MAT Preparation Tips for Mathematical Skills 2024: Best Books, Study Plan, Topics

Preparing for the MAT (Management Aptitude Test) is a vital MBA entrance exam for those who want to get into top MBA programs in India. Mathematical abilities are one of the most important portions examined since they measure numeric aptitude and problem-solving abilities. In this article, we'll go over some practical suggestions and techniques for the MAT Exam 2024 that will help you increase your skills in mathematical ability, improve your accuracy, and raise your confidence before the actual exam.

Latest: MAT 2024 Preparation Tips, Study Material

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This Story also Contains

1. MAT 2024 Preparation Tips for Mathematical Skills
2. MAT Exam 2024 Highlights
3. MAT Mathematical Skills Section Syllabus
4. Preparation Tips for MAT Mathematical Skills Section
5. Other related articles-
6. MAT 2024 Mathematical Skills Important Topics
7. Best Books for MAT 2024 Mathematical Skills Preparation
8. Mistakes to Avoid in MAT Mathematical Skills Preparation
9. Tips to Achieve A High Score In MAT December session Mathematical Skills Section
10. Conclusion
11. MAT Exam 2024 Mathematical Skills Sample Questions

MAT is conducted four times a year in February, May, August, and December. Candidates can choose the exam mode out of the following modes:

1. Paper Based Test (PBT)
2. Computer Based Test (CBT)
3. Paper Based Test and Computer Based Test (PBT+CBT)

MAT 2024 Preparation Tips for Mathematical Skills

To get a good score in the mathematical skills section of the MAT exam, candidates should follow a proper preparation strategy and allocate ample time to practice. Some MAT 2024 preparation tips for mathematical skills are:

• Be thorough with the basic concepts.
• Learn important mathematical formulas and theorems.
• Focus on speed and accuracy.
• Use shortcut techniques.
• Solve MAT previous year questions.

To learn about these tips in detail, read the article.

MAT Exam 2024 Highlights

The MAT exam consists of 5 sections and each section has 30 questions. The total time allocated to complete the paper is 120 min. (2 hours) from this year.

For every correct answer 1 mark is given and 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.

Significance of Mathematical Skills Section in the MAT exam

The mathematical skills section develops the problem-solving ability and logical thinking of a person. These skills are important from the career perspective as after management courses you have to deal with the different problems related to mathematical skills and data. The skills developed through mathematical practice can enhance performance in other sections like Data Analysis and Sufficiency, and Intelligence and Critical Reasoning.

In the MAT 2024 exam, The Mathematical Skills section is one of the scoring sections. In this section, if you have good command in this section then you can score good marks in this section with surety. This section is very helpful to enhance the overall score in the MAT August session exam.

MAT Mathematical Skills Section Syllabus

The MAT Mathematical Skills section covers a wide range of topics, these topics are designed to test a candidate's quantitative abilities and problem-solving skills. The following topics are covered in the Mathematical Skills section:

Read More - MAT Preparation Tips 2024

Types of Questions and Difficulty Level

In Mathematical Skills for MAT Exam questions related to all given topics in the syllabus are asked. Generally, in this section easy to moderate questions are asked, which can be easily done within the given time with the help of MAT 2024 preparation tips for mathematical skills which are explained below.

Preparation Tips for MAT Mathematical Skills Section

Following are some important key points for MAT December session 2024 Preparation Tips for Mathematical Skills:

Brush Up on Basic Concepts

To crack MAT 2024, Boosting up basic concepts is one of the most important tips of our preparation strategy. Concepts are the base of the mathematical skills section. If you are good with concepts then this section is like a piece of cake for you. In this section, you can use some shortcut methods/formulas to solve the lengthy/difficult questions but you can’t always depend upon shortcut formulas.

In-depth learning of basic concepts is a must for a good score in this section. You should focus on basic concepts and keep revising them before giving mocks.

Learn Important Formulas, Theorems, etc.

Formulas and theorems are the main part of any concept. There are a lot of formulas in the Mathematical skill section. You should learn all basic formulas and theorems and also try to learn some shortcut formulas as they will help you to solve questions in lesser time. There are some key points which you should consider for this:

1. Make a formula book for each chapter which will help you in revision.

2. Revise the formulas before every mock.

3. In the initial phase of preparation revise the formulas every weekend (or once a week)

Following are some points on how to make the formula book:

1. Write the formulas chapter-wise and mark them as formula 1, formula 2, etc.

2. After the formulas write 1 short example related to each formula so that you can revise the formulas efficiently with the help of examples before the MAT December session exam and mocks.

