The controlling authorities:
All India Management Association was created in 1957 as an association of professional managers and is fully supported by Government of India. Centre for Management Services (CMS) is a special wing of All India Management Association (AIMA) which undertakes tests and management services. Conducting MAT or Management Aptitude Test is also the responsibility of CMS. MAT is conducted four times a year during the months of February, May, September and December in all the major cities of India and leading cities of the world. Candidates have the option to choose Paper Based Test or Computer Based Test and all graduates or final year students of graduate courses are eligible to appear for the test.
The test pattern:
MAT is an objective test with multiple choice answers which is to be completed in 2 hours and 30 minutes. The 5 sections of the test include Language Comprehension, Mathematics, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Each section is of 40 questions and the allotted time altogether is 150 minutes. MAT score is even considered by other institutes and for admissions in Post Graduate Degree and Diploma programs. It has status of National Entrance Test by Ministry of HRD.
The evaluation:
The test evaluates the management skill of a candidate in interpreting data correctly, evaluate given information, communicate effectively orally and in transcript, plan and organize administrative strategies and supervise skillfully. An MBA degree invites best organizations for recruitment. As such MAT is a fruitful stepping stone for a lucrative career in management and has to be taken earnestly if one wants to pursue a career in management.
The application procedure:
In order to go step by step one should first apply in the given three modes of obtaining the form and MAT bulletin against cash payment of Rs. 1200/- (Twelve hundred only) from the listed Branches of Bank of Baroda and Axis Bank and Study Centres of AIMA. Second mode is get the Form and Bulletin by sending Demand Draft in favor of All India Management Association payable at Delhi to the Study Centres or from the office of AIMA at Delhi. One can register online at the website www.aima.ind.org/matfeb12 with details of the Bank Draft. Or register online at the same website and make the payment online by credit card. The full procedure of payment is given at their website. Once you have registered and made the payment you can download the Admit Card for access to the examination centres.
The validity of MAT scores:
The validity of the score that you get is normally for one year for admission in the selected college. For further information about location of the centres and other contact information you can check the MAT Bulletin. In order to prepare for the test one should practice mathematics papers and for language comprehension one can improve it by reading and speaking the language. Preparing a time table based on the actual time given for each section of the examination and then solving the questions of previous years would also be a gainful exercise. In the end one should know his strength and answer the question which one finds easy first.