MAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Get MAT CBT/PBT Paper Analysis and Review

Management Aptitude Test 2026 ( MAT )

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MAT May 2026 Registration PBT

1 Apr '26 - 25 May '26

Vipra Shrivastava
Updated on Mar 25, 2026 19:03 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

Overview

MAT exam analysis - The common entrance exam conducted by AIMA is of easy to mederate difficulty level. The questions are equally divided between 5 sections and 2 hours are enough to solve 150 questions. The below given MAT 2026 analysis is an overall review of the exam as all the attempts are same in terms of pattern, test structure, sectional break-up and difficulty level. MAT 2026 exam has been conducted for February session and both PBT and CBT mode exams were easy. You can check overall MAT exam analysis 2026 here.

Table of contents
  • MAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Highlights
  • MAT Exam Analysis 2026: Section Wise
  • FAQs on MAT Exam Analysis 2026
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MAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Highlights

There were no changes in the MAT February 2026 exam from previous year. Check the table below to understand the structure of MAT question paper

Specifications

Details

Total Number of Questions

150

Number of Sections

Five

Number of Answer Options

Four

Maximum Marks Per Question

One

Negative Marking

- 0.25

Sections Considered for Percentile Calculation

Four (Economic and Business not considered)

MAT 2026 Analysis: Question Paper Break Up

The MAT 2026 question papers for February sessions were overall easy. Most of the questions were easy and straightforward. Check the table below for section-wise split:

Sections of the Subject

Number of Questions

Difficulty Level

Language Comprehension

30

Easy

Mathematical Skills

30

Moderate

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

30

Moderate

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

30

Easy

Economic and Business Environment

30

Easy

Total

150

Easy

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MAT Exam Analysis 2026: Section Wise

MAT 2026 Analysis: Language Comprehension

Language Comprehension section of MAT 2026 exam had 2 Reading Comprehension passages having 10 questions. Other questions in this section included Idioms/Phrases, Antonyms, Synonyms, Fill in the Blanks, Parajumbles, Sentence Correction and One Word Substitution and Summary questions, as told by some of the test takers.

MAT 2026 Analysis: Intelligence & Critical Reasoning

The Intelligence & Critical Reasoning section of MAT 2026 February session was a good mix of different types of reasoning questions, including Blood Relation, Alphanumeric Series, Letter Series, Coding-Decoding (letter based), Venn Diagram, Comparison, Distribution, etc. The section could easily be completed in 30-40 minutes.

MAT 2026 Analysis: Mathematical Skills

This section of MAT 2026 question papers had maximum questions from Arithmetic, Other topics that were present include Modern Math, Geometry and Algebra. The questions were moderately difficulty. Most of the questions were straightforward and doable in 30-40 minutes.

MAT 2026 Analysis: Data Analysis and Sufficiency

This section of MAT question paper 2026 had easy table and charts. The Data Sufficiency questions required application of Arithmetic and Mensuration formulae. Overall, the section can be termed as easy to moderate.

MAT 2026 Analysis: Economic and Business Environment

The questions in this section of MAT 2026 were straightforward and mostly from static GK. Some questions were based on events of past few years. Overall, the Economic and Business Environment section as easy and doable in less than 15 minutes.  

Also Read:

Check MAT cut offs and predict calls from colleges accepting MAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all MAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict MAT Admission Calls
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FAQs on MAT Exam Analysis 2026

Check below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to MAT analysis 2026:

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Is the question paper of MAT IBT different from MAT CBT or PBT?
A: 
No, the question paper of MAT IBT is not different from MAT CBT or PBT. The test pattern, time duration, question type and marking scheme are the same for all three modes. Candidates can choose to appear for any exam mode with the worry of doing exam specific preparation. The only difference between MAT IBT and MAT CBT or PBT is that MAT IBT is a remote proctored exam and can be taken from any location unlike MAT CBT or PBT which are held at designated exam centres. The MAT question paper of every session however is different. All the 200 questions of each question paper is unique. The difficulty level is the same- easy to moderate but since the questions are different from each other candidates can feel slight difference in the difficulty level. The questions for every session are chosen randomly so in one session the paper can be overall easy while in another session the exam can be slightly difficult.
Q:   Which is better MAT or CMAT?
A: 
MAT and CMAT have similar syllabus but the difficulty level is different. Both exams have Quantitative Aptitude Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, English and General Knowledge. CMAT has an additional section - Innovation and Entrepreneurship which was introduced in 2021. While MAT is an easy exam, CMAT is moderately tough but to say which is better totally depends upon the college a candidate is targeting for MBA Admission. The participating colleges for both exams are different. If a candidate's dream college accepts MAT score, then they appear for MAT but if their dream college accepts CMAT then they should appear for CMAT. The CMAT exam is conducted by the NTA only once in a year but MAT is conducted multiple times in a year. AIMA conducts MAT in February, May, September and December. So, unlike CMAT MAT gives a candidate the choice to appear for the exam when they are well prepared and improve test score in the same academic session. The benefit of CMAT or MAT is that former is accepted by all government and state universities/institutes whereas latter is accepted by mostly private institutes.
Q:   What is the difference between CBT and PBT modes of MAT exam?
A: 

The CBT or computer based mode MAT exam is conducted online in which, candidates have to punch in their answers on the computer screen with the help of the mouse-pad. In PBT mode exam, candidates have to fill an OMR sheet with a blue/black ball point pen with the suitable option as the answer. These days most of the candidates opt for CBT which is way it is conducted twice in a particular exam phase. PBT is conducted only once in MAT exam phase. There is no difference in the exam pattern or syllabus of the MAT CBT and MAT PBT. Candidates can choose the mode of exam at the time of registration as per their convenience. If a candidate is comfortable in pen and paper mode, then they can opt for MAT PBT and if the candidate is comfortable in taking tests on computer, they can opt for MAT CBT. However, the CBT and PBT exams are held in different cities so candidates must check the list of test cities before choosing their exam mode.

Q:   What is the marking scheme of MAT exam?
A: 

Total marks of MAT exam is 150. Every question carries one mark for correct attempt and there is negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer. No marks is deducted for skipping questions. The MAT question paper has 150 questions equally divided into five sections - Language Comprehension, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis & Data Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills and Economic and Business Environment.

Language Comprehension: 30 questions 

2. Intelligence & Critical Reasoning: 30 questions 

3. Data Analysis & Data Sufficiency: 30 questions 

4. Mathematical Skills: 30 questions 

5. Economic and Business Environment: 30 questions 

Every section therefore has 30 questions which means every section carries 30 marks. The scores of GK section is not considered for MAT percentile calculation. So candidates can keep GK section as their last priority.

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MAT Exam

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered 6 days 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

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Rashmi Karan

Contributor-Level 9

Answered a week 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

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Nitesh Vimal

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 weeks 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

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 weeks 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

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Guna

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

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M

Mohammed Maqsood

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.

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Nishtha Shukla

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

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N

Neerja Rohatgi

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

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month 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

Jasleen Dixit

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a month 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

Nishtha Shukla

Contributor-Level 7

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