Focus on Speed and Accuracy

Speed and Accuracy are the main key factors to ace any exam. In the MAT Mathematical Skills section, while practicing you should focus on accuracy rather than speed in initial mocks, then after some 5-6 mocks you should try to improve your speed as without speed you can’t increase the no. of attempts. Following are some points to increase the speed:

1. Revise the concepts and formulas multiple times.

2. Practice Vedic Maths/Mental Maths for 10-15 min. daily.

3. Learn some shortcut methods or formulas.

Use Shortcut Techniques

MAT exam December session is time-bound having 120 minutes to answer 150 Questions. In this way, you can understand that for each question you get less than 1 minute. If this time is distributed equally in all 5 sections, then you get 24 minutes for the Mathematical Skills section, which means less than 1 minute to solve each question.

To solve 30 questions in 24 minutes you have to solve the questions very quickly, for this shortcut methods are very much required as shortcut methods provide simplified approaches and save time. Practice shortcut methods as much as possible.

Practice Regularly

To master any section practice is very important. Mathematical Skills for MAT December session 2024 requires a lot of practice to master and get the right speed to solve this section. You should practice regularly as per the following points:

1. Revise the topic and related question, which you have learned that day.

2. If you haven’t learned any new topic of Mathematical Skills on any day then revise the previous topics and solve questions related to those topics.

3. After solving questions on any topic which are given in the study material, attempt quizzes related to that topic.

4. Take MAT mocks after completing 4-5 topics and practice questions in which you are lacking.

Solve MAT Previous Year Question Papers

Solving MAT exam previous year question papers is one the most important tips for MAT Mathematical Skills. You should solve the previous year question papers of at least 5 years. By solving previous year question papers, you will get to know answers to following questions:

1. What type of questions were asked?

2. What were the difficulty level of those questions?

3. How many questions were asked from which topics?

If you can get the answer to these questions then you can prepare in a better way for the examination. Understanding the exam pattern is very important which you can get easily by analyzing MAT exam’s previous year question papers.

Take MAT Mock Tests and Practice Quizzes

To score high in the MAT 2024 Exam, Candidates should practice with mocks and practice sets, Mock tests are important as they help in the analysis of level of preparation. Mock tests help you to manage time and to check how much you are learning. It helps you to understand the concepts in depth and helps you to rectify the minor conceptual errors in your learning. You should take Mock Tests and practice different Quizzes as it is one of the most important tips to ace any exam or any section.

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Analyze and Review Mistakes

Analysis of quizzes and mock tests is the most important part of your learning which improves your preparation. By analysis you get to know the answer to following questions:

1. What kind of mistakes you are doing?

2. Which topics/concepts are your weakness and strengths?

3. What is your accuracy?

4. How can you manage time in better way?

By analysis and review, you get to know the answers to the above questions and what is the struggling part for you i.e. calculation, understanding questions, accuracy etc. This will help you avoid similar errors in the actual. On the basis of this you can understand the importance of Analysis and review. So, you should focus on analysis after each MAT mock test and quiz.

Time Management Strategies

Practicing mocks is important as it helps us to manage the time. Learning to manage your time effectively during the exam is very important to crack any exam. You should primarily focus on managing your time as time management helps you in preparation in the following ways:

1. It helps you to create a study plan

2. It helps you to understand how to take mocks efficiently to score maximum marks.

3. It helps you to understand which questions you should solve first and which questions you should skip so that you can score well in the exam.

Time management is the most essential part of clearing any examination. Here are some techniques to save and manage time:

1. Start with the questions you find easier and can answer quickly. If any question looks difficult then you should skip the question for that instant and try to solve easier questions first. This will help you gain momentum and save time for more difficult questions later.

2. Learn shortcut techniques for solving mathematical problems and other tricks that can help you save time without compromising accuracy.

3. Time allocation plan is another key factor in your strategy. Divide your time strategically among the different sections based on your strengths and weaknesses. Allocate more time to sections that you find challenging and less time to sections you are confident about.

Seek Help for Difficult Topics

If you find any topic difficult then you should discuss this with your mentors as guidance from mentors is a very important part of your preparation. Mentors help you to understand the problems related to concepts, what are your weaknesses, and how to overcome the problems and weaknesses related to concepts. Mentors help you to prepare a study plan according to your learning style and provide a personalized approach to how to take mocks. On the basis of this, you can understand the importance of guidance from experts or mentors.

