What Is Involved in the MAT® Assessment?
The Miller Analogies Test®, or MAT®, is a computer-administered test used for admission to graduate school. The entire exam is composed of incomplete analogies, for which the examinee can select from four word choices to complete. The purpose of the MAT® is to test the exam-taker’s mastery of the English language and one’s analytical thinking ability to consider relationships between things.
Who Takes the MAT®?
The MAT® is most often taken by graduate school candidates, although a high score on the exam may also be necessary for some high-IQ societies, such as Mensa, the Prometheus Society, and the Triple Nine Society.
What Is Covered on the Test?
The MAT® is designed to measure cultural literacy and reasoning ability across subjects such as art, history, science, music, literature, philosophy, and math. It also gauges your ability to make associations and identify relationships between the concepts covered by all of the subjects.
A high exam score is often viewed as a predictor of how well an individual may perform during graduate school. The question format includes partial analogies, in which the exam-taker must select the missing element based upon their nuanced understanding of many academic subjects and how they are used within the context of a broad culture.
What Is Test Day Like?
The exam itself is only 60 minutes long and consists of 120 questions. Of those questions, only 100 of them count toward your actual score, but there is no way to know which questions those are.
On exam day, you will go to the testing center where you initially registered to take the exam. You will need to know your Social Security number, and will be asked to present two valid forms of ID. A list of acceptable forms of identification can be found in the Pearson Candidate Information Booklet for the Miller Analogies Test®.
You may also bring the addresses of the schools to which you would like your results sent. Other items, including purses and cell phones, are prohibited at the testing center.
How Should I Prepare?
The MAT® is designed to test knowledge acquired throughout one’s lifetime, making it a test for which it is impossible to cram. However, there are certain strategies you can use to prepare. MAT® study guides and practice tests are the best way to assess your current capabilities for the exam. You can also review vocabulary and brush-up on specific subject matter.
No matter what methods you may use to prepare for the exam, the most important element is to start early. Giving yourself several weeks—or even months—to review material is far more effective than cramming for it in a few days.
And, Finally
Taking the MAT® is an important milestone in one’s graduate academic path. It should not be taken lightly, although it can be retaken. If you do retake the test, the schools who received your scores will see that you have taken the exam twice, though this may not matter for many schools. Either way, you should ensure that you are prepared and ready to take the exam on your first test date.
Whether you need to review for the MAT® or you simply want to check your readiness, here’s a great resource:Union Test Prep’s Free Preparation for the MAT®.