MAT preparation is easier now with these tips

By: Neha Dash

Managing time in any competitive exam like MAT is the key to crack the exam with high scores. Prepare for the exam with complete focus and determination to clear the exam in the first attempt.

Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA) four times in a year. The time duration for the MAT exam is 150 minutes, i.e. two hours and thirty minutes. The format of questions is Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and the number of sections in this exam is five including Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills and so on. The students preparing for MAT exam should focus on covering all the sections, taking mock tests and practising previous year question papers to crack the exam. In this article, we will discuss the tips to prepare for the MAT exam.

Preparation tips for MAT

Some of the basic preparation tips for the MAT exam are given below

• How many mock tests to take and when?

Many online portals provide mock tests for the MAT exam. One could take as many mock tests as possible to know the exam pattern and enhance speed. Hence, taking mock tests is important for every entrance exam.

• A minimum number of questions to be attempted in the exam?

The pattern for the MAT exam is a little different from other entrance exams. MAT scorecard shows 800 Marks scaled score and not 160 or 200 raw scores. For each correct answer, one Mark is given and for each incorrect answer, 0.25 marks are deducted. Therefore, I would suggest you not to attempt any question if you are not sure about it. This negative marking of  25 per cent deduction in every incorrect answer proves to be a heavy cost for students to achieve high scores. As per my personal experience, never waste time on a long question, rather skip it and try to answer the short answer type questions. This would help in managing time and scoring more marks.

• Common Mistakes

Write to the point answers for the special questions Unnecessary points would only lead to time wastage and would not even fetch marks. The more appropriate the answer is the more chance of getting marks. Also, do not write any answer in haste as this sometimes would lead to choosing the wrong option even if you know the right one. Try to attempt questions from all the sections. Allot time to each section and try to stick to the time limit to ensure that all the sections are attempted within the prescribed time.

• Ways to enhance the score

The best way to maximise your score is to practise until are confident about a particular topic or subject. The more you practise the more accurate you would become. After completing the syllabus, focus on practising previous year question papers with a stopwatch. This would help in managing time and enhancing accuracy in the exam. During the preparation, focus on covering all the topics to score well in the exam. Time is precious in every competitive exam, therefore, it should be used wisely. One should not waste time on a particular question, in case they don’t know the answer. Always stay calm and confident during the exam.

About the Author:

Neha Dash is a student persuading Masters in Business Administration at KIIT School of Management, Bhubaneswar. In addition to her interest in art and dance, she also has a side passion for writing articles for common topics. With her positive attitude towards the interest of youth, she has an idea of creating a space where she could grab more of youth readers.