SNAPSHOT- FEB 2014 EXAM ANALYSIS

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(1.2,3,4)
Duration	150 minutes

This MAT exam, conducted on 2nd Feb 2014, had 200 questions to be attempted in 150 minutes. These 200 questions were from five test areas viz. Language Comprehension, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Indian and Global Environment, with exactly 40 questions in each. Each question had equal marking and one-fourth mark was deducted for every wrong answer. For the sake of convenience, 1 mark has been taken for every correct answer.

OVERALL SUMMARY(ESTIMATED FOR FEB2014 MAT EXAM)

The consolidated score is evaluated by taking only four areas into account. Indian and Global Environment (GK) is not the part of the consolidated score. Hence, the scoring is done out of a maximum possible score of 160 marks(@1 mark for 160 qs). However, the score card(by AIMA) doesnot give the net marks. It gives the scaled score and the percentile in each and every section. It also gives the overall composite score and the overall percentile. It is estimated that a net score of 65 marks (excluding the score in GK) will fetch an overall percentile of more than 95. Any net score of more than 82 marks(excluding the score in GK) is considered outstanding and is equivalent to an overall percentile of more than 99. A net score in excess of93 marks (excluding the score in GK) is adequate to get to an overall percentile of more than 99.9.

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, Time and Distance, Averages, Mixtures and Alligations). The questions involved only the basics and those who would have done adequate practice would have found those questions quite easy. The success in this particular test area depended on one's basic conceptual skills, and calculation skills. Overall, the test area can be classified as DIFFICULT. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min for a good net score of 13(for at least 90 percentile from this section alone).

AREA	DESCRIPTION	Number of Qs (Each question 1 mark)	DIFFICULTY LEVEL	ESTIMATED GOOD MARKS
Arithmetic	Time & Work, Pipes and Cisterns	7	Moderate-Difficult	11
	Time & Distance, Boats and Streams	6
	Averages, Mixtures & Alligations	4
	Equations, Ratio, Proportion & Variation	4
	Percentages, Profit, Loss, Partnership	3
	Geometry & Mensuration	3
	Simple Interest, Compound Interest	2
Higher Math	Trigometry, Heights and Distance	3	Difficult	2
	Permutation and Combinations	8
	Probability
	Overall	40	Moderate-Difficult	13

DATA ANALYSIS AND SUFFICIENCY

As shown in the table below, this test area comprises DI, DS and Data Comparison, with DI accounting for 30 out of 40 questions while DS and Data Comparison put together accounting for the remaining 10 questions. The questions in DI involved were of standard model -based on observation, calculations like comparison of fractions, computing the average, percentage based calculations etc. This time, unlike the previous MAT exams, two of the questions related to finding the median sales and the harmonic meanof the sales. Overall, this test area can be considered to be Moderate. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 35-40 min for a good net score of 17 (for at least 90 percentile from this section alone).

AREA	DESCRIPTION	Number of Qs	DIFFICULTY LEVEL	ESTIMATED GOOD MARKS
Data Interpretation	There were two pie charts given. The first pie chart gave the break-up of the employees(out of the total of 90000) in six different groups -A, B, C, D, E, F for the year 2008. The second pie chart also gave the percentage break-up of the employees in 2009(total number in 2009 given as 20% more than that in 2008).	5	Moderate	12
	The questions were based on the combination of two charts- one bar chart and one pie chart. The pie chart gave the break-up of the exports (total being $ 40 million) for six different categories of goods – leather goods, electrical goods, gems etc to Tanzania.The bar chart gave the break up of the exports(total being $ 120 million) for six different categories of goods to Africa.	5	Moderate
	The set was based on the data given in the tabular and the line charts. The data pertained to the exports (of three different products -X, Y, Z)of two different export houses -A & B.	5	Moderate
	The line graph gave the FDI inflows to three countries -India, Kenya and Tanzania.	5	Moderate
	The bar graph gave the sales, expenditure and the profit of a company in six different time periods.	5	Easy
	The questions were given in the form of a caselet. It gave the data regarding the sales (in Rs Crores) for six different years.	5	2 easy 1 moderate 2 difficult
Data Sufficiency & Data Comparison	Each question followed by two statements, A and B.	5	Moderate	5
	Data Comparison	5
Overall		40	Moderate	17

LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION

This test area had a good 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. The questions in Reading Comprehension(4 qs from each of the five passages) were straightforward. Most of the questions were direct in nature, where one has to scan through the passages and obtain the answer. The questions in Verbal require good knowledge about English usage & functional grammar. The type of the questions asked for this FEB 2014 MAT exam, yet again, were very similar to the ones asked in the earlier exams. This time, also, AIMA gave six questions which were in jumbled format. In three out of these six questions, the antonym of the word was to be found out. For e.g, The word – AFFLUENT was given in jumbled form. That, first, needed to be unjumbled and then the relevant antonym had to be marked. In the remaining three, the words were in jumbled format and the odd one out was to be found out. Those who have been regularly solving the questions from All India MOCK MATs by T.I.M.E would not have found this as the surprise element. Overall, the test area can be classified as MODERATE. A good score is estimated to be 18 in the time limit of 30-35 min.

INTELLIGENCE AND CRITICAL REASONING

This test area is a mix of Analytical reasoning (30 questions) and Critical reasoning (10 questions). A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 30-35 min. Overall, the questions on Analytical Reasoning were of easy to moderate difficulty level and a good student would have found this area manageable. Overall this test area can be classified as MODERATE. A net score of18 marks will give a sectional percentile of at least 90.

AREA	DESCRIPTION	Number of Qs	DIFFICULTY LEVEL	ESTIMATED GOOD MARKS
Analytical Reasoning	Seating Arrangement (Six persons sitting in six different cubicles with three on either side)	3	Moderate	14
	Distribution Qs (Six games are played from 9th to 16th . The first day being wednesday. The games are not played on Thursday and on Sunday)	3
	Distribution Qs (Five cities famous for five different aspects – lovely gardens, jewellery, educational institutes, blue pottery, scents. The matching of the city with the attribute needed to be done).	3
	Distribution Qs (Four persons play exactly one amongst the four games and one related to fine arts)	3
	Distribution Qs( Six persons belonging to six different professions -Doctor, Lawyers, Teacher, Engineer, Manager, Banker and working on six different days)	3
	Completing the letter series by replacing the “?” mark	5
	Blood Relations (Individual question)	3
	Seating Arrangement	2
	Verbal Analogies	4
	Direction Sense	1
Critical Reasoning	Assertion and Reasons	4	Easy-Moderate	4
	Statement & Conclusions (A statement followed by 2 conclusions)	3
	Cause & Effect	3
	Overall	40	Moderate	18

INDIAN AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

The questions in this test area were, predominantly, from business, current affairs, Person and their associated fields, etc. Those who read newspapers on a regular basis will find this area comfortable. Overall this test area can be classified as Moderately Difficult. A good time allocation strategy would be to spend around 5 minutes for a good net score of 8 marks.