MAT Preparation 2021: Study Plan, Section-wise Strategy, Timetable, Tips & Tricks, Topper Strategies, & Important Books

MAT General Preparation Tips

• If you find it hard to concentrate and study for long periods of time, try using the Pomodoro Method of study. Keep a timer for 25 minutes (which is one ‘Pomodoro’) and study without interruption and then take a short 5-minute break. Rinse and Repeat.
• Solve a mock test every 4 days. It is okay if you get a low score the first few times. Eventually, your performance will improve and you will get better scores.
• Consistency is the key to success, and having a fixed schedule is very important for MAT Preparation 2021. 
• Start reading during your breaks; read some good novels from your preferred genres note down all new words you encounter.
• Learn to prioritize the sections that need more work.
• Get plenty of quality sleep, at least 7-8 hours daily without fail. 
• Keep up some physical activity during preparation, don’t just spend all the time studying as it might exhaust you and have some physical consequences.

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Last Minute Preparation Tips for MAT 2021

MAT 2021 CBT/ PBT September session exams will be held on August 21, September 5, 2021, respectively, and hence it is essential for candidates to follow certain strategies for the final days before MAT 2021 exam. Given below are the last minute preparation tips for MAT 2021 exam:

• Revise Important Formulas: Candidates must revise all the important formulas for the mathematical skills section. This is essential to avoid any last-minute confusion during the exam.
• Do Not Study New Topics: Candidates are recommended not to pick any new topics a day before the exam as it will lead to unnecessary confusion. Stick to the important topics that you have completed and are confident about.
• Work on Speed and Accuracy: It is extremely important to focus on improving speed and accuracy as 200 questions need to be attempted in 150 minutes. Try to solve a few mock tests 2-3 days before the exam to increase your speed and accuracy.
• Avoid studying on the exam day: Do not study on the day of the exam as it adds to the burden and stress. Stay calm and do not take stress about MAT exam. Have confidence in your MAT Preparation and you will definitely perform well.
• Revise General Knowledge Notes: Revising GK notes is crucial for information retention. Hence, to perform well in MAT Indian & Global Environment, it is recommended to start revising all important notes for GK and current affairs.
• Sleep well: Candidates are advised to sleep at least 7-8 hours the night before the exam. This is essential to relax your mind and increase concentration.
• Section-wise time allotment: Candidates are advised to devote a sufficient amount of time for attempting each section in MAT 2021 exam. Since there is no sectional time limit, it becomes important to avoid spending more than the required time on one section to be able to attempt the other sections.

MAT Preparation 2021: 3 Month Study Plan

MAT Preparation Plan for the First Month

• Gather all the study materials –notes, reference books, mock papers, formula sheets.
• Try to cover at least 50% MAT Syllabus for each section.
• Make personal notes, and focus on adding bulleted points and learning shortcuts to facilitate revision in later stages.
• It is the best time to start getting Coaching and mentoring, as you can simultaneously clear doubts.
• Regular Reading of newspapers and magazines is highly recommended to ensure MAT preparation for the Indian & Global Environment section.
• At the end of every week, attempt a mock test and note down your mistakes and areas that require more work.

MAT Preparation Plan for the Second Month

• During this month, candidates should cover the remaining 50% MAT Syllabus.
• Start working on your weaker sections by solving at least 20 questions daily from those topics.
• The topics that you know well must be practiced at least twice a week. Try to solve questions of a higher difficulty level from these sections.
• This is the best time to attend sectional and full-fledged MAT mock tests to check conceptual clarity and work accordingly.
• Attempt at least 2 mock tests every week to get an idea of your MAT preparation level and the types of questions expected in MAT 2021 exam.

MAT Preparation Plan for the Last Month

• Revision of all important topics should be the focus of MAT Preparation in the final month.
• Go through personal notes and revise, recollect conceptually based subjects, and work on the mistakes.
• Practice more DI & Caselet based questions.
• Attempt MAT mock test daily.
• In the final days of preparation; one must definitely check MAT previous year papers to get a better idea about the exam and the preparation level.

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Monthly Study Plan for MAT Preparation 2021

Here is a 30 day MAT preparation plan for your reference. You can modify it according to your preference and ability. Follow this timetable for one month, then modify it according to subjects or topics you find harder than the others. Learn to prioritize. You can add and remove topics based on your requirements, and in the next month plan accordingly. In the month before the exam, start solving a mock test every day and do lots of revision. 

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MAT Preparation: Hourly Time Table

Candidates usually face difficulty in planning a study timetable for MAT preparation as the syllabus for MAT 2021 involves 5 distinct subjects. Here is a systematic Hourly Preparation plan for MAT 2021. The following table covers important topics and includes a separate Mock test schedule, you can also include important topics as per your MAT Preparation level.

Section-wise MAT Preparation 2021

Every section in MAT exam has been given equal weightage with respect to the number of questions and marks. MAT Preparation 2021 should involve section-wise preparation strategies to ace every section and clear MAT 2021 exam.

• MAT Language Comprehension Preparation should involve working on basics, improving reading skills, practicing reading comprehension. 
• MAT  Mathematical Skills preparation can be done by practicing daily and solidifying basics, and the same goes for the preparation for Data Analysis & Sufficiency. 
• Candidates must use a good GK book for MAT Indian and Global Environment Preparation. 
• The most recommended books for MAT Preparation are by renowned authors like Arun Sharma and Nishit K Sinha. 

