MAT Feb vs May vs Sep vs Dec: Which Is Better?

Wondering, "MAT Feb vs May vs Sep vs Dec: Which Is Better?" Go through the article below to know which are the ideal candidates for each session, the impact of each session on admission cycle, difficulty-levels, and the preparation context to determine which session you should opt for!

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Comparison of MAT Feb vs May vs Sep vs Dec …
Expected Difficulty Levels of MAT Feb vs May vs Sep …

If you are pondering on the question, " MAT Feb vs May vs Sep vs Dec: Which Is Better? ", the answer lies in the fact that it cannot be determined which single MAT session - February, May, September, or December is universally preferable! All the sessions range from easy to moderate in terms of difficulty level with distinctive sets of questions with the scores being valid for one year. You level of preparation, admission timelines set by your target colleges, ability to appear for the MAT 2026 exam multiple times, and minor variations in the difficulty levels across all sections must be taken into consideration while determining which session is superior.

Comparison of MAT Feb vs May vs Sep vs Dec Sessions

Go through the following table to determine which session can be labelled as "better" considering your specific set of circumstances:

Session	Ideal Candidates	Impact on Admission Cycle	Advantage
February	If you are aiming for same-year admission, you should opt for this session. It is usually regarded as the ideal time to take the MAT exam for admission in the same calendar year.	Helps you in meeting deadlines set by top B-schools for the June or July batch. It gives you the widest range of college options. The application deadlines specified by most Tier-2 and Tier-3 B-schools are in March or April. You will be able to apply to your desired institute with a fresh score after taking the February session exam while seats will still remain available. If you have not obtained your expected scores in CAT or XAT, or the scores are not that high, MAT scores will act as a "safety net".	If you have appeared for CAT in Nov 2025 or XAT in Jan 2026 and looking for a backup, you must appear for the February session.
May	Last-minute aspirants or candidates applying at the eleventh hour must appear for this session. Also apply if your have missed the earlier application windows.	After the top seats are filled and the premium institutes have closed their admissions after the February session, it is the final oppotunity for you to enroll as a candidate for the current academic year. You will not be allowed to enroll in the immediate academic session after the May session, except for some colleges, that will witness an increased competition for the remaining seats.	If you are a final-year student and your university exams are over, this is the perfect session for you!
September	If you are aiming for next year admission, this is the session you must apply for. It is an early-cycle exam. You can also appear for the MAT entrance exam in September before your focus completely shifts to the final year of college or other competitive exams. It is also ideal for working professionals. If you are a student planning to start the MAT preparation a year before the exam, you must opt for the September session exam to diminish pressure and anxiety during the busiest exam seasons.	The scores obtained by you in this session will serve as the basis for the following year's admissions (e.g., Sep 2026 for 2027 batch).	Since there are no immediate deadlines, you can start your practising early from now. If you obtain high scores in the December session exam, your chances of receiving early interview calls for the next year’s batch are increased.
December	You should opt for this session if you have a strategic or methodical approach.	The admission season for the upcoming academic year begins with this session. If you are unable to obtain high scores, you will have numerous backup attempts, like the February or May sessions and can lead the way by leaving your competitors behind.	Since there will be a February rush, this session can help you secure a seat early at your desired institute.

Expected Difficulty Levels of MAT Feb vs May vs Sep vs Dec

Based on the previous year MAT papers, the overall difficulty levels for all the four sessions: Feb, May, Sep & Dec can be expected to be moderate, with Data Analysis & Sufficiency and Mathematical Skills being the toughest sections. While there will be early trials in February, you may encounter trickier reasoning in the September session. You can also attempt for the MAT exam multiple times a year to improve your scores.

Session	Overall Difficulty	Key Features
February	Easy-Moderate	Questions will be balanced with no surprise elements Sets a benchmark score Good for early practice
May	Moderate	Increase in Vocab/ DI questions possible Increase in Language Comprehension of the moderate difficulty level, occasionally
September	Moderate	ICR can emerge as the trickiest section with complex questions on syllogisms or puzzles.
December	Easy-Moderate	Aim for high attempts for a good score since the questions can be expected to be easier. Time management is the key to acing this exam.

MAT 2026 Section-Wise Topics & Difficulty Levels

The core high-weightage topics can be RC or Vocab from Language, Arithmetic or Ratios from Math, DI graphs or Data Sufficiency, Puzzles or Syllogisms from ICR, and GK or business news from Environment.
Section-Wise Expected High Weightage Topics & Difficulty Levels

Section	Expected High Weightage Topics	Difficulty Level Across Sessions
Language Comprehension	RC (Business/ Society): 10-15 questions Vocab-in-context Synonyms Para jumbles	Easy-Moderate 20 RC questions easy-moderate Vocab can be more difficult in May/ Sep sessions (3-4 questions, medium to difficult)
Mathematical Skills	Percentages/ Ratios (8-10 questions) Time Seed & Distance Profit & Loss Geometry	Moderate The weightage of Arithmetic will be higher in Feb/ Sep sessions. 10-15 arithmetic questions will be the most difficult in Feb & Sep.
Data Analysis & Sufficiency	Graphs/ Tables/ Pie Charts (20 questions) Caselets 2-statement sufficiency (6-10 questions)	Moderate Graphs will be the toughest in the Sep session. DI sets, including graphs or tables, will be lengthy in May/Dec Sufficiency will be tricky in the Sep session
Intelligence & Critical Reasoning	Seating/ Puzzles (8-12 questions) Syllogisms (4-6 questions) Coding Blood Relations	Moderate-Tricky Assertions can be expected in the Sep session, and the difficulty level will be high. 8-12 puzzles will be of a moderate difficulty level.
Indian & Global Environment	Current affairs/ business news (15 questions) Awards Economy/ Policy	Questions on GK/current affairs are easy across all sessions Scores obtained in this section will be excluded from percentile calculation.

Session-wise Expected Difficulty Levels for MAT Feb vs May vs Sep vs Dec
In Mathematical Skills, the emphasis will be on Arithmetic, like ratios, TSD, at a moderate difficulty level. Puzzles/ Syllogisms will be asked from Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, which will be moderate-tricky in the Sep session. Language Comprehension will contain direct RC questions of easy-moderate level.

Section	February	May	September	December
Language Comprehension	Easy-moderate (direct questions on RC)	Moderate (vocab will be tricky)	Easy-moderate	Easy
Mathematical Skills	Moderate (heavy on arithmetic)	Moderate-Difficult	Moderate	Moderate
Data Analysis & Sufficiency	Moderate (DI sets lengthy)	Moderate	Difficult (graphs/ sufficiency)	Moderate
Intelligence & Critical Reasoning	Moderate (puzzles/ syllogisms)	Easy-moderate	Moderate-tricky	Moderate
Indian & Global Environment	Easy (GK/ current affairs)	Easy	Easy	Easy

The last date to fill out the MAT application form for February session is February 23, 2026. You can connect with us through our Common Application Form or call us on our toll free number 1800-572-9877 if you want to speak to our experts.

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