MAT FEB 2020 Exam Analysis

SNAPSHOT-FEB 2020 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(1.2,3,4)
Duration 150 minutes

This MAT exam(Paper based test), conducted on 16Tth FEB 2020, had 200 questions to be attempted in 150 minutes. These 200 questions were from five test areas viz. Language Comprehension, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Indian and Global Environment 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 2020 MAT EXAM)

The consolidated score is evaluated by taking only four areas into account. Indian and Global Environment (GK) 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.

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.

DATA ANALYSIS AND SUFFICIENCY

As shown in the table below, this test area comprises Data Interpretation (DI), Data Sufficiency (DS) and Data Comparison, with DI accounting for 30 out of 40 questions while Data Sufficiency 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 averages , percentage based calculations etc. The types of charts were related to Line Graphs, Bar Charts, Tables, Pie Charts. 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 marks.

AREA DESCRIPTION MARKS DIFFICULTY LEVEL ESTIMATED GOOD MARKS
Data Interpretation The Bar graph shows the expenditure of a family 5 Moderate 12
Data was in the form of Pie chart & Table.
The table shows percentage of employees in six departments of a company working night shifts and the pie chart shows the
number of employees working in night shifts in seven centers.		 5
Data was presented in the form of Table. It was about the number of persons in a Refugee campaign 5
Venn Diagram: Number of students speaking about two languages French and English 5
Line Graph: Number of sales of four products from 2017 to 2019 5
Bar Graph + Line Graph:
The bar graph shows Production and exports of coffee product (in million kg) and the line graph per capita availability (grams)		 5
Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison Each question followed by two statements, A and B. (Questions were drawn from topics – Mensuration, Blood Relations, Prime Number) 5 Moderate 4
Data Comparison (Questions were drawn from topics – Mensuration, Profit & Loss, Percentages, Mixtures) 5
Overall 40 Moderate 16

INTELLIGENCE AND CRITICAL REASONING

This test area is a mix of Analytical reasoning (25 questions) and Critical reasoning (15 questions). A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 30 min. Overall, the questions on Analytical Reasoning were of easy-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 21 marks or above is considered to be a good score in this section.

AREA DESCRIPTION MARKS DIFFICULTY LEVEL ESTIMATED GOOD MARKS
Analytical Reasoning Coding Decoding 4 Moderate 16
Seating Arrangement -Linear (10 managers, 10 cities) 5
Seating Arrangement -Circular (6 Researchers, 6 Universities) 5
Direction Sense 1
Quant Based Reasoning -(Age) 1
Ranking 2
Blood Relations 2
Distribution -(8 persons, 8 salaries, 8 fruits) 5
Critical Reasoning Statement & Assumptions 5 Moderate 5
Assertion & Reason 5
Statement & Conclusions 5
Overall 40 Moderate 21

LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION

This test area, once again, 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. There were four passages and each passage had five questions to be answered. The questions in Verbal require basic knowledge about English usage & functional grammar. Overall, the test area can be classified as MODERATE. A good score is estimated to be 17 in the time limit of 30-35 min.

AREA DESCRIPTION MARKS DIFFICULTY LEVEL ESTIMATED GOOD MARKS
VOCABULARY, GRAMMAR Fill in the blanks 4 Moderate 7
Summary of Passage 4 Moderate
Idioms & Phrases 4 Easy-Moderate
Para-Jumbles 4 Moderate -Difficult
Synonyms 4 Easy -Moderate
Reading Comprehension Passage1: Ease of doing Business 5 Moderate -Difficult 10
Passage2: Economic Growth 5 Moderate -Difficult
Passage3: Multidimensional Poverty 5 Moderate -Difficult
Passage4: Nationalization & Denationalization of Banks 5 Moderate -Difficult
Overall 40 Moderate 17

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

The paper predominantly had questions from the Arithmetic areas like (Percentages, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, Mensuration, Time and Distance, Simple Equations, Ratio, Proportion, Variation). The questions involved only the basics and those who would have done adequate practice would have found those questions quite doable. 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.

A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min for a very good net score of 14.

AREA DESCRIPTION MARKS DIFFICULTY LEVEL ESTIMATED GOOD MARKS
Arithmetic Time & Work, Pipes and Cisterns 6 Moderate -Difficult 12
Time & Distance, Boats and Streams 4
Simple Equations, Ratio, Proportion and Variation 3
Percentages, Profit, Loss, Partnership 4
Geometry & Mensuration 7
Averages, Mixtures and Alligations 5
Simple Interest, Compound Interest 3
Numbers, Indices & Surds 1
Miscellaneous 2
Higher Math Trigonometry, Heights and Distance 3 Moderate -Difficult 2
Permutation and Combinations, Probability 2
Overall 40 Moderate -Difficult 14

INDIAN AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

The questions in this test area were, predominantly, from business, Current Affairs, Awards, Sports, 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 Moderate. It is to be noted that the marks scored in this section is NOT counted in the consolidated score. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend a maximum time ofaround 5 minutes for a good net score of 6 marks.