Yes, candidates can apply to GIBS Bangalore using MAT scores alone. GIBS accepts MAT scores as a valid entry for PGDM admissions. Along with your MAT score, you need to submit your application form, academic documents, and follow the selection process, which may include a short interview or discussi
MAT Exam Preparation 2025: Key Tips to Score 99 Percentile
Management Aptitude Test 2025 ( MAT )
MAT exam is student friendly and easy to crack. However, one needs to have correct strategy for the same. It is conducted multiple times in a year so one can appear for it according to preparation done. If you are planning to pursue MBA this year, get the key MAT 2025 preparation tips here.
MAT Preparation 2025 - The first step towards MAT preparation is know the syllabus and pattern. MAT is a speed based test in which candidates have to solve 150 questions in 120 minutes. It may sound tough but one can easily crack it with focused MAT preparation 2025. Being a speed based MAT expects candidates to be quick in solving questions and with maximum accuracy.
SNAP 2026 Applications Open - Start your Application Now
The syllabus includes Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning abilities along with General Knowledge and Current Affairs. The MAT is an easy exam, so you need not get worried on seeing the vast syllabus. If you have appeared for any other MBA entrance or are preparing for it, you will find these topics familiar. Read here some useful tips for MAT preparation 2025.
What is MAT exam?
The All India Management Association (AIMA) conducts the Management Aptitude Test or MAT at all India level for MBA/PGDM admissions. The MAT exam is conducted multiple times in a year, in four phases - February, May, September, December. More than 800 B-school accept MAT scores for admission to MBA/PGDM courses.
MAT Preparation Strategy 2025
To score well in the MAT 2025, study the important topics and keep practicing MAT question papers side by side to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Before reading MAT 2025 preparation tips, take a look at the MAT exam pattern and syllabus.
Explore colleges based on MAT
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Confused about which college or exam to opt for?
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
View allCollections
MAT Exam Pattern 2025
Given below is the MAT 2025 exam pattern, which highlights the sectional break-up of the MAT question paper. Although there is no sectional time-limit in MAT exam, candidates must divide their time as suggested in the table.
| MAT Sections |
Number of Questions |
Suggested Time |
|---|---|---|
| Language Comprehension |
30 |
20 minutes |
| Mathematical Skills |
30 |
30 minutes |
| Data Analysis and Sufficiency |
30 |
30 minutes |
| Intelligence and Critical Reasoning |
30 |
30 minutes |
| Indian and Global Environment |
30 |
10 minutes |
| Total |
150 |
120 minutes |
MAT Syllabus 2025
Before starting with MAT preparation 2025, aspirants must arrange MAT books and study material and make a study-schedule. Devote equal time to each of the topics included in MAT syllabus. It is better to pre-determine hours for each subject. Go through the MAT 2025 Syllabus, and make a MAT preparation plan topic wise to avoid missing out on any important topic.
| MAT Sections |
MAT Syllabus |
|---|---|
| Language Comprehension |
Reading Comprehension, Parajumbles, Fill in the blanks, One Word Substitution, Sentence Correction, Verbal Ability, Antonym & Synonyms, Idioms & Phrases, etc. |
| Data Analysis & Sufficiency |
Tables, Charts, Pie Charts, Bar Diagrams, Caselet-based Data, Venn Diagram, Graphs, Data Comparison, Data Sufficiency, etc. |
| Mathematical Skills |
Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Number System, Percentage, LCM & HCF, Inequalities, Set Theory, etc. |
| Intelligence & Critical Reasoning |
Blood Relation, Family Tree, Coding & Decoding, Numeric Grid, Syllogism, Clocks, Calendars, Visual Reasoning, etc |
Also read:
MAT 2025 Preparation: Time Management
The duration of MAT exam is 120 minutes in which candidates have to attempt 150 questions. Therefore, it is crucial for a candidate to have a proper plan for each section. Here, time management plays an extremely important role. To attempt all questions within the time duration, you need to solve each question in less than a minute. However, it is not mandatory to solve all the questions. The trick is to choose which questions to solve. You must first decide how many questions to attempt per section (focus on sectional cut off).
