sarcomere contraction by nerves and calcium ions. 10. Understanding the role of preload and afterload on muscle contraction. 11. Distinguish between isometric and isotonic contractions.

 Cardiovascular System

1. Atria, Ventricles, Valves, pulmonary Circulation, Systemic Circulation, Arterioles, Capillaries, Venules, Veins, Cardiomyocytes, cardiac cycle, SA node, AV node, Purkinje fibres, Starling equation, Frank-Starling mechanism, Stroke volume, Blood pressure. 2. Understanding the functional anatomy of the heart. 3. Distinguish anatomically and functionally veins from arteries. 4. Understanding the importance of pulmonary circulation, and systemic circulation. 5. Understanding the intrinsic contractility of cardiomycetes. 6. Understanding how the heart rate is controlled and generated. 7. Understanding how the heart’s electrical signal is conducted.

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8. Understanding the net flow of fluid across the capillary wall is governed by the Starling equation. 9. Understanding how changes in stroke volume can be accomplished by alterations in the venous return according to the Frank-Starling mechanism. 10. Understanding how blood pressure is regulated via baroreceptors neurally and hormones (ADH and RAAS).

 Respiratory System

1. Trachea, Bronchi, Lungs, Bronchioles, Alveoli, Negative Pressure, and Pulmonary Circulation. 2. Concepts of lung volumes: tidal volume, functional residual capacity, inspiratory capacity, inspiratory reserve volume, expiratory reserve volume, residual volume, vital capacity, and total lung capacity. 3. Elastance, Surfactant, Dead Space, Alveolar Gas Equation, ventilation, perfusion, RBC, and Haemoglobin. 4. Concepts of haemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve. 5. Understanding breathing mechanics and the way lungs work as negative pressure systems. 6. Understanding how lungs are designed for gas exchange. 7. Understanding how compliance and elastance of lung tissue affects ventilation. 8. Understanding the role of surfactant in the alveoli and its significance in respiratory distress syndrome. 9. Understanding the significance of the alveolar gas equation in terms of all the factors that affect alveolar pO2. 10. Understanding how the anatomy and the vertical position of the lung can affect both ventilation and perfusion. 11. Understanding the importance of RBCs in oxygen transport and the properties of haemoglobin in both low and high oxygen environments. 12. Understanding that lungs are the primary means of getting rid of carbon dioxide from cellular metabolism. 13. Understanding the integration of neural, chemical and sensory information in the control of respiration.  Renal System 1. Ureters, Medullary pyramids, Renal artery and Renal vein, Nephron, Interstitial fluid and Extracellular fluid, Glomerular filtration, Counter-current system.

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2. Understanding the functional structure of a kidney: cortex, calyx, renal pelvis, ureters, medullary pyramids, renal artery and renal vein. 3. Understanding the function of nephron: the smallest functional renal unit. 4. Understanding the role of lymphatics in draining interstitial fluids. 5. Understanding the role of the kidneys in regulating the amount of fluid in the body. 6. Understanding that fluid accumulation in the body signals poor renal function, cardiac function and fluid balance. 7. Understanding the role of kidneys as an excretory system for waste products. 8. Understanding that glomerular filtration is the first step in the formation of urine and the role of Starling’s force. 9. Understand how the counter-current system of the nephron allows for regulation of urine concentration and volume.

 Miscellaneous 1. Understanding the lymphatic, immune and endocrine systems of animals 2. Understanding mechanisms governing behaviour in animals 3. Understanding the requirements for plant growth 4. Understanding photosynthesis 5. Recognising plant responses to environmental stimuli (trophisms) 6. Understanding viral replication mechanism 7. Understanding variation in gene pool 8. Understanding Lamarckian and Darwinian theories of selection 9. Understanding the mechanism of selection 10. Understanding the factors governing population size and recognising patterns of growth 11. Understanding different form of community interaction (competition, symbiosis, parasitism, mutualism, mimicry, succession). 12. Understanding the components of an ecosystem-trophic levels, energy pyramids, food webs, nutrient cycling. 13. Understanding the factors that influence the environment and biosphere, including climatic factors and pollution.

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 Tips to Deal with Visual Stimulus Vignettes 1. Tests your ability to visualise, analyse and mould your thought process in a time-effective way to arrive at the right answer. 2. Apart from having sound prior knowledge, smart reading of data provided in the vignette is required 3. Data Interpretation comprises of flowcharts, schematic diagrams of metabolic pathways, circuit diagrams, graphs with two or more variables, experimental data with certain values and relevant units, organic reaction mechanisms, electronic transitions etc. 4. Collate information from the vignette mentally and then read the questions to see which parameter or variable is dealt with. 5. Graphical presentation of data is the most commonly seen vignette in GAMSAT Section 3. 6. Graphs test your ability to relate variables and their dependency on one another. Be careful to differentiate between positive (direct proportionality) and negative slopes (inverse proportionality). 7. In case of reaction mechanisms, carefully observe the mechanistic arrows (reversible, irreversible, inhibition, stimulation, attack by reactive species etc). 8. In case of graphs portraying motion or any other concept in Physics, observe the magnitude (in case of scalar quantities) and both magnitude and direction (in case of vector quantities). 9. Think of all the probable ways in which you can relate the variables in the graph and then read the question to judge the most apt way to solve it. 10. A three-step process to approach Data Interpretation questions in GAMSAT is i. observe ii. understand iii. interpret

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