How I Prepared for MAT

Tips from the Topper Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is conducted by All India Management Association (AIMA) for admission to MBA program across the country. Read more to know all about MAT Examination pattern like exam duration, topics covered, marking scheme, marks distribution, type of questions and lots more that will help the candidates in scoring high in MAT Examination. The MAT exam consists of objective type questions. The candidates have to select the correct answer out of the given options. There are 5 sections with 200 questions. The duration of MAT is 2 hours 30 minutes or 150 minutes and there is no sectional time limit i.e. the candidates could move back and forth between the sections. The 5 sections in the MAT Exam Pattern are Language Comprehension, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, Indian and Global Environment. Every section has 40 questions and the scores of the Indian and Global Environment are not added in the final section. The candidates could start the exam with any section. The total marks of the exam are 200 and the scaled score is given out of 800. The MAT Exam Pattern has remained consistent over the years. Before applying for any exam, the candidates must be familiar with the syllabus. If the candidates are familiar with the syllabus and the pattern then, preparing and cracking the exam will be a lot easier. The syllabus for MAT includes 5 sections of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and each correct answer contains will add +5 marks. There is a total of 5 sections and every section has 40 questions each. The various sections are as follows:

1. Language Comprehension
2. Mathematical Skill
3. Data Analysis and Sufficiency
4. General Intelligence and Critical reasoning
5. Indian and Global Environment

Section No.	Name of Section	No. of questions	Time Suggested (Minutes)
1	Language Comprehension	40	30
2	Mathematical Skills	40	40
3	Data Analysis and Sufficiency	40	35
4	Intelligence and Critical Reasoning	40	30
5	Indian and Global Environment	40	15
	Total	200	150

Strategy to solve:- The paper can be split into three parts: concept driven, practice intensive and environment sensitive. Mathematical Skills & select areas of Language Comprehension are concept driven where the questions are critically dependent on the test taker’s conceptual clarity with respect to core fundamentals; Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis & Sufficiency and select areas of English Language Proficiency are practice intensive where rigorous practice across similar questions plays a key role; Indian & Global Environment is environment sensitive where an awareness with respect to current affairs is the winning stroke. While preparing ensures a sequential and systematic approach; the following is a suggested route:-

1. Start with concept building in areas where concepts are critical (as mentioned above).
2. Graduate to the next level where you practice across questions requiring an application of the key concepts.
3. Cement your preparation with practice across similar tests, thus improving your test taking strategies.

Overall, the test taker has to understand that MAT is designed to assess you on certain core management skills like time management, prioritization, stress management, knowledge and balancing accuracy & speed. A tentative idea about questions in this section coming from the following areas Indian & Global Environment: – Current Events & Happenings, Banking & Business, Sports, General Political Information Quantitative Ability: – Number Systems, Percentage, Profit & Loss, Mixtures, Averages, Ratios, Interest, Time & Work, Time, Speed & Distance, Geometry, Trigonometry Intelligence & Critical Reasoning: – Identifying patterns in number sets, Relationships, Direction Sense, Coding, Decoding, Verbal Reasoning. Verbal Ability: – Word Analogies, Vocabulary, with questions on antonyms and synonyms, Rearranging sentences, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Completion Data Analysis & Sufficiency: – Data Sufficiency, Standard DI tools like bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, data tables, Data Comparisons. ALL THE VERY BEST!!! — This article is prepared as per tips given by our MAT Topper Tejas Jadhav, 99.99%ile, 800/800 marks.