EXAM PATTERN AND PREPATION OF MAT 2013 (SEP)

MAT will examine your general aptitude in various aspects such as Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Indian & Global Environment etc.

Pattern of MAT entrance Exam 
Total number of Questions: 200
Total Time allocated: 150 minutes

Marks allocation
Correct attempt: 1 mark
Incorrect attempt: Negative marking not specified

Sections with Questions
MAT entrance exam covers five sections in all. Scores of first four sections compose the final scores. However, institutions might choose to consider the score of the General Awareness section.

Section	No. of Questions
Verbal Ability	40
Quantitative Aptitude	40
Data Interpretation and Data sufficiency	40
Reasoning Ability	40
General Awareness	40
Total Number of Questions	200

The consolidated score is evaluated by taking only four areas into account. General awareness is not added in the total 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) does not 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.

Note: The number in the brackets signifies the number of  questions from that topic in  the 2012 dec paper of MAT

Detailed Syllabus
Quantitative Ability for MAT:

Geometry, (Lines, angles, Triangles, Spheres, Rectangles, Cube, Cone etc) Ratios and Proportion,(2) Percentages, In-equations Quadratic and linear equations Algebra, Profit & Loss,?(8) Averages,(8) Partnership (Accounts), Time-Speed-Distance,(4) Work and time,(4) Number system, HCF & LCM, Geometric Progression,

Arithmetic progression, Arithmetic mean, Number Base System, BODMAS, Mensuration(4), Alligation & Mixtures, Work, Pipes and Cisterns, Simple Interest & Compound Interest,(4) Set Theory, Venn diagram,

Installment Payments, Clocks, Probability, Permutations Combinations,(2) Trigonometry, Calendar, Maxima & Minima Progression, Surds & Indices Complex numbers Etc.

Quantitative Ability:
The quantitative ability of MAT checks your basic knowledge of math and that is why MAT exam has relatively easy math sums as compared to CAT or XAT, except probability and permutations which may prove difficult.


DI And Reasoning for MAT:

Data Interpretation based on text, Data Interpretation based on graphs and tables.

Graphs can be

 Column graphs,

 Bar Graphs,(8)

 Line charts, (10)

Pie Chart, Graphs representing Area, (8)

Venn diagram,

Data comparison (5)

 Critical reasoning

 Assumption-Premise-Conclusion,

Assertion and reasons, (4)

Statements and assumptions,(5)

 identifying valid inferences ,

 Statements and conclusions,

 Cause and Effect,(4)

 Identifying Probably true, Probably false, definitely true, definitely false kind of statement,

 Linear arrangements(2)

, Matrix arrangements.(2)

Distributions(15)

Puzzles,

Anology(4)

 Functions,

 Family tree - identifying relationship among group of people, (3)

Symbol Based problems,

Coding and decoding ,

Sequencing ,(5)

 identifying next number in series, etc.

DATA ANALYSIS AND SUFFICIENCY (DI):
The DI section of MAT consists of conventional data interpretation like graphs and charts with questions based on finding percentage increase or decrease. This section, in particular, gives you the opportunity to score as high as you can because if you interpret even one table or graph, you can correctly answer 4 to 5 questions following it.

REASONING:
Practicing from previous question papers of MAT will be the best way to get an idea of this section. Like many other MBA Entrance exams, MAT also follows old GRE books, so, it will be a good idea to get a reference from them.

Verbal Ability for MAT:
Verbal Ability section of MAT is pure comprehension.  like the DI section, will help you score very high. Once you understand one paragraph, you will be able to answer 4 to 5 question based on the same Passage. It not only saves time but also gives you a lot of confidence. Only thing that can help you here is reading a lot and attempting online tests

The topics are”

Comprehension of passage(20) (Poems can also come).

Verbal Reasoning,

Syllogisms ,

Contextual usage,

 Analogies,

Antonyms,(3)

Fill In the Blanks, (2)

Jumbled paragraphs with 4 or 5 sentences, Jumbled paragraphs (6 sentences with first and last fixed), (16)

Sentence Correction,

Sentence completion,

 Sentence correction,

 odd man out,

 idioms,

one word substitution, Different usage of same word etc.


