MAT Preparation Tips

Preparation for MAT Exam

About MAT Exam

Management Aptitude test is the National level Entrance Exam (AIMA) All India Management Association, which is held four times yearly for the admission of MBA/PGDM, exam announced in February, May, September, December. Aspirants who qualify for the exam are eligible for B-School admissions

MAT is conducted online mode(Computer Based Test) & Offline mode (Paper Based Test) candidates can choose any mode of Exam based on preferences.

AIMA has announced the MAT 2024 December session exam dates. CBT and PBT are scheduled for 7th December 2024 and 14th December 2024, respectively.

Preparation for MAT Exam

It requires a bit of hard & smart work. The MAT exam is a speed-based test where a candidate should solve 200 MCQ in 150 minutes. Every candidate should keep a track of speed, time & Accuracy in solving questions, Aspirants should score a minimum of 95 percentile.

Similar exams to MAT are CAT, XAT, CMAT. It includes a Business aptitude test for assessment of candidates, Language Comprehension, Mathematical skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning along with abilities to solve General knowledge & current affairs

MAT EXAM PATTERN HIGHLIGHT

• 200 MCQs
• 150 minutes
• 5 section
• 40 question per section
• Negative marking

MAT syllabus

MAT important topics and syllabus include five important subjects

MAT Preparation Strategy

Before starting MAT preparation, the candidate must gather all study material, devote equal time to each topic, and it is better to predetermine hours for subjects. MAT preparation should be done in a planned way and avoid missing out on important topics.Cover the topic and do practice all the question paper side by side & access Strength & weakness.

Time Management

The duration for the exam is 150 minutes. In this time the candidate has to attempt and solve 200 MCQs. Therefore it is crucial for a candidate to have a proper plan & managing time plays an effective role, each question should be solved in less than a minute. Firstly, the plan should be to solve the easiest one, & then the tricky ones should be answered in the remaining time. Do not attempt the question which you are not sure of solving. The MAT exam has negative marking so avoid taking chances.

Practice mock test

After covering the MAT syllabus, the next step is for 6 months of preparation. Start practicing MAT mock test & sample papers irrespective of test mode you have opted for i.e., IBT, CBT, or PBT. Many mock tests are available online to improve the performance of the candidates and to track speed, accuracy & problem-solving methods with the practice of time management.

Tips to prepare for Language Comprehension

• Focus on improving reading as passage-based questions, read books, Magazines & newspapers to improve reading skills.
• Most of the questions on English grammar are asked on vocabulary Clauses, Idioms, Active & Passive Voice, Verbs sentences, errors & punctuation improve hold on English & fundamental grammar.
• Verbal Ability can be solved by practicing by sample question papers, there is no formula or any other concept.

Preparation for Maths skills

• Fundamental & theorems - Those who do not study mathematics at a higher level can score well in this section.
• Candidates should practice mental maths to speed up calculation during the exam.
• Devote most of the time on weak areas like trigonometry & algebra and start preparing before three months of examination
• Prepare the topic well for better scoring of marks

Preparation for Data Analysis & sufficiency

• The MAT exam contains mostly analytical questions related to the interpretation of & calculation.
• The questions appear in the form of Tables, Charts & Graphs.
• Candidates should have basic knowledge of data representation, tables containing large amounts of data for demographic numbers are presented in the form of pie charts & graphs.
• The key for the segregation of answers is to break down the question into parts and look out for an accurate answer.
• This type of question takes a bit longer as data is confusingly suggested to answer the difficult question in the remaining time.

Preparation for Intelligence & critical Reasoning

• This section mainly demands the application of logical skills.
• This is a reasoning-based section and question related to blood relation, statement & conclusion. It seems easy but it's tricky as well.
• The candidate should view the question based on understanding & intelligence, verification of the statement with reason/opinion.
• Candidates should not assume any answer by themselves, the right way to analyze the answer is to analyze the question carefully.

Preparation for Indian & Global Environment

• This part is the least time taking section in the MAT exam.
• It is to understand the general awareness of the candidate with straightforward questions.
• It contains questions of all National & International events held in a recent year.
• All awards related to film, celebrities gathering & other information on the social gathering
• Achievements related to science, technology & research.

Apart from all this, few more interesting tips for the preparation of MAT

• Read & refer to all books & magazines
• Go through related websites & blogs and make a note side by side.
• Watch news, debates, Political & business chat shows on television and YouTube.
• G.K topics, Memorize all statistics accurately, yearly success & competition review books.

Last week strategy for MAT

• Candidates should focus on revision in the last week before the exam
• Revision on key topics.
• Practice Mock tests online to build up self-confidence in students.
• Don't start any new topic before the exam
• Revise and mark shortcuts keys for better understanding.