MAT is an entrance exam conducted by AIMA for students seeking admissions into the management courses across B-schools of India. Every year, it is held in the months of February, May, September and December.
MAT is an objective test comprising a total of 200 questions, to be solved in 150 minutes. Data Analysis and Sufficiency is one of the most scoring sections of MAT and requires a good amount of practice. Here, we will discuss different types of questions that are generally asked in MAT Data Analysis and Sufficiency, along with a few questions.
Like all other sections, Data Analysis & Sufficiency has 40 questions of 1 mark each with a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each incorrect response. There are usually 7-8 sets and each set consists of 4-8 questions. You are advised to spend around 35 minutes in this section. Major topics for Data Analysis and Sufficiency include: Bar graphs, tables, line graphs, combination graph, pie chart, caselets, data sufficiency, data comparison, etc. All these questions can be classified in four different types as explained below:
1. Questions based on Graphs
There are around 4-5 graphs having 4- 5 questions each. MAT questions are based on different types of graphs like: Bar graph, Pie chart, Line graph, Tables and Combination graph. Combination graph involve combinations of 2 or more types of graphs like: Line + Bar, Pie + Bar, Table + pie, etc. The questions based on graphs are usually easy and simple to understand.
When solving the questions on graph, you need to focus on the basics of DI like relating given data to the real-life scenario for, and try different options, scanning and skipping for proper selection, comprehend the nature of given data (Absolute or Relative) and so on. Time management is of the essence in this section. So, you should know where to stop and skip to the next set of data questions, in case you are getting stuck on a particular set.
2. Questions based on Data Sufficiency
After analyzing a few previous MAT papers, we can say that there are around 5-10 data sufficiency questions in MAT paper. The difficulty level of these questions is easy. To give you an idea, here is a data sufficiency question from one of the actual MAT papers;
Q. Monu makes four deposits in his bank account. What was his total deposit?
- The largest deposit was Rs.2500 and smaller was Rs.270.
- The average deposit was Rs.1250.
As you can see, the above-given question is quite simple and could be tackled quickly. So, in order to maximise your score in this section, you must try attempting all the DS questions first.
3. Questions based on Data Comparison:
There are around 5-8 data comparison questions in MAT paper. Similar to Data Sufficiency questions, the difficulty level of data comparison questions is also low. Hence, it is advisable to attempt the Data Comparison questions before going to the proper data interpretation questions.
4. Questions based on Caselet:
Usually, there is one caselet based on which there are about 4-5 questions. As seen in a few MAT papers, the caselet questions are the most time-consuming. Strategically, they should be attempted at last, if time permits.
Last but not the least, one important point is that the above-mentioned tips and strategies cannot be mastered without sufficient practice. So it is advised that you practice some mock tests, sample papers, and previous year papers of MAT and monitor your progress well.
