Content Areas Study Guide for the MAT

Natural Sciences

The MAT®’s natural science analogies are based on information from the disciplines of astronomy, chemistry, biology, physics, geology, ecology, and health sciences. This information will be of a general type and will not require much in-depth knowledge of the subjects. It will mostly be introductory information of the kind taught in first- and second-year courses.

Astronomy

Astronomy is one of the more rare scientific sub-disciplines that can appear on the MAT®, so you will have to familiarize yourself with only a few terms and figures related to this category.

Examples

RED DWARF : BLUE GIANT :: (a. cool , b. bright , c. young , d. short-lived ) : HOT

Among the three given words, you can identify a relationship between the second term and the last: A BLUE GIANT is an extremely HOT star. So, the missing term must refer to the temperature of a RED DWARF. The answer is “cool.”

(a. 5 , b. 6 , c. 7 , d. 8 ) : SATURN :: 4 : MARS

Among the final three parts of the analogy, you can identify a relationship between the last two: MARS is the fourth planet from the sun. So, the missing number must give SATURN’s position relative to the sun. The answer is “6.”

Biology

Biology is the study of life, and you might encounter a number of major biological terms on the MAT®. Remember, you do not need to know everything about biology. You simply need to be very familiar with the essentials. Topics to cover in your preparation should include those listed below.

Suggested Topics for Review

• The classification of living things (e.g., kingdom, phylum, class, order, etc.)
• The male, female, baby, and group names of animals (e.g., cygnet, murder, etc.)
• The human organism and how it functions
• The names of bones and their locations in the human body
• The human circulatory system
• The major types of muscles (e.g., striated or skeletal, smooth, and cardiac)
• The human nervous system (e.g., central, peripheral, and autonomic)

Examples

URSUS : GENUS :: CARNIVORE : (a. order , b. domain , c. kingdom , d. family )

Among the first three words, you can identify a relationship between the first two: URSUS is the GENUS that includes bears. So, the term CARNIVORE must also fall under a classification that includes bears. That classification is “order,” which is therefore the correct answer.

FIBULA : LEG :: (a. ulna , b. tibia , c. mandible , d. sternum ) : ARM

Among the three given words, you can identify a relationship between the first and the second: The FIBULA is the one of two bones in the lower LEG that is thinner. The missing term must therefore be the thinner of the two bones in the lower ARM or forearm. So, the answer is “ulna.”

Chemistry

Overall, chemistry analogies on the MAT® require knowledge of scientific measurements, the periodic table, terms typically encountered in a high school chemistry class, and individuals who have been the most important chemists throughout history.

Examples

LITHIUM : (a. gold , b. sulfur , c. aluminum , d. carbon ) :: ALKALI METAL : METALLOID

Among the three given words, you can identify a relationship between the first and the second: LITHIUM is an ALKALI METAL. So, the missing term must be a METALLOID. The answer is therefore “carbon.”

(a. hydroxide , b. detergent , c. vinegar , d. alkali ) : ACIDIC :: AMMONIA : BASIC

Among the three given words, you can identify a relationship between the last two: AMMONIA is BASIC (has the properties of a base). So, the missing term must be ACIDIC (have the properties of an acid). The answer must therefore be “vinegar.”

Earth Science

Earth science is a branch of science that encompasses all fields of natural science related to our planet, such as geology, oceanography, and meteorology. It therefore includes information related to the Earth’s atmosphere as well as its physical and chemical makeup, and might be found in analogies similar to those below.

Examples

TERRIGENOUS : HYDROGENOUS :: LAND : (a. atmosphere , b. organisms , c. water , d. space ) Among the three given words, you can identify a relationship between the first and the third: TERRIGENOUS refers to a type of ocean sediment that originates from land. So, the missing term must be where the term HYDROGENOUS indicates a type of ocean sediment originates. The answer is therefore “water.”

(a. cumulus , b. flood , c. storm , d. drought ) : CLOUD :: HURRICANE : CIRRUS

Among the final three words in the analogy, you can identify a relationship between the first and the last: CIRRUS is a type of CLOUD. So, the first word must be something of which HURRICANE is a type. The answer is “storm.”

Ecology and Environmental Science

Ecology is one of the more rare scientific sub-disciplines that can appear on the MAT®, so you will have to familiarize yourself with only a few terms and figures related to this category. It is closely related to geography, except that rather than simply study the distribution of populations, resources, and industries, it also looks at how these factors—in conjunction with land use and human activity—affect and are affected by the environment.

