AIMA has no plans to discontinue the MAT exam

In an exclusive interview with Shiksha.com, Ms Rekha Sethi, Director General, AIMA, says that the rumour about AIMA's plans to shut down Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is incorrect. Have a look at what she had to say about this news:

Recently, there have been rumours that AIMA is contemplating to shut down MAT. What do you have to say about it?

The rumours are incorrect. AIMA has no plans to discontinue the MAT exam, as it is the largest test of its kind with national acceptance. AIMA will continue to administer MAT to MBA aspirants and the next test is scheduled on 5th February 2012.The schedule of the next few MAT Tests is as under:

• 6th May 2012
• 2nd September 2012
• 2nd December 2012
• 3rd February 2013

The HRD Ministry has repeatedly expressed intentions to introduce only one entrance exam for each stream. For admission to management programmes, CAT and MAT are the two most popular exams in India. AICTE will conduct CMAT from 2012 while the government has also allowed business schools and management institutes to accept GMAT scores. How do you think it will all affect MAT in next two to three years?

The proposal to introduce and conduct a Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) exclusively in an online format may not work for a big and diverse country like India. Conducting a common test of this nature across the country in an only online format will only widen the digital divide.

AIMA has been successfully administering MAT for over 20 years now in both the online and written format. While the online version of MAT was introduced three years back, trends indicate that only 9% of the students opt for the computer based test. The reality remains that over 90% of students prefer a paper based test.

This trend is not isolated to management admission tests alone. In the case of AIEEE 2011, just about 4900 candidates have only opted for Computer Based Test (CBT) out of 11 lakh applicants. It is therefore evident that though there has been a significant growth in computer literacy and internet; the reach has not been inclusive with reference to our demographic distribution.

Moreover offering an only online format will be three times more expensive than the existing format of MAT, which could in turn manifest as economic exclusion as well.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when there already is an established, effective and robust test in MAT catering to the exactly same target audience very successfully; that too for over two decades.

What advantages does MAT have over other management examinations?

Over the past two decades, AIMA's Management Aptitude Test (MAT) has been successfully availed by students across the country seeking admission in B-Schools. It remains the largest test in its category in terms of participation and reach, with several lakh students availing it each year. Today, over 600 B-schools in the country recognize and use MAT for admission to their institutions.

MAT's uniqueness and success lies in its inclusiveness. It is administered in both the online and paper based format, thus reaching out to a much wider audience. Moreover, it accommodates the mixed education background of students while staying rigorous on testing aptitude.

MAT is conducted four times a year. How many business schools subscribe to February, May, September, and December exams? Can you name some of the best known B-schools for each MAT exam?

Over 600 AICTE approved B-schools in the country recognize and use MAT for admission to their institutions. In May 2011 over 570 B-Schools subscribed to MAT. Over 370 B-Schools participated in December 2011 and over 450 have subscribed for the February 2012 test.

Some of the institutions subscribing to MAT include Amity University, Birla Institute of Management Technology, ICFAI University, NIIT University, Jaipur National University, Alliance University, Christ University, GITAM University, Manipur University, North Eastern Hill University, Tripura University, and Utkal University to name a few. The list is available on the AIMA website.

What role does AIMA play beyond MAT? How do business study aspirants benefit from AIMA?

As the national apex body of management profession in the country, AIMA is committed to enhancing the competence of management profession through its multifaceted activities.

Founded in 1957, AIMA is a not for profit, non-lobbying organization, working closely with Industry, Government, Academia and students to further the cause of the management profession in India.

Broadly AIMA's scope of activities covers:

1. Management Services including Testing Services, Research, Training Tools like Simulation Programmes and various Competitions and Quizzes
2. Education Services through distance learning and various customized in company programmes and faculty development programmes
3. Dissemination of Information through several conferences and seminars
4. Workshops and Management Development programmes for young managers. Advanced Management programmes for senior leadership
5. Recognising and rewarding excellence in various fields of professional management through AIMA Awards
6. Taking the management movement to global platforms through partnerships and collaborations with several international institutions

Over the past few years AIMA has forged ahead in enhancing management capability with the launch of several unique products and services.

AIMA has also launched MAST (Management Aptitude and Skills Test) which is an industry backed initiative to evaluate managerial skill sets and industry readiness of management graduates. MAST will act as a universal yardstick for screening and selecting the right candidates for the right profile. It will allow potential employers to deepen their search for talent and access B schools across India to find the right talent. The first test was conducted across the nation in September this year.

Another unique property of AIMA is ‘Chanakya' - a business simulation programme. AIMA has developed proprietary management simulation software, which allows participants to hone their decision-making instincts and skills in a real-life simulated business environment. This is an extremely effective HR Tool being used extensively by many in the corporate world today.

These are only a few of various properties under the AIMA banner.

Source: Ruchi Shrimali (Shiksha Team)