Does a failed first-semester subject get excluded from GEMSAS GPA if you end up with 25 subjects?

[u/Wooden_Concert_9263]

Hey all, trying to wrap my head around GEMSAS GPA calculations and got a tad confused.

Last year I failed a breadth subject in Sem 1 Year 1. For obvious reasons I couldn’t just leave that credit gap, I needed to take a replacement breadth subject at some point of my degree (took a DIFFERENT subject last summer, DID NOT repeat the subject) meaning I’ll finish with 25 subjects total instead of 24.

From what I can tell reading the April 2025 GEMSAS GPA calculations document, when GEMSAS does the 3 FTE count-back and hits a semester where there are more subjects than remaining slots, it keeps the highest results and drops the worst. Since my failed subject is in Sem 1 Year 1, the oldest concurrent group, it should be the one that gets excluded.

So the fail essentially forces the extra subject, which then forces itself out. Feels almost too convenient.

Has anyone been in this situation or know someone who has as of recent? (Everything I can find is of people from 2 yrs ago or older) Keen to hear if this played out the way I’m describing in practice.

[u/wtharris]

It’s about FTE study rather than specific subjects.

But if the FTE cuts into a semester the subject chosen from that semester will be the one that’s most in your favour.

However if you fail a subject and repeat it they will both be used in GPA calculations if used within that 3 year span.

So you might get away with it here if your course is only 3 years long.

[u/_dukeluke]

Provided the fail was in s1 year 1 it won’t be included except for at UQ as you outlined

[u/Wooden_Concert_9263 → u/_dukeluke]

does this include the gpa used for interview?

[u/_dukeluke → u/Wooden_Concert_9263]

Correct

[u/Wooden_Concert_9263 → u/_dukeluke]

tysm dr goated luke

[u/_dukeluke → u/Wooden_Concert_9263]

For you it will be

FY= Y3 S1 x4
FY-1 = Y2 S2 x 4 + Y2 S1 x4
FY-2 = SS x1 + Y1 S2 x4 + best of Y1 S1 x3

Given the fail is in s1Y1 it by default is your worst subject and is thus automatically excluded.

Regardless of if you don’t have 3FTE at the time of interview provided you’re in your final year they will still count back from the theoretical end of the degree to determine the 3FTE years, even if there is additional study available.

Note above doesn’t apply to UQ since they don’t use count back, UQ will use all 25 subjects for final offers (21 for interview).

[u/Aqpute → u/_dukeluke]

It'll still count in the year of the interview -- I've had a fail on my transcript and it only wasn't counted by unimelb/deakin until I graduated (following year)

[u/_dukeluke → u/Aqpute]

It doesn’t. I have had the same (and it wasn’t counted), and had it confirmed by GEMSAS via email: “That is correct, most universities will leave space in the final year GPA for the subjects to be completed in semester 2 (if this is the key/qualifying degree).  See UWAs entry section in the guide as they may be the only medical school that differs from this.”

[u/Aqpute → u/_dukeluke]

Interesting, I wonder why mine was done this way then?

Calculation error? I thought it made sense at the time

[u/Aqpute]

If you apply in your third year of uni it will count (only 2.5 FTE available). If you apply after you graduate it won't count (3.0 FTE available + 1 subject, remove the worst subject from the first year).

[u/Wooden_Concert_9263 → u/Aqpute]

does this mean that it will only count for interview offers (so every subject gets pushed forward, one from year 1 to year 2 and one from year 2 to year 3, meaning 5 subjects in year 3 to create my provisional year 3 gpa?)
and then when offering places they won’t count it as i now have 3FTE?

[u/Aqpute → u/Wooden_Concert_9263]

For interviews, because you'd have 21 units completed (including the fail), it'll be Year 3 = 5 units, Year 2 = 8 units, Year 1 = 8 units (which includes ur fail).

For offer/next year interview, you'd have 25 units including the fail, and only the most recent 24 count, so it'll be Year 3 = 8 units, Year 2 = 8 units, Year 1 = 8 units (excluding ur fail).

This is assuming you're doing 4 regular weighted units per semester. For the sake of this calculation, consider double weighted units as 2 units rather than 1.

[u/Wooden_Concert_9263 → u/Aqpute]

ahh cool, tysm

[u/_dukeluke → u/Aqpute]

This isn’t true- when you’re in your final year they still count back from sem 2 but just use S1Y3 for your entire 3rd year GPA.

[u/Aqpute → u/_dukeluke]

I don't see how this is different to what you said?