NMAT 2015: Student and expert reactions

NMAT 2015 kicked off today on October 7, 2014, across the country without any technical glitches. No new surprises were in store for todays’ paper. NMAT 2015 followed last two years’ pattern, with speed being the main game. Click here to read a detailed NMAT 2015 analysis.

Shiksha.com spoke to various students and experts to a get a feel of NMAT 2015 paper pattern. According to Himanshu Upadhyaya who appeared for NMAT for the second time, “It was a predictable paper. However, I found it unpredictable in nature due to the sheer number of topics. There were questions from almost every topic. In verbal section, there were parajumbles and two passages. DI and LR sections were similar to last year.” Himanshu recently quit his full time job to focus on MBA preparation. He is planning to appear for CAT, XAT and has already appeared for CMAT September 2014.

Aditi Agarwal, a software developer with leading IT firm, believes to crack MBA one needs to identify the individual approach for each exam. “Each exam has a different set pattern. NMAT 2015 followed last year’s pattern. This is my second attempt. This year, I took coaching classes and hence feel more prepared. Attempting mocks tests are also crucial to improve performance,” she says.

According to academic experts Girish Khare and Reema Sehgal at IMS Coaching, NMAT 2015 “There was a good balance of Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency questions. Overall, NMAT 2015 has been a predictable paper. The paper focused on speed. There is no negative marking.”

To score well, the experts gave the following table:

Section	No of correct attempts (questions)
Quantitative Aptitude + Data Interpretation	38 - 40
Verbal Ability + Reading Comprehension	24
Logical & Analytical Reasoning	30 to 32

Candidate turnout was low on first and second slots of day 1 of NMAT 2015. According to test centre authorities, “Maximum turnout is over the weekends and holidays. Since several working professionals appear for the exam, they prefer to take the test on Saturday or Sunday. Also, since there is a three-month window, the numbers will slowly increase with time.” 

Students were allowed to take breaks during the test. They were also provided with paper for rough work. If you plan to take NMAT 2015, take a look the required documents one needs to carry.