GAMSAT is a standardized test. The exam pattern is completely different. It is the toughest medical entry and looks at the intellectual abilities of the candidate. There is no structured material to study GAMSAT. The curriculum and method are unique to the GAMSAT. Even calculating the score is a complicated process.
Students tend to calculate their scores after the exam out of curiosity. In GAMSAT it cannot be done. The qualification process has been kept confidential by ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research). No one knows how the GAMSAT score is calculated, except for a few people at ACER. Item response theory is believed to be being used to scale performance. There are still unexplored myths in calculating the GAMSAT score.
I was curious to know more about the calculation of the GAMSAT score. I researched and collected information. I would like to share that information. The result says that Item Response Theory (IRT) is being used to calculate the score.
What is IRT?
Item response theory is also known as latent trait theory or strong true score theory or modern mental test theory. It is the preferred method for the development of high-stakes tests, such as college entrance examination or medical admission, etc.
It is the study of test scores and items based on assumptions about the mathematical relationship between skills and item responses. It is the advanced form of classical proof theory.
IRT provides more sophisticated information about the item response.
Score calculation using IRT:
I would not say that the following are the exact method of calculating the GAMSAT score. I have tried to represent on my own with the information collected. I also know that there are no restrictions on guessing games.
The researchers hope that Item Response Theory (IRT) will be used to calculate the score. The IRT score requires a complex estimation procedure. It is very difficult to understand the calculation.
Item Response Theory means focusing on the response of the Item. Using this theory, the questions in each section will be evaluated separately. This evaluation will be based on the difficulty of the question and the candidate’s response.
The IRT curve will be created by modeling the candidate’s response. Measures the ability given to each item in the test. Therefore, the score will be calculated based on the performance of each candidate.
IRT is based on the probability of a correct or typed response to an item. It is a mathematical function of the person and item parameters. This person parameter is called “Latent Trait”.
In GAMSAT, each question will be standardized according to its level of difficulty. Candidate scores are also calibrated on that same difficulty level scale. These scores will then be scaled on the GAMSAT scale from 0 to 10 for each three separate sections.
Initially, the GAMSAT score will be calculated for each section using the following formula:
GAMSAT section score = (Estimate in logits + 5) X 10
“Logits” is the unit used for calculation in the IRT method
The overall GAMSAT score is calculated using the following formula:
Overall score = (1 x Section I + 1 x Section II + 2 x Section III) / 4
Most of us know the above formula. It is the only formula that is revealed to us, but there are many calculation steps that take place behind the screen.
IRT is considering the performance of the candidates and the difficulty of the questions. It is the critical method used to evaluate GAMSAT scores.
Let’s not depend on calculation. It is good to trust your preparation. It is important to spend more time reviewing past questionnaires. I would like to share the benefits of GAMSAT practice tests. It would help you perform well on your exam.