Solve easy questions that require less time first and then move to tough ones. Solve all the easy questions of all the sections first. You can attempt tough questions in the remaining time. Do not waste time on tricky questions. Do not attempt a question you are not sure of solving accurately. MAT exam has negative marking so don’t take chances.
MAT 2025 Preparation: Complete the Syllabus
Merely, having theoretical knowledge of topics and concepts will not help you score well in MAT 2025 exam. You must have practice of solving questions quickly. In MAT, you will be targeting at least 100-120 questions out of 150 questions which means you will get less than 1 minute for each question. To gain enough speed and accuracy, you need to practice as many sample papers possible for MAT exam. Keeping this in mind, solve as many MAT mock tests and sample papers as you can. This will give you an idea about the expected topics, the difficulty level of questions, types of questions, time taken per questions and tricks and shortcuts to apply. Practicing MAT mock tests will also help you in experiencing the actual exam pressure and environment. In order to know your level of MAT preparation, start taking online mock tests and carefully analyse your performance in each one of them to know your strengths and weaknesses.
MAT Mock Test by Shiksha
| MAT Mock Test 1 | MAT Mock Test 1 Solutions |
| MAT Mock Test 2 | CMAT Mock Test 2 Solutions |
MAT 2025 Preparation: Choose the exam phase wisely
MAT exam is conducted multiple times in four phases. Candidates have the choice to opt for the exam in February, May, September or December. You must register for MAT only when you are fully prepared and have started scoring 99 percentile in mock tests. If you need six months to prepare then go for the exam phase which is six months away. If you can prepare for MAT in three months, then opt for the phase which is three months away. You need to be well prepared for optimum result in MAT, so register for it only in the phase that suits your preparation plan.
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
MU BAAT 2026 Round 1 Registration
1 Aug '25 - 12 Oct '25
NMAT 2025 Registration Window
1 Aug '25 - 18 Oct '25
BET 2026 Round 1 Submission De...
4 Nov '25
SNAP 2025 Registration Process
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25
MICAT (I) Registrations
30 Sep '25 - 20 Nov '25
CAT 2025 admit card download
5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25
XAT 2026 Exam registration
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25
IBSAT 2025 Registration
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25
SRCC GBO Registration 2026
21 Dec '25
BMAT 2026 Application Release
31 Dec '25
Read More:
- MAT Preparation for Mathematical Skills
- MAT Preparation for Data Analysis & Data Sufficiency
- MAT Preparation for Language Comprehension
- MAT Preparation for Intelligence & Critical Reasoning
- MAT Preparation for Indian & Global Environment
- Best Books for MAT Preparation 2025
- How to prepare for MAT in six months
- How to prepare for MAT exam in three months
- How to prepare for MAT exam in one month
- Last week MAT preparation tips
- Last minute tips to crack MAT
Q: Which are the top colleges for MAT score 50-60 percentile?
A:
MAT score is accepted by a lot of private MBA colleges in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Some of the popular MBA colleges which accept MAT score in the range of 50-60 percentile are listed below. Admission process of these colleges include group discussion and Personal Interview . School of Management Sciences Varanasi
Greater Noida Institute of Management
Deviprasad Goenka Management College of Media Studies Mumbai
International Institute of Business Studies Kolkata
St Josephs Institute of Management Trichy
Development Management Institute Patna
Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Harihar
Rajalakshmi School of Business Chennai
Gurunanak Institute of Management Studies Mumbai
Madhya Pradesh Birla Institute of Management Bangalore
MITCON Institute of Management Pune
Vyasa Business School Bangalore
GRG School of Management Studies Coimbatore
Jagan Institute of Management Studies Jaipur
Vanguard Business School Bangalore.
Q: Who decides MAT cut off percentiles for admission?
