MAT May 2014 analysis: Moderate to difficult questions in paper-based test

 

By Rajesh Saraf

The MAT exam was conducted on May 4, 2014, and 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 May 2014 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 (one mark for 160 qs). However, the score card (by AIMA) does not 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. It is estimated that a net score of 64 marks (excluding the score in GK) will fetch an overall percentile of more than 95. Any net score of more than 80 marks (excluding the score in GK) is considered outstanding and is equivalent to an overall percentile of more than 99. A net score in excess of 90 marks (excluding the score in GK) is adequate to get to an overall percentile of more than 99.9.

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

 

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

 

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. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min for a good net score of 12 (for at least 90 percentile from this section alone).

Area	Description marks	Difficulty	Level
Arithmetic	Time & Work, Pipes and Cisterns	6	Moderate-Difficult
	Time & Distance, Boats and Streams	3
	Averages, Mixtures & Alligations	3
	LCM, HCF	0
	Equations, Ratio, Proportion & Variation	4
	Percentages, Profit, Loss, Partnership	11
	Geometry & Mensuration	4
	Simple Interest, Compound Interest	5
Higher Math	Trigometry, Heights and Distance	0	Difficult
	Permutation and Combinations	2
	Probability	2
	Overall	40	Moderate- Difficult

 

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 of standard model -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 15 (for at least 90 percentile from this section alone).

AREA	DESCRIPTION MARKS	Marks	DIFFICULTY
Analytical Reasoning	There were two pie charts given. The first pie chart gave the break-up of the total number of students of graduate level. The second pie chart gave the total number of students of postgraduate level. The students are in seven different institutes – P, Q, R, S, T, U, V.	5
	The questions were based on the combination of two charts- one bar chart and one table. The table gave the data pertaining to Air India's Performance Indicators. Some of the parameters in this context being Total revenue, Capacity Utilization, Overall Load Factor etc. The bar graph gave the Air India's Yield per tonne km (Rs) for two different years -2012 & 2013.	5
	The set was based on the data given in the tabular format. The table gave the data -Rate of Interest, Dividend Payout Ratio and the retained earnings of five companies.	5
	The line graph gives the time schedule of a train which runs through cities A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. The time of arrival and the time of departure at each of the cities also being specified.	5
	The bar graph gave the production of sugar by companies -P, Q, R during 2009-2013	5
	The bar graph gives the results of BTech students in an Engineering College for 3 different years -2011, 2012, 2013.	5
Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison	Each question followed by two statements, A and B	5
	Data Comparison	5
	Overall	40	Moderate

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 (four questions from each of the five passages) were straightforward. Most of the questions were direct in nature, where one has to scan through the passages and obtain the answer. The questions in Verbal require good knowledge about English usage & functional grammar. The type of the questions asked for this MAT, yet again, 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. 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	Marks	DIFFICULTY
Vocabulary	To find the antonyms of the words given in jumbled form	3	Moderate -Difficult
	Odd Man out (Each of the words given in jumbled form)	3	2 Easy, 1 Moderate
	Fill in the blanks (2 blanks)	3	Moderate-Difficult
English Usage and Grammar	Most appropriate restatement	3	Easy
	Para-Jumbles	4	Moderate
	Best essence of the given paragraph	4	Moderate
	Passage with the theme: Origin of the Ocean Basins	4	Moderate
	Passage with the theme: Theoretical Problems posed by the phenomenon of Gravitational Collapse.	4
	Passage with the theme: Statistics in Roman Times	4
	Passage: Average Indian Villager, his attitude and approach	4
	Passage: Old World and New World Economic Ideologies	4
	Overall	40	Moderate

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

This test area is a mix of Analytical reasoning (30 questions) and Critical reasoning (10 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 of18 marks will give a sectional percentile of at least 90.

AREA	DESCRIPTION MARKS	Marks	DIFFICULTY
Analytical Reasoning	Distribution Qs (Five players coming from five different home towns and hold five specialist slots in cricket)	3	Moderate
	Moderate Distribution Qs (Four participants, in a beauty contest, wearing sarees of four different colors. They are seated in a row)	3
	Comparison Qs (Five steel balls of different weights)	3
	Selection Qs (Five students giving four options out of top seven colleges)	3
	Distribution Qs( Five malls selling different items)	3
	Completing the series(mix of numbers & letters) by replacing the “?” mark	5
	Blood Relations (Individual question)	3
	Direction Sense	2
	Verbal Analogies	4
	Calendar	1
Critical Reasoning	Assertion and Reasons	4	Moderate
	Deductions	3
	Cause & Effect	3
	Overall	40	Moderate

 

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 five minutes for a good net score of seven marks.

About the Author

Rajesh Saraf is the Director of TIME Institute, Hyderabad.