Top GAT Traps to Avoid
To crack the GAT, you’ll have to know the exam inside and out, including the most common mistakes that test-takers make. These are the most common traps that students fall into when trying to ace the GAT, and how to avoid them.
Refusing to Guess
Some GAT test-takers tend to agonize over GAT questions they’re having trouble with or to take too long on the first five to 10 questions in each section.
On the GAT, timing is key, and it’s more important to get through the entire exam than to answer every single question you’re given correctly.
If you’re having trouble with a question, try your best at using the process of elimination to increase your chances of getting it right, but don’t waste too much time. Take your best guess and move on to the next question.
Not Taking Notes
Sometimes, students make the critical mistake of not taking notes on the provided GAT scratch paper as they read a question or determine the answer.
Not taking notes might seem like a time-saver in the moment, but it’s actually likelier to cause you to take longer to finish the exam.
For example, you might forget important details from a word problem section or specifics in a reading comprehension passage, causing you to select the wrong answer choice or to have to go back and look at the question or reread the passage several times.
To avoid this common problem, take notes during your practice drills, quizzes, and tests so you’re accustomed to doing so by the time you take the actual GAT.
Rushing to Questions
Some GAT test-takers think they’ll save time on the exam by rushing through questions and answer choices without reading every word. This is a big, but common, mistake.
You need to read every passage and each GAT question fully. This is important for two reasons: to help you keep track of all the information you’re being given, including any relevant details, and to help you know what the question is asking you to find, determine, or do.
or example, a GAT logical reasoning question might want you to find the information that would support a given argument. Students who don’t read the question in its entirety or who skim over it might instead accidentally look for the answer choice that would weaken or detract from the original argument. You’re risking making careless errors if you skip any part of a GAT question.