General Awareness for MAT:

Current Affairs,

 Business

 Top officials of big companies,

 Major corporate events

Famous award and prizes

World Records

Books and authors

Science, History, Geography,

International organizations

Social issues,

 Sports,

 Finance,

 Entertainment,

 Politics, etc.

NOTE: This is not  list of syllabus but an indicative list observed over the pattern of MAT entrance exam till date.

Few important reference books are:

R. S. Aggarwal – Math’s - XI & XII

R.S. Agarwal - Reasoning

R.S.Aggarwal – Quantitative Aptitude

R.D Sharma - Quantitative Aptitude

S.L. Loni – Plane Trigonometry (Part I)

S.L. Loni – Co-ordinate Geometry

Arihant Publication books for competitive exams

Practice Book on quicker Maths M. Tyra & K. Kundan

Analytical Reasoning by M. K. Pendy


As above, we tried to list the detailed syllabus for all the sections of MAT entrance exam..



FOR THE PREPARATION OF MAT

It is strictly advisable to follow a step-by-step process:

1. Clear you basic Math’s Concepts.
   The best way shall be to start practicing from the text books of Class 10. Learn as many formulas as possible and try to develop your own shortcuts.

2. Work on you vocabulary.
   Reading a lot and observing how words are used in different contexts will be of great help.

3. Develop the habit of reading.
   Newspapers, Magazines and TV can be a great help here as well. Magazines, not necessarily should be on politics, basically any magazine will help develop reading habit.

4. Reasoning skills can be improved by solving puzzles
   Practice a lot. Solving sets of questions within a time frame with concentration could be miraculous. Devoting equal time on each question and section will be of great help as well.

5. Know your Strength and Weakness
   Once you know your strengths and weaknesses go for some full-length tests.

6.   Revise
            Revise as much as u can.

DURING THE TEST

• Be very sure of your answer before proceeding
• Do not get bogged down with complicated or lengthy calculations
• Use guessing intelligently and deploy the Selection by elimination method
• Learn how to work backwards, i.e., plugging the most attractive option in the question and see if it makes sense
• Convert quantities freely like ¼ is nothing but 25% of any given quantity.
• In questions that ask you to select a valid conclusion, always choose the one conclusion that must definitely follow from the information you are given and vice-versa.
• Pay special attention to words like “all,” “some,” or “none” when you read the factual information each question gives you
• Pay attention to negative prefixes also, such as non-, un-, or dis-
• Pay special attention to negative numbers when they are used in some questions
• Pay close attention to the word “ONLY” and to the phrase “IF AND ONLY IF”
• Don’t stick to one question for too long
• Aim to answer as many questions as you can

Importance of solving Mock Test Papers

Preparation for any entrance examination is incomplete without practicing mock tests. These are usually question papers which are similar to the pattern of the main exams. Management Aptitude Test is the entrance examination conducted by AIMA, which one must clear to gain admission in the participating B-schools of the county
Enlightens you about main exam

Helps in time management

You know where you stand
Mock test is a yardstick of your performance

NOTIFICATION FOR XAT

FOR DETAILS AND ADVERTISEMENT  VISIT http://www.xatonline.net.in/

XAT  will be conducted by Xavier association of management institute(XAMI).

XAT 2014 WILL BE CONDUCTED ON 5^TH  JANUARY 2014

ELIGIBILITY:

The candidates must hold recognized degree in any discipline completed by june 2014

REGISTRATION:

The candidates can register online at www.xatonline.net.in

Or

A candidate can register for xat  through cash.using XATID candidate has to download the pay in slip and deposite a non refundable amount of 950/-(650/- for SC ST) in the IDBI BANK branch.The transaction number given must be filled on registration page.

