🏠 Home
Universities
🎓 All Universities 💰 Budget Predictor
More
📝 Exams 🏆 Scholarships 📰 Blogs ✍️ Application Mentorship 🛍️ Dream Admit Store 🛒 Cart 👥 About Us 📞 Contact
Account
🔐 Sign In ✨ Sign Up Free
GAT
General Aptitude Test (القدرات - Qudurat)
📝 University Admission Offered in both paper-based and computer-based formats, administered in person at Qiyas-designated centres. ⏱ Valid: GAT results are generally referenced for admission cycles within a limited number of years of the test date, with the exact window set by individual universities. Since 2002 (introduction of GAT/Qudurat under Qiyas, established specifically to provide a standardized reasoning-based measure alongside Saudi Arabia's existing school-based assessments) ⚡ Regarded as demanding in a genuinely different way than a content exam — success depends on reasoning speed and pattern recognition under time pressure rather than recalling memorized material, which some strong…
🕐 Last updated: September 8, 2026
📝 Register Now 🌐 Official Site
📝 Register for GAT 🌐 Official Website ✍️ Need application help? →
Quick Summary

Saudi Arabia's GAT (Qudurat), administered by Qiyas since 2002, is a university-admission input testing verbal and quantitative reasoning with deliberately zero curriculum content — the intentional counterpart to Saudi Arabia's own subject-based NAT, together mirroring the historical reasoning-versus-achievement split found in the US SAT and Subject Tests. Scored on a combined 1-to-100 scale across its Verbal and Quantitative sections, GAT can be sat multiple times within Grades 11 and 12, letting universities reference a candidate's best result rather than treating it as one decisive exam day. Because it tests reasoning speed and pattern recognition rather than memorized content, GAT rewards a genuinely different kind of preparation than subject-focused revision, and Saudi universities combine its score with high school GPA and, for many programmes, NAT results into their own weighted admission formula. This pairing gives Saudi Arabia's admission system two deliberately distinct inputs — reasoning ability and subject mastery — rather than relying on either measure alone.

📋 Exam Overview
🎯
Score Range
1 to 100, converted from raw performance across the Verbal and Quantitative sections into one combined reasoning score.
💳
Fee
SAR 0 for a student's standard sittings under current Qiyas fee policy for Saudi secondary students.
📅
Valid For
GAT results are generally referenced for admission cycles within a limited number of years of the test date, with the exact window set by individual universities.
🖥
Mode
Offered in both paper-based and computer-based formats, administered in person at Qiyas-designated centres.
🗓
Frequency
Multiple testing windows within Grades 11 and 12, letting a student sit GAT more than once across those two years
🏛
Conducted By
National Center for Assessment (Qiyas), under the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC)
⚡
Difficulty
Regarded as demanding in a genuinely different way than a content exam — success depends on reasoning speed and pattern recognition under time pressure rather than recalling memorized material, which some strong curriculum students find surprisingly challenging to adapt to.
🌍 Accepted By
Used by Saudi universities as one input in their admission formula, combined with high school GPA and, for many programmes, NAT (Tahsili) results.
Saudi Arabia's reasoning test — verbal and quantitative aptitude with no curriculum content at all, the deliberate opposite number to the country's own subject-based NAT
👤 Who Should Take This Exam?
A Saudi student in Grade 11 or 12 planning to apply to university sits GAT (Qudurat) as one of the standard inputs — alongside high school GPA and, for many programmes, the subject-based NAT — that Saudi universities combine into their admission formula. Unlike NAT, which tests mastery of specific curriculum content across subjects like Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, GAT deliberately tests no curriculum content at all — it measures verbal and quantitative reasoning ability, closer in spirit to a general aptitude or IQ-style assessment than a subject exam. Because a student can sit GAT multiple times across Grades 11 and 12, it functions less like a single decisive exam day and more like an ongoing opportunity to demonstrate reasoning ability whenever a student feels genuinely prepared.
🎓 Education Level
University Admission
🌍 Accepted In
Saudi Arabia and referenced by some Gulf Cooperation Council institutions for Saudi-curriculum secondary-credential equivalency purposes.
📝 Exam Structure & Format
Question Types
Multiple-choice questions throughout, spanning verbal reasoning (analogies, sentence completion, reading comprehension, contextual error, odd-word-out) and quantitative reasoning (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, comparison).
Language / Medium
Available in both Arabic and English, with a candidate choosing their preferred test language at registration.
Total Duration
The paper-based version runs about 2.5 hours; the computer-based version runs about 2 hours.
Total Questions
120 questions on the paper-based version; approximately 96 questions on the computer-based version.
Sections
Two sections: Verbal reasoning and Quantitative reasoning, with no subject-specific content in either.
