MAT Exam and MAT Syllabus with Exam Pattern and Section-Wise Weightage

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Kitiyala Jamir

Updated on 24th July, 2024 , 11 min read

MAT Exam: Section-Wise Syllabus, Exam Pattern, and other MAT Exam Details

Exam

MAT Syllabus 2024: The MAT Syllabus has been divided into 5 sections: Indian and Global Environment, Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, and Intelligence and Critical Reasoning. Each section of the MAT paper consists of 40 questions. The difficulty level of these questions in each section will be moderate to difficult. The topics of MAT Syllabus 2024 are common for all the modes i.e. IBT, CBT, and PBT.

Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is a standard aptitude test administered in India by the All India Management Association since 1998. Over 600 business schools in India use the MAT exam for admission to Master of Business Administration and related programs.

The article contains detailed information and a comprehensive guide to the syllabus for the MAT Exam.

People also Read: What is MAT Exam? 

MAT Exam Date 2024: MAT Exam is held in three exam modes namely Computer Based Test (CBT), Paper Based Test (PBT), and Internet Based Test (IBT). There is one CBT and one PBT Mode MAT Exam scheduled on different dates and there is more than one weeklong IBT MAT Testing window which consists of 10 exams to be held on different dates. The IBT Mode of MAT Exam is an additional mode to the CBT MAT and PBT MAT Exam with no changes in the MAT Exam Syllabus. Candidates willing to take the exam can appear in IBT MAT from their home instead of going to the exam centers. All three MAT Exams will be of the same difficulty level and the same MAT Syllabus 2024.

Interested Candidates can now apply for MAT Exam - Direct Link

MAT Exam Pattern: 

  • MAT Question Paper will have 200 questions that need to be solved in the time duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
  • MAT Syllabus will remain the same for the MAT Exam conducted in all three modes i.e. PBT, CBT, and IBT.

Aspirants are advised to go through the Syllabus of MAT carefully before starting to prepare for the exam. Candidates who appeared in previous sessions of the MAT Exam are advised to cover the MAT Syllabus section-wise for efficient and timely preparation of the MAT Exam to be held in the September session.

MAT Syllabus 2024 Highlights

Particulars

Details

Exam Name

MAT Exam

Exam Duration

2.5 hours (150 minutes)

Total Number of Questions

200

Type of Questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Number of Sections

5

MAT Exam Sections

Mathematical Skills

Data Analysis & Sufficiency

Language Comprehension

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

Indian and Global Environment

MAT 2024 Marking Scheme

+1 mark awarded for every correct answer

-0.25 mark for every incorrect answer

Negative Marking

No

TITA Questions

No

The AIMA MAT 2024 September Syllabus is based on previous MAT exams and the types of questions that have appeared in the exam. Although AIMA has not strictly defined the MAT Exam 2024 Syllabus yet, the topics covered in the syllabus of MAT Exam are updated in response to changes in MAT exam questions and test patterns. However, the MAT 2024 Syllabus will cover all of the important topics on which questions are formed in each section.

AIMA has been administering the MAT exam since 1988, the MAT exam syllabus has undergone some changes over time. This is also because of the competitiveness of the MAT exam.

MAT Syllabus 2024: Section Wise Composition

MAT exam syllabus is based on a revamped and updated Management Aptitude Test Syllabus, regardless of the testing mode. The MAT syllabus for each of the three MAT testing modes will be similar. The updated MAT 2024 syllabus includes all five sections of Language Comprehension, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Mathematical skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, and Indian and Global Environment. The syllabus for 2024 includes the following MAT exam details.

MAT Sections

No. of Questions

Total Marks

Language Comprehension

40

40

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

40

40

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

40

40

Mathematical Skills

40

40

Indian and Global Environment

40

40

Total

200

200

MAT Exam Syllabus 2024: Sectional Sub Division

The MAT syllabus 2024 has been further subdivided into various categories. Because of this sectional sub-division in the MAT September 2024 syllabus, MAT becomes an exam with 8 effective sections.

MAT exam language syllabus is divided into two parts: Verbal Ability syllabus and Reading Comprehension syllabus. Similarly, the syllabus for section two - Intelligence & Critical Reasoning - is divided into two parts with a variety of reasoning questions. The MAT syllabus 2024 for Data Analysis & Data sufficiency also includes two types of questions: one on Data Analysis, which is similar to Data Interpretation, and the other on Data sufficiency.

The number of questions in each section is equal. The Exam Syllabus for MAT in the Quantitative Ability section is also extensive, covering every topic of Mathematics with a focus on Arithmetic. The MAT 2024 September exam syllabus can be comprehended based on past paper patterns that include questions from all of these sections.

