Saumya
Saumya Jain
Assistant Manager- Content
Updated on Jan 22, 2025 18:36 IST

The Analytical Reasoning section of ATMA is moderate to tough in terms of the difficulty level. Read key tips to crack the Analytical Reasoning section of the ATMA exam 2025 in the article below.

The Analytical Reasoning section of the ATMA exam aims to assess the candidate's ability to analyze and interpret data, make decisions, and solve complex problems. ATMA exam has six sections based on Verbal Skills, Quantitative Skills and Analytical Reasoning. Analytical Reasoning is one of the most difficult sections among the three but can be aced with practice. Aims Test for Management Admission or ATMA is a national-level MBA entrance exam. The exam is taken by a lot of MBA aspirants every year. According to previous years’ trends, the difficulty level of the ATMA exam is moderate to difficult. In this article, Shiksha brings a guide on how to prepare for the Analytical Reasoning section of the ATMA exam.

Table of content
  • ATMA Analytical Reasoning: An Overview
  • ATMA Analytical Reasoning Syllabus
  • Best Books for ATMA: Analytical Reasoning
  • ATMA Preparation: Tips and Tricks to Crack Analytical Reasoning

ATMA Analytical Reasoning: An Overview

The difficulty level of the Analytical Reasoning section of the ATMA exam is usually moderate to tough. This section of the exam is based on critical and logical reasoning questions. To ace the section, one needs to have a clear understanding of the question. Students need to be clear with which question requires what type of approach. In the ATMA exam, there are two sections based on Analytical Reasoning, i.e. Analytical Reasoning Part I and Analytical Reasoning Part II. Check out some of the key points to remember below:

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  • The Analytical Reasoning section (Part I and II) has 60 questions in total. Candidates will have 30 minutes to solve each section.
  • All the questions will be MCQ-type questions
  • Every question carries one mark each
  • 0.25 marks will be deducted for wrong attempts
  • An attempt of 22-25 questions with accuracy will be considered a good attempt

ATMA Analytical Reasoning Syllabus

The Analytical Reasoning section of the ATMA exam comprises the topics given below. Check the table to know the important topics that can be asked in this section.

Important Topics of Analytical Reasoning Section

Critical Reasoning

Coding and Decoding

Syllogisms

Course of Action

Arguments

Data Sufficiency

Statement and Inference

Statements and Conclusions

Strong and Weak Arguments

Arrangements

Blood Relations

Venn Diagrams

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Best Books for ATMA: Analytical Reasoning

The following is the list of best books for Analytical Reasoning. Check the recommended books below:

Q:   What is a good score in ATMA exam?
A:
Candidates appearing for the ATMA exam for admission to MBA programme, must have a good percentile to clear the cutoff of their preferred colleges. The validity of ATMA score is one year and students will be offered admission to colleges accepting ATMA scores through their ATMA result. Each institute releases their individual cutoffs. To gain admission, candidates need to match the cutoff criteria of their preferred institute. The ATMA exam has 180 questions and the total marks are 180. But, the raw scores are then scaled and the final marks are awarded out of 800. Knowing what is a good score in ATMA exam is subjective, however, the current trends suggest that the following will be considered a good score: Very good score- More than 700 Good score- 650-700 Average score- 620- 650 Low score- Below 550 Based on the scores obtained in the ATMA exam, the percentile of the candidates will be calculated.
Q:   Is ATMA exam difficult?
A:
ATMA is a speed-based test which is designed to assess a candidate's analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, and English comprehension. It may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at an advanced level. All you will need is to brush up on the basics and practice the concepts on advance level problems. Students should solve previous years question papers, attempt an ample number of mock tests and be consistent to score well in the ATMA exam. Having said that, the preparation for the ATMA exam requires focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the ATMA exam. ATMA is one of the easiest MBA entrance exams and a good preparation strategy can help you crack the ATMA exam with a good score. Generally, the toughest section of the ATMA question paper is Quantitative Aptitude. But with daily practice and focusing on understanding the fundamentals, this section of the ATMA exam can be handled easily.
Q:   Can I prepare for ATMA exam in one month?
A:

ATMA one month preparation can be done. Students can begin with ATMA syllabus and exam pattern. There on, they can focus on practicing what they have studied. The aim should be to strengthen concepts and practice time management. The remaining time should be given to taking mock tests and soving sample papers.  