Or

A candidate can also register at XAT through DD for 950/-(650/- for SC ST)drawn in favour of “XLRI jamshedpurA/c XAT” payable at Jamshedpur and then enter the dd detailson the XAT registration  HAS TO DOWNLOAD THE CONFIRMATION PAGE and send it to XLRI along with PAYIN SLIP or DD.

Participating Institutes in XAT 2014 :-

XAT 2014 scores will be accepted by 106 B-schools. The top B-schools under the XAT umbrella are :-

1. Xavier Labor Relations Institute (XLRI) Jamshedpur
2. Xavier Institute of Management (XIM) Bhubaneswar
3.  Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (XIME) Bangalore
4. Xavier Institute of Development Action and Studies (XIDAS) Jabalpur
5.  Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS) Ranchi, Loyola 
6. Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai, SP Jain
7. Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) Mumbai, Goa 8. Institute of Management (GIM) Goa, 
9. BIMTECH Greater Noida, 
10. BULMIM New Delhi, 
11. Asia-Pacific Institute of Management New Delhi,
12.  IFMR Chennai, SPJIMR Mumbai, 
13. Xavier Institute of Management &Research Mumbai, 
14. We School Mumbai, 
15. Jaipuria Institutes of Management, 
16. Gitam Institute of Management Vishakhapatnam, 
17. TAPMI Manipal 

Paper Pattern of XAT 2014 :-

XAT 2014 will be of 3 hours i.e. exact 180 minutes, out of which 2hrs 20 minutes will be allotted to part A (Quantitative Ability, English Language Ability & Logical Reasoning and Decision Making) and remaining 20 minutes to Part B (English Essay writing and General Awareness). There'll be objective kind questions with four options, having single correct answer with 1/3rd marking for the first 5 wrong questions in each section & ½ for errors beyond 5 mistakes.


XAT 2014 Syllabus :1. Analytical Reasoning and Decision Making 

2. Data Arrangement Test
3. Verbal Ability 
4. English Proficiency 
5.Logical Reasoning 
6.Data Interpretation

7. Quantitative Ability

NOTIFICATION BY RAJASTHAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISION

For more details/advertisement visithttp://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/Recruitment_Advertisement.aspx

Rajasthan public service commission (RPSC) invites applications for officers in

Grade –II(RPSC )

Total Posts: 33

grade-II (Rajasthan government undertaking)

Total Posts: 7538

Age Limit:  as on 01.01.14  18 to 35

Education Qualification:

• "A. Senior Secondary from a recognized Board or its equivalent examination, And
• B "O" or Higher Level Certificate Course conducted by DOEACC under control of the Department of Electronics, Government of India.Or
• Computer operator & Programming Assistant (COPA)/Data Preparation and Computer Software (DPCS) certificate organised under National/ State Council of Vocational Training Scheme.Or
• Diploma in Computer Science/Computer Applications from a University established by law in India or from an institution recognized by the Government. Or
• Diploma in Computer Science & Engineering from a polytechnic institution recognised by the Government.Or
• Rajasthan State Certificate Course in Information Technology (RS-CIT) conducted by Verdhaman Mahaveer Open University, Kota under control of Rajasthan Knowledge Corporation Limited,"
• Working knowledge of Hindi written in Devnagri Script and knowledge of Rajasthani Culture

Important Dates:

• Opening Date: 05.08.2013
• Last/Closing Date: 15.09.2013

NOTIFICATION FOR CAT

For more details and advertaisement visit

http://www.catiim.in

Common Admission Test  Popularly known as CAT, is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to 2-year full time Post Graduate Programs in Management. Apart from IIMs, there are other premier B-Schools in the country who accept CAT scores for admission to their respective management programs

CAT 2013 Exam Dates / Notification:-

CAT 2013 Registration will start from 29 July 2013

Last date for Registration is 26 September 2013

CAT Exam Vouchers can be collected by students from selected Axis Bank branches between 29 July 2013 and 24 September 2013

CAT 2013 will be conducted between 16 October 2013 and 11 November 2013.

CAT 2013 Eligibility:-

The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Differently Able (DA)categories], awarded by any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.

