MAT Exam or Management Aptitude Test, happens to be one of the most popular National level MBA/PGDM entrance exams in India after CAT. Approximately about 600+ MBA/PGDM Colleges are accepting MAT exam Scores for their Admission 2020. AIMA, in its official notification, has clarified that there are 600+ Participating B-Schools who use MAT score. This includes a number of MBA/PGDM colleges in Delhi NCR which offer PGDM and MBA/MMS programmes. The aim of this comprehensive article is to give you complete information about the MAT Registration Process, MAT Syllabus, How to Prepare, College Accepting MAT and a lot more. Hence, read this article carefully before applying for the exam.
MAT 2020 May Exam: Postponed to June 2020; Check the Schedule for PBT & CBT Exam
MAT Is An Easier MBA/PGDM Entrance Exam of 150 Minutes
Compared to other MBA/PGDM entrance exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT etc., MAT is an easier exam. The time duration of the MAT test paper is 2½ hours. The exam has 200 objective-type questions in MCQs form and the Question difficulty level is easy to moderate. The test paper is divided into 5 sections with 40 questions in each section. These sections comprise of Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Indian & Global Environment.
The MAT Scoring Pattern is Unique
The scoring pattern of MAT is unique. The MAT score card shows a scaled score out of 800 Marks and not out of 160 or 200 raw scores. While each correct answer is awarded +1 Mark, each wrong answer gets penalized with negative marking of -0.25 Mark. The Merit Score in MAT is calculated on the basis of 4 sections only and the score of Indian & Global Environment is separately shown but is not taken into account for calculation of merit or percentile in the MAT score card.
MBA Colleges Which Accept MAT 2020
The MAT 2020 score for May exam will be valid for MBA/PGDM Admission 2020 in more than 300 MBA/PGDM colleges in India. Nearly all good B-schools in Delhi NCR like Asian Business School (ABS), Noida; in Bangalore like IBA and AIMS; in Pune like Lexicon Mile, IIMS; in Mumbai like IES, VESIM are accepting MAT 2020 Exam scores. Updated list of Management Institutes which will accept May MAT scores for admission to their MBA/PGDM program is released by AIMA for each MAT.
Some Key Highlights of MAT
Being one of the most important, but an easier MBA/PGDM entrance exam – MAT 2020 has following key highlights:
· MAT Conducting Body is All India Management Association (AIMA)
· Total MAT Exams held in a Year are in February, May (Postponed to June 2020), September, December
· Number of MBA colleges under MAT Exam is 400+
· There are 3 Modes of MAT 2020 – IBT, PBT and CBT
· Number of MAT exam you can apply for is 2
· MAT Application Fee is Rs.1650/- for 1 exam & Rs. 2750/- for 2 exams
· The abbreviation MAT stands for Management Aptitude Test
· MAT Score Validity for MBA/PGDM Admission is for One academic session
· Total Questions in MAT are 200
· Sectional Division of MAT Exam 2020 is 5 Sections with 40 Questions in Each Section
· MAT Difficulty Level is Easy to Moderate
· Required MAT Percentile for MBA/PGDM admission in Top Colleges is 90+
· Importance of Taking MAT 2020 is that it Offers MBA admission opportunity in 2020 & also Offers opportunity to improve rank & score
· The MAT Application process is completely Online
Important Dates of Revised MAT 2020 Exam Schedule
The May MAT 2020 exam schedule has been totally changed by AIMA. New dates for MAT registration & application submission, release of admit card and exam dates are as given below:
| Exam Dates of MAT 2020 | Dates & Schedule for Paper Based Test (PBT) | Dates for Computer Based Test (CBT) | Dates & Schedule for IBT Mode |
| Last Date to Apply for MAT 2020 | 7th June, 2020 | 15th June, 2020 | In different phases – 18th May to 18th June, 2020 |
| MAT 2020 Admit card Download start date | 9th June, 2020 (4 PM onwards) | 17th June, 2020 (4 PM Onwards) | In different phases from 21st May to 21st June, 2020 |
| Last Date for MAT Admit Card download | 14th June, 2020 | 21st June, 2020 | 21st June, 2020 |
| MAT Exam Date | 14th June, 2020 (Sunday) | 21st June, 2020 (Sunday) | 25th May to 25th June, 2020 in two slots every day |
| MAT Result Date | 28th June, 2020 | 28th June, 2020 | 28th June, 2020 |
| MAT Score Card Download Starts | 28th June, 2020 (After 4 PM) | 28th June, 2020 (After 4 PM) | 28th June, 2020 (After 4 PM) |
| Last date to download MAT 2020 Score Card | Score Card is Available for one year | Score Card is Available for one year | Score Card is Available for one year |
MBA/PGDM Exam experts and past MAT toppers suggest that candidates should opt for Paper-based MAT exam as candidates can view and prioritize their choice of sections in one go as compared to Computer-based exam. Moreover, according to them it is easier to answer the questions in paper-based form than in computerized exams. However, in the current pandemic situation, it has been advised by the experts to appear in IBT MAT from their home after complying with the AIMA norms. The difficulty level of MAT 2020 is expected not to be as high as that of CAT or XAT and it can be compared to ATMA, IBSAT or CMAT exam.
