MAT December 2021 Analysis
Overview
MAT PBT (Paper-based Test) was held on December 05, 2021.
The overall structure of the MAT remained the same as that of the previous years, with 5 sections of 40 questions each, 4 options and a negative marking of 1/4th of the marks allotted for wrong answers. The overall difficulty level of the exam did not vary much from the previous years’ MATs.
Most of the questions were Easy to Moderate. The best way to maximize one’s score would be to select questions judiciously.
The test structure was as follows:
| Section No. | Section Name | No. of Questions |
| I | Language Comprehension | 40 |
| II | Intelligence & Critical Reasoning | 40 |
| III | Mathematical Skills | 40 |
| IV | Data Analysis & Sufficiency | 40 |
| V | Indian & Global Environment | 40 |
| Total | 200 |
The analysis of each section is given below.
Section I – Language Comprehension:
This section consisted of 30 Verbal Ability and Verbal Reasoning questions and 10 Reading Comprehension questions. There were 2 passages with 5 questions each. Each passage was about 300-400 words long.
Most of the questions were on the easier side with a few moderate to difficult questions.
| Topics | No. of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
| Reading Comprehension
(2 passages with 5 questions each) |
10 | 5 Easy, 5 Moderate |
| Para-jumbles (5 sentences) | 3 | 2 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Summary questions | 3 | 2 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Synonym of underlined word | 4 | 2 Easy, 1 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
| Antonym of underlined word | 4 | 2 Easy, 1 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
| Four parts of sentence with error | 4 | 2 Easy, 1 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
| Double FIB | 4 | 4 Easy |
| Meaning of underlined idiom | 4 | 3 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| One word replacement of phrase | 4 | 3 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Total | 40 | Easy-Moderate |
A good strategy would be to allot 35 minutes to this section, and solve as many VA/VR questions as possible, and then use the remaining time to attempt the RC questions.
A good attempt would be 27-29 questions, with 85% accuracy.
Section II-Intelligence & Critical Reasoning
As usual, this section included a mixture of Verbal Reasoning (15 questions) and Logical Reasoning (25 questions). The Non-verbal questions included 10 standalone questions. All the questions were of easy-moderate level.
The following table shows the break-up of different question types in this section:
| Topics | No. of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
| Verbal Reasoning (Total 15 questions) | ||
| Statement-assumption | 5 | 3 Easy, 2 Moderate |
| Assertion and Reason | 5 | 3 Easy, 2 Moderate |
| Cause-Effect | 5 | 3 Easy, 2 Moderate |
| Non-verbal Reasoning (Total 25 questions) | ||
| LR Sets | ||
| Family tree and weight | 5 | Moderate |
| Three families with 19 members related through marriage | 5 | Moderate |
| 7 members from 7 states play 7 games | 5 | Moderate |
| Standalone LR questions | ||
| Letter Series | 1 | Easy |
| Mother’s Birthday | 1 | Moderate |
| Coding-Decoding – Letter | 1 | Easy |
| Family Tree | 1 | Moderate |
| Rank in Row | 1 | Easy |
| Symbol-based Family Tree | 1 | Moderate |
| Alpha-numeric Series | 1 | Moderate |
| Weight Comparison | 1 | Easy |
| Direction Sense | 1 | Easy |
| 2-D Venn Diagram | 1 | Moderate |
| Total | 40 | Easy – Moderate |
A good strategy would be to attempt about 20-22 questions in 35-40 minutes with 85% accuracy.
Section III- Mathematical Skills:
Mathematical Skills section continued its tradition of being dominated by Arithmetic. All the different topics in Arithmetic were represented. Majority of questions were straightforward. However some questions involved lengthy calculations. As a whole, this section can be considered Easy to Moderate level of difficulty.
The following table shows the break-up of different types of questions in this section.
| Topics | No. of questions | Level of difficulty |
| Numbers | 5 | 4 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Mixture | 2 | 1 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Simple Interest Compound Interest | 4 | 2 Easy, 1 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
| Time Speed Distance | 4 | 1 Easy, 3 Moderate |
| Mensuration | 2 | 2 Moderate |
| Ratio Proportion | 2 | 2 Easy |
| Average | 2 | 2 Easy |
| Partnership | 2 | 1 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Time and Work | 2 | 1 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Pipe and Cisterns | 2 | 1 Easy, 1 Moderate |
| Probability | 2 | 2 Easy |
| Permutation-Combination | 2 | 2 Easy |
| Equation | 2 | 2 Easy |
| Percentage | 2 | 2 Easy |
| Profit Loss | 4 | 2 Easy, 1 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
| Series | 1 | 1 Moderate |
| Total | 40 | Easy – Moderate |
A good strategy would be to attempt about 18-20 questions in 35-40 minutes with 85% accuracy.
Section IV- Data Analysis and Sufficiency:
This section consisted of 30 questions on Data Interpretation..Some sets were straightforward while some involved somewhat tedious calculations. As a result, attempting right sets was the key.
| Topics | No. of questions | Level of difficulty |
| A set on Bar graph and Pie Chart | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| A set on Table | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| A set on Bar graph | 5 | Easy – Moderate |
| A set on two Pie charts | 5 | Easy – Moderate |
| Comparison of two quantities | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Case Study | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Line Graph | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Data Sufficiency | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Total | 40 | Easy-Moderate |
Around 27 – 29 attempts with 85% accuracy, in about 35 minutes, would be considered a good attempt for this section.
Section V-Indian and Global Environment:
Almost all the questions in this section were based on current events of the past few months, so anyone who keeps abreast of current economic and political scenarios in India and abroad and regularly reads newspapers will find this section easy. About 17 questions were based on national events and 8 on international events.15 questions were based on miscellaneous topics. For a person who had prepared GK well, about 10 questions could be called easy, 15 moderately difficult and 15 difficult.
This section could be attempted in about 10-15 minutes. A good attempt would be about 15-18 questions, with 75% accuracy.