The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate in the bachelor’s degree would be calculated based on the practice followed by the university/institution from where the candidate has obtained the degree. In case the candidates are awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the conversion of grades/CGPA to percentage of marks would be based on the procedure certified by the university/ institution from where they have obtained the bachelor's degree. In case the university/ institution does not have any scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by dividing the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result with 100.

Candidates appearing for the final year of bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. IIMs may verify eligibility at various stages of the selection process, the details of which are provided at Selection Process of IIMs.

CAT 2013 Paper Pattern:-

CAT 2013 will have only two sections instead of  three sections.

 The first section will focus on Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

The second on Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning.

There will be total 60 questions in the paper, 30 in each section.

The time allotted for  CAT 2013 will be 140 minutes. Candidates will have 70 minutes to answer 30 questions within each section which will have an on-screen countdown timer. Within the 70 min provided for the section, candidates can review the answers. Once the time ends for the first section, they will move to the second section and will no longer be able to go back.

Tips for Descriptive writing in bank exams

Descriptive writing is essential for any candidate who is appearing  for any officer post exam. Some organizations will evaluate the descriptive paper  first and if the candidate clears this paper they will check the objective  paper like the IOB bank. Many organizations though evaluate   the objective paper first and if the candidate clears it, they will evaluate the descriptive paper .The marks are added to the total before ranking like IBPS  PO /management trainee,NIIC abminstrative officer.

The topics may vary for different exams but they test of  general awareness and economic awareness of the candidate appearing.

Any composition has topic, purpose and a view point of the author and that of the reader also when we are writing an essay we are

Narrating

Explaining

Persuading 

Writing a exposition.

Our writing skills develop from our experiences, reading and imagination. By keeping the reader in mind we decide the appropriate presentation and style of writing.

During the course of writing you

Define the topic

Ask questions

Finding answers to those questions

Generate the ideas

When the ideas are generated we should be able to arrange them in a sequence. They are broadly divided again into main ideas and Supporting ideas

We then divide each main idea into a paragraph followed by a supporting idea paragraph. This way we will have control over the number of paragraphs.

Each paragraph should have one point. By doing this the sentences will come out clearly and are well connected. We can avoid confusion.

Each paragraph will have a beginning middle and an end. Generally a paragraph should start with the para topic. Supporting sentences can follow.

Introduction and conclusion are the most important parameters that will decide our impact on the readers. Introductions have to be catchy. They should be so innovative that they can get the reader hooked.

With the introduction we introduce the reader to the topic and set the tone. If the intro is good we can control the imagination of the reader.

The conclusion is equally important. we summarize the essay and highlight the main points. the conclusion has to be interesting, As most of the time examiners will only go through the introduction and conclusion to evaluate the essay. it could be concluded with a lesson on the  issues discussed in the essay

 A précis is a shortening, in your own words, of a text of written work. You are to describe as accurately and briefly as possible the substance or main ideas contained in a text. It should have a heading main theme and the conclusions of the paragraph.

 For bank exams the topics are generally relating to the current affairs or important events happening in the society .For eg:

1.    Women Entrepreneurs in India

2. Importance of Investment

3. Essay on SME

4. Banks play a vital role in day to day life

5. Entrance Exam – An evil

6. Pros n cons of winning lottery

7. Women bill

8. Women security at the workplace a deep concern

9. Inclusive growth

A few Topics asked in IBPS  previous year PO papers are

 The best way to inspire and involve the Indian youth in making India an upcoming economic power is for all political parties to engage themselves in politics of development. In your well-considered opinion what measures should be adopted to achieve the goal.

Some thinking people advocate State-funding of elections as one of the most effective measures to rid our electoral system of the scourge of money and muscle power. On the basis of your experience and knowledge, express your views on the proposition under deliberation.

Suggest three effective measures to reform criminal judicial system in India. Based on experience, knowledge and ground realities, state how the steps suggested by you would prove effective indeed.

Water is the elixir of life. With sources of water drying and depleting every passing day, it is time that we in India devised and developed some ways to conserve water, both for the present and future generations. You are invited to suggest some steps that can help save and conserve water.

