Management Aptitude Test (MAT) – My gateway to success!

The charm of acquiring an MBA degree is very alluring. MBA opens up a world for you that is not only challenging and exciting, but also provides that security blanket that we yearn for, professionally. In the wake of an uncertain economy, an MBA degree is turning out to be the most sought after education qualification by people of all fields.

Because MBA is a post graduate degree, not necessarily requiring a particular field of study, it is being opted by engineers, medical professionals, Arts and business students alike. So, what are the entry points to getting an MBA degree?

First off, a graduate degree with minimum 50% marks, followed by an MBA entrance exam. Management Aptitude Test or MAT is one such exam that comfortably positions you in the lineage of good B-Schools in India.

What is MAT?

Management Aptitude Test or MAT is a standardised test to facilitate Business Schools (B-Schools) to screen candidates for admission to MBA, PGDM and allied programmes. While MAT has been in the picture since 1988, the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India approved MAT as a national level test only in 2003. MAT is conducted by All India Management Association (AIMA).

MAT scores are accepted by hundreds of B-schools across the globe. Any B-School - national or international can consider MAT score as an admission input based on the Score Cards issued to aspirants. One of the largest tests of its kind in India, MAT continues to be your passport to over 600 B-Schools across India.

What is beautiful about MAT is that students can choose a time as per their convenience to give the MAT exam upto 4 times. Depending on the time of the year a student decides to appear for MAT, he/she may fill up form accordingly. And that’s not it. Besides choosing the time to give MAT exam, aspirants can even choose the preferred mode of exam – online VS offline!

MAT offline test or the Paper Based Test is conducted on the first Sunday of February, May, September and December between 1000 and 1230 hours. The online or the Computer Based Test is conducted from Saturday onwards (6 days after the Paper Based Test date) and in different time slots. So choose wisely.

This provision is especially made for those aspirants who are not well versed with computers or the online medium.

Should you give the MAT exam?

We say yes! Why? Well, the market is getting more and more competitive every year and knowledge driven courses rule the day. Here are a few reasons why MAT is a niche way to shape your career:

Convenience of time: Unlike all MBA exams which are held once a year, MAT is conducted 4 times a year, in the months of February, May, September and December. This gives students time to prepare and appear for the test at their own convenience. All MAT scores are valid for the concurring admission.

Option to choose: These days, most exams are held in the online mode only. MAT gives students the advantage of choosing the mode of examination they prefer. Yes, aspirants can take the MAT exam both online and offline, depending on their comfort level.

Universal acceptance: Earlier foreign institutes didn`t give much importance to Indian B schools, but today things have changed. Foreign institutes are giving a red carpet welcome to Indian institutes and students. In fact, there are MAT exam centres in Dubai & Singapore as well.

B-schools with lesser fee: Just scoring the perfect marks is not all. Education fee of an MBA or PGDM programme can be very expensive. While education loans are available today, the rate of interest (ROI) against them is so high that even with a guaranteed job, students feel the brunt of a lump-some amount of their salaries going in to repay their education loan, often not leaving them with anything else to do. Most of the institutes that accept MAT scores have a lesser course fee, enabling the students to get quality education, equal learning and challenging job opportunities. So why not take it?

Tie-ups with foreign universities: Most MAT score accepting colleges have tie-ups with foreign universities and often with an exchange programme equipping the student to gain exposure of foreign markets. Plus, the students get a chance to study in a global environment and understand the concepts of Management better. Some such universities include Academy for Business Management, Tourism and Research (ABMTR - Hyderabd) tie-up with Kings International University of Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Planning & Management - Hyderabad, Badruka Institute of Foreign Trade, Indian Finance & International Management Institute-Bangalore and many others.

Good placements: Most of the institutes that accept MAT scores, usually have very good placement opportunities. From banks to FMCG’s and various media companies to MNC’s, sky is the limit. However, you need to be sure that the college you have chosen has a good track record of placements in the previous years. You should look at finding out alumni, talking to them or search for the respective B school alumni from various online or offline forums. (LinkedIn, Glassdoor etc)

How do I know if a management institute (MI) is in sync with MAT scores?

Please tell me a good MBA college in my area that accepts MAT score. Which are the best MAT institutes in India? How do I know if a management institute accepts MAT score?

These are some of the most common questions asked by MBA aspirants. Well, dear aspirants, quite frankly, it is really very difficult to pin point the exact number of MAT scores accepting MBA institutes in your area or for that matter, in India as a whole, because the number of participating MI’s may vary from test to test.

Admission criteria for every institute are different. So if you are appearing for a September MAT, don’t expect all MBA institutes to give admission in December. Some institutes open for admission only ONCE A YEAR. In that sense, the college you were eyeing may not be open for admission in the December intake. So our advice is to plan your MAT exam timings according to your desired college’s admission timings.

Having said that we hope that you fall under the ‘aware students’ category. Meaning, you are serious about pursuing your MBA studies! Yes, because if you are, you will have done your R&D and would have a fair idea on the pedigree of institutes for you to apply.  Basis that you decide on the timing of your MAT test and subsequently, application to Management institutes.

And while you search for MI’s, you should know that all MI’s participating in MAT are either AICTE, DEC approved; University affiliated colleges or University Departments. You could check out the list of various MIs/Universities available in the MAT bulletin.

MBA stalwarts are clear that a good MBA degree is a long term asset, and will be valuable to get employment as the economy picks up in a year or two. Till that happens, why don’t you prepare and educate yourself to the plethora of opportunities that can come knocking your door? Yes, it is always better to be prepared, so when the economy opens up radically, you will find yourself in the best possible place!

Why do we say this? Well for one, you are extremely fortunate to be living in the era of plenty of choices about your career and education. While others may have a different opinion, we believe that management education is extremely relevant even in the time of recession. The Indian economy will definitely recover in next few years and by that time your MBA will keep you in great stead!

Written by Jayita Ekka