The Validity of MAT Score
Like in the earlier years, this MAT 2020 exam score will be valid for admission in the current Academic Session 2020-22. There are about 400+ B-schools that will accept MAT 2020 scores this year.
MAT Exam 2020 Registration & Application
The registration process for May MAT 2020 exam had earlier opened on March 5, 2020. However, due to Coronavirus outbreak and countrywide lockdown, the exam schedule has now been postponed to the month of June 2020. The registration fee for one MAT is Rs.1650/- and for two MAT exams is Rs.2750/-. The registration process is totally online.
MAT 2020 Registration Process
Registration process is fully online and can be completed in five simple steps:
· Step-1 – Create Login
· Step 2 – Fill the Registration Form
· Step 3 – Upload Images on the Registration Form
· Step 4 – Make the Payment of Registration Fee
· Step 5 – View Registration Summary
The Duration, Sectional Composition & Scoring Pattern of MAT Question Paper
· Time duration for the MAT 2020 test paper is 2½ hours.
· MAT question paper of MAT exam has 200 objective-type questions in MCQs form
· Question difficulty level is easy to moderate
· MAT test paper is divided into 5 sections, each of which has 40 questions
· Each correct answer is awarded +1 Mark
· Each wrong answer attracts negative marking of -0.25 Mark
· The MAT test paper comprises of separate sections on Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Indian & Global Environment.
· The Merit Score in MAT is calculated on the basis of only 4 sections and the score of Indian & Global Environment is separately shown but is not taken into account for calculating the merit or percentile in the MAT 2020 score card.
· MAT score card show scaled score out of 800 Marks and not out of 160 or 200 raw scores
· Along with the sectional and overall scaled scores, the sectional and overall percentile is also displayed on the MAT score card.
Tips On How to Prepare for MAT 2020
The exam pattern and syllabus for MAT has not changed over the years. Hence, MAT preparation is also not very difficult. Some of the good tools for MAT preparation can be suggested as reading good MAT preparation books, practicing with MAT sample papers and MAT previous year papers with solutions.
Only your MAT exam preparation can get you admission to MBA/PGDM 2020 in good MBA/PGDM colleges. So, it is high time that MAT preparation must be started without any further delay as per the MAT test pattern.
One vital point that differentiates MAT preparation from other exams is the separate section with 40 questions in MAT on ‘Data Analysis & Data Sufficiency (DADS)’, which is slightly different from Data Interpretation in other exams. The process of DADS Preparation for MAT and the strategy to prepare for this important MAT section is to be properly planned and followed to score high.
Besides, the strategy for MAT preparation needs more focus on four core sections keeping the ‘Indian & Global Environment’ section at second place.
As a matter of fact, MAT preparation requires your focus on preparing for the most important four sections with 160 questions. These sections are Language Comprehension; Data Analysis & Data Sufficiency; Intelligence & Critical Reasoning; and Mathematical Skills. Thus, your MAT Preparation should be focused on following key points:
· When to Start MAT Preparation?
· How to prepare for MAT?
· Which are the best MAT Preparation Books?
· Apart from the books, what is the best MAT preparation material available?
· What are some MAT Preparation Tips by MAT Toppers?
· Which is better – To Prepare with MAT Coaching or Self-Preparation?
· How to prepare for MAT Online if the time is short?
· What should be the MAT Taking Strategy? How to crack MAT with High score?
The Syllabus of MAT 2020
The Syllabus of MAT contains all the topics on which questions are asked in other national level MBA/PGDM entrance exams. Earlier MAT question papers and the MAT exam pattern reveal that the MAT syllabus does not throw tough questions in the MAT, although the MAT syllabus topics are the same. The MAT syllabus is based on the past MAT pattern and the types of questions that appeared in the MAT. The best way to prepare and practice on MAT question topics covered in MAT syllabus is to go through the previous years’ MAT papers and attempt a few MAT Mock tests.
Which Format of MAT Should You Choose – Paper-Based or Computer-Based?
For making a choice between MAT IBT, Paper-Based and Computer-Based test, you need to consider various factors like your preference, Computer-based or Paper-based test solving skills among others.
To put it simply, if you have good understanding about how to take and appear in computer-based tests, navigation tools, scrolling of questions, choosing the answers and marking them and find that this test taking is easier in computer-based test, you should most certainly go for Computer-based MAT or IBT MAT.
And, if you are not very well conversant with computers, internet technology and have confusion in navigation tools, it is better that you go in for a paper based MAT exam.