Examples

FOOD CHAIN : FOOD WEB :: (a. species , b. habitat , c. cycle , d. interconnection ) : BIOME

Among the given three words, you can identify a relationship between the first two terms: A FOOD CHAIN is part of a FOOD WEB. So, the missing word must be part of a BIOME. Therefore, the answer is “habitat.”

DETRITIVORE : (a. injects , b. secretes , c. disseminates , d. ingests ) :: SAPROTROPH : ABSORBS

Among the given three words, you can identify a relationship between the last two terms: A SAPROTROPH ABSORBS material from non-living organic matter. So, the missing term must describe how a DETRITIVORE obtains material from non-living organic matter. The answer is “ingests.”

Geology

Geology is the study of the Earth’s physical structure, substance, and history, along with the processes that act on it.

Examples

CONVERGENT : DIVERGENT :: IGNEOUS : (a. aquatic , b. innocuous , c. metamorphic , d. aurous )

Among the first three words, you can identify a relationship between the first and second terms: CONVERGENT and DIVERGENT are two different types of motion related to plate tectonics. Given that IGNEOUS is a type of rock, the last term must be a kind of rock that differs from it. So, the answer is “metamorphic.”

IGNEOUS : BASALT :: (a. deformation , b. earthquake , c. era , d. erosion ) : CENOZOIC

Among the given words in the above analogy, you can identify a relationship between the first and the second: BASALT is an example of IGNEOUS rock. So, the missing term must be what CENOZOIC is an example of. Given that CENOZOIC is one of the four eras within the geologic time scale, the correct answer is “era.”

Physical Geography

Physical geography is a branch of geography that deals with natural features, systems, and processes of the Earth. You should therefore familiarize yourself with geographical terms and definitions.

Examples

SAVANNA : GRASSY :: TUNDRA : (a. treeless , b. swampy , c. wooded, d. brushy )

Among the first three words, you can identify a relationship between the first two: A SAVANNA is a GRASSY region. The last term must therefore be the type of area labeled as TUNDRA, which is a flat, treeless region. So, the missing term is “treeless.”

PENINSULA : (a. moraine , b. peak , c. gulf , d. isthmus ) :: WATER : LAND

Among the three given words, you can identify a relationship between the first and the second: A PENINSULA is a stretch of land almost completely surrounded by WATER. So, the missing term must be something that is almost completely surrounded by LAND. The answer is “gulf.”

Physics

In a sense, physics is the most fundamental science in that it finds and describes the most basic laws that govern the universe. It is primarily concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy—including electricity, mechanics, sound, heat, radiation, and magnetism—as well as the structure of atoms. It also involves concepts such as mass, velocity, and acceleration, and as with most MAT® content areas, you should be sure to review its key terms and most important figures.

Examples

(a. system of units , b. fluid mechanics , c. angular motion , d. carnot cycle ) : ARCHIMEDES :: PLANETARY MOTION : KEPLER

Within the final portion of the analogy, you can identify a relationship between the last two parts: Johannes KEPLER is closely associated with PLANETARY MOTION. So, the missing part of the analogy must identify a topic with which ARCHIMEDES was closely associated. The answer is “fluid mechanics.”

MAGNETISM : (a. wave motion , b. electricity , c. polarity , d. light ) :: MOTION OF ELECTRIC CHARGES : DISTURBANCE IN MATTER

Among the given parts of the analogy, you can identify a relationship between first and second: The source of all MAGNETISM is the MOTION OF ELECTRIC CHARGES. So, the second part of the analogy must be what a DISTURBANCE IN MATTER is the source of. Hence, the correct answer is “wave motion.”

Public Health

Public health is a branch of medicine that deals with the health of a whole population, especially as it relates to disease prevention, both physical and mental. It involves a number of components, including nutrition, hygiene, epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental medicine.

Examples

BACTERIA : VIRUS :: (a. E. coli , b. HIV , c. influenza , d. hepatitis ) : EBOLA

Among the three given terms, you can identify a relationship between the second and the last: EBOLA is a type of VIRUS. So, the missing term must be a type of BACTERIA. The answer is therefore “E. coli.”

INCIDENCE : (a. percentage , b. severity , c. rate , d. cause ) :: PREVALENCE : PROPORTION

Among the given words, you can identify a relationship between the last two: PREVALENCE refers to the PROPORTION of those infected in a population at a given time. So, the missing term must be what INCIDENCE refers to, which is the rate at which an infection spreads. Therefore, “rate” is the correct answer.