A:
The participating colleges decide MAT cut off for admission to their MBA/PGDM programmes. Generally, the top MBA colleges' cut off range is around 90-95 percentile. Cut offs of Tier 2 colleges is usually between the range of 80-90 percentile and for Tier 3 it is 50-70 percentile. These cut offs are determined by the colleges on the basis of certain parameters and may change year on year. The three main factors that determine MAT cut off are listed below:
1. Difficulty level of MAT exam
2. Total number of students applying
3. Seat intake capacity of any institute
4. Previous year's cut offs
Admission to MBA/PGDM courses through MAT is based on the cut offs. This is the standard procedure for MBA Admission in private B-schools and top government institutes as well. MAT being a national level MBA entrance exam follows the same process.
Q: Which are the top colleges for MAT score 70-80 percentile?
A:
MAT score is accepted by lot of MBA colleges across India. Candidates can find a college of their percentile range among the 800 MBA colleges that accept MAT score. If you have scored in the MAT percentile range of 70-80 percentile, you can seek admission in the following colleges. These are some of the popular MBA college that accept MAT score of 70-80 percentile. Institute of Business Management and Technology
Jaypee Business School
EMPI Business School
Delhi School of Business
FIIB Delhi
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Usha and Lakshmi Mittal Institute of Management
SCMS Cochin School of Business
IES Management Colleges and Research Centre Mumbai
Globsyn Business School, Kolkata
Calcutta Business School, Kolkata
GITAM School of International Business Visakhapatnam
GITMA Hyderabad Business School Hyderabad
Durgadevi Saraf Institute of Management Studies Mumbai
Rajalakshami School of Business Chennai
ABBS Bangalore.
Q: Which are the top colleges for MAT score 60-70 percentile?
A:
MAT score is valid for admission to a number of private MBA colleges in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Candidates can appear for a MAT session as per the admission cycle of their preferred college. Some of the popular MBA colleges which accept MAT score in the range of 60-70 percentile are listed below. Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology Bangalore
Fortune Institute of International Business, Delhi
EMPI Business School, Delhi
MIT School of Business Pune
Apeejay School of Management (ASM), Delhi
Institute of Engineering and Management, Kolkata
IMS Ghaziabad
Calcutta Business School, Kolkata
SCMS Cochin School of Business Cochin
IES Management College and Research Centre, Mumbai
ITM Business School, Navi Mumbai
International Institute of Management Studies, Pune
Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar
ITM Business School, Chennai
International School of Business and Media Bangalore
Accurate Institute of Management and Technology, Noida.
Q: Between MAT score and MAT percentile, which one is considered for admission?
A:
Between MAT score and MAT percentile, the latter is considered for admission in most of the MAT accepting colleges. The MAT percentile is used for first round of candidate selection. In the first round, candidate's MAT percentile and academic scores are considered basis which they are selected for GD-PI. Thus, MAT aspirants must ensure that they perform optimally in all the sections of MAT to get a good percentile.
Q: Which are the top colleges for MAT score 80-90 percentile?
A:
MAT admission process includes Group Discussion and Personal Interview . Selection for this round is done by the institutes on the basis of MAT percentile of candidates. All the MAT participating colleges have fixed cut offs for selection of candidates. In some colleges, the MAT cut offs are high whereas in some colleges, the MAT cut offs are comparatively low. In all, a candidate who has scored above 65 percentile in MAT can get a good college. However, as you have asked for MAT colleges accepting scores ranging between 80-90 percentile, we have listed down some colleges for you. Christ University Bengaluru
BIMTECH Greater Noida
SIESCOMS Navi Mumbai
Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Rohini Delhi
Indus Business Academy
Institute of Management Studies (IMS)
IPE Hyderabad, Institute of Public Enterprise
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow
New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM)
Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management
IES Management College and Research Centre
ITM Business School, Navi Mumbai.
