By: Kandarp Patel
If you haven't scored well in a few of the other MBA entrance exams, then MAT can be your second chance to score well and get access to top B-schools.
Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is one of the important entrance exams for MBA. Effective score in MAT can lead you to get admission in some of the top B-schools in the country, including Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras), Welingkar Mumbai, Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) Hyderabad, Management Development Institute (MDI) Murshidabad, Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS Rohini), etc. The countdown for MAT 2020, to be held on February 16, has begun. So, in this article, we will discuss some effective tips and strategies to score well in MAT 2020.
When compared to other MBA entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, SNAP, etc., MAT is easy. So one can really score well in MAT if one has prepared well for any of the above mentioned entrance exams. If in some of your MBA entrance exams you have not performed well, then trust me MAT can be your second chance to score well and get access to top B-schools. Paper pattern of MAT haven’t not changed much since some years.
Explore colleges based on MAT
Let us first go through the paper pattern of MAT.
| Sections |
No. of questions |
|---|---|
| Mathematics |
40 |
| Language Comprehension |
40 |
| Data Analysis & Sufficiency |
40 |
| Intelligence & Critical Reasoning |
40 |
| Indian & Global Environment |
40 |
| About Exam |
Information |
|---|---|
| Total questions |
200 |
| Total marks |
200 |
| Time duration |
150 minutes |
| Marking scheme |
+1 for correct answer -0.25 for wrong answer |
Section-wise Focus Topics & Tips
Mathematics
- Be thorough with all basic concepts & formulas.
- Try to solve some questions with the help of options.
- Try to find out easy questions by going through the paper first which can really help you in scoring well and saves time.
| Top Topics |
|---|
| Average |
| Percentage |
| Profit & Loss |
| HCM, LCM |
| Ratios |
| Proportions |
| Algebra |
Language Comprehension
- Be as fast as much as you can in this section.
- Good vocabulary can help you better in this section.
| Top Topics |
|---|
| Grammar |
| Comprehensions |
| Synonyms |
| Antonyms |
| Fill in the blanks |
| Idioms & Phrases |
| Match the followings |
Intelligence & Critical Reasoning
- You can really do your best in this section if you enhance your logical thought process.
- Analyze the questions properly and then solve the questions.
| Top Topics |
|---|
| Pie Chart |
| Family Tree |
| Calendars |
| Blood relation |
| Arrangement |
| Series |
| Coding-decoding |
| Reasoning |
- Data Analysis & Sufficiency
- Only practice can make you good in this section.
- Try to solve and practise some good questions from above-mentioned
| Top Topics |
|---|
| Time Speed Distance |
| Accounts |
| Partnership |
| Work & Time |
- Indian & Global Environment
- In this section, GK books can benefit you much.
- Reading newspapers and having knowledge of trending topics can make you score well.
| Top Topics |
|---|
| Current affairs |
| Sports |
| Education |
| Science & Technology |
| History |
| Business |
| Politics |
General MAT 2020 Tips
- Utilise more time in the section in which you are very strong and in which you can score well.
- Give at least 12-15 mocks.
- Solve past 2-5 years papers completely (or give it as a mock).
- Be perfect in time distribution.
- Suggested Time Distribution for effective scoring
About the Author:
Kandarp Patel is a student at Nirma University, Ahemdabad, pursuing Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering (final year). He is also a campus representative with Shiksha.com since 2016.
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Student Forum
Answered a week ago
VGIM Cutoff 2025 is not available yet. However, according to the VGIM MBA/PGDM cutoff 2024, the overall MAT percentile required for admission to PGDM course is 70 for the students belonging to the General AI category
I
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Symbiosis Skills and Professional University MBA applicants must track SNAP and MAT dates because these exams happen earlier. If you miss the registration for these national tests, you might lose a chance to apply here. Each exam has its own schedule for registration, hall tickets, and results. You
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a month ago
MAT is an easy exam compared to other MBA entrances, so you don't need much time for preparation. You can practice sample questions and mocks for mastering the topics. On the exam day, don't aim to solve all the questions. Attempt only those which are from your comfort area. There is negative markin
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham accepts the CAT, MAT or the XAT exam for admission to the MBA course. Students can attempt any one of the aforementioned exams. After taking part in the exam, students have to attain a valid percentile.
Based on previous year trends, a percentile of at least 40 would be nee
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Business schools with campus in Bangalore GIBS Bangalore accepts a wide range of entrance exams for its AICTE-approved PGDM programme (MBA equivalent), prioritizing accessibility for diverse candidates over elite CAT toppers alone. This flexible policy suits your MAT 522 score, enabling shortlisting
G
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
GIBS Business School situated in Bangalore acknowledges CAT, MAT, and XAT as authorized admission tests for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Approved Admission Exams
- CAT (Common Admission Test)
- MAT (Management Aptitude Test)
- XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)
Additionally to these Three Tests, GI
M
Beginner-Level 4
Answered a month ago
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida does provide scholarships to students based on their MAT scores. Aspirants with CAT, CMAT or XAT scores can also get the financial students. The institute offers scholarships to deserving students.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a month ago
No, you cannot join Jindal Global Business School without an entrance exam if you want admission to the MBA course. For admission to the management courses, the institute accepts various national-level exams, like
- CAT
- MAT
- ATMA
- GMAT
- NMAT
- XAT
- CMAT
Students who attain qualifying percentiles for these exams are
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, you cannot join UPES Dehradun for its MBA programme without appearing for the accepted entrance examination. To gain admission to this institute, students would need to take one of the following exams after they clear the basic eligibility rules.
- NMAT, XAT and MAT
Students who attempt the previou
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
MAT is overall an easy exam, but if you compare the sections, usually the Quantitative Aptitude is considered tougher than rest of the four sections, due to calculation intensive questions.
J
Contributor-Level 7