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MAT Syllabus: Section 1 – Language Comprehension

The Language Comprehension section of the MAT Syllabus is divided into two parts. The first part of the syllabus covers topics on Reading Comprehension passages, while the second part covers Grammar and other aspects of Verbal Ability.

For More Detailed Information Read: MAT Language and Reading Comprehension 

MAT Syllabus 2024 – Language Comprehension

  • RC Syllabus covers current events that have an impact on social life, international affairs, government policies and schemes such as Triple Talaq, Clean India Mission, migration of people from one country to another, global intolerance, agricultural policies, and poverty eradication programs.
  • Business and economic RC passages include global economic changes, economic development at the expense of the environment, the impact of demonetization in India, and wasteful government spending.
  • RC passages from various English Literature books, articles written by great philosophers and thinkers, speeches given by great personalities such as Charles Dickens, Aristotle, Martin Luther King, Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi, Churchill, and others
  • Passages on Science and Culture, including the Journey to the Modern World; Culture Fading as Technology Advances.
  • The Reading Comprehension Syllabus for MAT also includes abstract topics and fiction. Because these passages are opinion-based, candidates must put themselves in the author's shoes before answering the questions that follow.
  • RC passages on historical events that led to social changes, such as the French Revolution, the War of the Roses, social changes in Indian history, and thoughts shared by various activists that are still very relevant today
  • Mythological passages from RC These passages attempt to correlate mythological events with current social structures, and answers to questions about them must be inferred.

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Key Facts of Language Comprehension Section of MAT Exam

Particulars

Details

No. of Questions

20

Section Weightage in MAT Syllabus

50%

Type of Passages

4 short passages of moderate difficulty level

Type of Questions

MCQs

Formation of Questions

Questions based on the information given in the passages, Antonyms /Synonyms of words, True/False statements in context to the passage

MAT Syllabus: Topics to Cover in Language Comprehension

MAT 2024 Syllabus – Language Comprehension

Verb, Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Adverb

Antonyms & Synonyms

Reading Comprehension

Parts of Speech

One Word Substitution

Vocabulary

Sentence Correction

Idioms/Phrases

Grammar

Fill in the Blanks

Para Jumbles

Verbal Ability

MAT Syllabus: Verbal Ability

  • Jumbled Paragraphs (3-4 questions)
  • Error Correction of Verbs, Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, and other parts of speech in the Sentences.
  • Correcting the sequence of sentences in the paragraph for example correct use of conditional sentences, time clauses, reported speech, and passive writing (3-4 questions)
  • Antonyms/Synonyms (5-6 questions)
  • Fill in the blanks (3-4 questions)
  • One-word substitution (1-2 questions)
  • Idioms/Phrases (2-3 questions)

Number of Questions

20

Sectional weightage in MAT Syllabus

50%

Type of Questions

MCQs

MAT Syllabus: Section 2 – Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

Although the MAT syllabus for this section is brief, the MAT question paper contains difficult questions in this area. The following are the major topics covered in the MAT Exam on Intelligence and Critical Reasoning:

  • For the Intelligence and Critical Reasoning section, 40 MCQs from the MAT Syllabus will be asked.
  • Intelligence and Critical Reasoning have a sectional weightage of 20% in the MAT Syllabus 2021.
  • Questions from the MAT Syllabus for Intelligence & Critical Reasoning cover topics such as analogy, seating arrangement, series, blood relations, and so on.

For More Detailed Information Read: MAT 2024 Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

Section Highlights: As a separate section in the MAT exam, it is divided into two parts: intelligence reasoning and critical reasoning. Critical reasoning questions are also asked in the Verbal Ability section of other exams, such as the CAT.

MAT Exam Pattern for Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

Particulars

Details

Weightage of Reasoning Syllabus questions

20%

Weightage of Reasoning Section in Percentile Calculation

25%

Total Questions

40

Type of Questions

MCQ

MAT Exam Syllabus for Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

MAT Syllabus for Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

Fact-inference-judgment

Passage Conclusion

Clocks

Calendars

Statement-Argument

Analogy

Blood Relations / Family Tree

Logical Sequence

Assumption

Premise

Conclusion

Seating Arrangement

Linear and Matrix Arrangement

Team Formation

Input-Output

Series

Syllogism

Cubes

Rows

Set theory, Venn Diagrams, and Network Diagrams

Puzzles

Logical Reasoning based on Rankings

Critical Reasoning

Quantitative Reasoning

Direction sense

Decision Making

-

MAT Syllabus: Section 3 – Mathematical Skills

Mathematical skills syllabus refers to the Quant topics on which MAT questions are based. The MAT syllabus for the mathematics section is extremely broad and covers everything in Mathematics that you might or might not expect. The Quant syllabus is based on questions on various topics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Modern Math, Geometry, Mensuration, and Trigonometry, among others.

