Snapshot-May 2010 MAT exam

Number of Questions 200

Marking Scheme 1 mark per question
Negative Marking 0.25 marks per question
Number of Sections 5
Number of Choices 4
Booklet Series A, D, F, M
Duration 150 minutes

This exam had 200 questions to be attempted in 150 minutes. Each question carried 1 mark and
one-fourth mark is deducted for every wrong answer. There were five sections. The questions
were organised section wise. Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and
Sufficiency, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, and Indian & Global Environment. The marks
obtained in the test area of 'Indian and Global Environment ' is given separately in the score card
and is not counted in the composite score. For evaluating the composite score, the total marks
taken into consideration is 160 and NOT 200. The table below gives the estimated sectional
percentile(for a net raw score of 10 marks in each section).

Sectional Summary(Estimated Percentile for a net raw score of 10

marks in each section)
Estimated Sectional percentile
Number of
Section Sc
questions
(May 2010 MAT exam)
Language Comprehension 40 75
Mathematical Skills 40 90

Data Analysis and Sufficiency 40 70

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning 40 40

*The score card doesnot give the net marks scored in any section. Instead, it gives only the
scaled score (which ranges from 0 to 100 for any section) and equivalent percentile (for the
corresponding section). A scaled score is a mathematical transformation of raw score(net marks).
The scaled score accounts for any differences in the level of difficulty of the paper and hence the
scaled scores in two different test papers can be compared. Let us analyze the different types of
questions from each of the test area along with the overall difficulty level of each of the test
area .
Mathematical Skills
The paper predominantly had questions from the Arithmetic areas like (Percentages, Profit and
Loss, Time and Work, Geometry & Mensuration, Ratio, Proportion, Variation, Time and
Distance). The questions involved only the basics. The success in this particular test area
depended on one’s basic conceptual skills, and calculation skills. Those who were not thoroughly
prepared would have found this section unmanageable. Some of the questions were quite tricky
as well. For example, there was a question on “finding the probability of exactly three persons
seated between A & B out of 10 persons, who are seated in a circular arrangement. Overall, the
test area can be classified as MODERATE-DIFFICULT.
Area
Description Marks

Time & Work, Pipes and Cisterns 8

Time & Distance 5
Percentages, Profit & Loss 6
Arithmetic Simple Interest, Compound Interest 2
Geometry and Mensuration 4 M
Simple Equations , Quadratic equations. Ratios, Proportion and Variation 5
Averages, Mixtures, Alligations 2
Heights and Distance, Trigonometry 3
Higher Maths P&C
5
Probability

Overall 40

Language Comprehension
This section had a 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. There were five
passages,covering different subject areas, with four questions each. The questions were of all
types, i.e., central idea, inference, fact based. The verbal area, too, had the usual 20 questions of
four different types. There was a lot of weightage on the questions related to english usage.
Overall, RC and the verbal part were doable. Overall, the test area can be classified as
MODERATE.

Area Description Mark

Vocabulary Fill in the blanks 5

 Summary 5
English Usage
Identify the part of the sentence which is incorrect 5
and Grammar

Para-Jumbles 5

A Passage from the 'Adventure of Sherlock Holmes'

4
Source:-> http://www.anglobilia.com/sherlock/adventur/index.html(2nd paragraph)
A passage taken from the Chapter-1 of 'Animal farm' by George Orwell.
4
Source:-> http://4umi.com/orwell/animalfarm/1 (7th, 8th, 9th paragraphs)
Passage related to 'sequencing of the ancient human genome'.
4
Reading
Source:-> http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article112229.ece
Comprehension
An analysis of the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission.
4
Source:-> http://www.peerpower.com/et/146/For-fiscal-consolidation'
Passage on the need for revamping of BSNL by a

professional management team. Source:-> 4

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/02/04/stories/2010020451060800.htm
Overall 40

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

This test area is a mix of Analytical reasoning (26 questions) and Critical Reasoning (14
questions). A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 30-35 min. The questions
on Analytical Reasoning were easy in nature and a majority of the questions were doable.
Overall this test area can be classified as EASY
Area Description Marks Difficulty le
Analytical Number series, letter series 3
reasoning
Blood relations 3
Coding, Decoding 2
Easy
Seating Arrangement 3
Cubes 4
Directions 3
 Venn Diagrams(figure based) 5
Distribution 3
Statement and Conclusions 5
Critical
Weakening the theory/argument 5 Moderate
Reasoning
Assertion & Reasons 4

Overall 40 Easy

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

As shown in the table below, this test area comprises of DI and DS, with DI accounting for 24
out of 40 questions while DS and Data Comparison put together accounting for the remaining 16
questions. The questions based on Data Comparison were much easier as compared to any other
type of questions in the section. Overall, this test area can be considered to be Easy-Moderate. A
good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min. Overall this test area can be
classified as EASY-MODERATE.
Area
Description Ma

The break-up of the expenses of a company X in the years -2007 and 2009 under
different categories-Salary, Taxes, technical fees, R&D, Others.
Each of the four bar graphs gives the percentage break-up of the responses of the
people towards the query:->'Should enterprises be private/state run'? The responses
are categorized as :->1) don't know 2)probably prefer state 3)Definitely prefer state
4)Probably prefer Private and 5) Definitely Prefer Private
Data Interpretation
A caselet about badminton tournament amongst teams from six universities.
There are two pie charts in this set. The first pie chart gave the overall production
of Heavy Artilleries(HA) by different countries. The second pie chart gave the
overall cost in the production and maintenance of HA by these countries.
The 3 dimensional graph gave the percentage distribution of different minerals-
Copper, lead, Silver, Iron, Zinc in three different countries-A, B and C.
Each question followed by two statements, A and B.
Data Sufficiency &
Data Comparison Data Comparison

Overall 4
Indian and Global Environment
The questions in this test area were, from different subject areas. Overall this test area can be
classified as Moderately Difficult. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 5-
10 minutes for a good net score of 7 marks.

Overall Summary
The consolidated score is evaluated by taking only four areas into account. Indian and Global
Environment is not the part of the consolidated score. However, in the score card, net total marks
is not specified. Instead, the score card gives the Composite score and the equivalent overall
percentile. The table below gives an estimate of the Composite score and the equivalent overall
percentile(at different possible net marks) in this exam.
Overall Net Marks Overall estimated percentile Comp

(excluding Indian and Global Environment) (May2010 MAT exam)

35 72
40 79
50 88
68 99

* Composite Score is reported on a scale ranging from 199 to 801.