Common Mistakes Students Make in GATE Economics Mock Tests and How to Avoid Them

When I talk to students preparing for GATE Economics, one pattern always shows up. Everyone studies hard, everyone solves questions, but when it comes to GATE Economics Mock Test Series , many stumble. Some don’t manage time well, some guess blindly, others skip analysis altogether.

The funny thing? These mistakes are so common that most students don’t even realize they’re making them. But the difference between an average attempt and a great score often lies right here—in how you approach your mocks.

Ignoring the Syllabus

I once had a student, Priya, who was frustrated with her mock scores. She had spent days on advanced topics in econometrics, but when we checked, she had skipped large chunks of the basic syllabus. That’s like decorating the roof of a house without building the walls.

If you’re attempting mocks without revisiting the official syllabus, you’re running in circles. Keep it in front of you. Revise basics first, then move to advanced models. It sounds simple, but it saves a lot of pain later.

Getting Stuck on One Question

Picture this: you’re in the middle of a mock. A tricky question comes up. You think, “Just one more minute.” Five minutes later, you’re still there, and the clock has stolen time from easier questions.

Happens all the time.

The smarter play is to move on quickly. Finish the easy ones first, build confidence, and then return to the monsters at the end. And yes, always try to finish with at least a small buffer of time—those extra minutes are golden.

Blind Guessing

Rohan, another student, once told me: “I just marked something because I didn’t want to leave it blank.” That one decision cost him 6 marks thanks to negative marking.

Guessing without elimination is gambling. At best, it gets you one mark. At worst, it takes away two. Train yourself to eliminate wrong options. If you can’t narrow it down to at least two, let it go.

Skipping the Post-Test Review

This is where most students lose out. They take the test, see the score, and move on. But the real learning? It’s in the review.

After every mock, pause. Look at each wrong answer. Ask yourself—was it a silly slip, a conceptual gap, or just time pressure? Jot it down. I call this the “mistake diary.” Go back to it every week. Patterns will emerge, and once you see them, you won’t repeat them.

Running Away from Numericals

Many students love theory but avoid numericals like the plague. The reason is obvious—they take time. But avoiding them means you’re cutting off a scoring opportunity.

Start small. Solve 10–12 numerical problems daily. Keep a formula sheet handy. The more you practice, the less intimidating they become. With time, you’ll actually start to enjoy them.

Underestimating Reading Passages

Comprehension questions look innocent. But one skipped line can flip the entire answer. Students often skim, thinking it’s quick marks, and end up losing them.

Slow down just a little. Train your eyes to spot keywords in both the passage and the question. A habit as simple as reading one article a day and summarizing it in your own words can improve your comprehension speed drastically.

Sticking Only to Favorite Subjects

Everyone has a favorite. Some spend hours polishing micro, others dive deep into statistics. But the exam doesn’t reward favorites—it rewards balance.

If there’s a subject you dislike, that’s exactly the one you should give more time. Weak areas are usually where big improvements happen.

Skipping Revision

Walking into a mock without revision is like walking on stage without rehearsal. Students blank out on formulas, not because they don’t know them, but because they didn’t refresh them beforehand.

Always revise before a mock. Even 15 minutes with your notes makes a difference. It keeps memory sharp and reduces silly errors.

Comparing Scores with Friends

This one is psychological. A student scores 52, but his friend gets 60. Suddenly he feels like he hasn’t improved, even though his score went up from 40 last week.

Mocks are personal. They’re there to track your growth. Compete with your past self, not with someone else.

Treating Mocks the Wrong Way

Some students panic and treat every mock as if it’s the final exam. Others take them lightly and skip questions for fun. Both approaches fail.

Mocks are experiments. They’re where you figure out your strategy—whether to attempt quant first or theory first, whether to skim or read slowly. Save the panic for the real exam (though hopefully you won’t need it then).

Before Your Next Mock, Ask Yourself:

• Did I revise my notes and formulas?

• Do I have a rough time strategy?

• Will I skip blind guesses?

• Am I ready to analyze mistakes afterward?

• Have I practiced weaker sections recently?

If you can tick these off, you’re already ahead of most.

Final Word

The truth is, nobody gets mocks perfect the first time. Mistakes will happen, and that’s fine. But repeating the same ones again and again—that’s where you lose marks unnecessarily.

Think of every mock as training, not testing. Use it to sharpen your speed, spot your blind spots, and fine-tune your strategy. Because when the real GATE Economics exam comes, the students who treated mocks seriously—but not fearfully—are the ones who walk out smiling.