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SNAPSHOT- MAT SEP 2012 EXAM ANALYSIS
This MAT exam, conducted on 2nd September 2012, 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 September2012 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 and the overall percentile. This table gives the overall estimated percentile in this SEPTEMBER 2012 MAT exam at different possible net marks.
Sectional Percentile for a net score of 15 marks in individual section(estimated for SEP 2012 MAT exam)
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 good 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. The questions in Verbal require good knowledge about English usage & functional grammar. The type of the questions asked for this september 2012 MAT were very similar to the ones asked in the earlier exams. This time, also, AIMA gave six questions which were in jumbled format. In three out of these six questions, the antonym of the word was to be found out. In the remaining three, the words were in jumbled format and the odd one out was to be found out. Those who have been regularly solving the questions from All India MOCK MATs by T.I.M.E would not have found this as the surprise element. Overall, the test area can be classified as MODERATE. A good score, in this test area alone, is 17 in the time limit of 30-35 min.
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. The questions in DI involved were based on observation, calculations like comparison of fractions, computing the average, percentage based calculations etc. Overall, this test area can be considered to be Moderate. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min for a good net score of 16(which will give a sectional percentile of at least 90).
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 DIFFICULT. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min for a good net score of 14(which will give a sectional percentile of at least 90).
Intelligence and Critical Reasoning This test area is a mix of Analytical reasoning (32 questions) and Critical reasoning (8 questions). A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 30-35 min. Overall, 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. A net score of 23 marks will give a sectional percentile of at least 90.
Indian and Global Environment The questions in this test area were, predominantly, from business, current affairs, Person and their associated fields, etc. Those who read newspapers on a regular basis will find this area comfortable. Overall this test area can be classified as Moderately Difficult. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 5 minutes for a good net score of 7 marks. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
