MAT Exam: Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus for MAT Entrance Exam

  • By Sneha Dasgupta
  • 14 June 2021
MAT exam general knowledge questions and answers | Sunstone

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The MAT exam in the latest session will be conducted between 21 August and 12 September through CBT, PBT and IBT modes, according to the announcement by the All India Management Association (AIMA). 

Candidates who wish to appear for the August-September 2021 MAT exam in PBT or IBT mode can still register on the official website. The registration for CBT MAT closed on 14 August and the exam will be held on 21 August.

To learn more about the MAT entrance exam and its details, keep reading this article.

What is MAT Exam?

MAT, also known as the Management Aptitude Test is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA). This is an entrance test for admission to MBA/PGDM programs in B-schools across the country.

This exam is conducted four times a year, in the months of February, May/June, September, and December. The MAT scores are accepted and considered by 600+ management colleges across India.

The MAT CBT is scheduled to be conducted on 21 August 2021 and MAT PBT on 5th September 2021. MAT IBT will be conducted in six slots between 28 Aug 2021 and 12 September 2021.

To learn more about MAT, let us guide you through the following sections!

MAT Exam Info

To begin with, you would be required to complete your registration procedure. The registration for the 2021 exam has begun and candidates appearing for these exams are required to pay a MAT exam fee. The application fee for the exam is as follows:

CATEGORY FEES
PBT/CBT INR 1,650
Both PBT and CBT INR 2,750
Both IBT and CBT INR 2,750

MAT Registration

To register for the exam, here are a few easy steps you need to follow:

  • Open the official website of AIMA MAT
  • You will be directed to the following page where you have to put your name, phone number, email id, date of birth, and a unique password
  • Once you confirm the details, select the "Submit" button
  • An OTP will be sent to your mobile number which you have to use to login and complete your MAT online registration

To fill the application form, you need to follow these three simple steps:

  • You have to select the mode of test: CBT, or PBT, or IBT
  • Select the city in which you are taking the test (if applicable)
  • Enter your personal details, email id, and residential address

Documents required for MAT registration

In order to register for the MAT exam, you need to keep the following documents handy.

  • Scanned passport size photograph
  • Scanned signature
  • Mark sheets of 12th and Graduation

Important details for MAT 2021

Here are some particulars about the exam which you should keep in mind:

Mode of application Online
Duration of validity of scores 1 year
Mode of exam a) CBT (Online/Computer Based)
b) IBT (Remote Proctored Internet Based)
c) PBT (Offline/Paper Based)
Counseling NO
Courses offered MBA and PGDM
Number of Exams per year 4
Number of exam centres PBT- 41
CBT- 31
MAT helpline number 011 - 24645100
011 - 24617354
011 - 43128100
MAT official email id mat@aima.in

More MAT exam details are mentioned in the sections below.

 MAT Admit Cards

MAT admit cards are usually released 3-4 days before the date of examination. Candidates can download the MAT admit card on the official website of AIMA-MAT.

How to download MAT admit card?

You can follow the steps given below to download your admit card: 

  1. Visit the official website
  2. Click on the 'Download/View' option on the homepage
  3. Chose 'MAT admit card' from the dropdown menu 
  4. Enter your registration number, date of birth and email id
  5. Click on the 'submit' option
  6. MAT 2021 admit card will appear on the screen
  7. You can take a print-out or save it as PDF

MAT Exam Syllabus

The MAT exam syllabus is divided into 5 different sections carrying different weightage:

  • Mathematical Skills
  • Language Comprehension
  • Intelligence and Critical Reasoning
  • Data Analysis and Sufficiency
  • Indian and Global Environment

Mathematical Skills

  • This section is vast and covers a wide variety of topics ranging from arithmetic to algebra as well as geometry.
  • You will have to answer 40 MCQs.
  • The sectional weightage of this section in the syllabus for the MAT exam is 20% and is awarded a weightage of 25% in the calculation of the final percentile of the paper.

Language Comprehension

  • This section is further subdivided into two sections:
    -Verbal Ability with grammar
    -Reading Comprehension
  • The reading comprehension and verbal ability sections have a total of 20 MCQs each.
  • They also have 50% weightage in the MAT entrance exam syllabus.
  • You will encounter questions based on passages for the reading comprehension questions.
  • For verbal ability, you will come across questions on jumbled sentences, antonyms/synonyms, error correction, idioms, etc.