⚙️ More format details (timing, marking, equipment)See all ▾
Time Per Section
Verbal and Quantitative sections split the total roughly evenly within the overall 2-to-2.5-hour sitting, depending on format.
Negative Marking
No
Calculator Allowed
No — a calculator is not permitted, since the Quantitative section tests numerical reasoning rather than complex calculation.
Scratch Paper
Working space is provided for the Quantitative section's reasoning problems.
Breaks Allowed
A scheduled break separates the Verbal and Quantitative sections within the single testing sitting.
Home Edition
No — GAT is administered only in person at Qiyas-designated testing centres.
Digital vs Paper
The paper-based version runs about 2.5 hours with 120 questions, while the computer-based version runs about 2 hours with roughly 96 questions — a genuinely shorter, more concentrated format on the digital option.
📑 Section Details
The Verbal section covers analogies, sentence completion, reading comprehension, identifying contextual errors, and odd-word-out items — all testing language-based reasoning rather than literary or grammatical knowledge specifically. The Quantitative section covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, and numerical comparison, but frames these as reasoning puzzles rather than curriculum-style problems, meaning strong performance depends more on pattern recognition and logical deduction than on memorized formulas or subject content.
🎯 Scoring System
Score Range
1 to 100, converted from raw performance across the Verbal and Quantitative sections into one combined reasoning score.
Good / Passing Score
There's no fixed pass/fail threshold — GAT reports a reasoning score that universities weight within their own admission formulas rather than applying a universal cutoff.
How Scoring Works
GAT produces one combined score on a 1-to-100 scale, blending performance across the Verbal and Quantitative sections rather than reporting them as two separate figures — this stands in contrast to Tahsili's per-subject scoring, since GAT measures one underlying reasoning construct rather than several distinct content areas. Because the test can be sat multiple times, universities typically reference a candidate's best result across their attempts.
🏆 Minimum Scores for Top Universities
There's no single minimum GAT score for general admission, since Saudi universities weight it differently within their own admission formulas combining GPA, GAT, and often NAT. Competitive programmes like Medicine and Engineering at Saudi Arabia's top universities have historically required GAT scores well into the 90s on the 1-to-100 scale.
📊 Section / sub-scoresSee all ▾
Reading
Assessed within the Verbal section's reading comprehension items, testing reasoning through text rather than literary knowledge.
Vocabulary
Assessed within the Verbal section's analogies and sentence-completion items, though framed as reasoning tasks rather than pure vocabulary recall.
Analytical
Assessed throughout both the Verbal and Quantitative sections, since GAT's entire design centers on analytical and deductive reasoning rather than content recall.
Quantitative
Assessed through the Quantitative section, framed as numerical reasoning puzzles rather than curriculum-style Mathematics problems.
Verbal
Assessed through the Verbal section, covering analogies, sentence completion, reading comprehension, contextual error identification, and odd-word-out reasoning.
All Sub-Scores
GAT's combined score reflects both Verbal and Quantitative performance together, without separately reported sub-scores for the two sections on standard results.
🔼 Score Improvement
Qiyas does not publish a standardized nationwide retake-improvement figure, though since GAT can be sat multiple times, many candidates do see improvement across repeated attempts.
💳 Registration & Fees
Fee (USD)
SAR 0 for a student's standard sittings under current Qiyas fee policy for Saudi secondary students.
Fee (INR)
₹0 for standard eligible candidates under current fee arrangements; specific circumstances may involve separate fees.
📝 Register Now →
📋 Policies (rescheduling, cancellation, verification, waivers)See all ▾
⏰ Register in Advance
A candidate registers for GAT directly through Qiyas's official portal ahead of their chosen testing window within Grades 11 or 12.
🔄 Rescheduling Policy
GAT is offered across multiple testing windows within Grades 11 and 12, letting a candidate choose an available date rather than needing an emergency-specific rescheduling process.
🔍 Score Verification
A formal review request lets a candidate query their GAT results through Qiyas's standard process within a set post-results window.
📋 Score Audit
Uses the same Qiyas review process available for querying results.
↩ Reinstatement Policy
No
📅 Exam Dates & Schedule
📆 Available Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
🔁 Frequency
Multiple testing windows within Grades 11 and 12, letting a student sit GAT more than once across those two years
📊 Results Declared
Results are typically released within a few weeks of a specific testing window.
🔄 Retake Policy
A student can sit GAT again in a later available testing window within Grades 11 or 12 to attempt a higher score, with universities generally referencing the best result achieved.
⏰ Register By
A candidate registers for GAT directly through Qiyas's official portal ahead of their chosen testing window within Grades 11 or 12.
