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The NMAT by GMAC is one of the entrance exams among many others for the MBA programs in India. Thus, it teaches students to deliver answers quickly under pressure without negative markings and flexible schedules. The NMAT exam with one month of preparation may seem very difficult. Nevertheless, if done carefully and studied on schedule you will actually attain it. One-month preparation strategy, including section-wise strategies, mock tests, and time management, is described in this guide, which will help you sail through the NMAT exam in 30 days. Getting NMAT cutoffs for the top colleges is a must for candidates and is only attainable if they get a great NMAT score.
With a flexible scheduling window and no negative marking, it tests a candidate's ability to answer correctly and quickly under pressure. Preparing for the NMAT exam in one month can feel like a tall order, but with a strategic study plan and disciplined execution, it's entirely achievable. This guide outlines a comprehensive one-month preparation strategy, focusing on section-wise tactics, mock tests, and time management, helping you crack the exam in 30 days. Securing a high NMAT score is essential for the candidates to clear the NMAT cutoffs for top colleges.
The NMAT exam is structured around three main sections: Quantitative Skills, Logical Reasoning, and Language Skills. Candidates are required to complete the test within 120 minutes, answering 108 questions. Since it’s an adaptive exam, the difficulty level adjusts based on the performance of the candidate.
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Preparing for NMAT in one month requires a structured approach that prioritizes time-efficient learning, practice, and revision. It’s crucial to understand the exam pattern, identify your strong and weak areas, and consistently test yourself through mocks. This one-month plan divides preparation into weekly targets, focusing on building fundamentals, improving speed, taking mocks, and conducting a thorough analysis.
You might wonder if one month is enough to prepare for a competitive exam like NMAT. The answer is yes, provided you follow a disciplined and structured plan. NMAT preparation within one month is manageable because:
Focus on core concepts: The NMAT exam tests your grasp of fundamental concepts rather than advanced topics, making it feasible to cover the NMAT syllabus in a short span.
No negative marking: This allows you to attempt all questions without worrying about penalties, giving you the flexibility to take calculated risks.
Adaptive test: The NMAT exam adjusts the difficulty based on your performance. A strong NMAT preparation strategy can help you capitalize on your strengths and minimize weaknesses.
Repetition of question types: The NMAT exam often follows similar question patterns, especially in the Quantitative and Logical sections. Recognizing these patterns through mock tests can save time and enhance accuracy.
The NMAT exam comprises 108 questions divided across three sections:
Quantitative Skills (36 questions, 52 minutes): This section focuses on problem-solving and data interpretation. Topics include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number systems, and modern math.
Logical Reasoning (36 questions, 40 minutes): Logical reasoning evaluates your ability to analyze patterns, sequences, and relationships. It includes puzzles, syllogisms, statement conclusions, and coding-decoding.
Language Skills (36 questions, 28 minutes): This section assesses grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills. You will encounter fill-in-the-blanks, para jumbles, analogies, and comprehension passages.
While preparing for NMAT 2024, focusing on essential subjects that will improve your score in all sections will be a cornerstone of your success. Below are the main points to devote your attention to, together with study tips that are helpful for your preparation.
To prepare for the NMAT in one month, it is essential to break down your study schedule into weekly goals, focusing on fundamentals, practice, and revision. Here’s a week-by-week breakdown of what your NMAT preparation should look like:
Section | Key Areas of Focus | Study Tips |
Language Skills | - Reading Comprehension | - Cultivate a routine of reading articles on psychology, technology, sociology, and news to enhance speed. |
- Vocabulary | - Expand your vocabulary by noting down new words and creating a vocabulary list. | |
- Grammar | - Improve grammar through practice exercises and mock tests. | |
Quantitative Skills | - Fundamentals | - Start with basic calculations and practice speed math techniques. |
- Logical Reasoning Sets | - Identify and categorize logical reasoning sets as easy or difficult during the exam. | |
- Quantitative Topics | - Focus on essential topics: Modern Math, Work & Time problems, Mixture & Solution, Simple & Compound Interest, Mensuration, Arithmetic, Number Systems, Data Interpretation, Graphs, Number Properties, Algebra, Probability, and Tables. | |
General Preparation | - Mock Tests | - Take multiple mock tests to understand the exam pattern and assess progress. |
- Time Management | - Practice managing your time to maximize the number of questions answered. | |
- Revision | - Revise all concepts thoroughly before exam day for clarity. |
The first week is crucial for building a solid foundation. Your goal should be to revise core concepts across the Quantitative, Reasoning, and Language sections. Start by brushing up on arithmetic basics such as percentages, ratios, and averages. For Logical Reasoning, focus on understanding various types of puzzles, while for Language Skills, work on grammar and vocabulary.