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

  • This section has tricky questions as it derives them from blood relations, syllogisms, linear and matrix arrangement, calendars, etc.
  • You will have to answer 40 MCQs.
  • The sectional weightage in the syllabus for the MAT exam is 20%.

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

  • This section has questions from data tables, data interpretation, and comparison, caselet based data, etc.
  • You will have to answer 40 MCQs.
  • The sectional weightage of this section in the syllabus for the MAT exam is 20% and is awarded a weightage of 25% in the calculation of the final percentile of the paper.

Indian and Global Environment

  • This section refers to the GK syllabus, current affairs, business, economy, Indian Constitution, etc.
  • You will have to answer 40 MCQs.
  • The sectional weightage in the syllabus for the MAT exam is 20%.

MAT Exam Date

Here are the revised MAT Exam dates for the CBT and PBT modes:

Mode Last Date for Registration Issue of Admit Card Date of Examination
Computer-Based Test (CBT) 14 August 2021 17 August 2021 (1600 Hrs) 21 August 2021
Paper-Based Test (PBT) 29 August 2021 30 Aug 2021 (1600 Hrs) 5 September 2021

Following are the dates for the IBT mode of exam in August-September 2021:

Date of Test Time-Slots Last Date for Registration Issue of Admit Card
28 August 10 AM to 12:30 PM

4 PM to 6:30 PM
25 August 26 August
29 August 10 AM to 12:30 PM

4 PM to 6:30 PM
26 August 27 August
4 September 10 AM to 12:30 PM

4 PM to 6:30 PM
1 September 2 September
5 September 10 AM to 12:30 PM

4 PM to 6:30 PM
2 September 3 September
11 September 10 AM to 12:30 PM

4 PM to 6:30 PM
8 September 9 September
12 September 10 AM to 12:30 PM

4 PM to 6:30 PM
9 September 10 September

Here are the tentative dates of the MAT exam in the December session:

Application form release date First week of October 2021
Last date to fill the application form November 2021
Admit card release date Last week of November 2021
MAT Exam date Second and Third week of December 2021
Result declaration date January 2022

Eligibility for MAT

To appear for the exam, you have to fulfill the following MAT eligibility criterion:

  • You should have completed graduation in any discipline from a recognized university with a minimum of 50% marks, 45% for those belonging to reserved categories
  • If you have completed a professional degree such as CA, CS, or ICWA, you also fulfill the eligibility for MAT
  • If you are in your final year of graduation, you can also apply

There is no upper age limit for the MAT exam, but the lower limit cannot be less than 20 years.

MAT Exam Pattern

The MAT paper generally consists of 5 sections which are meant to assess the candidate's ability in Mathematics, English, and General Awareness. The paper has a total of 200 questions which you have to answer in a span of 150 minutes.

All the questions are objective in nature. For every correct answer, you will be awarded 1 mark, and for every incorrect answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted. Here is a division of the 5 sections, marks allotted to each section, and the time duration in the MAT pattern:

Mathematical Skills 40 marks 40 mins
Language Comprehension 40 marks 30 mins
Intelligence and Critical Reasoning 40 marks 30 mins
Indian and Global Environment 40 marks 15 mins
Data Analysis and Sufficiency 40 marks 35 mins

MAT Test centres

MAT PBT is conducted in 31 cities across India and MAT CBT is conducted in 26 cities. Candidates who have opted for the IBT mode will have to take the exam from home and it will be proctored remotely. 

Here is the list of centres for MAT exam in CBT and PBT mode:

Sr. No. Test centres for MAT CBT Test centres for MAT PBT
1 AHMEDABAD AHMEDABAD
2 ALLAHABAD DELHI (NCR)
3 BAREILLY DEHRADUN
4 BENGALURU COIMBATORE
5 BHOPAL CHENNAI
6 BHUBANESWAR CHANDIGARH
7 CHANDIGARH BHUBANESWAR
8 CHENNAI BHOPAL
9 COIMBATORE BENGALURU
10 DEHRADUN GUWAHATI
11 DELHI (NCR) LUCKNOW
12 GUWAHATI KOZHIKODE
13 HYDERABAD KOLKATA
14 KOCHI KOCHI
15 JAMMU JAMMU
16 JAIPUR JAIPUR
17 LUCKNOW HYDERABAD
18 KOTTAYAM MUMBAI
19 INDORE NAGPUR
20 KOLKATA PATNA
21 MENGALURU PUNE
22 MUMBAI RAIPUR
23 NAGPUR RANCHI
24 PATNA THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
25 PUNE TRICHY
26 VIJAYAWADA VIJAYAWADA
27 RAIPUR
28 RANCHI
29 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
30 TRICHY
31 VISAKHAPATNAM

MAT Result

MAT result for the August-September session will be by the end of September. Candidates can check MAT result and download scorecards on the official website for MAT.