MAT 2024 Mathematical Skills Important Topics

Following are some topics that are easy to learn and asked very frequently in the MAT December session Mathematical Skills section:

Above given topics are easy to understand and can be mastered with the least practice. These topics cover more than 50% part of this section.

Best Books for MAT 2024 Mathematical Skills Preparation

Following is the list of some important books for preparation of MAT Mathematical Skills 2024:

Mistakes to Avoid in MAT Mathematical Skills Preparation

During the MAT December session exam preparation, candidates ignore some points or make some mistakes. You should work on rectifying these mistakes, which is very important to clear the exam. Following are some common mistakes made during the preparation:

Also Check:

• MAT Exam Dates
• MAT Eligibility Criteria

Neglecting Basic Concepts

Relying totally on shortcut techniques or neglecting basic concepts is one of the mistakes that you should avoid during your preparation. Basic concepts are important to learn the Mathematical Ability topics properly. If you are good with basic concepts then you can solve each type of question and easily learn shortcut methods.

Ex: Area of Equilateral triangle = √3/4 a2; {This is a shortcut method to find area}.

If in any question side of the equilateral triangle is given then you can easily find the area of the triangle as you know this shortcut method only. But if the height of the triangle is given then you can’t find the area of the triangle using this formula. But if you know the basic concept then you can easily find the solution to the question. You should not neglect basic concepts if you want to ace the MAT Mathematical Skills Section.

Not Practicing Different Types of Questions

To master this mathematical ability section practice is important but practice of different types of questions is more important to learn/master the section. By solving different types of questions, you get to know variations that can be made using a concept or combination of different concepts. Solving the same type of questions or skipping practice of different types of questions is one of the mistakes that you should avoid during your preparation.

Ex: In percentage topic, successive percentage change is very interesting and easy concept. But all questions can’t be solved using only this concept, so you have to work over other concepts also whether you like it or not i.e. Multiplication factor, respective percentage change, questions related to expense, price, etc.

Relying Too Much on Rote Learning

Sometimes while learning concepts, candidates try to memorize the formulas or shortcut methods rather than understanding the concepts, which can be a big mistake. There are high chances of forgetting lengthy formulas under exam pressure. So, relying too much on memorization is a mistake and you should avoid doing this.

Ex: Sum of squares of first n even numbers = 2n (n+1) (2n+1)/3

There are high chances that you forget any term of this formula in the exam, so you should learn this but you should also learn the concepts, so if you forget the formula, you can solve it with the help of basic concepts.

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Not Using Shortcut Techniques

Shortcut techniques are very important to solve lengthy questions related to lengthy concepts, if you want to maximize the no. of attempts and score then you can’t solve each question with the basic method. Not using shortcut techniques is one of the mistakes that you should avoid during your preparation. Let’s understand this with the help of an example:

Ex: A shopkeeper marked the price of an article 50% more than the cost price and give 10% discount to the customer. Find overall profit percentage of the shopkeeper.

Ans:

M-1 Let the cost price of the article = 100x

Marked price = 50% more than the cost price = 100x + 50% of 100x = 150x

Discount = 10 % of Marked price = 10% of 150x = 15x

Selling price = Marked price – discount = 150x – 15x = 135x

Profit = SP – CP = 135x – 100x = 35x

Profit % = Profit X 100% / CP = 35x x 100% / 100x = 35% ans.

M-2 There is a shortcut method for this- you can use successive percentage formula to solve this-

Profit % = Mark-up% - Discount % - Markup x Discount/100

= 50 – 10 – 50 x 10/100 = 35 % ans.

With the help of this example, you can understand that how time and effort can be saved using shortcut techniques.

Ignoring Time Management

Time management is very important for the preparation of any exam and ignoring time management is one of the common mistakes during the preparation. You should practice time management while solving questions from books and giving MAT mocks, this management develops strategies to answer questions quickly and accurately within the allotted time.

For the Mathematical Skills in the December session of MAT exam, you get 24 minutes to solve 30 questions, if the total time of 120 min. is distributed equally for each section. To solve 30 questions within 24 minutes is very tough with proper management of time. If you manage time smartly then you can also save some extra time from other sections, which can be used in any other section. You can understand the importance of time management with the above-explained case. So, you should avoid this mistake to save yourself from the problems related to preparation.

