MAT pattern at a glance
The figures below come from the Management Aptitude Test information published by the All India Management Association (AIMA) on its MAT website. AIMA announces the dates, mode and registration windows for each session, so use this page for orientation and read the information bulletin of the session you are taking.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Objective, multiple-choice |
| Total questions | 150 |
| Sections | 5, each with 30 questions |
| Language Comprehension | 30 questions |
| Intelligence and Critical Reasoning | 30 questions |
| Mathematical Skills | 30 questions |
| Data Analysis and Sufficiency | 30 questions |
| Economic and Business Environment | 30 questions |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Marks per question | 1 |
| Negative marking | 0.25 for each wrong answer |
| Sessions | February, May, September and December each year |
The maximum raw score is 150. AIMA converts raw scores into scaled scores and percentiles and describes the method on its score interpretation page, so a raw score of 100 in two different sessions need not correspond to the same percentile.
Sections in detail
Language Comprehension (30)
Reading passages, grammar, vocabulary, sentence correction and para-jumbles. About 40 to 50 seconds per question on average, with passages taking longer. See the Language Comprehension page.
Intelligence and Critical Reasoning (30)
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning plus critical reasoning questions on arguments, assumptions and inferences. See the Intelligence and Critical Reasoning page.
Mathematical Skills (30)
School-level arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration and number system. See the Mathematical Skills page.
Data Analysis and Sufficiency (30)
Tables, charts and graphs, with questions on percentage and ratio, plus data sufficiency. See the Data Analysis and Sufficiency page.
Economic and Business Environment (30)
Economic concepts, business awareness and current affairs. See the Economic and Business Environment page.
Marking scheme and worked examples
| Scenario (150-question paper) | Calculation | Raw score |
|---|---|---|
| 130 attempted, 100 correct, 30 wrong | 100 − 30 × 0.25 | 92.5 |
| 150 attempted, 105 correct, 45 wrong | 105 − 45 × 0.25 | 93.75 |
| 110 attempted, 95 correct, 15 wrong | 95 − 15 × 0.25 | 91.25 |
| 140 attempted, 112 correct, 28 wrong | 112 − 28 × 0.25 | 105.0 |
The first two rows show that attempting 20 more questions at 25% accuracy (five right, fifteen wrong) added 5 − 3.75 = 1.25 marks, which is a small gain for a lot of risk and time. The fourth row shows what high accuracy at high coverage does: 105 raw marks. The practical point is that MAT's penalty is mild, so coverage matters, but the extra marks from low-accuracy attempts are small compared with the effect of accuracy on the questions you do attempt.
Question styles, with worked examples
Mathematical Skills. The sides of a rectangle are in the ratio 3 : 2 and its perimeter is 50 cm. What is its area? The sides are 15 cm and 10 cm, so the area is 150 sq cm.
Data Analysis. Revenue rose from 240 to 300. What is the percentage growth? 60 ÷ 240 = 25%.
Data Sufficiency. What is the value of x? (1) x² = 9. (2) x > 0. Statement 1 alone gives x = 3 or −3; statement 2 alone gives no value. Together, x = 3. Neither alone suffices; both together do.
Critical Reasoning. Umbrella sales rose in June. The conclusion is that it rained more in June. Which fact most weakens this? A fact that gives another reason for the increase, such as a large discount sale on umbrellas in June.
Intelligence. 3, 7, 15, 31, ? The differences are 4, 8, 16, so the next term is 63.
Economic and Business Environment. The repo rate is the rate at which: the central bank lends short-term funds to commercial banks.
Language Comprehension. "Each of the members have submitted their forms." The subject "each" takes a singular verb: "Each of the members has submitted his or her form."
These questions take 30 to 60 seconds for a prepared candidate.
Sessions, scaled scores and how many attempts to take
Because MAT is held four times a year, candidates often take it more than once. AIMA reports scores as a raw score, a scaled score and a percentile; the percentile is computed within a session, and institutes usually accept the best valid score. The usefulness of repeat attempts depends on the schools you are targeting, how their selection works and the validity period of a score, which are set by AIMA and by each school. A sensible approach is to treat the first session as a real attempt, review it like a mock and decide whether to retake based on how close the result is to your target schools' requirements.
What the pattern means for your mocks
- Use 150-question, 120-minute full mocks with five sections of 30 and a 0.25 penalty.
- Time each section as you practise (about 22 to 28 minutes for the longer ones, 15 for Economic and Business Environment) and compare with the plan.
- Set a per-question ceiling of about 75 seconds.
- Include the Economic and Business Environment section in every full mock, and add current-affairs quizzes between papers.
- Practise on the mode you expect (paper or computer) for the session you plan to take.
Checklist: is this mock faithful to MAT?
| Check | Faithful mock | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 150 questions in 120 minutes | 100 questions or 180 minutes |
| Sections | The five AIMA sections, 30 questions each | Different sections or unequal splits |
| Marking | +1, −0.25 | No negative marking or a heavier penalty |
| Level | Moderate questions | CAT-level questions throughout |
| Economy section | Includes recent current affairs | Old facts only |
Use the MAT mock test strategy to plan your tests and the MAT hub for available papers.
Disclaimer and sources: the pattern above was checked in October 2026 against AIMA's MAT information pages. Session dates and modes change. TestMint is independent of AIMA; please confirm the pattern in the bulletin for your session.
