10 Myths About MAT and The Truths Behind Them

The Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is a gateway to the flagship management programmes offered by many of the MBA colleges in India. Through the MAT exam scores, students can take admission to MBA / PGDM courses in many colleges in India.

MAT is a popular MBA entrance exam in India, which is attempted by thousands of management aspirants every year. With so many aspirants appearing for the exam, there are a lot of doubts and confusions prevalent about the exam. These doubts often take the form of myths that many students start to believe.

In this article, we have taken a look at some of the myths and provided the truth behind them. Candidates can use this article to erase any of their doubts about the MAT exam before making a preparation strategy. Here are 10 common myths about the MAT exam that you might have come across in your preparation.

1. MAT is easy to crack.

One of the most prevalent assumptions of students about the exam is that MAT is easy. This makes many students assume an easy attitude when it comes to MAT preparation. While MAT does indeed have a lower difficulty level as compared to CAT, it cannot be said to be an easy exam.

200 questions appear in MAT and they have to be solved in 2.5 hours. Plus, the score required for admission to most of the top MBA colleges accepting MAT in India can range from 600 to 700. This requires students to maintain immense speed and accuracy to do well in the exam.

More number of questions, less time and a high level of competition certainly give make MAT a difficult exam. Students should keep this in mind and ensure that they prepare well and practice a lot before sitting for the exam.

Also Read:MAT Participating Institutes

2. Coaching is enough to get a good score in MAT.

A similar version of this myth is that coaching is necessary to crack that MAT exam. Don't get us wrong, it cannot be denied that coaching is an effective way to improve when preparing for the MAT exam. You can learn many shortcuts and effective techniques to tackle MAT questions in coaching. However, that does not mean that only joining coaching classes will help you succeed.

Instead, practice is the key to cracking MAT. In our opinion, a student who has not joined any coaching but practices regularly and has formed a good preparation strategy for MAT has a better chance of success than a student who has only joined a coaching class but does not do any practice.

3. MAT has a sectional cut-off.

Many students have a misconception that MAT has a sectional cutoff as well just like the CAT exam. This is not true. In MAT, only the overall score of a candidate is considered, which provides a unique advantage to the candidates who are weak in a particular section. Such candidates can play to their strengths and get a good score in MAT

However, this does not mean that a candidate should skip practice for any section. Performing well in each section contributes to a good score. If you are weak in any particular topic or subject in MAT, you should study for it and practice questions while you have the time.

Also Read:5 Tricky Questions Asked in MBA Interviews

4. It is better to choose a later date for MAT.

MAT is conducted 4 times a year. This has led to the creation of a myth about the MAT exam that it is better to choose a later date in a year. Students believe that by choosing a later date they can learn from the information and experiences released after the previous rounds of MAT have been conducted.

The truth is that there is no real relation between any two instances of the MAT exam. The questions appearing in each round are different and there may be a slight change in the difficulty level of the exam as well. Instead of focusing on this, you should choose the exam date as per your preparation strategy.

The ideal preparation time for MAT for an average candidate is around 3 - 4 months. Plan accordingly and don't waste time waiting for a later date.

5. Good command in Maths is required for a good MAT score.

Many students believe that the MAT exam cannot be cracked without having strong mathematical skills. While this cannot be said to be entirely baseless, this is still more of a myth. Only basic knowledge of Mathematics is necessary to get a good score the MAT exam. The rest depends on your logical and analytical skills.

Being bad at Maths does not dictate that you will not be able to crack MAT. Similarly, being excellent at school-level Mathematics does not guarantee a good score. There are many tricks and logical shortcuts that can be learned and used to solve MAT questions, which do not require a student to have an outstanding knowledge of Mathematics.

Also Read:MBA vs MS: Eligibility, Admissions, Scope, Salary

6. All 200 MAT questions can be completed in 2.5 hours.

If we take a look at the MAT Exam Pattern, we find that 200 questions appear in MAT. Some students do believe that the given 150 minutes or 2.5 hours are enough to solve all 200 questions in the MAT exam. It can be safely said that it is virtually impossible to solve all 200 questions in MAT within the given time frame. But why is this even important or worth mentioning?

The reason is that once you understand this, you understand that it is ok to skip some questions in the exam. When preparing, if you identify a type of question that usually takes you a lot of time to solve or you are usually not accurate while solving it, it will make sense to just move on from that question when appearing for MAT.

7. Work Experience is necessary to take the MAT exam.

Another myth that is prevalent about the MAT exam is that a candidate is required to have some work experience before appearing for the exam. A quick look at the MAT Eligibility Criteria reveals that this is false. MAT can be taken by any student who is a graduate in any stream with 50% aggregate marks from a recognized university.

8. One book or the other is best for MAT exam preparation.

Many students believe that referring to a particular book only can help them succeed in MAT. The truth is that there is no particular book that is sufficient for MAT. In fact, it is better to refer to multiple resources for MAT preparation.

Find any source of questions you can find for the MAT exam and solve as many questions as you can. Check the best books for MAT, previous year question papers for MAT and MAT Mock Test to prepare for MAT.

Also Read:Documents Required for MBA Admissions

9. Following the toppers will always lead to a good MAT score.

Some students religiously follow every move of MAT exam toppers. From study schedules to preparation strategies, students stay on top of any information given out by the toppers. While you cannot just completely ignore that an exam topper must have done something right to get a good score in MAT, it is not good to stay fixated on it.

What is to be understood here is that the strategies adopted by one candidate cannot be directly used by another. Even if you are taking hints and tips from topper interviews, do not use them directly in your preparation as your understanding of a subject may be different. Modify the tricks as per your understandings and requirements.

10. There are better chances of a good score in the 2nd attempt in MAT.

There is a widespread belief that candidates who have already appeared for MAT will find giving the 2nd attempt easier. There is no proof that can support this premise. MAT is conducted around 4 times every year and the question paper is different every time. Many times there are new updates in the type of questions. Current affairs and GK are also variable.

Therefore, this is no hard evidence to justify that the 2nd attempt in MAT can lead to better scores in the exam. If you have practised well and covered all of the topics in the MAT Syllabus, the first attempt is enough to crack the MAT exam.

Preparation Tips for MAT

Check our section-wise preparation tips for MAT.

Colleges Accepting MAT

Check the table below for colleges accepting MAT in India.

It is always better to refer to the official website of AIMA or a trusted source of information to get any information about the exam. Believing in any of these myths can prove to be harmless but it can prove to be damaging to your exam preparation.

If you have any other doubts about MAT, just ask a question on the CollegeDekho QnA Zone and our experts will help sort them out. If you need help with admission to MBA colleges in India, fill our Common Application Form (CAF) or call our toll-free helpline number 1800-572-9877.

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