GAT Test Preparation (Qudurat Exam): Essential Tips and Recommended Books for International Students

Do you want to prepare for the General Aptitude Test (GAT) in Saudi Arabia? Then you must know about the preparation strategies, the best books to prepare for the exam, and even the general aptitude test questions format.. The GAT exam is also popularly called the Qudurat Exam, and is held in English and Arabic. In this blog, we have covered some of the best tips you can use to prepare for this entrance exam as an international student.

Format of the GAT (Qudurat) Exam in Saudi Arabia

Learning about the exam format is essential for GAT test preparation. The exam is held for a duration of 3 hours and is in MCQ format. There are a total of 120 questions asked in the exam. The number of questions can vary depending on whether you are taking a paper-based exam or a computer-based exam. The exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 100. There are a total of 6 sections, which are divided into 2.

1. Verbal Reasoning Section: The verbal reasoning section consists of reading comprehension questions, analogy questions, contextual error, and sentence completion questions.
2. Quantitative section: This section consists of the general aptitude test questions related to arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data analysis, and analytical reasoning.

Top 5+ GAT Test Preparation Tips 

The GAT test is considered to be moderately or highly difficult. To clear this exam, proper preparation is essential. It is true that you can retake the GAT exam. However, it is best to clear it in one go. Want to make your GAT test preparation easy? Here are some tips for the English test takers.

Start Your Preparation Early

First of all, ensure that you dedicate at least 2-3 months to preparing for the exam. During this time, you must dedicate at least 2-3 hours per day. However, it is important to note that certain students require more time for preparation. For example,

1. You need to dedicate 3-4 months of study if you are aiming for a higher score in the exam. A 90+ score is typically needed for international students for admission to top-tier universities.
2. Similarly, if you want to brush up on your mathematical skills, you might have to dedicate more time to preparing for the exam.
3. If you struggle with English vocabulary, you will have to dedicate more time to preparing.
4. If this is your first major standardised test (like you haven’t taken exams like GRE/SAT/GMAT, etc.), you will require 3-4 months of study.

Hence, you need to create your study plan accordingly.  Ideally, you can take the first 2-4 weeks to take the mock tests, understand the format, and brush up on your fundamentals. Thereafter, you can dedicate 4-8 weeks to work on your weak areas, and the last 2-3 weeks can be spent taking full-length practice tests.

Build a Strong Mathematical Foundation

Fifty per cent of the general aptitude test questions are from the quantitative section. This section has straightforward questions. The questions are often asked from the middle or high school curriculum. For example, questions from geometry, statistics, and data analysis are often asked. Since you have already studied these topics, brush up on your knowledge. Thereafter, focus on learning shortcuts to improve your speed in answering questions. 

You must learn to solve problems without a calculator. Time constraint is often a roadblock for students. Hence, how to do a quick estimate, and focus on truly understanding the concepts, not memorising.

To learn how to prepare for the math section, watch the video below:

Learn from Tawjooat or Previous Question Papers

Tawjooat (or Tajmeeat refers to the previous year’s question collections. Many students consider them one of the best resources for GAT test preparation. There is a good reason for that.  At times, he general aptitude test questions are repeated, or even modified. English books to prepare for this exam are rare. Hence, students rely on the Tawjoot. Hence, look for the most recent question paper collections. They are often provided by test preparation centres.

Improve Your Vocabulary

International students need strong English proficiency to clear the verbal section. The verbal section covers topics such as sentence completion and analogy that can be complex for some students. This is because the style of questions is a bit different from exams like the SAT or ACT. Hence, you need a strong vocabulary to easily answer the questions. 

You can keep a vocabulary list consisting of unfamiliar words, their synonyms, and antonyms. While answering Verbal Analogy questions,  understand the relationship between the first pair of words, like cause and effect, part to whole, etc., before looking at the answer options available. This is important in GAT test preparation.

Learn to Manage Time & Skip Questions

To solve the general aptitude test questions, you are given a limited time. Hence, the GAT exam is often considered a race against time. Poor time management can lead to bad scores. Hence, it is important that you practise enough questions and learn to manage your time. Moreover, when you first look at the question paper, identify the easy questions first and answer them immediately. You need to mark any question that will take longer than 90 seconds. Come back to your marked questions the second time.

Choose Between Computer-Based and Paper-Based Test

The GAT test preparation can only be effectively done if you choose the right test mode. You are offered both paper-based and computer-based tests. Truth be told, the computer-based test often has more repetitive questions. This makes learning from the Tawjoot easier for international students. CBT is often recommended because you will also receive your test results faster. Those who want to take the computer-based test must ensure that when they practise, they take a mock test in the CBT testing style.

Also Read: University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT): Format, Registration Dates, Scores, Test Centres, and Universities Accepting Results 

Best Books for GAT Test Preparation 

Unfortunately, you will not find a general aptitude test question booklet on e-learning platforms. Hence, the right way to prepare for the exam is to use the Tawjooat. The other way is to use the GRE and SAT exam preparation booklets for the quantitative section. For verbal reasoning section preparation, GRE preparation books are useful. Here are some of the best books for GAT test preparation.

S.No.	Book Title	Author / Publisher	Key Focus
1	GAT English Tawjooat / Tajmeeat	Various Local Academies (e.g., Leen Training Centre, Earnest Prep)	Real past questions; best for understanding actual exam patterns.
2	The Best Book for GAT (General) English Version	Earnest Prep	Covers both Verbal and Quantitative sections with timed practice.
3	GAT (Qudurat) English Practice Book	Leen Training Centre, Local Publisher (Saudi Arabia)	Focused on English-format GAT with CBT-style exercises.
4	GRE Quantitative Reasoning Prep Book	ETS Official Guide, Manhattan Prep	Builds problem-solving speed and covers core GAT math topics.
5	SAT Math (Old Version) or ACT Math Prep Book	The College Board, Princeton Review, Kaplan	Strengthens foundational math and data analysis skills.
6	GRE Verbal Reasoning Prep Book	ETS Official Guide, Manhattan Prep	Expands vocabulary and analogy reasoning for verbal questions.
7	A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning	R.S. Aggarwal	Builds logical relationship and analogy-solving skills.
8	Official Qiyas Practice Tests (English Version)	Qiyas, ETEC (Saudi Authority)	Provides a real exam format and online testing experience.

The GAT test preparation can be done by starting early and creating a solid study plan. The best resource for you to use is the Tawjooat. Other than that, you need to polish your foundational knowledge of mathematics and vocabulary skills. Thus, you can ace the exam as an international student.

Also Read: What is GAMSAT? Exam Format, Scoring, Registration, and Top Universities Explained

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