Failed GAT twice — what am I missing in my prep? — Forums

Kevin O.OP

May 27, 2026

So I've taken the GAT twice now and keep landing in the mid-60s when I need at least a 75 to get into the program I want. The first time I went in pretty cold, figured my background would carry me. Big mistake. Second attempt I used a GAT practice test I found online but it felt pretty low-quality, and my score barely budged.

I'm three months out from my next attempt and I'm trying to build an actual plan this time. The verbal reasoning section is killing me — I can usually get through the quantitative stuff okay, maybe 70-75% accuracy, but the verbal analogies and reading comprehension drag my whole score down. I'm spending about an hour a day right now but I don't know if I'm working on the right things.

Has anyone gone from failing to passing on the third try? What did your study guide look like, and are there any exam tips specific to the verbal section that actually made a difference? Really appreciate any help here.

Daniel M.

May 28, 2026

Third time was the charm for me last year. Honestly the biggest shift was switching from passive review to timed practice. I'd do 20-question verbal sets with a stopwatch and track which question types I missed. Verbal analogies specifically — once I started looking for the relationship type first (part-to-whole, cause-effect, etc.) instead of just vibing it, my accuracy jumped like 15 points in three weeks. A solid study guide that breaks down question categories is worth every penny.

Amanda H.

May 28, 2026

One exam tip nobody told me: the GAT verbal section rewards process of elimination way more than the quant section does. If you're not actively crossing out obviously wrong answers before picking, you're leaving points on the table. Also, are you doing full-length timed tests or just drilling sections? I found that stamina was a real issue — I'd be sharp for 45 minutes then just fall apart. Doing complete practice tests helped more than anything else.

Mike_T

May 28, 2026

Same boat two years ago. Ended up scoring an 81 on my third try. Two things: give yourself at least 90 minutes of daily prep in the final month, not one hour, and find practice materials that actually match the real test format. Good luck — it's totally doable.

Failed GAT twice — what am I missing in my prep?

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