Students’ Speak: Steps to a successful attempt to MAT 2020

By: Ambika Sur

The exam day is just the final destination, which you reach after climbing up the steps of preparation. The steps to successfully clear the test are enough knowledge about the exam, planning accordingly, knowing the strengths and weaknesses, working on them hard and smartly. So, if these steps are well followed then surely you will bag some extra scores.

Let’s discuss the steps towards the successful attempt of the Management Aptitude Test (MAT 2020):

Exam Pattern

MAT is a national-level exam, which is conducted by the All India Management Association (AIIMA) for MBA/PGDM courses. The attractive part of this exam is that you can sit four times a year at an interval of three months. The next exam will be conducted in February, followed by May, September and then December.

• General knowledge is not counted in percentile.
• 40 questions under each section
• The total time given is 2 hours 30 minutes so the average time to be spent on each section is 40 minutes.
• Quant and DI demand more time.
• Blood relation is an important part of puzzles under the logical reasoning section.

Some tips to follow for MAT 2020

Last years’ question papers: Go through the last years’ questions. Solve them. Understand the concepts well so that you can confidently solve the questions of the same pattern. Having clear concepts about every topic is the key to attempt correctly. Because the numbers may change and the difficulty level but the concept of a particular problem is constant.

Strategise: Know about the test, the exam pattern and test timing. If planned properly and executed well, comparatively it is an easier test to crack. You can attempt the test four times a year at an interval of three months.

Mock test: Assess yourself continuously by attempting mock tests. And take every test seriously. There is no particular number of mock tests that you can appear for. The more you’ll give the more it will add up.

Strength & weakness: Practice is the only way to know your strengths and weakness. Once you know it then make a schedule. Put more effort to overcome the weaknesses and also polish the parts in which you are good at.

Time management: Keep a track of time while practising and attempting the mock tests. If you go to sit for the exam with poor time management skills then there is a high chance to be unsuccessful. MAT runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes where you have to attempt 200 MCQ.

Concentrate: Put full concentration, avoid making silly mistakes. Start doing it while practising. Silly mistakes can make your confident answers wrong too and affect your score a lot. If you will not practice focusing during the mocks you won’t be able to put your 100 percent during the exam.

Score: To get 90 or above percentile you have to attempt 30 out of 40 in logical and verbal individually, 25 out of 40 in data interpretation and quantitative aptitude individually. So total around 110 out of 160.

Rest & relax: Before the test, it is also very important to take rest and give some relaxation to your mind and body. It is best if you can manage to sleep early the night before the exam it will strengthen your mind and will beneficial for you to concentrate during the exam.

About the Author:

Ambika Sur is a student at Lovely Professional University pursuing her MBA with agriculture background. She is continuously working on her technical and managerial skills to achieve an exceptional career in the corporate world. She has completed a live project at Metro Cash and Carry and marketing intern at Agronxt.