Videos you may like
About the Author
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Vipra is a massive Breaking Bad fan. When not watching crime drama series, she spends time in updating the list of places she wants to visit and people she wants to meet, but she is happiest in the company of dogs. Read Full Bio
Download Important Dates for MBA/PGDM Exams
News & Updates
Latest NewsPopular News
Explore Other Exams
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 Exam registration |
20 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 admit card download s... |
1 Aug '25 - 18 Oct '25 | NMAT 2025 Registration Window |
1 Aug '25 - 25 Oct '25 | NMAT 2025 Scheduling Window |
5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25 | CAT 2025 admit card download |
30 Nov '25 | CAT 2025 exam |
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Registration |
27 Dec '25 - 28 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Exam Date |
13 Feb '25 | CMAT 2025 Result |
31 Jan '25 - 2 Feb '25 | CMAT 2025 Answer Key Release a... |
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25 | SNAP 2025 Registration Process |
28 Nov '25 - 6 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 admit card session 1... |
Dec '25 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration ... |
2 Sep '25 - 4 Sep '25 | MAH MBA CAP 2025: Reporting to... |
30 Sep '25 - 20 Nov '25 | MICAT (I) Registrations |
25 Nov '25 - 29 Jan '26 | MICAT (II) registration proces... |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
Jan '26 | Publication of TANCET notifica... |
Jan '26 | TANCET registration window |
The list of exams are recommended based on what other exams do the students in your area show interest in
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?D
Deepthi
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
If you make an error in the educational qualifications section of the MAT form, you can typically make amends during the official correction period offered by AIMA. The correction period is open for a short time after the submission of the application. You can log in with your MAT account and edit t
A
ABHINAV SRIVASTAVA
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, MAT scores are not compulsory for admissions to the PGDM course at ICBM-SBE, because the college also considers several other entrance exam scores for admissions to the PGDM course. The names of the accepted entrance exams are- CAT/ XAT/ CMAT/ ATMA/ MAT/ GMAT/ State level entrance test. Thus, a
P
Piyush Jain
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, it is possible to get an MBA seat at AURO University with a valid MAT score. The university accepts various national and state-level entrance tests for admission to the MBA programme. These exams are GCET, GMAT, CAT, CMAT and XAT. Apart from entrance test scores, students are required to submi
S
Shailja Rawat
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The admission deadline for candidates interested in GITAM MBA admissions through the MAT exam is 15 - 22 September 2025. These dates are the last registration dates for the MAT PBT/CBT entrance exams. These dates are very close at this point of time. Hence, candidates who wish to apply for MBA admis
S
Saurabh Khanduri
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The admission process for both the MBA (General) and MBA (Dual-Specialisation) courses is the same. Admission to the MIT-WPU MBA course is entrance-based. Candidates need to appear in either CAT/XAT/NMAT/MAT/GMAT/MAH CET/PERA CET entrance exam and qualify for any one exam with a valid score. The fin
J
Jiya Bisht
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a month ago
Yes, the MAT-PBT exam is still open for registrations for candidates looking to take admissions into the PGDM courses at DSGS. The MAT-PBT exam registrations started at the end of July and will end at the end of September. The MAT-PBT exam will be conducted near the end of September only. Candidates
S
Saurabh Khanduri
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, the MAT entrance exam is still open in 2025 for the SOIM PGDM admissions. The MAT PBT and CBT registrations for the year 2025 are still open till 15 September and 22 September respectively. There are also other exams that canidates can clear to gain admissions into SOIM PGDM courses. Candidates
S
Saurabh Khanduri
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, candidates who are unable to gain admissions through one of the accepted entrance exams at PBS can apply for admissions through the result of a different entrance exam. However, candidates are advised to track the timeline of each accepted entrance exam for PBS PGDM admissions as the timeline f
S
Saurabh Khanduri
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The MAT 2025 exam has been concluded with registrations being closed on the 14th July 2025. However, the MAT CBT exam is still open for registrations and is acceptable for admissions in the PBS PGDM course. The MAT CBT exam was opened for registrations recently on 22nd August 2025 and will remain op
S
Saurabh Khanduri
Contributor-Level 10