I'm honestly a little embarrassed to admit this, but I failed the GAT two times before I finally passed last month. The first time I went in pretty cold, figured my general knowledge would carry me. Big mistake. Second attempt I did some light reading but nothing structured. Scored a 68 both times, and you need a 75 to pass in my program.
What finally clicked was actually committing to a real GAT practice test routine — at least two full timed practices per week for six weeks. I also found a decent study guide that broke down the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections separately, which helped me stop treating them as one giant blob of material. The quantitative analogies section was killing me, and focused drilling made a huge difference.
For anyone else struggling, my biggest exam tips: don't skip the analytical writing portion when you practice, and simulate real test conditions. No phone, timer running, quiet room. Curious if others have found specific resources that helped with the reasoning sections — would love to compare notes.