✅ Eligibility & Access
🎂 Age Limit
No formal age ceiling applies, since GAT is tied to a student's Grade 11-12 progression rather than an independent qualifying age.
🎓 Education Required
Enrollment in Grade 11 or Grade 12 of Saudi secondary education (or an equivalent qualification) is required to sit GAT.
🛂 Citizenship
Open to Saudi secondary students generally, with specific eligibility for international or equivalent-curriculum candidates set by individual universities.
More on accommodations, ID, and special versionsSee all ▾
🪪 ID Required
A valid Saudi national ID or equivalent identification is required at the testing centre.
♿ Accessibility
Qiyas arranges accommodations for a documented disability (extended time, adapted formats) through its standard registration process.
🔀 Special Versions
A separate GAT format exists for university-level candidates (postgraduate admission contexts) distinct from the secondary-level version most Grade 11-12 students sit.
📐 Subject Variants
A candidate chooses their preferred test language (Arabic or English) and format (paper-based or computer-based), though the underlying reasoning content remains the same regardless of that choice.
🤝 Disability Accommodations
Qiyas coordinates extended time or an adapted format for a documented disability through its standard registration process.
🗓 Exam Day Guide
✅ What to Bring
Valid national ID or equivalent identification; no calculator is permitted.
🚫 Prohibited Items
Any electronic device including calculators, unauthorized notes, and anything beyond standard permitted stationery.
📋 Exam Day Rules
Standard identification checks and material restrictions apply uniformly at every Qiyas-designated testing centre.
After the exam: score reporting and deliverySee all ▾
⏱ Score Reporting
Typically within a few weeks of a specific testing window.
📤 Score Sending
GAT results feed directly into Saudi universities' own admission formulas, combined with high school GPA and, for many programmes, NAT results.
🎓 Score Recipients
The candidate receives results directly, and Saudi universities access GAT scores as part of their own centralized or institution-specific admission review.
📚 Preparation Guide
🗓 Avg Prep Months
2 months
Because GAT tests reasoning ability rather than curriculum content, effective preparation focuses on practicing the specific question formats — verbal analogies, quantitative reasoning puzzles — under timed conditions, rather than reviewing subject material the way NAT preparation would require. Since a student can sit GAT multiple times across Grades 11 and 12, treating an early attempt as a genuine diagnostic, then adjusting reasoning-practice focus based on results, is a realistic strategy the multiple-sitting structure specifically enables.
💡 Top Tips & Tricks
Since GAT tests reasoning speed and pattern recognition rather than subject content, timed practice with the actual verbal and quantitative question formats matters far more than traditional subject revision. Taking advantage of the multiple sittings available across Grades 11 and 12 — using an early attempt as a genuine diagnostic before targeted practice ahead of a later sitting — makes real use of GAT's repeatable structure in a way single-sitting exams don't allow.
Full study plan, resources, and common mistakesSee all ▾
📅 Study Plan
A realistic GAT study plan centers on timed practice with the actual verbal and quantitative reasoning question types, since success depends on pattern recognition and reasoning speed rather than memorized content the way most school subject preparation does. Taking advantage of the multiple available sittings across Grades 11 and 12 — sitting an early diagnostic attempt, then targeting specific weak reasoning patterns before a later attempt — makes practical use of GAT's repeatable structure.
📖 Recommended Books
Qiyas's own published GAT sample questions and format guides form the primary preparation base, supplemented by widely used Saudi-market Qudurat preparation guides focused on reasoning-question practice.
🏫 Popular Prep Courses
Qudurat-specific reasoning-practice courses and private tutoring are widely available across Saudi Arabia, distinct from the subject-tutoring most students separately pursue for NAT.
📱 Popular Prep Apps
Saudi-market platforms offering GAT/Qudurat-aligned reasoning practice by question type are commonly used ahead of testing windows.
✅ Official Practice Tests
Qiyas's official portal provides sample GAT questions and format guidance reflecting the actual verbal and quantitative reasoning style. — Free — Qiyas's official sample materials carry no cost.
🆓 Free Online Resources
Qiyas publishes official GAT sample questions and format guidance through its portal, freely available to any candidate.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Preparing for GAT the way a student would for a content-based subject exam, reviewing curriculum material rather than practicing reasoning-question formats, is a common and significant mismatch against what the test actually measures. Sitting GAT only once without taking advantage of the multiple available testing windows, especially after a weaker first attempt, is another frequent missed opportunity given how the test's structure specifically allows for improvement across sittings.
💡 EduAtlasHub Exclusive Insights
🔍 Insider Tips
Reviewing 'Tashreefat' or leaked questions from previous sessions is highly effective as many logic patterns repeat. In the verbal section, always create a bridge sentence to find the relationship between word pairs.
