MAT -Management Aptitute Test Analysis

The MAT Management Aptitute Test paper comprised objective multiple-choice questions .  In MAT  it is important to use the allotted time wisely as students had to answer 200 questions in 150 minutes. Each question carried one mark. There was negative marking of 0.25 for the wrong answers.

The paper had questions from 5 different areas, viz. Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency, Reasoning Ability and General Knowledge, with exactly 40 questions in each of them. The  level of difficulty of last exam was average. 

In QA, the questions from pure Geometry were missing, though Mensuration and Trigonometry were present. Almost all the options were very unambiguous, so wise guessing proved fruitful. 

Questions on Data Interpretation were categorized in Bar graph, Pie-chart, Tables and Line graph. Most of questions are calculation intensive. In some cases options were also very close. So overall the section was time consuming. Five questions were asked from each area of Data Sufficiency and Data Comparison. 

Questions on Reasoning were quite straightforward. (Linear arrangement, Assumption based logical reasoning, Blood relation). Some reasoning based individual questions were lengthy. But the questions asked on Directions, Series were some of the single questions which were very easy.

Language comprehension was of easy to moderate difficulty level as most of them were SDQ (Specific Detailed Questions) type and for that no logical inference was required. 
Overview of the MAT Paper
Time 150 Min
Total no. of questions 200
Marks per question 1
Negative marking 0.25

The break-up and weightage of the sections are as follows:

Sr. No. Area                   No. of Questions                Marks           allotted Difficulty Level 

1. Verbal Ability                           40                       40                Moderate
2. Quantitative Aptitude            40                       40                 Easy
3. Data Interpretation and Data sufficiency 40 40                 Moderate
4. Reasoning Ability                   40                       40              Easy To Moderate
5. General Knowledge               40                       40               Moderate
  TOTAL 200 200  


SECTIONAL BREAK – UP

 SECTION I: Verbal Ability

This section was of the typical MAT papers of earlier years. The fill in the blanks questions were quite easy having 2 blanks on account of the very ‘out of the way’ choices that were given which helped one eliminate them. Grammar based questions were of moderate level. The RC section was of average difficulty level. This time Analogies were reintroduced with moderate difficulty level. Area Description No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Reading Comprehension 5 passages 20 Moderate
English Usage -- 20 --
  Grammar(Error in sentence) 05 Moderate
  Para Jumbles 05 Moderate
  Fill in the blanks 05 Easy
  Critical Reasoning 05 Moderate


 SECTION II: Quantitative Aptitude

The QA section in MAT comprised Arithmetic and Pure Maths questions. Arithmetic had around 12-15 questions and was easy. The questions mostly focused on Time and Work, Alligation, Ratio, SI/CI, Pipes and Cisterns and Time Speed Distance. Questions from Probability made the test takers realise the presence of Algebra. The questions were based on the application of formula and were not reasoning intensive.Area No. of Questions Difficulty Level 
Arithmetic 22 Easy To moderate
Algebra 09 Easy To Moderate
Mensuration/Trigonometry 09 Easy 


 SECTION III: Data Interpretation and Data sufficiency

There were more questions in Data Sufficiency than that were in Sep 07 MAT. Students would have found this section to be time consuming. Questions of DI were lengthy than the previous ones. Area No. of Questions Difficulty Level 
Data Sufficiency 10 Moderate
Data Comparison 05 Easy
Data Sufficiency (2 Statements) 05 Moderate
Data Interpretation 30 Average
Table (World bank allocation; Fuel cost per km; Expected Actual etc) 15 Average
Pie chart (TV sells and types 17”,21” etc) 05 Average
Line Graph (Rainfall in Jan and July) 05 Average
Bar Graph (Issues and amount raised) 05 Easy

SECTION IV: Reasoning Ability

This proved to be an easier section for students on account of the numerous questions from ‘Analytical Reasoning’. Critical Reasoning questions were a bit dicey, but should have been attempted by those who are comfortable with those areas. 

Topics Break up Difficulty Level
Inductive reasoning 15 --
Arguments Statement Based 10 Moderate
Logical Conclusion/ Deductions (2 statements) 05 Easy To Moderate
Analytical Reasoning 25 --
Arrangement (Scientist from Europe-America etc; Family tree; Colour – Tin – tin colour) 13 Easy
Single questions (Directions, coding - decoding Series etc.) 12 Moderate


SECTION V: General Knowledge

Students who had read a lot on Current Affairs and GK would not have been able to deal with this section on account of the high focus on ‘Economics’ based questions.
Area Tested Difficulty Level 
Current Affairs Moderate
Basic Economics Moderate
Overall Moderate 

An attempt of 100 – 110 questions (Excluding the Questions from GK) with an accuracy of 80% would fetch calls from all the Top rated MAT allied colleges participating in this MAT.

Good Colleges  accepting MAT scores

Alliance Business Academys               Bangalore
Amity Business School                          Noida
Apeejay School of Management          New Delhi
Asia Pacific Institute of Management New Delhi
Bhadruka Group of Institutions        Hyderabad
Christ College                                 Bangalore
Institute for Integrated Learning in Management New Delhi
PSG Institute of Management         Coimbatore
Rajagiri School of Management       Cochin
School of Communication & Management Studies(SCMS) Cochin

source : www.careerforum.i