MAT Feb 2011 Exam Analysis

SNAPSHOT- MAT FEB 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
Duration	150 minutes

This MAT Feb 2011 exam 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 Feb 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 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 Feb 2011 MAT exam at different possible net marks.

Overall Net Marks (excluding Indian and Global Environment)	Overall estimated percentile (Feb 2011 MAT)	Overall Estimated Composite Score (Feb 2011 MAT)
35	76	620.5
40	80	637.5
50	90	678.5
68	99	759.5
80	99.90	800

Sectional Percentile for a net score of 10 marks in individual section(estimated for Feb 2011 MAT exam)

Section	Number of questions	Estimated Sectional percentile for net 10 marks in individual section (Feb 2011 MAT)
Language Comprehension	40	80
Mathematical Skills	40	82
Data Analysis and Sufficiency	40	75
Intelligence and Critical Reasoning	40	55

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 300-350 words. Some of the questions 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 12 in the time limit of 30-35 min.

Area	Description	Marks	Difficulty level	Good Marks
Vocabulary	One word Substitute	3	Moderate	5
Vocabulary	Fill in the 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 related to Oriya Renaisance http://www.hindu.com/lr/2010/06/06/stories/2010060650110400.htm	4	Difficult	7
	Passage related to World Bank support to Tamil Nadu Government for implementing various health projects. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2010/06/09/stories/2010060957040100.htm	4	Easy
	Passage related to acquisition of Assets of Zain by Bharti-Airtel in Africa.	4
	Passage related to report by Parekh Committee making different recommendations like amending the rules to allow insurance and pension funds to invest in the debt market	4
	Passage related to souring relations between China and North Korea	4
Overall		40	Moderate	12

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

As shown in the table below, this test area comprises of DI and DS, 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 12.

Area	Description	Marks	Difficulty level	Good Marks
Data Interpretation	The pie chart gives the source of income of an NGO while the bar graph gives the break-up of the expenses.	5	Easy	9
	The pie chart gives the break-up of the natural gas offtake in India in 2007-08.	5	Difficult
	The Bar graph gives the coverage of various forms of media like press, Internet, TV in six different cities – Agra, Varanasi, Surat, Faridabad, Nagpur and Patna	5	Moderate
	The line graph gives the CSR spending by six industries for art promotion	5	Moderate
	The table and the line graph gave the portfolio management by 3 fund managers A, B, C. The table gives the charges every month, while the line graph gives the value of the portfolio managed.	5	Difficult
	The caselet gives the population expansion in Asia and country M for year 1 and year 26. It also gives the break-up of population of Country M in Year 1.	5	Moderate
Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison	Each question followed by two statements, A and B.	5	Moderate	3
Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison	Data Comparison	5	Moderate	3
	Overall	40	Moderate -Difficult	12

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	Good Marks
Arithmetic	Time & Work, Pipes and Cisterns	6	Moderate	8
	Time & Distance, Boats and Streams	3	Moderate
	Percentages, Profit & Loss, Partnership	5	Easy-Moderate
	Simple Equations	5	Moderate-Difficult
	Simple Interest and Compound Interest	2	Moderate-Difficult
	Ratio, Proportion and Variation	5	Easy-Moderate
	Mensuration	3	Moderate-Difficult
Higher Math	Trigometry, Heights and Distance	3	Moderate-Difficult	3
	P&C	4
	Probability	4
	Overall	40	Moderate-Difficult	11

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

This test area is a mix of Analytical reasoning (26 questions) and Critical reasoning (14 questions). 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 in case you would have done enough practice, you would have found this area manageable. Overall this test area can be classified as MODERATE.

Area	Description	Marks	Difficulty level	Good Marks
Analytical Reasoning	Blood Relations	3	Moderate	10
	Direction Sense	3	Moderate
	Number & Letter series	5	Easy -Moderate
	Distribution	15 (5 sets of 3 questions each)	Moderate
Critical Reasoning	Assertion and Reasons	4	Moderate-Difficult	3
	Statements and Conclusions	5	Moderate-Difficult	3
	A short passage from which it has to be found out “Which of the statements is not in consonance with the information provided in the passage”	5	Moderate	2
	Overall	40	Moderate	15

Indian and Global Environment

The questions in this test area were, predominantly, from business, current affairs, Person and their associated fields. 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 13 marks.

Data Interpretation

Easy

Overall

Moderate -Difficult

Arithmetic

Moderate

Overall

Moderate-Difficult

Analytical Reasoning

Moderate

Overall

Moderate