For More Detailed Information Read: MAT Preparation for Mathematical Skills

  • In the MAT Mathematical Skills section, 40 multiple-choice questions will be asked.
  • Mathematical Skills have a sectional weightage of 20% in the MAT Syllabus 2023.
  • The MAT Mathematical Skills section receives a 25% weightage in the final percentile calculation.

MAT Syllabus for Mathematical Skills

LCM and HCF

Percentage

Profit and Loss

Speed, Time and Work

Number System

Unitary Method

Simple Interest and Compound Interest

Mixtures and Allegations

Permutation and Combinations

Sequence and Series

Height and Distance

Commercial Maths

Elementary Mathematics

Percentage

Averages

Triangles

Circles

Arithmetic Geometry

Venn Diagrams

Quadratic Equations

Probability

Coordinate Geometry

Trigonometry

Linear Programming

Surds and Indices

Inequalities

Set Theory

Linear Equation

Complex Numbers

Binomial Theorem

MAT Exam Pattern for Mathematical Skills

Particulars

Details

No. of Questions

40

Sectional weightage in Syllabus

20%

Sectional weightage in Percentile Calculation

25%

Types of Questions

MCQs

MAT Syllabus: Section 4 – Data Analysis and Sufficiency

Texts, tables, graphs, charts, and Venn diagrams are used to answer questions in MAT Data Analysis & Sufficiency. This section is designed to assess candidates' ability to interpret given data and answer questions based on it.

For More Detailed Information Read: Data Analysis and Sufficiency Preparation Tips

  • For the Data Analysis & Sufficiency section, 40 MCQs from the MAT Syllabus will be asked.
  • Data Analysis & Sufficiency has a sectional weightage of 20% in the MAT Syllabus 2024.
  • The MAT Data Analysis & Sufficiency section receives a 25% weightage in the final percentile calculation.
  • Data Interpretation accounts for half of the total section questions; the remaining questions are from Data Comparison and sufficiency.

MAT Syllabus 2024 – Data Analysis and Sufficiency

Tables

Pie Charts

Caselet-based Data

Charts

Graphs – Line X-Y Graphs

Venn Diagram

Bar Diagrams

Data Analysis and Data Comparison

Data Sufficiency

MAT Exam Pattern for Data Analysis and Sufficiency

Particular

Detail

No. of Questions

40

Sectional weightage in Syllabus

20%

Sectional weightage in Percentile Calculation

25%

Types of Questions

MCQs

MAT Syllabus: Section 5 – Indian and Global Environment

The MAT exam's Indian and Global Environment section includes 40 MCQs on General Knowledge and Current Affairs. Check out the table below to see what topics are covered in the MAT Indian and Global Environment section:

Important Topics of Indian and Global Environment

Major topics covered in the syllabus in this section are the GK topics current and static:

  • Conventional GK-available in books
  • Current GK- based on current reading of newspapers and periodicals; 
  • Business & Economics GK -for example changes in Fiscal and monetary policy, CRR, Repo Rate,
  • Devaluation and up valuation of Rupee.  
  • Business, National and International events
  • Who's who
  • Constitutional of India,
  • Currency and Capitals of the countries
  • States of India
  • International Organizations
  • Monetary and fiscal tools
  • Emblem
  • Identification of personalities, companies among others

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MAT Exam Pattern for Indian and Global Environment

Particular

Detail

No. of Questions

40

Sectional weightage in Syllabus

20%

Sectional weightage in Percentile Calculation

25%

Types of Questions

MCQs

MAT Syllabus 2024: How to Prepare?

MAT Syllabus is quite extensive. Candidates preparing for the upcoming exam should go over the entire MAT Exam Syllabus to become familiar with the exam format. Strategic preparation is essential for completing all of the important sections of the MAT Syllabus. Candidates must practice MAT Question Papers to ensure that they understand all of the important topics. The following are some important tips that candidates should keep in mind while studying for the MAT Syllabus.

  • In order to practice the chapters and assess their level of preparation, candidates must take the MAT Online Test Series since AIMA rarely repeats questions.
  • Work on your problem-solving speed and accuracy by practicing a lot, as the MAT is a timed exam.
  • Solve the simple questions first, as this will help you manage your time for the more difficult ones.
  • AIMA has published a set of 28 sample questions with correct answers on their official website. It serves as a helpful guide to the types of questions to expect.
  • To make the preparation process easier, divide the MAT Syllabus into sections.

For More Detailed Information: Preparation Tips for MAT Syllabus 

MAT Syllabus: Type of Questions to be Expected

AIMA has released sample questions for each of the five sections according to the MAT exam syllabus for 2024. These samples consist of 28 questions aligned with the current MAT syllabus, and their correct answers are provided at the end of the question sheet. These practice questions, reflecting the syllabus, serve as a valuable guide to help you understand the expected question types, the level of difficulty in the MAT exam, and the crucial topics to focus on in your studies.

