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SNAPSHOT- MAT SEP 2011 EXAM ANALYSIS

Number of Questions	200
Marking Scheme	1 mark per question
Negative Marking	0.25 marks per question
Number of Sections	5
Number of Choices	4(1.2,3,4)
Duration	150 minutes

This MAT exam, conducted on 4^th SEP 2011, had 200 questions to be attempted in 150 minutes. These 200 questions were from five test areas viz. Indian and Global Environment, Language Comprehension, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning with exactly 40 questions in each. Each question had equal marking and one-fourth mark was deducted for every wrong answer. For the sake of convenience, 1 mark has been taken for every correct answer.

Overall Summary(estimated for Sep 2011 MAT exam)

The consolidated score is evaluated by taking only four areas into account. Indian and Global Environment is not the part of the consolidated score. Hence, the scoring is done out of a maximum possible score of 160 marks(@1 mark for 160 qs). However, the score card(by AIMA) doesnot give the net marks. It gives the scaled score and the percentile in each and every section. It also gives the overall composite score(out of 800) and the overall percentile. This table gives the overall estimated percentile in this SEP 2011 MAT exam at different possible net marks.

Overall Net Marks (excluding the marks in Indian and Global Environment)	Overall Estimated percentile (SEP 2011 MAT)
40	80
50	90
60	95
80	99.75

Sectional Percentile for a net score of 15 marks in individual section(estimated for SEP 2011 MAT exam)

Section	Total Number of questions	Estimated Sectional percentile for net 15 marks in individual section (SEP 2011 MAT)
Language Comprehension	40	85
Mathematical Skills	40	95
Data Analysis and Sufficiency	40	85
Intelligence and Critical Reasoning	40	75

Let us analyze the different types of questions from each of the test area along with the overall difficulty level of each of the test area.

Language Comprehension

This test area had a mix of 20 questions from Reading Comprehension and 20 questions from Verbals. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 30-35 min. Each of the five passages were of around length 350-500 words. A majority of the questions were fact based and they could have been solved by reading the questions first and then skimming through the passage to locate the answers. The questions in Verbal require good knowledge about English usage, functional grammar and Verbal reasoning. Overall, the test area can be classified as MODERATE. A good score, in this test area alone, is 19 in the time limit of 30-35 min.

Area	Description	Marks	Difficulty level	Estimated Marks ( for at least 90 percentile)
Vocabulary	One word Substitute	3	Moderate	7
Vocabulary	Fill in the blanks (2 blanks)	3	Moderate
English Usage and Grammar	A sentence broken into four parts and identifying the part which has error.	3	Moderate-Difficult
	Para-Jumbles	4	Moderate-Difficult
	Identification of Correct statement	3	Moderate
	Summary	4	Difficult
Reading Comprehension	Passage on “China's preparation of putting astronauts for long stay in space” http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/article1100105.ece	4	Easy	12
	Passage on “Endangered Dolphins” http://dolphins-and-more.com/endangered-dolphins.html	4
	Passage on “Bermuda Triangle or the Devil's Triangle”	4
	Passage on “Behavioral pattern of Procrastination”	4
	Passage on Deforestation	4
Overall		40	Moderate	19

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

As shown in the table below, this test area comprises DI, DS and Data Comparison, with DI accounting for 30 out of 40 questions while DS and Data Comparison put together accounting for the remaining 10 questions. Overall, this test area can be considered to be Moderate-Difficult. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min for a good net score of 19.

Area	Description	Marks	Difficulty level	Estimated Marks ( for at least 90 percentile)
Data Interpretation	The line graph gives the yield per hectare of a farmer for three crops. The table gives the profit margin from year 2004 to year 2009	5	Moderate	12
	The bar graph gives the net sales, profit, value added of a company from year 2004-05 to year 2009-10	5	3 easy, 2 moderate
	The pie chart gives the percentage break-up of the sales for six months (April to Sep). The line graph gives the cost price & the selling price	5	3 Moderate, 2 Difficult
	The marks obtained by a candidate in the test conducted in each of the 12 months.	5	3 Easy, 2 Moderate
	The line graph gives the percentage wise contribution of six sectors.	5	3 Moderate, 2 Difficult
	The data presented in the form of 2 charts.	5	Moderate
Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison	Each question followed by two statements, A and B.	5	Easy	7
Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison	Data Comparison	5	Easy	7
	Overall	40	Moderate	19

Mathematical Skills

The paper predominantly had questions from the Arithmetic areas like (Percentages, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, Geometry, Time and Distance, Averages, Mixtures and Alligations). The questions involved only the basics and those who would have done adequate practice would have found those questions quite easy. The success in this particular test area depended on one's basic conceptual skills, and calculation skills. Overall, the test area can be classified as MODERATE-DIFFICULT.

Area	Description	Marks	Difficulty level	Estimated Marks ( for at least 90 percentile)
Arithmetic	Time & Work, Pipes and Cisterns	3	Moderate	13
	Time & Distance, Boats and Streams	9	2 Easy, 5 Moderate, 2 Difficult
	Averages, Mixtures & Alligations	4	Moderate
	Equations, Ratio, Proportion & Variation	6	Moderate
	Simple Interest and Compound Interest, Banker's discount	5	Moderate-Difficult
	Percentages, Profit, Loss	4	Moderate -Difficult
	Numbers ( Finding the LCM)	1	Moderate
	Mensuration	4	Difficult
Higher Math	Trigometry, Heights and Distance	1	1 Easy, 3 Difficult	1
	P&C	3
	Probability	0
	Overall	40	Moderate-Difficult	14

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

This test area is a mix of Analytical reasoning (26 questions) and Critical reasoning (14 questions). This test area was much easier as compared to the questions asked in the previous years. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 30-35 min. The questions on Analytical Reasoning were of easy to moderate difficulty level and a good student would have found this area manageable. Overall this test area can be classified as MODERATE.

Area	Description	Marks	Difficulty level	Estimated Marks ( for at least 90 percentile)
Analytical Reasoning	Blood Relations	3	Easy	18
	Direction Sense	3	Easy
	Missing term in the figure	5	Easy
	Distribution (5 sets of 3 questions each)	15	Moderate
Critical Reasoning	Assertion and Reasons	4	2 Easy, 2 Moderate	4--7
	Cause & Effect	5	2 Easy, 2 Moderate, 1 Difficult
	Statement & Conclusions	5	Moderate
	Overall	40	Moderate	22 --25

Indian and Global Environment

The questions in this test area were, predominantly, from business, current affairs, Person and their associated fields, etc. Those who have been reading newspapers on a regular basis would have found this area comfortable. Overall this test area can be classified as Moderately Difficult. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 5-10 minutes for a good net score of 11 marks.

Data Interpretation

Moderate

Overall

Moderate

Arithmetic

Moderate

Overall

Moderate-Difficult

Analytical Reasoning

Easy

Overall

Moderate