Students’ Speak: Preparation tips to crack MAT 2020
Management Aptitude Test 2026 ( MAT )
MAT May 2026 Registration PBT
1 Apr '26 - 25 May '26
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.
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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
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days 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 week 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 week 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 week 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 week 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 weeks 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
Answered 2 weeks ago
All the MAT sections have same weightage, i.e. 30 questions and 30 marks. So candidates must keep in mind to prepare each section properly and poor performance in one section can affect overall score.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 weeks ago
To get into Anna University for the MBA/PGDM course, students would need to appear in the accepted exam, like CAT, MAT, and TANCET.
Students who appear in the CAT or MAT exam would need to attain a valid percentile, and only then are they eligible for the next round of admission, which involves GD,
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
No, you can not join Anna University without appearing for an entrance exam if you want admission to the MBA/PGDM course. Students can either take the CAT or MAT exam, attain a valid percentile and then proceed to the next round.
Or they can take the TANCET entrance examination, attain valid ranks an
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The percentile needed for admission would depend on the category you belong to. JAGSoM accepts various entrance examinations for admission to the MBA/PGDM course, like CAT, XAT, MAT, etc.
As per the estimated XAT cutoff in 2026, a percentile of 70 would be good enough to secure a chance at admission
N
Contributor-Level 10