Quantitative Skills: Review NMAT important topics like percentages, ratios, profit & loss, and time-speed-distance. Focus on formulae and shortcuts that can save time during calculations.
Logical Reasoning: Practice sets based on seating arrangements, series completion, and syllogisms. Start with moderate-level puzzles to build your logical reasoning skills.
Language Skills: Build your vocabulary by learning new words daily. Focus on commonly tested grammar rules and practice reading comprehension by reading articles and solving questions.
Allocate 2-3 hours daily to each section, ensuring you are thorough with the fundamentals before moving to practice sets.
Once you are comfortable with the basics, start practising full-length sets under timed conditions. Week 2 should focus on speed-building and improving accuracy.
Quantitative Skills: Start solving problems from past NMAT question papers and online question banks. Focus on speed, ensuring you can solve each question in under two minutes. Use mental math and shortcuts where possible.
Logical Reasoning: Continue with daily practice but now include more advanced puzzles. Solve mixed sets of questions to improve your ability to switch between question types quickly.
Language Skills: Start practising para jumbles, fill-in-the-blanks, and comprehension passages. Time yourself to improve your reading speed and comprehension accuracy.
Take mini-tests for each section at least twice a week and evaluate your performance. The goal for Week 2 is to improve your speed without compromising accuracy.
The third week is critical for simulating the actual exam experience. You should take full-length mock tests to evaluate your readiness and identify areas where you need improvement.
Quantitative Skills: Analyze your mock test results and focus on areas where you’re slow or making mistakes. If you consistently struggle with particular topics like geometry or number systems, dedicate extra time to revising these.
Logical Reasoning: Review puzzles and reasoning questions that took you the longest to solve. Focus on improving your decision-making speed.
Language Skills: Analyze where you’re losing marks in reading comprehension or grammar questions and adjust your preparation accordingly.
Take at least 3 full-length mock tests during this week, ensuring you simulate the actual exam environment by sticking to the time limits for each section. Both NMAT previous year’s papers and sample papers are essential in determining the NMAT success of the candidate.
The final week is all about revision and fine-tuning your exam strategy. You should focus on going over key formulas, and concepts, and solving past papers. Avoid learning any new concepts this week, as it might create unnecessary confusion.
Quantitative Skills: Revise important formulas and key concepts. Focus on quick revision of data interpretation sets.
Logical Reasoning: Practice rapid-fire reasoning sets and puzzles. Keep your problem-solving strategies sharp.
Language Skills: Revise vocabulary and grammar rules. Focus on solving comprehension passages to maintain reading speed and comprehension.
During this week, it’s crucial to stay calm, stick to your strategy, and not overburden yourself with extra study hours. Take care of your physical and mental health.
Each section in the NMAT has a specific focus and requires a distinct preparation strategy.
Topics to Cover: Focus on arithmetic topics such as percentages, profit & loss, averages, time & work, and speed-distance-time. These are high-scoring and relatively easy to solve with practice.
Mental Math: Practice mental math techniques, as they can save valuable seconds during the exam. Use estimation techniques for approximation problems.
Practice Data Interpretation: Many candidates find data interpretation time-consuming. Practice sets every day to familiarize yourself with charts and graphs, and work on interpreting data quickly.
Key Areas: Focus on puzzles, seating arrangements, and coding-decoding. These areas often carry more weight in the reasoning section.
Practice Puzzles Daily: The key to mastering Logical Reasoning is consistent practice. Dedicate time every day to solving a variety of reasoning questions to sharpen your quick-thinking skills.
Analytical Reasoning: Focus on statement-based questions and critical reasoning. Practice decision-making scenarios and conclusions drawn from assumptions to enhance your analytical skills.
Build Vocabulary: Use apps like Magoosh or Word Power to improve your vocabulary. Learn 10-15 new words daily and revise them regularly.