How to check MAT results

You can check you results by following the steps given below.

  1. Go to the official website
  2. Click on the Download/View tab
  3. From the dropdown menu select ‘MAT Results’ 
  4. Chose the session you have applied in
  5. Enter your Roll Number in the next slot
  6. Enter your Registration Number in the last slot
  7. Click on submit to view/download your MAT scorecard

MAT Preparation

You will need at least six months to prepare for the MAT exam to score well. Below are some MAT preparation tips for your upcoming MAT exam: 

  • Over 50% of your preparation for the exam should entail solving MAT sample papers and MAT previous years' question papers. You need to confront your weak areas and work on them.
  • Read newspapers, online blogs, and MAT preparation books on a daily basis to improve your reading skills and to keep a track of current affairs.
  • Regularly analyze your preparation level to keep a tab on your strengths and weaknesses in each section.
  • Target topics carrying more weightage in each section to score easily in the exam
  • Time management is the key to attempt maximum questions in the exam, so you should not waste precious time on tricky questions and try to solve the easier ones instead.

Learn About CAT (Common Admission Test)

CAT Result CAT Mock Test Paper
CAT Exam Details CAT Question Papers

Also Read: MAT Sample Paper [PDF] | MAT Result | MAT Admit Card | MAT Exam Pattern | MAT Preparation

FAQs About MAT Exam

What is MAT exam for?

The MAT exam is used for admission to MBA as well as PGDM courses to 600+ business schools across India.

What is MAT exam and eligibility?

To appear for the MAT exam, you need to fulfill the following eligibility criterion:

You should have completed graduation in any discipline from a recognized university with a minimum of 50% marks, 45% for those belonging to reserved categories.
If you have completed a professional degree such as CA, CS, or ICWA, you also fulfill the eligibility for MAT.
If you are in your final year of graduation, you can also apply.

What is the difference between CAT and MAT exam?

While both the exams are a gateway for management programs across the country, there are some significant differences between the two:

The CAT exam is conducted by the IIMs, whereas the MAT exam is conducted by the AIMA. CAT is conducted only once a year, whereas MAT is conducted four times a year. CAT is a computer-based exam, whereas MAT can be a computer, internet, or paper-based.

There is a total of 3 sections and 300 marks in a CAT exam, whereas there is a total of 5 sections and 200 marks in a MAT exam. The difficulty level of CAT is much higher than that of MAT. The duration of the CAT exam is 180 mins, whereas the duration of the MAT exam is 150 mins. Every correct answer in the CAT exam is awarded 3 marks and an incorrect answer leads to the deduction of 1 mark. Every correct answer in the MAT exam is awarded 1 mark and an incorrect answer leads to the deduction of 0.25 marks.

What is the duration of MAT exam?

The duration of MAT is 150 mins (2.5 hours).

What is the MAT exam application fee?

The application fee, if you are applying for PBT/CBT, is INR 1,650, but if you are applying for both PBT and CBT or IBT and CBT, it is INR 2,750.

How many times is the MAT exam conducted in a year?

The MAT exam is conducted four times a year, in the months of February, May/June, September, and December.

Is MAT good for MBA?

MAT exam is good for MBA because MAT scores are accepted in over 600 colleges in India. It is also considered valid for admission into some management programmes above. Qualifying MAT with a good score will create a lot of opportunities for you.

What is MAT exam and eligibility?

MAT is a national-level common entrance test conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA) for admission in to management courses in 600+ colleges across India. The eligibility criteria for MAT in a Bachelor’s degree in any field with 50% marks for General Category applicants and 45% for Reserved category candidates.  

What is MAT exam used for?

MAT exam score is accepted by 600+ colleges as the primary selection criteria for admission into MBA and other allied programmes. With a good MAT score, you will get calls for admission from top management institutes in India.

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