A user equipment (UE) may perform an inter radio access technology (IRAT) measurement in time slots not deemed to be carrying critical data. In such instances, the UE only transmits and decodes critical data in the critical time slots when a serving cell signal is low for a determined period of time. Otherwise, when the time slots do not carry critical data, i.e., non-critical time slots, the UE stops transmitting and decoding and uses the non-critical time slots for IRAT measurement.