Prioritize weak areas and enhance vocabulary. This condensed plan can be effective with consistent effort 

  • A Modern Approach to Verbal Reasoning by R.S Aggarwal
  • Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
  • A New Approach to Reasoning by B.S Sijwali and S Sijwali
  • Logical and Analytical Reasoning by K Gupta
  • Analytical & Logical Reasoning for CAT & Other Management Entrance Tests by Piyush Bharadwaj

Students must note that when they are preparing for the ATMA exam, they must refer to other study material apart from the books mentioned above. They must practice an ample number of mock tests and sample papers for this section. As the saying goes, ‘practice makes a man perfect. The more you practice the better you will get on solving the questions.

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ATMA Preparation: Tips and Tricks to Crack Analytical Reasoning

As mentioned above, to ace this section, one needs to practice as much as one can. Not practicing enough can make the section a tough problem to solve. One needs to attempt a question with a clear understanding and the right approach. There are no formulae in Analytical Reasoning per se but one needs to apply their cognitive ability to solve the puzzles. Check out some of the ATMA preparation tips to crack the Analytical Reasoning section below:

  • The success in solving the question in the Analytical Reasoning section depends on how well you understand the question. The questions may seem confusing at the first glance, but give time and slowly read and understand the question.
  • While practicing mock tests and sample papers, try to solve each question twice or thrice. Again practicing more will help you in solving the question not only quickly but also accurately.
  • While preparing for the Analytical Reasoning section, list down your strengths and weaknesses and decide which topics to take up first. Try to find tips and tricks to solve the questions quickly and jot down small notes which will help you further during the revision.
  • The answer to a question in the Analytical Reasoning section lies in the question and the options themselves. Try to find out a reason as to why one option is correct and others are not.
  • Develop a skill of thinking critically. The questions in this section are based on critical reasoning. Break down the questions into a logical flow and a series of events. And then examine each event and look at them critically and eventually solve them.
  • Try to draw rough diagrams or grids or tables to understand the question with the data given in the question. Experts suggest that visuals help in solving a particular question in a better way.
  • Read as much as you can. Develop a habit of reading and try reading the question twice and fetch the important data or information from the question. This will increase the speed and accuracy.

Read More:

 

Q:   What are the last minute tips to prepare for ATMA before the exam?
A:

ATMA is one of the important MBA entrance exams. The first tip to ace the ATMA exam is to stay calm. Here are a few last minute preparation tips for ATMA exam:

  • Confirm the exact location of the ATMA test centre at least one day before the ATMA exam day to ensure that transportation is available on time. If you are new to the city or the location of the centre, it is adivsable to visit the centre once.
  • Arrive early to the ATMA exam centre. Applicants must ensure that they arrive at least an hour before the exam begins.
  • Use the restroom before to the start of the test. Because you will not have time and may not be able to exit the exam hall throughout the examination period, use the restroom before entering the examination hall. 
  • Do not bring cell phones or other electronic devices, such as calculators, smartwatches, to the exam centre because the machines are not always available. Personal property will not be safeguarded outside of the exam centre, and the exam centre authories will not be held liable for any loss of personal property. There are no stationary objects allowed, such as a pen, stylus, or paper. Rough pads and pens will be given to the applicants. Candidates should write their name and application number on their rough pads/sheets.
  • Stay calm and have a healthy breakfast in the morning before the exam. 
Q:   Which are the most important topics to focus for ATMA preparation?
A:

AIMS conducts the ATMA exam at least three to four times a year. This year, the exam will be conducted thrice in the computer-based test mode. Here are important topics for the exam according to the sections of ATMA question paper.