Neglecting Review of Mistakes

Review of mistakes is very important. After taking a mock or any quiz, you should analyze it and try to find the following points:

1. Is there any conceptual weakness? If there is any weakness, then you should revise and try to understand that concept properly.

2. Is there any calculation mistake? If there is any mistake, then you should work on the calculation and try to improvise that thing.

3. Is your speed good enough as per the MAT exam?

Review or analysis of mistakes helps you to understand all these points. You should focus on review and analysis after each test or mock. Neglecting this is one of the mistakes that you should avoid during your preparation.

Overlooking Mental Math Techniques

Overlooking mental math techniques is one of the mistakes made during the preparation of MAT Mathematical Skills section. Mental math is very important for this section as you have less than 1 min. to solve each question. You should avoid making this mistake during your preparation. Let’s understand, how Mental Math can save time during the MAT exam December session , with the help of an example:

Ex: You have to multiply 209 x 204 while solving a question, if you know mental math technique, then you can easily multiply this within 5-10 seconds but without it, it will take around 1 minute.

Underestimating the Importance of Practice

Regular practice is very important as it helps you in the following ways:

1. It helps you to build confidence and accuracy.

2. It helps you to develop effective time management and problem-solving skills.

3. It helps you to command over any concept.

From the above points, you can understand why practice is important. Underestimating the importance of practice is one of the mistakes that you should avoid during your preparation.

Not Seeking Clarifications for Doubts

Solving and asking doubts is important to learn the concepts properly. You should clarify the doubts which appear while giving mocks or understanding the concepts as these clarifications help in understanding the concepts in depth. Let’s understand this with the help of an example:

Ex: A person travels from city A to city B with the speed of 30 kmph and travels back from city B to city A with the speed of 70 kmph. Then find the average speed of the person for the whole journey.

Solution: There is a general misconception that average speed = average of speeds

So, the average speed = (30 + 70) / 2 = 50 kmph.

{But this is wrong}

A constant speed by which you can travel the same distance in the same time is called the average speed.

Average speed = Total distance travelled/ Total time taken

If you use this formula then you’ll get the answer as 42 kmph, which is the right answer

From the above example, you can understand how misconception can ruin your whole paper. To learn the concepts properly, you should try to clear the doubts with the help of mentors. If you don’t clarify the doubts then you are making mistakes which you should avoid.

Allowing Stress to Hamper Performance

Mental health is very important during preparation. Ignorance of mental health leads to the generation of stress and allowing stress impacts your performance and your focus and confidence. There are mainly two factors that can help you reduce stress:

1. Practice - Proper practice gives you confidence, which helps in reducing the stress.

2. Healthy lifestyle - A healthy lifestyle with proper diet, exercise, and adequate sleep helps you to avoid the stress.

Tips to Achieve A High Score In MAT December session Mathematical Skills Section

Following are some tips for achieving a high score in MAT Mathematical Skills 2024:

1. Understand the MAT Syllabus

Before starting the preparation, understand the syllabus and the type of questions that are asked in the MAT exam.

2. Practice Regularly

Regular practice is the key factor to ace the exam and this section. Focus on regular practice for a good score in this section.

3. Learn Maths Shortcut Techniques

Shortcut techniques are very important for the high score in this section as you have to solve questions in less than 1 minute.

4. Practice MAT Mocks and Previous year papers

Practice of mocks and previous year papers helps you to understand your weaknesses and mistakes. It helps you in time management which is important to achieve a high score in this section.

5. Analysis of MAT Mocks

Analysis of mocks is important as it helps you to rectify your mistakes. Rectification of mistakes is important to achieve a high score in this section.

Conclusion

During preparation you should focus and work on the following points:

1. Brush Up on Basic Concepts

2. Learn Important formulas, theorems, etc.

3. Focus on Speed and Accuracy

4. Solve Previous Year Question Papers

5. Take Mock Tests and Practice Quizzes

During preparation, you should try to avoid the following mistakes:

1. Neglecting Basic Concepts

2. Skipping Practice of Different Types of Questions

3. Relying Too Much on Memorization

4. Not using shortcut techniques

5. Ignoring time management

6. Neglecting Review of Mistakes

7. Overlooking Mental Math Techniques

8. Underestimating the Importance of Practice

9. Not Seeking Clarifications for Doubts

10. Allowing Stress to Impact Performance

You should believe in yourself and be confident that you have everything to clear the exam. You should just work with dedication and perseverance. Following are some points on which you should focus:

1. Believe in yourself

2. Stay positive and focused

3. Stay persistent and never give up

MAT Exam 2024 Mathematical Skills Sample Questions

Given below are the sample questions from various topics of the Mathematical skills section of the MAT exam.

1. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

Out of eight crew members three particular members can sit only on the left side. Another two particular members can sit only
on the right side. Find the number of ways in which the crew can be arranged so that four men can sit on each side.

1. 865

2. 864

3. 863

4. 1728

Solution

Correct Answer:- D
Explanation:-

Three particular members can sit only on the left side in ways. Also, two particular members can sit only on the right side in ways. Also, the remaining three people can sit in 3 remaining seats in 3! ways. So required answer is

Hence answer is 4th option.

2. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

The number that must be added to each of the numbers 8, 21, 13 and 31 to make the ratio of first two numbers equal to the
ratio of last two numbers is

1. 7

2. 5

3. 9

4. None of these

Solution

Correct Answer:- B
Explanation:-

Here,

The required number

3. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

A man rows 8 km/hr in still water. If the river is running at 2 km/hr, it takes 32 minutes to row to a place and back. How far is
the place?

1. 1.5 km

2. 2.5 km

3. 2 km

4. 3 km

Solution

Correct Answer:- C
Explanation:-

Upstream speed Downstream speed , solving we get OR simply checking by the options.

4. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

A portion of a 30 m long tree is broken by a tornado and the top strikes the ground making an angle of 30° with the ground
level. The height of the point where the tree is broken is equal to

Solution

Correct Answer:- B
Explanation:-

Let the height of the tree from the ground to the point where the tree is broken be x metres.
Then, According to the given information,we get this figure, Let AC = y

The height of the tree = 30m.
So,

Also

So

5. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

The electricity bill of a certain establishment is partly fixed and partly varies as the number of units of electricity consumed.
When in a certain month 540 units are consumed, the bill is Rs. 1,800. In another month 620 units are consumed and the bill is Rs. 2,040. In yet another month 500 units are consumed. The bill for that month would be

1. Rs. 1,560

2. Rs. 1,680

3. Rs. 1,840

4. Rs. 1,950

Solution

Correct Answer:- B
Explanation:-

Let V be the variable part of the bill and F be the fixed part. Given . Solving these we get V = 3 and F = 180. So when 500 units are consumed, .

6. Direction : Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

The average marks of a student in 8 subjects is 87. Of these, the highest marks are 2 more than the one next in value. If these two subjects are eliminated, the average marks of the remaining subjects are 85. What are the highest marks obtained by him?

1. 94

2. 91

3. 89

4. 96

Solution

Correct Answer:- A
Explanation:-

Let highest marks be , So, next score = x

Total of 8 subjects

So, As per question,

So, highest marks

7. Direction : Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

A solution of sugar syrup has 15 % sugar. Another solution has 5 % sugar. How many litres of the second solution must be
added to 20 litres of the first solution to make a solution of 10 % sugar?

1. 10 litres

2. 5 litres

3. 15 litres

4. 20 litres

Solution

Correct Answer:- D
Explanation:-

X = 20

8. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

At the start of a seminar, the ratio of the number of male participants to the number of female participants was 3 : 1. During the tea break, 16 participants left and 6 more female participants registered. The ratio of the male to the female participants
became 2:1. The total number of participants at the start of the seminar was -

1. 64

2. 48

3. 54

4. Data Insufficient

Solution

Correct Answer:- D
Explanation:-

In this question, as per the information given we cannot determine how many are males and how many are females out of 16 participants who left. So, data is insufficient to answer the given question.

9. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

A man sitting in a train travelling at the rate of 50 km/hr observes that it takes 9 sec for a goods train travelling in the opposite direction to pass him. If the goods train is 187.5 m long, find its speed.

1. 25 km/hr

2. 40 km/hr

3. 35 km/hr

4. 36 km/hr

Solution

Correct Answer:- A
Explanation:-

Let required speed be x.

10. Direction: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option.

X and Y entered into partnership with Rs. 700 and Rs. 600 respectively. After 3 months X withdrew 2/7 of his stock but after 3
months, he puts back 3/5 of what he had withdrawn. The profit at the end of the year is Rs. 726. How much of this should X
receive?

1. Rs. 336

2. Rs. 366

3. Rs. 633

4. Rs. 663

Solution

Correct Answer:- B
Explanation:-

share in the profit