Preparing for the GAT

[Einstein]

so GAT is about mid way through June, and being in Year 11 doing two 3/4s this year, i was wondering if i should practice for it. I know its a general achievement test/amplitude test kinda like UMAT and its not something that can be practice for, to such an extent. I was wondering if i should spam a few past GAT papers just to get the flow of things, or is it just a complete waste of time?

Also, is their any tips which i should take aboard before i sit the test.

BTW, what happens if i do absolutely terrible in the GAT but get 45-50 raw in all my subjects? (bit exaggerated, but just want to know if VCAA will delve deeper and do something to my scores?)

Cheers

[HawthornM8]

You do not prepare for the GAT. I received in the lowest 20% (so I beat 20%) of the state because I fell asleep and did nothing in year 11. Although I'm not going to do that this year, it just shows the competition you are going up against.

You just go into the GAT and do your best. It doesn't really do anything, I still got relatively high asides from my atrocious GAT scores.

[aqple]

Read this:
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/exams/gat/aboutgat.aspx

I would start doing a practice paper or two a week before it. Bad GAT scores won't affect your achievements at all, that would be unfair, so don't worry

[m.Chemia]

There is absolutely no point in practicing for GAT. If you can, treat it seriously when you are actually sitting for it but there is no need preparing beforehand.
Also, the standardised English score for my Year 12 GAT was like 18 or something, but I still got a 40 in ESL. So yeah, I really don't think VCAA did anything to my score.

[Einstein]

Alright, thanks guys. When/how do we find our results?

[m.Chemia]

The results will be mailed to you with your Units 3&4 subjects study scores, on a separate sheet of paper, in December.

[Einstein]

Thanks for all the replys guys. Should i feel bad if i do bad on the GAT? will it reflect my intellectual capability and reflect on my 3/4s?

[m.Chemia]

First of all, don't feel bad because of the GAT no matter haw badly you did, because it's nothing. At my school, tons of people who eventually achieved ATAR scores of 95+ left early during the GAT, me included. The GAT has 3 sections (up tp my year at least), Writing (2 essays), MC on Humanities, and MC on Science/Maths. Because the GAT is to test students' general achievement and the questions are really not hard, if you have interest in a particular area, you can answer the questions. For me, I only care for Science/Maths, I got standardised score of 50 on that, and I got something like 20~30 on the Humanities section, because I genuinely don't care. But trust me, it won't reflect your intellectual capability or reflect on your 3/4s whatsoever.
Good luck.

[lzxnl]

OK. A friend of mine got a 49 for English and got a 36 in the written part of the GAT. I got the same written score for the GAT.  So what?

[Einstein]

First of all, don't feel bad because of the GAT no matter haw badly you did, because it's nothing. At my school, tons of people who eventually achieved ATAR scores of 95+ left early during the GAT, me included. The GAT has 3 sections (up tp my year at least), Writing (2 essays), MC on Humanities, and MC on Science/Maths. Because the GAT is to test students' general achievement and the questions are really not hard, if you have interest in a particular area, you can answer the questions. For me, I only care for Science/Maths, I got standardised score of 50 on that, and I got something like 20~30 on the Humanities section, because I genuinely don't care. But trust me, it won't reflect your intellectual capability or reflect on your 3/4s whatsoever.
Good luck.

OK. A friend of mine got a 49 for English and got a 36 in the written part of the GAT. I got the same written score for the GAT.  So what?

Alright, thanks heaps guy, you've given me some relief. Lets hope all goes well.

BTW @m.mathaholic what do you mean by you left early? did you complete the paper or you just left?

cheers

[Einstein]

also, how many words should the writing piece be?

[HawthornM8]

Einstein, you do not need to know anything about the GAT before you get into the GAT. Stop worrying, especially due to the fact its more than a couple months away, like June?

[Einstein]

ill take this one seriously since its my first gat - who knows what might happen the day before the exam

[Professor Polonsky]

The GAT is unlikely to seriously affect your scores. Even if you miss your exams.

Don't practice for it. Just look at the front cover, understand the structure, and you're set.