MAT Preparation Tips for Language Comprehension

Here are the things you need to keep in mind preparing for MAT Language Comprehension: 

• Read the newspaper daily, without fail. 
• Make reading a daily habit and read in your leisure time. 
• The difficulty is not very high, keep that in mind while preparing. 
• Improve vocabulary by using flashcards and installing apps that are available for free. You can also subscribe to several YouTube channels that publish great content about improving vocabulary and speaking skills. 
• To crack the Language Comprehension candidates need to choose the right topic in the reading comprehension section and understand the main idea of the passage. If the candidate understands the concept of the passage, answering questions related to it becomes easy.
• Clear all the basics and learn how to do grammar properly, such as tenses, articles, prepositions, etc. Refer to the Wren and Martin Grammar Book. 

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MAT Preparation Tips for Mathematical Skills 

Here are the things you need to keep in mind while preparing for MAT Mathematical Skills: 

• Clear your basics completely, do refer to your high school textbooks for clearing basic concepts.
• This section requires a lot of practice, so make sure you solve sums regularly without fail. 
• Work on speed and accuracy. 
• While solving mock tests, start with easy questions and then solve the harder questions. 
• Write down all the important formulae and put in on a wall you see daily like above your study table or your wallpaper. You will passively memorize all the formulae
• Learn shortcuts and Vedic maths to solve quickly. 

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MAT Preparation Tips for Data Analysis & Sufficiency 

Here are the things you need to keep in mind while preparing for MAT Data Analysis & Sufficiency:

• Read questions carefully before attempting the questions. 
• Do not skim through the question
• Be careful not to fill in gaps of information on your own or assume things, always use the information given in the question.
• Solve in this order - Easy>Medium>Hard
• Do not solve the complete question if you are not able to do so in the time you have left. 

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MAT Preparation Tips for Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

Here are the things you need to keep in mind while preparing for MAT Intelligence and Critical Reasoning: 

• Read questions carefully. Make sure you understand what kind of question it is before solving it. 
• Do not make guesses or assumptions. 
• Do not think too hard, and the answer is always one of the options that are given. 
• This section can be difficult to attempt, however, do not panic or overthink. 
• Speed and Time Management are crucial as you might get stuck on a particular question. 
• Practice a lot of mock tests and other sample papers to gain some level of confidence. 

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MAT Preparation Tips for Indian and Global Environment

Here are some things you need to keep in mind while preparing for MAT Indian and Global Environment: 

• Read a newspaper daily. 
• Make notes and sort them based on priority and relevance. 
• Use Flash Cards while preparing for factual information.
• Watch news that has been prepared for entrance exams specifically. 
• Download current affairs apps and read regularly. 
• If you are not familiar with it, gain an understanding of the banking and business sector. 
• Refer to magazines, newspapers, and articles related to the Indian government, international developments, business, sports.

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Best Books for MAT Preparation 2021

The books referred to while preparing for MAT can be the deciding factor in influencing your performance. Hence, it becomes important to choose the right material while studying. Here is a list of the books for preparation of MAT 2021: 

Check more MAT Books for Preparation

Best Online Apps for MAT Preparation

Candidates these days have abundant options for MAT preparation 2021, and the most preferred study resources these days are the online MAT preparation apps. Tabulated below are the top MAT preparation apps:

How to Choose Mode of Study: Online Coaching, Offline coaching, or Self Study

The mode of study that you choose for preparation in MAT is the first thing every candidate needs to cross out from their list. Based on the candidate's individual needs, pros and cons list can be prepared if there is difficulty in making a decision. Here are some pros and cons listed for all three modes of study: 

You can add your own pros and cons as per your requirements. This is an entirely personal choice and can be made on the basis of your preferences. Check Top MAT Coaching Institutes

MAT Preparation Strategy by Toppers

MAT Preparation Tips by Shubham Khule, Scored 99.99%ile in First Attempt

He emphasizes having conceptual clarity which will help gain speed and accuracy. He did not take any coaching and focused on attempting a maximum number of mock tests and solved the previous year's question papers to keep a track of his performance. Analyzing mock tests is necessary as per Shubham. One key thing which Shubham emphasized was choosing the paper-based test mode(PBT) over computer-based test (CBT) as in the PBT MAT exam, you can see all the questions at once, which helps in managing time in the longer run. Marking the answers on an OMR sheet is easier and faster than marking the answers using a mouse.

Check detailed MAT Topper Interview of Shubham Khule

MAT Preparation Tips by V Varun, Secured 99.99 percentile in MAT.

He has studied computer science from VIT, Vellore, and decided to prepare for MAT exam held in 2019 by devoting 8-9 hours every day. He believes that attempting mock tests explores the loopholes in preparation and also helps in time management. Since language comprehension was his forte, he focused on mathematical skills and data analysis. He even joined T.I.M.E institute, Vellore to improve on his weak areas. ‘Practice is the key to clearing MAT exam and one must focus on maintaining consistency and efficiency during MAT exam preparation,’ said Varun.

Check detailed MAT Topper Interview of V Varun

MAT Preparation Tips by Ayush Saxena, Scored 99.93%ile in First Attempt

MAT Topper Ayush Saxena secured a 99.93 percentile in his first attempt at MAT exam. He holds a postgraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering has also worked as a deputy manager at ICICI Bank, Mumbai. He did not stick to the traditional strategy for MAT exam preparation. Apart from focusing on solving multiple sectional and full-length mock tests, he also relied on youtube channels and online study groups to learn shortcuts, formulas, and tricks to solve complex questions.

Check detailed MAT Topper Interview of Ayush Saxena

MAT Preparation Tips by Ankit Kumar, Cracked MAT exam in the final year of his five years integrated course.

He scored 99.99 percentile and topped the exam. This was his 1st attempt at the MAT exam. He opted for JBIMS or SIMSREE, Mumbai for pursuing MBA in Finance or Operation. “I decided to appear in the MAT Feb 2020 exam only after attempting the CAT exam in which I did not score well. During the 2 months period, I never looked back and focused on the regular study of a minimum of 2 hours. I focused more on the Aptitude section..” commented Ankit.