Reading Comprehension: Since reading comprehension can be time-consuming, practice skimming techniques to improve your reading speed without losing comprehension. Focus on understanding the main idea and tone of passages quickly.
Grammar Rules: Brush up on basic grammar rules for topics like subject-verb agreement, tenses, and modifiers. Practice sentence correction and error identification questions to solidify your understanding.
Time management is key to NMAT's success. You need to allocate time between sections based on your strengths and weaknesses.
Quantitative Skills: Since this section is time-intensive, spend around 40% of your study time here, especially if QuantIitative Aptitude is your weak area.
Logical Reasoning: Allocate around 30% of your study time to Logical Reasoning. Regular practice will help you solve these questions faster.
Language Skills: The Language Skills section is the shortest, so spending 30% of your time on reading comprehension and vocabulary should suffice.
Mock tests not only help evaluate your readiness but also teach you how to manage time across sections effectively. Practice completing each section within the stipulated time limits and identify sections where you're lagging.
Focus on Weak Areas: After each mock test, spend time analyzing your weak areas. Whether it’s data interpretation in Quantitative aptitude or sentence correction in Language Skills, dedicate extra time to improving these areas.
Several NTA Preparation books and resources can help you with NMAT preparation. Here’s a list of some popular ones:
Books:
NMAT by GMAC Official Guide
Arun Sharma’s "How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT" (useful for NMAT Quant)
RS Aggarwal’s "A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning"
Online Resources:
Preparation courses
Careers360’s mock tests and question banks
Past papers are an excellent resource for revision. Use them to familiarize yourself with the type of questions that frequently appear in NMAT. Solve 3-4 past papers in the last two weeks and analyze your performance after each one. Click here to practice
Mock test analysis is crucial for identifying weak areas. After each test, review the questions you got wrong and assess why you made mistakes.
Error Categories: Classify your mistakes into conceptual errors, time-management errors, or silly mistakes. This will help you focus your preparation on the right areas.
Time Analysis: Check the time spent on each section and identify if you’re taking too long on particular types of questions. Adjust your exam strategy accordingly.
Mock tests reveal your weak areas, be it data interpretation in Quantitative aptitude or critical reasoning in Logical. Once you identify these areas, revise the relevant concepts and practice more questions from these sections. Devote extra time to improving weak areas to ensure you’re well-prepared for the actual exam.
Focus on high-scoring areas that require less time to prepare but can give you significant points. In Quantitative, arithmetic topics such as percentages, ratios, and averages are easier to solve than geometry or number systems.
Mental math and shortcuts can drastically reduce the time spent on calculations during the exam. Practice techniques like multiplying numbers faster, using approximation, and eliminating incorrect options to save time.
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One common mistake candidates make is focusing too much on their strong sections and neglecting their weak areas. Ensure your preparation is balanced by giving ample time to improve weak sections. Ignoring weak areas can lower your overall score and affect your chances of success.
Many candidates underestimate the time pressure during NMAT. To avoid this, practice solving questions under timed conditions. This will help you get used to the exam’s time constraints and prevent you from rushing through questions on exam day.
In the final week, focus on revising key formulas, concepts, and strategies. Create a quick revision sheet with important topics like Quantitative aptitude formulas, Logical Reasoning shortcuts, and grammar rules. Avoid starting any new topics during this time.
Focus on Mock Tests: In the last week, take mock tests every other day and spend time analyzing each one. Focus on strengthening your strategy for the actual exam.
Mental Preparation: In addition to revising content, prepare yourself mentally for the exam by practising relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visualization.
Staying calm and focused on exam day is essential to performing well. Here are some tips:
Start with Your Strong Section: Begin the exam with the section you’re most confident about. This will help you build momentum and boost your confidence.
Keep an Eye on the Clock: Keep track of the time during the exam. If a question is taking too long, move on and come back to it later if you have time.
Stay Positive: If you face a difficult question, don’t panic. Remember, NMAT has no negative marking, so it’s better to make an educated guess than leave it unanswered.
NMAT’s time constraints are one of the biggest challenges for candidates. To overcome this, practice mock tests under timed conditions. This will help you get used to the pressure of answering 108 questions in 120 minutes.
