You can prepare for the HAT in 1 month with about 2 hours a day. Start with the section that has the most marks in your category, learn vocabulary every day, and do at least 8 full timed papers in the last 2 weeks. HAT is mostly about speed, not hard topics.
First, know your category
Your HAT category decides which section has the most marks:
- HAT-1 (Engineering, CS, Maths, Physics): maths has 40 marks.
- HAT-2 (Business, Management): analytical has 40 marks.
- HAT-3, HAT-4, HAT General: English has 40 marks.
The full table is in our HAT test pattern guide.
Week 1: test yourself and start your big section
- Day 1: do 1 full HAT paper with a timer. Note your score in each section.
- Days 2 to 7: practice your biggest section every day for 1 hour.
- Start learning 20 words a day. Write them on small cards and read them on your phone or in free time.
Week 2: fix your weakest section
Look at your day 1 score again. The section where you got the lowest percentage is where you can gain the most marks the fastest. Spend most of this week there. If it is analytical, read our analytical reasoning tips first.
Week 3: full papers, 3 times a week
- Do a full timed paper on 3 days.
- On the other days, do short practice sets on the questions you got wrong.
- Keep learning 20 words a day.
Week 4: a paper every day
- 1 full paper every day. Aim to finish with 5 minutes left.
- Read the explanation of every wrong answer.
- No new topics in the last 2 days. Revise your word cards and rest.
3 time saving tricks for HAT
- Do not get stuck. If a question takes more than 2 minutes, mark it and move on. Come back at the end.
- Do easy questions first in each section. Synonyms and simple percentages take 20 seconds each.
- Draw the puzzle. For seating and ranking questions, a quick drawing on rough paper saves time and stops mistakes.
For full papers, use our free HAT papers with HEC sample questions. Want to know what score to aim for? Read our HAT passing marks guide.
Common questions
Is 1 month enough to prepare for HAT?
Yes for most graduates. The HAT tests English, reasoning and Matric level maths, so 4 weeks of daily practice is enough to reach 50 to 60 if you practice with a timer.
How many questions are in the HAT and how much time do I get?
The HAT has 100 MCQs in 3 sections. Practice at about 70 seconds per question so you finish on time.
What is the hardest part of HAT?
For most students it is analytical reasoning. In our question bank, 52% of analytical questions are marked hard.
Do I need books for HAT?
Not really. Timed practice papers with explanations help more than reading books, because HAT is mostly about speed.