Important
GAT/PAT is no longer held. From the TCAS66 admission cycle (entry in the 2023 academic year) it was replaced by TGAT (Thai General Aptitude Test) and TPAT (Thai Professional Aptitude Test), with the old core subject tests becoming A-Level. TGAT and TPAT for that cycle were scheduled as a single sitting in December 2022. Students applying to Thai universities now take TGAT, TPAT and A-Level as their programmes require.
Overview
GAT/PAT was a pair of aptitude tests used for admission to Thai universities. GAT was the General Aptitude Test and PAT was the Professional and Academic Aptitude Test. Both were run by Thailand's National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS, known in Thai as สทศ.).
The Council of University Presidents of Thailand (ทปอ.) decided that, from the 2010 admission year, university admission would use GAT and PAT scores in place of the earlier A-NET, and asked NIETS to run the tests. NIETS ran them from 2009 until the change to TGAT and TPAT for TCAS66.
The NIETS pages that described GAT/PAT are no longer online, so this page relies on Thai education sites and news reports of NIETS announcements. Thai sources give years in the Buddhist era; they are converted to Gregorian years here.
Who could apply
Candidates had to be in Mathayom 6 (the final year of upper secondary school) or equivalent, or have already completed it, on the test date. Students in lower grades, such as Mathayom 5, could not sit the tests.
Exam pattern
| Test | What it covered | Maximum score |
|---|---|---|
| GAT | Part 1: reading, writing, analytical thinking and problem solving. Part 2: English communication | 300 (150 per part) |
| PAT 1 to PAT 7 | One test per field of study (see below) | 300 per test |
The maximum scores are as given in NIETS's report on the round held from 29 October to 1 November 2015.
Levels or stages
GAT
GAT measured readiness for university study. Its English part covered speaking and conversation, vocabulary, structure and writing, and reading comprehension.
PAT
PAT measured basic knowledge and aptitude for a particular field. There were seven tests:
PAT 1: mathematics
PAT 2: science
PAT 3: engineering
PAT 4: architecture
PAT 5: teaching
PAT 6: fine and applied arts
PAT 7: foreign languages, split into PAT 7.1 French, 7.2 German, 7.3 Japanese, 7.4 Chinese, 7.5 Arabic, 7.6 Pali and 7.7 Korean
Candidates took GAT and the PAT tests that their chosen university programmes asked for.
Important dates
When GAT/PAT began in 2009 it was held three times a year, in March, July and October. From the 2012 academic year NIETS reduced it to two sittings a year, usually one near the end of the year and one in March of the following year. Some sittings were moved because of natural disasters or political events.
What replaced it
For TCAS66, GAT became TGAT and PAT became TPAT:
TGAT (out of 300) has three parts: English communication, critical and logical thinking, and future workforce competencies.
TPAT (out of 100 per test) was cut to five groups: medicine, engineering, architecture, education and fine arts.
The foreign-language PAT 7 tests moved into A-Level, and Arabic was dropped.
Is GAT/PAT still held?
No. GAT/PAT was replaced by TGAT and TPAT for the TCAS66 cycle (2023 entry). The first TGAT and TPAT sitting was scheduled for December 2022.
What was the difference between GAT and PAT?
GAT tested general aptitude: thinking skills and English. PAT tested aptitude for a particular field, such as mathematics, science, engineering, architecture, teaching, arts or a foreign language.