In the highly compact and complex world of today, sharing knowledge globally is the urgent need of the hour. Comment

Suggest three effective measures to prevent custodial deaths in India. State how the steps suggested by you would bring about a qualitative change in the situation

In order to ensure that benefits of economic development reach one and all in India, labour-intensive industrialisation is the urgent need of the hour. Express your views on the subject

Having maintained steady economic growth over the years, it is time to make India a knowledge society/hub. Comment

Moral policing is bizarre and banal, besides being a criminal act. Comment.

Suggest some effective measures to deal with the growing menace of violence in Indian society

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has advocated the removal of unnecessary controls on higher education in India to produce better quality human resource. Comment.

The Judiciary appears somewhat divided on adopting „Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. Comment

Suggest three effective measures to check the menace of farmers and farm labourers in debt committing suicide

Economic growth and social development are co-related. Comment

In what practical ways can the income of Indian farmers be augmented?

The medium is the message. (McLuhan). Express your views on the role of the medium like television that becomes a strong for those who run the affairs of the State.

A casualty of the expanding market economy has been the devaluation of the academic profession. Comment.

In what ways is Privatization affecting human sustainability? Express your views

The question whether the sale of human organs like kidney be legalised to tide over the mis-match between demand and supply stares us in the face. Express your views on the subject

With changing lifestyles of urban/semi-urban families it is time that organised retail be given a boost. Comment

In view of the credit/cash crunch what practical steps should be taken to see that infrastructure projects come through the global financial crisis?

In a multi-religious/linguistic milieu like India, media must perform its role keeping in mind its social obligations. Comment “Indian society is full of various contradictions.” Give arguments For and against

“Recession in India is nothing but a psychological phenomenon.” Give arguments For and against this view.

“With the economy poised for high growth rate in the coming years, it is time that the country introduced several measures for social development/change as well.”

“Increase in credit/deposit (CD) ratio can turn around the economy and help it come out of the recessionary phase.” Give arguments For and against this view.

“Even though the income levels in the country have doubled during the last seven years, there is a need to pay attention to the unorganized sector”. Give arguments For and against this view

“Recent corporate scams have highlighted the necessity for enacting or amending suitable laws to protect the interests of investors and share- holders.” Give arguments For and against this view

“The responsibility of priority sector financing, which is with the public sector banks, should also be assigned to the private sector banks.” Give arguments For and against this view.

“Unless the prime lending rates are cut down by the banks, it would be difficult to achieve the revival of the Indian economy.” Give arguments For and against this

“The current measure of price rise in the country is faulty and misleading, requiring complete overhaul.” Give arguments For and Against this view

IOB PO EXAM PATTERN AND PREPARATION

The Indian Overseas Bank is a reputed bank of the country. The exam for the probationary officer post is held every year by the bank. The PO Examination has two stages- a written test and a personal interview. The pattern of the written test is given below:

The written test consists of two parts: an objective test of 200 marks and a descriptive test of 100 marks. The descriptive paper is for qualifying purpose and the marks that are scored in it are not for merit ranking. In the objective paper the test for English is only for qualifying purpose.

The pattern of objective test is given below: Syllabus for the Exam-

Test name	Max. Marks	Time Duration
Reasoning	50	2 Hours
English language	40
Quantitative Aptitude	50
General Awareness (With reference to banking Industry )	40
Computer Knowledge	20

There will a penalty of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer.

The written test is followed by a personal interview, for the candidates who successfully clear the written test.

 Note : The number in the brackets against each subtopic denotes the number of questions asked in the year 2011 exam. na means not asked last year. In the computer sections questions are general and so no topic division is done.

The pattern has changed since.In 2012 there are 250 questions instead of 200 i.e each section had 50 questions. In 2013 the number of questions have been reduced in English section. general awareness section to 40.The questions in computer has been reduced to 40 and the marks allotted are 20.

The time allotted is also reduced to 120 minutes from 135 minutes.