IEM Kolkata

IEM Kolkata

MAT Preparation 2024: Best Books

MAT Exam preparation is heavily reliant on the books and study materials that cover the MAT syllabus. Given below are MAT books for preparation recommended by experts.

Best Books for MAT: Language Comprehension 

The list of MAT books for the Language Comprehension section is provided below. These books cover all of the topics covered in the MAT Language Comprehension section's syllabus: 

MAT Books

Author/ Publisher

Verbal Ability & Comprehension for CAT/XAT/GMAT/IIFT/CMAT/MAT/Bank PO/SSC

Bharat Patodi and Aditya Choudhary

How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT

Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay 

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Gautam Puri

Best Books for MAT: Mathematical Skills 

The list of MAT books for Mathematical Skills is provided below. These books cover the entire MAT Mathematical Skills syllabus: 

MAT Books

Author/ Publisher

How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT

Arun Sharma

Quantum CAT

S K Verma

Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams

R S Aggarwal

Best Books for MAT: Data Analysis & Sufficiency

The list of MAT books for Data Analysis & Sufficiency is provided below. These books cover the entire MAT Data Analysis & Sufficiency syllabus: 

MAT Books

Author/ Publisher

How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT

Arun Sharma

Accredited Guide to Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency

Ananta Ashisha

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Think Tank of Kiran Prakashan

Best Books for MAT: Intelligence & Critical Reasoning 

The list of MAT books for Intelligence & Critical Reasoning is provided below. These books cover the entire MAT Intelligence & Critical Reasoning  syllabus: 

MAT Books

Author/ Publisher

Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT

Nishit Sinha

How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT

Arun Sharma

Analytical & Logical Reasoning For CAT & Other Management Entrance Tests

Peeyush Bhardwaj

Best Books for MAT: Indian and Global Environment

The list of MAT books for Indian and Global Environment  is provided below. These books cover the entire MAT Indian and Global Environment syllabus:

MAT Books

Author/ Publisher

Mega Yearbook

Disha Experts

Face to Face MAT (Past Years)

BS Sijwali

Manorama Year Book

Mammen Mathew

Best Books for MAT: Intelligence and Critical Reason

The list of MAT books for Intelligence and Critical Reason is provided below. These books cover the entire MAT Intelligence and Critical Reason syllabus: 

Name of the Book

Author

Analytical and Logical Reasoning

Peeyush Bharadwaj

Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT

Nishit Sinha

A Modern Approach to Verbal Reasoning

R S Aggarwal

Frequently Asked Questions

How many topics are there in MAT?

The MAT exam 2023 syllabus is divided into five major sections: Language Comprehension, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, Indian & Global Environment, and Intelligence & Critical Reasoning. Each section of MAT 2023 contains 40 questions.

Who decides the syllabus of MAT?

The conducting body, AIMA (All India Management Association), determines the MAT syllabus.

Does the syllabus of MAT change every year?

No, the MAT syllabus does not change every year. However, before you begin studying for the exam, you should review the syllabus on the official website.

What is MAT Syllabus?

The MAT Syllabus, according to official updates, is divided into five sections: Mathematical Skills, Language Comprehension, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, and Indian & Global Environment. Candidates taking the upcoming exam must be familiar with all of the topics covered in the MAT Syllabus.

Which section of the MAT exam has the most weightage?

Each of the five sections of the MAT exam has an equal weightage of 40 questions and 40 marks. Each question is worth one point if answered correctly. The score of the Indian and Global Environment sections is not taken into account when calculating the MAT percentile.

What subjects are covered in the MAT syllabus?

Language comprehension, intelligence and critical reasoning, data analysis and sufficiency, mathematical skills, and Indian and global environment are all topics covered in the MAT syllabus.

Which subjects are included in MAT syllabus 2023?

Language Comprehension, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, and Indian and Global Environment are among the topics covered in the MAT 2023 syllabus. To pass the MAT exam, the candidate must study all of the topics listed above.

What topics of Maths Comes in MAT Syllabus?

Candidates preparing for the upcoming exam must be well-versed in the topics covered in the MAT Syllabus’ Math section. Ensure that you have studied all of the following chapters during your preparation - Percentage, Time and Work, Quadratic Equations, Mixtures and Allegations, Average, HCF & LCM and more.

What is MAT exam?

The MAT is a national-level MBA entrance exam that is given four times a year in computer-based (CBT), internet-based (IBT), and pen and paper-based (PBT) formats.

What is the best way to cover MAT syllabus in a short time duration?

The best way to cover the MAT exam syllabus is to use a study-cum-practice session strategy. List the MAT topics in ascending order of difficulty. Work on the easier ones first, then progress to the more difficult ones. Also, solve MAT sample questions on a regular basis to ensure that you understand concepts and how to apply them.

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