Snapshot- September 2010 MAT exam

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 exam had 200 questions to be attempted in 150 minutes. Each question carried 1 mark and one-fourth mark is deducted for every wrong answer. There were five sections. Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, and Indian & Global Environment. The marks obtained in the test area of 'Indian and Global Environment' is given separately in the score card and is not counted in the composite score. For evaluating the composite score, the total marks taken into consideration is 160 and NOT 200. The table below gives the sectional percentile(for a net score of 10 marks in each section) in earlier actual MAT exams conducted by AIMA. The table also gives the 'estimated sectional percentile'(for a net score of 10 marks in each section) in Sep 2010 MAT exam.

Sectional Summary(in Sep 2010 MAT exam & in earlier actual MAT exams conducted by AIMA)

Section

Number of questions

Sectional percentile

(Feb 2010 MAT exam)

Sectional percentile

(Dec 2009 MAT exam)*

Sectional percentile

(Sep 2009 MAT exam)

Estimated Sectional percentile

(Sep 2010 MAT exam)

Language Comprehension

40

81

77

85.55

80

Mathematical Skills

40

91

87.23

84.82

87

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

40

77.71

87.93

64.3

72

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

40

40

57.95

27.44

40

(*) In Dec 2009 MAT exam, 40 questions in each test area were divided into 2 or 3 parts. These parts were placed randomly across the paper. For example, 40 questions in Language Comprehension were divided into two parts of 20 questions each. However, in this MAT exam conducted on 5th September 2010, the questions were organized section wise.

Overall Summary(in Sep 2010 MAT & in earlier actual MAT exams conducted by AIMA)

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. The table below gives the overall percentile scored at different possible net marks in the earlier actual MAT exams conducted by AIMA. This table also gives the overall estimated percentile in this MAT exam at different possible net marks.


Overall Net Marks

(excluding Indian and Global Environment)

Overall percentile

(Feb2010 MAT exam)

Overall percentile

(Dec 2009 MAT exam)

Overall percentile

(Sep2009 MAT exam)

Overall estimated percentile

(Sep 2010 MAT)

35

75

78

65

75

40

80

86

73

80

50

90

95

87

92

65

99

99.5

99

More than 99

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 in this MAT.

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

As shown in the table below, this test area comprises Data Interpretation(DI), Data Sufficiency(DS) & Data Comparison(DC), with DI accounting for 24 out of 40 questions while DS and Data Comparison put together accounting for the remaining 16 questions. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min. Overall this test area can be classified as EASY-MODERATE.


Area

Description

Marks

Difficulty level

Good Marks

Data Interpretation

The two pie charts indicate the percentage distribution of sales of seven different types of tyres

5




Easy

9--10

The two line graphs indicate the GDP and the percentage of GDP spent on education

5

A caselet related to plantation of trees.

5

The bar chart gives the food production in Haryana while the pie chart gives the percentage of diffferent fruits.

4

The bar graphs give the share of four products-A, B, C, D in four years.

5

Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison

Each question followed by two statements, A and B.

8


Moderate

5

Data Comparison

8

Overall

40

Easy-Moderate

14--15

Language Comprehension

This section 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. There were five passages,covering different subject areas, with four questions each. The questions were of all types, i.e., central idea, inference, fact based. The verbal area, too, had the usual 20 questions of five different types. The usual Grammar-incorrect statement, Summary, Vocab-fill in the blanks, Paragraph Forming Questions were there. Overall, RC and the verbal part were doable. Overall, the test area can be classified as MODERATE.

Area

Description

Marks

Difficulty level

Good Marks

Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks

5

Moderate

6

English Usage and Grammar

Paragraph Forming questions

5

Moderate-Difficult


Identification of the incorrect part of the sentence.

5

Summary

5

Reading Comprehension

Passage on the contemporary industrial robot. (www.most.gov.mm/techuni/media/Sem_VIII_Note.pdf)

4

Easy-Moderate

7

Passage from the following source.

(http://www.boutell.com/frankenstein/letter1.html)

4

Passage with the central theme that every market activity is an investment in time, energy and money.

4

Passage based on the ways to manage one's own careers, by marketing oneself.

(web.tuke.sk/kj/vzor_OS_EkF_AJ.doc)

4

Passage exploring the concept of “language barrier”.

(http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12197748/SAMPLE-TEST-IELTS)

4

Overall

40

Moderate

13


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 easy in nature and a majority of the questions were doable. Overall this test area can be classified as EASY-MODERATE.


Area

Description

Marks

Difficulty level

Good Marks

Analytical reasoning

Directions

3

Easy-Moderate

15

Cubes

4

Distribution

3

Blood Relations

3

Circular Arrangement

1

Linear sequencing

2

Number, letter series

5

Venn diagrams(figure based)

5

Critical Reasoning

Statements and Conclusions

5

Moderate

4--5

Assertion and Reason

4

Logical reasoning(Which of the satatements is not in consonance with the content of the passage)

5

Overall

40

Easy-Moderate

19--20

Mathematical Skills

The paper predominantly had questions from the Arithmetic areas like (Percentages, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, Geometry, Time and Distance, Simple Interest, Compound Interest). 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-Difficult

9

Time & Distance

4

Numbers

1

Percentages, Profit & Loss

4

SICI

3

Geometry and Mensuration

6

Ratio

1

Averages, Mixtures, Alligations

4

Higher Maths

Heights and Distance, Trigonometry

3

2--3

P&C

8

Probability

Overall

40

Moderate-Difficult

11--12

Indian and Global Environment

The questions in this test area were, from different subject areas-Economics, Sports, Politics, etc. This test area was easy in nature. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 5-10 minutes for a good net score of 10 marks. Some of the sample questions in this section were:

  1. Who is the Chairman of the Planning Commission?

  2. Inflation is caused by------

  3. Black money is -----

  4. God's own country is -----

  5. First woman prime minister of Australia ----