1.Quantitative Aptitude:-

The main purpose of this section is to test candidates’ calculative speed and IQ. Normally it takes more time to solve this section than others, but you can save time in exam by practicing more on the following topics:

A) DATA INTERPRETATION(NA)

B) BAR GRAPHS(5)

C) PIE CHART(5)

D) SIMPLIFICATIONS(1)

E) PROBABILITY(na)

F) APPROXIMATIONS(na)

G) SERIES(5)

H) TABLE ANALYSIS(10)

I) PERCENTAGES(4)

J) EQUATIONS(7)

K) AVERAGES(2)

L) RATIO AND PROPORTIONS(1)

M) SIMPLE AND COMPOUND INTEREST(na)

N) STD(na)

O) TIME AND WORK(1)

P) MENSURATION(1)

Q) PROFIT AND LOSS(na)

R) SQUARES AND CUBES(2)

S) INDICES(2)

T) DIVISIBILITY TESTS.

U) FRACTIONS.(2)

In many bank exams data interpretation questions are not asked but here they are very important as almost 1/3  questions are from this topic. They generally come in sets of problems. Each set is based on either charts or tables or graphs

2.General awareness:

MARKET AWARENESS(2)

BANKING AWARENESS(12)

CURRENT AFFAIRS(1)

CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENTS(na)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS(5)

SPORTS(na)

NATIONAL BOARDS(8)

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES(1)

DEFENCE/ATOMIC ENERGY(na)

AWARDS(na)

BUDGETS(1)

BOOKS AND AUTHORS(2)

FAMOUS PERSONALITIES(2)

ECONOMY(12)

NOTE:

About 60% of the questions are from latest in banking world,economy and finance

3. Reasoning:-

Reasoning is undoubtedly one of the toughest parts of the paper and would require more time. The data sufficiency part would require vigorous practice.

A) DIRECTION SENSE PROBLEMS(7)

B) SITTING ARRANGEMENTS(6)

C) BLOOD RELATIONS(NA)

D) CODING AND DECODING(5)

E) ALPHANUMERIC SEQUENCE(na)

F) ALPHABETIC SEQUENCE(2)

G) RANKING(NA)

H) DATA SUFFICIENCY(10)

I) STATEMENT AND CONCLUSION(3)

J) ODD MAN OUT(3)

K) FIGURE SERIES(10)

The pictorial problems are significant in this section as they can be easily identified ad solved and also because they are  more in number.

4. English Language :-

The purpose of this section is to test candidates’ grammar, comprehensive and verbal skills .

a) Synonymous and antonyms(24

b) Paragraph completion(na)

c) Reading comprehension(15)

d) Re arrangement of sentences(5)

e) Correction of phrases or sentences(15)

f) Some questions are given where two sentences are given with blanks. One word is suitable   for both the blanks and option having that word has to be chosen.(10)

In verbal ability the questions are broadly divided into

1. Filling the blanks

Filling in the blanks using appropriate words from the given choices.

Here the basic usage of grammar is put to test.

2. Reading comprehension:

A passage is given and at the end of the passage a set of 4-5 questions is asked.

the questions asked are generally direct questions from the paragraph and

Synonymous and antonyms of the words from the passage.

3. Error detection in the phrases of the sentence.

They are generally asked in sets of 3-4 questions.

4. Arranging different shuffled sentences given to form a meaningful paragraph

The marks in the English section are for only qualifying, they will not be considered during ranking stage

5. Computer Knowledge:-

In this section half the number of questions are asked from the very basic computer knowledge (or) well known topics of computers and to solve the remaining questions concentrate on the following topics:

a) Computer Networking

b) Database concepts

c) Computer terminology and keyboard shortcuts

e) E-commerce and Latest technologies

f) Internet and computer Hardware

g) Operating system concepts

h) Concepts related to computer architecture

i)              System security and firewalls

The number of questions in this section is 40,but the marks allotted are 20.This means each correct answer gives ½ mark and every wrong answer will deduct ¼ mark.So only questions that you are comfortable should be answered.