Last Minute Tips to Crack MAT 2026 Exam

MAT 2026 PBT exam will be held on March 1. Those who have registered for the PBT mode exam be busy in giving the final touch to their preparation. Check below some last minute MAT preparation tips to optimise your performance.  

Last minute MAT preparation is all about making an exam strategy, i.e. how to utilize 2 hours in the best manner. To be able to optimise your performance, you need to utilise the last day before MAT 2026 exam in revision of important chapters and planning a time management strategy. Take a look at a previous year's MAT question paper to know which type of questions to expect. Note down the questions which are still you pain point and stay away from them in the exam. 

As part of your last minute preparation for MAT exam 2026, you should mainly focus on devising an exam day strategy. Wake up early and with fresh mind. MAT exam is conducted from 10 am to 12 pm. You will have to be at the test centre by 8:30 am so do not waste time in revision in the morning. Do it the night before. In the morning you should at the most, give a glance to Mathematical formulaes. Read below to know what to do. 

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.

Also Read:

• MAT Exam Pattern 2026
• MAT Question Papers PDFs

8 Last Minute Tips for MAT Exam 2026

Being a speed based test, the MAT not only tests your aptitude but also your ability to perform under pressure. Time utilization will be the key. 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”. 

Shiksha MAT Mock Test (Free)

Check below free MAT mock test by Shiksha to know your preparation level and for better exam day experience.

All the best!

Read More:

• MAT 2026 Exam Day Checklist and Important Things to Remember
• MAT 2026 Exam day Guidelines and Dos and Don'ts