Analytical Reasoning: Every year, this section is considered to be the toughest among the others. This section contains questions mainly from Analytical Reasoning and Critical Reasoning. Some of the important topics of this section include: 

  1. Syllogisms 
  2. Critical Reasoning
  3. Course of Action
  4. Cause and Effect
  5. Statement and Conclusion
  6. Strong and Weak Arguments
  7. Statement and Inference
  8. Coding and Decoding
  9. Arrangements
  10. Data Sufficiency

Verbal Skills: Just like other management entrance tests, this section is divided into Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability/English Usage. There are about four to five comprehension passages while the topics of English usage are as follows:

  1. Synonyms (word pair)
  2. Fill in the blanks
  3. Para Formation Questions (PFQs)
  4. Idioms
  5. Error identification
  6. Grammar
  7. Sentence Completion
  8. Word Meaning
  9. Antonyms
  10. Para Jumbles

3. Quantitative Skills: This section of the ATMA question paper is also considered tough. However, the overall difficulty level can be considered to be moderate. Some of the important topics of this section include:

  1. Profit and Loss
  2. Percentage
  3. Simple Interest and Compound Interest
  4. Partnership
  5. Average, Mixture and Alligation
  6. Time and Distance
  7. Time and Speed
  8. Geometry and Mensuration
  9. Time and Work
  10. Permutation & Combination
  11. Probability
  12. Statistics
  13. Graphs and Pie Chart.
Q:   What is the ideal time to prepare for ATMA?
A:
Aspirants should start preparing for the ATMA exam at least six months before the test date. ATMA preparation requires planning thus one must start early. They can also join coaching institutes for focused preparation. Starting early will also help you assess that whether you need to join a coaching institute or not. Divide your preparation into three phases - 1. Covering the syllabus 2. Practicing mock tests, sample questions and 3. Revision. The ATMA syllabus includes the following topics: Verbal Skills: Parajumbles, Sentence Completion, Grammar, Comprehension Passages, Synonyms and Antonyms, etc. , Analytical Reasoning: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Strong and Weak Arguments, and Syllogism Quantitative Skills: Geometry, Algebra Number System Arithmetic, Mensuration etc. You can read the following ATMA books for exam preparation: 1. A New Approach to Reasoning by BS Sijawali 2. Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha 3. Multi-Dimensional Reasoning by Mishra Kumar and Dr Lal 4. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis 5. How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay 6. High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin 7. How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma 9. Class 9 and Class 10 NCERT Mathematics books 10. Quantitative Aptitude by R. S Aggarwal.
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About the Author
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Saumya Jain
Assistant Manager- Content
Saumya brings over seven years of editorial experience, with more than five years of wielding pen (and keyboard) at Shiksha. A graduate in English Literature from Delhi University, she is a storyteller at heart. A t Read Full Bio
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Answered a week ago

Set your plan right. Work on your plan and identify your weakness and strength. Get the right study material. Try to plan and identify the above-stated things within a week. Set your plan agile and keep buffer time for revision and solving mock test papers.
Start with your verbal and quantitative pra

...Read more

N

Nishtha Shukla

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a month ago

No, the registrations for ATMA 2025 were recently closed on the 24th August 2025. Candidates who managed to register for the ATMA 2025 entrance exam need to plan a preparation strategy to cover the ATMA 2025 exam syllabus before 30th August 2025 to clear the exam. Candidates who manage toscore an ap

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Saurabh Khanduri

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

If you belong to the General AI category, the minimum CUET UG cutoff score required is 444.09 for admission to the BA (Hons) programme. The maximum cutoff score required is 823.86 during Round 1 admission. However, please note that the cutoff scores vary for different courses, specialisations, round

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Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College cutoff 2025 for CUET UG has been released, wherein the cutoff scores varied between 289.02 and 846.37 for admission across multiple courses at the UG level. This cutoff range is for the students belonging to the General AI quota. Please note that the cutoff scores var

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Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Yes, students can get a PGDM seat at IES MCRC with a valid ATMA score. The institute accepts CAT, CMAT, ATMA, and other national-level entrance test scores for PGDM admissions. ATMA is also accepted for admission to PGDM in Pharmaceutical Management. To get a seat, students must fulfil the eligibili

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Shailja Rawat

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) College has a vibrant campus life with numerous active clubs, societies, and events. Some of the notable ones include the Cultural Society, Nimbus (English Debating Society), Enactus (entrepreneurship and social inclusion), Rangayan (Dramatics Society), and Sarang (Sin

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Rashmi Sharma

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