The next sitting is 7 to 8 October 2026, and registration for it closed on 7 August.2 The next one you can still enter is 10 to 11 February 2027. That window runs from Tuesday 10 November 2026 to midday on Tuesday 1 December 2026, and midday means midday.1
Every date below comes from the RACS website. RACS can change them and we cannot, so check there before you spend money on a flight.
Confirmed sittings
| Sitting | Exam dates | Registration opens | Registration closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 7 – 8 October 2026 | Tue 14 July 2026, 11:59am AEST | Closed. Tue 4 August, extended to midday Fri 7 August 20262 |
| February 2027 | 10 – 11 February 2027 | Tue 10 November 2026, 11:59am AEST | Tue 1 December 2026, midday (Vic time) |
| June 2027 | 9 – 10 June 2027 | Tue 16 March 2027, 11:59am AEDT | Tue 6 April 2027, midday (Vic time) |
Dates and registration windows.1 Late registrations are not accepted under any circumstance, and no further extensions are granted.2
Why people still miss it
Three sittings a year sounds like plenty of chances. The reason people miss them is that the window to register is about three weeks wide and it shuts two months before you sit. The GSSE runs in February, June and October, with registration opening roughly three months out and closing roughly two months out.3
If you are sitting in February, your real decision point is November. You commit the money and the leave a full quarter before the exam, at a point when none of it feels urgent yet, which is precisely why it gets left.
Which sittings you can enter
It depends on whether you are on a program yet, and the gap between the two positions is wider than it looks. As a prevocational doctor you have unrestricted access, unlimited attempts and all three sittings.3
Once you are on a SET program you must pass within two active clinical years and in no more than four attempts, and only February and June are open to you.3 October is not available to SET Trainees.
Attempts made before you start SET do not consume any of those four. Fail it now and it costs you money. Fail it later and it costs you money, one of four chances, and a slice of a two-year window you cannot extend. That is the whole argument for sitting early, and it is a good one.
What the pass rate looks like by attempt number →
Where it is held
It runs simultaneously across both countries, so there is no later sitting to slide into and no time zone that buys you an extra night.1
| Australia | Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney |
| New Zealand | Auckland and Wellington |
Ten centres across Australia and New Zealand.1
You nominate a preference when you register. RACS is explicit that your place, your venue and your time are not guaranteed and are subject to change.1 Read that as written, because it is not boilerplate. Book refundable, or book nothing, until your allocation is confirmed.
If you have missed the window
Late registrations are not accepted under any circumstance, so the next sitting is your sitting and there is nothing to appeal.2 That gives you about four months. Given how much better first attempts do than second ones, four months you did not plan for is not the worst thing that has happened to you today.
What to do now
- Sitting February 2027? Registration opens 10 November 2026 and closes 1 December 2026. Diarise both.
- Sitting June 2027? Registration opens 16 March 2027 and closes 6 April 2027.
- Still deciding? Decide with the number in front of you. It is $4,850 including GST in Australia and $5,425 in New Zealand, per attempt.4
The full cost of sitting the GSSE →
Start with the free question bank →
References
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. GSSE dates and locations. Available at: https://www.surgeons.org/Examinations/generic-surgical-sciences-examination-gsse/gsse-application-information/Dates-and-locations
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Generic Surgical Science Examination (GSSE). Available at: https://www.surgeons.org/Examinations/generic-surgical-sciences-examination-gsse
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Key facts about the GSSE. Available at: https://www.surgeons.org/en/Examinations/generic-surgical-sciences-examination-gsse/gsse-general-information/key-facts-about-the-gsse
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. GSSE fees. Available at: https://www.surgeons.org/Examinations/generic-surgical-sciences-examination-gsse/gsse-application-information/gsse-fees
GSSEPrep is an independent educational platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.