How to prepare for MAT?

Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is one of the main entrance exams conducted by All India Management Association after a interval of three months for the students who want to take admission into one of the top B-schools in India. Students belong to various streams such as science, arts, commerce, medicine, engineering and architecture can pursue a career in management after clearing MAT entrance exam. Clearing MAT is not an easy task; you have burn your midnight oil. However if you are not aware of the pattern and syllabus of MAT, then its a wastage of time and energy. NNE sheds light on the preparation of MAT. The basic section of MAT is the same as CAT.

MBA is a post graduate that fetch you an instant and high paying job. If you complete your course from an established and renowned B-schools, you can be placed in Multinational Companies at unexpected salaries of Rs. 6-7 lakh per month.

There will also be chance of getting placed outside the country. Every year thousands of graduates prepare for the various MBA entrance tests to get admission into a business school as a passport to a job.

When it comes to cracking MAT exam, it is not easy to clear it. But if you organize your study time with proper strategy, you can be a winner of this game. Here the question arises that how to prepare for MAT Exams.

When to Start Preparation?
Try to evaluate and scan all the subjects as soon as possible. How much early you will start your preparation, the better result you will get.

There are three stages:-
1) Written Test
2) Group Discussion (GD)
3) Personal Interview (PI)

Written Test: MAT is an objective type test with multiple-choice answers. Candidates have to answer 200 Questions in 150 minutes. Questions are divided into five sections.

Section	No. of questions	Time
Language& Comprehension	40	30
Mathematical Skills	40	40
Data Analysis and Sufficiency	40	35
Intelligence and Critical Reasoning	40	30
Indian and Global Environment	40	15

Follow a step by step procedure. Everyone has his/her own learning curve so there is not a single method that will work for all. However I can suggest some steps:

1. Clear you basic Maths Concepts. The best place to start is the text books for Class 10 or some study material provided by an institute. Learn as many formulas as possible and find some shortcuts.

2. Work on you vocabulary. Read a lot and observe how a word in used in different contexts.

3. Develop the habit of reading. Newspapers, Magazines and TV can be a great help here.

4. Reasoning skills can be improved by solving puzzles

5. Practice a lot. Solve sets of questions within a time frame. Concentrate on each section and devote equal time.

6. Once you know your strengths and weaknesses, go for some full-length tests. Observe how you improve your score with each passing test.

7. Revise. This is what most of the students miss out on.

Mathematical Skills: Get cleared all the basic concept of Maths. Start doing practice the NCERT books from VIth standard to Xth. Learn as many formulas as possible and make a shortcut to remember it.

Language & Comprehension: Enhance your word power by reading thoughts provoking books, magazines and newspaper. Notice the word is being in different context. Read grammar books regular to bone up on your language skills.

Reasoning: Reasoning demands a lot of practice. The more you practice, the better you are. You can also enhance your skill by solving puzzles.

Indian and Global Environment: It aims at judging the general knowledge of the candidates. The candidate should have basic knowledge of Science, Geography, History, Economics, Current Affairs, and Politics etc. A good knowledge of all branches of general knowledge is essential, which can be achieved by reading books, newspapers that will keep the aspirant updated with the happenings around the world.

Group Discussion: GD is a criterion tool used by the B-Schools in selecting candidates as it helps in getting lot of information about the candidate’s personality. GDs’ are used in assessing certain group skills that are difficult to evaluate during an interview. These skills include leadership skills, social skills, listening and articulation skills, situation handling ability and interpersonal skills.

Personal Interview: Even though the questions asked in Personal Interview are more or less similar in all the B-Schools but many candidates end up getting nervous or stammer in front of the interviewee as they are not aware as well as prepared for the sort of questions asked. So get prepared in advance. Be confident, look confident and answer confidently.