Last Minute Tips to Crack MAT 2026 Exam

Management Aptitude Test 2026 ( MAT )

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MAT May 2026 Registration CBT

1 Apr '26 - 8 Jun '26

Vipra
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Updated on May 27, 2026 14:56 IST
MAT 2026 last minute tips to score high - You don't need to work hard until the last day before MAT. Take the day off and relax. Prepare for the exam day or make a strategy instead of memorising another chapter. Read last minute preparation tips for MAT exam on Shiksha. These tips will help you score better.

MAT 2026 PBT exam will be held on May 31. Those who have registered for the PBT mode exam must be busy in giving the final touch to their preparation. Check below some last minute MAT preparation tips to optimise your performance.  MAT last minute tips

MAT aspirants must know that last minute preparation should be strategic and specific. Since the MAT exam is conducted in morning shift, there is no time to really do the revision. So, the best thing to do is revise important topics the night before. In the last few minutes before the exam, finalise a strategy which will give the maximum gains.

As part of last minute preparation for MAT exam 2026, go through the short notes. MAT exam is conducted from 10 am to 12 pm. Time to reach the test centre is 8:30 am. Read below to know what to do, as part of last minute MAT 2026 exam preparation.

MAT 2026 Marking Scheme and Time Limit

The MAT 2026 question paper comprises five sections – Language Comprehension, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills and Economic and Business Environment. Have a look at the MAT marking scheme and time-limit below:

  • The paper carries 150 multiple-choices based questions and each question carries 1 mark
  • Each section of the MAT question paper has 30 questions in MCQ format 
  • There is negative marking of 0.25 marks for wrong attempt
  • The exam duration is two hours. There is no sectional time-limit
  • Choose questions wisely.

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8 Last Minute Tips for MAT Exam 2026

Being a speed based exam, the MAT not only tests your aptitude but also your ability to perform under pressure. Here are a few last minute MAT 2026 exam tips to follow:

1. Do not study too hard: Take a break from full-fledged study routine of 8 hours on the day before exam. Keep your mind relaxed during the day. You can revise important theorems and formulae before going to bed at night.

2. Revise GK: In the last few minutes before the exam what should you do? Check important Quantitative Aptitude formulae and check short notes that you made on General Awareness (Economic and Business Environment).

3. Check MAT admit card and other documents: Check whether you have kept all the required documents before leaving for the MAT exam centre. Make sure you have kept two copies of MAT 2026 admit card and a photo ID. Do not forget to keep a blue or black ball-point pen for signing the attendance sheet. PwD category candidates must keep the relevant documents. 

4. Time management: MAT doesn’t have sectional time-limit like CAT, so candidates need to be mindful of using 120 minutes judiciously. Allot time to each section as per your strength and weakness, and don't over step the limit. Keep Economic and Business Environment section as last priority as it is memory based and would require not more than 10 minutes.

5. Speed and accuracy: Time is critical so you will need to take fast decisions. If you get stuck on a question for more than a minute, leave it and move to next. You can always come back to it later if time permits. Solve GK questions at last as it is not considered for percentile creations so you need not worry about it. Try to solve 12-15 questions in each section accurately to achieve sectional cut off. You can attempt more if time permits.

6. Avoid negative marking: You don't have to solve all the questions in MAT exam. If you are not confident of solving a question accurately, then skip it. Remember, there is negative marking for wrong answers in MAT but not for unanswered questions. If you skip a question, you will be marked 0 for it. 

7. Don’t gamble: Every MAT question has four answers, do not do random guess work. Try the method of elimination. Ignore 2 most unlikely options. Zero-in on two possibly correct options, take a few seconds to analyse and choose the preferred option. Better still, skip the question if you are not convinced. You can make another attempt in MAT.

8. Stay away from stress: Be calm and confident during your MAT 2026 exam. Don’t take undue stress of tough questions. If you will take stress, you will be vulnerable to making silly mistakes even in easy questions. So be positive and tell yourself- “I can crack it”. 

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Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What are the items/documents to carry on the MAT exam day?
A: 
On the MAT exam day, PBT and CBT candidates have to visit the examination centre well prepared. Apart from carrying two hard copies of the MAT admit card, they need to also carry a photo ID proof issued by the Government of India. The documents that are included in the list of approve IDs are: 1. Aadhaar Card 2. PAN Card 3. Voter ID Card 4. Passport 5. Driving License 6. University ID Candidates have to carry the original copy of any of these IDs to the exam centre for identification process. IBT mode candidates are also required to present any of these IDs for identification to remote proctored mode. Candidates belonging to PwD category have to carry PwD and scribe certificates too on the exam day. Any candidate suffering from any medical condition which requires them to eat or have medicine during the exam, has to carry a Certificate regarding the same issued by a competent authority. Apart from the documents, candidate are required to carry blue/black ball point pen for signing the attendance sheet and filling the OMR sheet (PBT mode). No other stationary item will be allowed inside the MAT exam centre.
Q:   How will I know about MAT GD/PI schedule?
A: 
The MBA institute will send Group Discussion GD and Personal Interview . PI letter to each candidate who had selected the institute in MAT application form upon their selection based on MAT cut offs. The candidate should keep checking their email ID mentioned in MAT application form. The letters/emails have GD/PI dates, time and venue mentioned on it along with other details related to the GD/PI process. If a candidate wishes to apply at college other than the ones they had selected in the MAT form, then they should visit the website of their desired MBA college and check the application schedule. Once they will fill the application form, they will be informed about the GD/PI schedule via email. Candidates must keep handy the MAT admit card, MAT scorecard, academic certificates, passport size colored photographs, original and requisite fee amount for admission on the day of Group Discussion and Personal Interview.
Q:   In how many cities is MAT exam held?
A: 
Test cities for MAT CBT and MAT PBT are different. So, while selecting an exam mode in the MAT application form, candidates must check the list of cities in which that MAT exam mode is being held or not for that session or exam phase. Check here the MAT test cities: MAT PBT Test Cities: Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi (NCR), Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Ranchi, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam. MAT CBT Test Cities: Amritsar, Bareilly, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Delhi (NCR), Gorakhpur, Hisar, Imphal, Indore, Jamshedpur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kotak, Madurai, Mangaluru, Nagpur, Pune, Raipur, Rajkot, Rourkela, Shillong, Siliguri, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhilai, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi (NCR), Dharwad, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nanded, Patna, Ranchi, Udaipur, Varanasi and Visakhapatnam.

Check MAT cut offs and predict calls from colleges accepting MAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all MAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict MAT Admission Calls
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Vipra Shrivastava
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Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8

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