At a glance
- Question types
- Analogy, sentence completion, contextual error, reading comprehension
- Verbal share
- About 55% (scientific) or 75% (theoretical)
- Whole test
- 120 questions, 2 h 5 min, multiple choice
- Language
- Arabic or English (most Saudi students choose Arabic)
- Delivery
- Paper and digital
The four verbal question types and their weight
ETEC publishes the share of the whole GAT that each verbal domain represents.
| Question type | Scientific GAT | Theoretical GAT | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal analogy (التناظر اللفظي) | 17% | 21% | Seeing the relationship in a pair of words (synonym, opposite, cause and effect, part and whole, category, association) and finding the pair with the same relationship |
| Sentence completion (إكمال الجمل) | 7% | 13% | Choosing the word or words that complete a short text, using explicit and implied meaning and relations such as cause and result or negation |
| Contextual error (الخطأ السياقي) | 10% | 16% | Finding the one word whose meaning contradicts the sentence; the error is never spelling or grammar |
| Reading comprehension (استيعاب المقروء) | 21% | 25% | Main ideas, details, relationships, word meaning in context and what pronouns and demonstratives refer to |
| Verbal total | 55% | 75% | The quantitative part makes up the rest |
Source: ETEC GAT guide and test page, checked 6 October 2026. ETEC's sample questions also include an odd-one-out type (الارتباط والاختلاف).
How the question types work, with ETEC's own examples
Analogy: 'clock : time'. The answer is 'scale : weight', because a clock measures time as a scale measures weight. ETEC's explanation notes that 'thermometer : cold' is a trap: a thermometer measures the temperature caused by a cold, not the cold itself. The method is to state the relationship as a sentence first, then test each option against that exact sentence.
Contextual error: in a sentence about a student who earned high results and excelled in every subject, 'and this is the harvest of deep neglect', the odd word is 'neglect'. The skill is reading for the overall meaning rather than for grammar.
Reading comprehension: ETEC's example passage is about the 'knowledge explosion'. A distractor reuses the word 'explosion' but talks about population, which the text never mentions. Distractors that borrow words from the passage, or that are true but narrower than the text, are the most common traps.
Where verbal marks are lost
- Guessing the analogy relationship loosely ('they are related') instead of naming it exactly.
- Choosing the sentence-completion word that sounds most formal rather than the one the logic of the sentence needs.
- Looking for a grammar or spelling mistake in contextual-error questions, when the error is always one of meaning.
- Rereading long passages instead of reading the question first and scanning for the relevant lines.
- Weak vocabulary in Classical and formal Arabic registers (or academic English for the English version).
- Running out of time: the verbal sections carry more questions than the quantitative ones on both tracks.
Who can teach this, honestly
Because the verbal part of the Arabic GAT is reasoning in Arabic, the right tutor for most Saudi students is an Arabic speaker comfortable with formal Arabic. LiveTutor has a small number of Arabic-speaking tutors, and they are available for some subjects, so please ask when you book and we will tell you honestly whether we can match one for Qudurat verbal.
If your child is sitting the GAT in English, which ETEC offers, our English tutors can prepare them fully: the question types, timing and traps are the same, and the reading is in English.
In lessons the tutor works through ETEC's official practice tests and question types one at a time, has your child explain the relationship or the reason before choosing, and builds timed sets so accuracy holds at test pace. Vocabulary is built from words that recur in practice questions, in short daily doses.
Pair it with the quantitative part
The GAT gives one score for both parts together. For a scientific-track student the verbal part is still more than half the test, so a plan that only drills maths leaves most of the marks untouched.
Common questions
Is the verbal section in Arabic?
In the Arabic version of the GAT, yes, and that is the version most students in Saudi schools take. ETEC also offers the GAT in English, in which case the verbal section is in English.
Is the contextual error question about grammar?
No. ETEC states that the error is neither spelling nor grammar. It is the one word whose meaning does not fit the overall meaning of the sentence.
Which verbal question type carries the most weight?
Reading comprehension: 21% of the scientific GAT and 25% of the theoretical GAT, followed by verbal analogy at 17% and 21%.
Can LiveTutor provide an Arabic-speaking tutor for Qudurat verbal?
Sometimes. We have a small number of Arabic-speaking tutors available for some subjects. Ask when you book and we will tell you honestly whether we can match one.
How much do Qudurat lessons cost?
$15 a lesson, the same rate for every subject. Lessons are 60 minutes, one to one and online, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons a week billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.