Simulate the Exam Environment: Take mock tests in a quiet room with no distractions, just like the actual exam. Use the same time limits to ensure you can complete each section on time.
To simulate the NMAT exam at home, follow these steps:
Set the Timer: Use a stopwatch or timer to strictly adhere to the exam time limits for each section (52 minutes for Quant, 40 minutes for Logical, and 28 minutes for Language).
Eliminate Distractions: Ensure you’re in a quiet room with no distractions while taking the mock test. Avoid pausing or taking breaks to simulate real exam conditions.
Analyze After Completion: Once you finish the test, immediately review your answers and assess where you spent too much time or made avoidable mistakes.
Here's a checklist to help you succeed in the NMAT exam:
Get a study guide that includes current topics and is valid.
Make sure to obtain it from reliable authors when accessing a question bank.
Try out NMAT mock test papers.
Since there is no negative marking, make sure to answer every question on the exam.
The exam difficulty is medium; thus, prepare your strategies accordingly.
Find out your preferred colleges and make sure to set SMART targets.
Download or buy question banks for extra practice.
Read More
Yes, it is possible to clear NMAT in one month if you follow a structured and disciplined study plan. The key is to focus on understanding the exam pattern, revising core concepts, practicing mock tests, and improving time management. While it’s a competitive exam, dedicating 5-6 hours of study per day, targeting weak areas, and regularly taking mocks can significantly boost your chances of success.
The preparation time for NMAT varies depending on a candidate’s familiarity with the syllabus and current skill level. On average, candidates take around 2-3 months for thorough preparation. However, with focused and strategic study, one month of dedicated effort is also sufficient to cover all essential topics, take mock tests, and improve overall performance.
Preparing for NMAT at home can be just as effective as classroom coaching if done right. Here’s how:
Create a Study Schedule
Practice Mock Tests
Revise and Analyze
The difficulty level of the NMAT is considered moderate compared to other MBA entrance exams like CAT. What makes NMAT easier to crack is the absence of negative markings, the flexibility to schedule the exam, and the option to take it multiple times. However, the adaptive nature of the exam and strict time limits per section make preparation and time management crucial. With the right strategy and regular practice, it is manageable to crack.
A score of 200 in the NMAT is considered average. While it may not be enough for top-tier institutes like NMIMS Mumbai, it could be sufficient for admission to other NMIMS campuses or other good B-schools that accept NMAT scores. A competitive score for top colleges is generally 230 and above.
SP Jain Institute of Management and Research offers two-year, full-time PGDM , PGDM-BM, 18 months PGPM and Global Management programme. Admission to the PGDM, PGDM BM and PGPM programmes is made through the CAT and GMAT scores only. SPJIMR does not accept the NMAT scores for admission to these programmes. However, if you want to apply for the Global Management programme, then you can apply for admission through the NMAT scores along with CAT/ XAT / GRE/ GMAT scores.
Hello Vaish!
When you sit for NMAT, it does take a strict process of identity verification. That can be done as follows:
However, kindly refer to the guidelines by the NMAT exam authorities or the test center for specific information.
MAT and NMAT are both entrance exams conducted for admission into management program in India. While there maybe some overlap in terms of the general aptitude & reasoning sections, it's important to note that they are conducted by different bodies and have different focuses.
MAT covers sections like language comprehension, Mathematical skills, data analysis and sufficiency, intelligence and critical reasoning, and India and Global environment.
NMAT on the other hand, focuses on language skills, Quantitative analysis and logical reasoning.
MAT is conducted in either paper based or computer based but, NMAT is only computer based.
MAT scores are accepted by wide range of management schools across India. While NMAT score are primarily used for admission into NMIMS, and some other institutions.
Given these differences, it's advisable to study separately for each exam.
Hello aspirant,
Because the NMAT is one of the most well-liked management entry exams, the cutoff scores are relatively high. You can anticipate a call from NMIMS Bangalore or Hyderabad with these marks, but not from NMIMS Mumbai. An alternative to NMIMS, the universities you can attend are:
Thank you
Hope this information helps you.
Given below is the list of some of the MBA colleges in India you can get based on your NMAT scores:
The list of colleges given above is non-exhaustive. The Cutoffs may vary every year depending upon number of factors.
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