⭐ Unique Features
Testing pure verbal and quantitative reasoning with zero curriculum content is a structural design that sets GAT apart from nearly every other exam in this guide, most of which assess subject-specific knowledge to some degree even when framed as aptitude tests. Being explicitly designed as the deliberate complement to Saudi Arabia's own subject-based NAT — the two exams together mirroring a reasoning-versus-achievement split — is also a distinctive, intentional pairing within one country's admission system.
🎓 How This Score Impacts Your Application
Because GAT measures reasoning ability rather than curriculum mastery, it functions as a genuinely distinct input in Saudi universities' admission formulas — a strong performer in GAT isn't necessarily the same student who excels on NAT's subject-specific content, and universities weighing both get a fuller picture by combining the two. This makes GAT's practical impact complementary to, rather than a substitute for, a candidate's demonstrated subject knowledge.
More insights: country notes, comparisons, myths, examiner tipsSee all ▾
🌍 Country-Specific Notes
GAT is specific to Saudi Arabia's university-admission system, administered by Qiyas since 2002 specifically to add a reasoning-based measure alongside the country's curriculum-focused NAT and school GPA.
⚖️ Comparison with Alternatives
Unlike NAT (Tahsili), which tests mastery of specific curriculum content across Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and English, GAT tests no subject content at all — the pairing closely mirrors the historical distinction between the US SAT's reasoning-focused general test and its separate subject-specific tests, applied within Saudi Arabia's own admission system. Against the UAE's CEPA, which similarly avoids testing advanced subject content, GAT differs in testing genuine reasoning ability across a broad range rather than basic English and Math proficiency specifically for placement purposes.
🆕 Recent Changes
Qiyas has continued refining specific GAT question banks and format details across both paper-based and computer-based versions in recent cycles without altering the fundamental Verbal/Quantitative reasoning structure.
🔜 Upcoming Changes
No major structural changes to GAT's reasoning-based format have been announced for upcoming cycles beyond routine question-bank updates.
🧐 Myths vs Facts
Assuming GAT tests school subject knowledge the way NAT does is a common misconception — GAT deliberately contains no curriculum content at all, testing verbal and quantitative reasoning instead. It's also easy to assume GAT is a one-shot exam like many national leaving tests, but its multiple-sitting structure across Grades 11 and 12 specifically allows a student to retake it and have universities reference their best result.
📋 Post-Exam Steps
Once results are released, a student should check their specific target university programme's admission formula to see how heavily GAT is weighted relative to GPA and NAT, since the balance varies by institution and programme. A student with a weaker-than-hoped GAT score should consider a later available sitting within Grades 11 or 12 rather than assuming the result is final.
🎯 Score Uses Beyond Admission
GAT's use is essentially confined to Saudi university admission, functioning as one specific input within that broader formula rather than carrying standalone credential value outside the admission context.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the GAT score valid?+
GAT results are generally referenced for admission cycles within a limited number of years of the test date, with the exact window set by individual universities.
How much does the GAT cost?+
SAR 0 for a student's standard sittings under current Qiyas fee policy for Saudi secondary students.
How often can I retake the GAT?+
A student can sit GAT again in a later available testing window within Grades 11 or 12 to attempt a higher score, with universities generally referencing the best result achieved.
When are GAT results declared?+
Results are typically released within a few weeks of a specific testing window.
Which universities accept the GAT?+
Used by Saudi universities as one input in their admission formula, combined with high school GPA and, for many programmes, NAT (Tahsili) results.
Is a calculator allowed in the GAT?+
No — a calculator is not permitted, since the Quantitative section tests numerical reasoning rather than complex calculation.
How should I prepare for the GAT?+
Because GAT tests reasoning ability rather than curriculum content, effective preparation focuses on practicing the specific question formats — verbal analogies, quantitative reasoning puzzles — under timed conditions…
📝
Register for GAT
Saudi Arabia's reasoning test — verbal and quantitative aptitude with no curriculum content at all, the deliberate opposite number to the country's own subject-based NAT
Register Now →
📊 Quick Facts
Official Site →
Conducted ByNational Center for Assessment (Qiyas), under the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC)
Year Started2002 (introduction of GAT/Qudurat under Qiyas, established specifically to provide a standardized reasoning-based measure alongside Saudi Arabia's existing school-based assessments)
CategoryUniversity Admission
Emailhttps://www.etec.gov.sa/en/Pages/ContactUs.aspx
Last UpdatedSeptember 8, 2026
✍️ Need Application Help?
Work with experienced mentors to strengthen your statement of purpose (SOP) and university applications.
Get Expert Help →
🔗 Official Resources
🌐 Official Website 📝 Registration Portal 📋 All Exams Guide 🎓 Find Universities 💰 Find Scholarships