NMAT 2012 – Qualitative Comparison with CAT 2011

Having appeared for CAT and NMAT in the space of 8 days, one intuitively starts comparing the two
exams, their exam players, the experience etc while appearing for the test and even hours after the test.

I appeared for CAT on 24th October and for NMAT on 1st November in the 9:00 a.m. slot. Since I cannot
disclose the NMAT pattern or questions due to the NDA, I will try and make my analysis more
meaningful by giving you a comparison between CAT and NMAT in terms of interface and experience so
that you can plan for each exam better! However, please note that some of my views here under
“Recommendations” are purely personal and you may have to apply them in your exam keeping your
preparation level in mind.

Area CAT NMAT Recommendations

1) Admit Card Mail 1) Confirmation
+ 1 Valid ID card Mail + 2 Valid ID 1) Where I had suggested carrying 2 ID
needed cards needed cards for CAT, I would recommend
2) Biometrics 2) Biometrics carrying 3 for NMAT. It helps to have
includes includes an extra ID
Check-in photograph and photograph and 2) Try to carry an ID that shows you face
Process fingerprint signature on a AND sign clearly. The NMAT
3) Bags and digital pad authorities check these on biometrics
valuables not 3) Bags and vs ID card
allowed in the valuables not 3) Carry only as much stuff as you really
test lab. Only a allowed in the need
wallet allowed. test lab.
1) 1 minute – after 1) Both the non-disclosure agreements
1) 2 minutes –
the tutorial and more or less say the same thing.
NDA before the
just before the Make it a point to read them quickly
tutorial and test
test and accept them at the earliest
1) Both the tutorials give you an
overview of the screens and features
that you will encounter during the
exam. An added advantage of the
NMAT tutorial is that at the end of
Tutorial 1) 15 minutes 1) 10 minutes the tutorial, you can try the
functionalities of the review screen
using the slides of the tutorial. Since
time saved in the tutorial does not
get added to the exam, utilize this
time to go through the tutorials well
1) 3 sections with a 1) NMAT has been more student-
1) 2 sections with
Section choice in friendly in the sense that it has
no choice in
Order and selecting section allowed the student to decide first-
selection.
Selection order hand what order he/she wants to
2) There is a attempt the sections in.
 separate screen 2) There is a section order screen which
that allows you has a time limit of 3 minutes. This
to pre-determine screen gives you 6 combinations: VA-
the order in QA-LR, QA-LR-VA, VA-LR-QA etc. You
which you will can select any combination that you
attempt all 3 want. The sections will be displayed
sections. as per your selection
3) The screen gives 3) If you do not select within 3 minutes,
you 6 the system selects the default option
combinations of i.e. VA-QA-LR
section orders 4) Also, once you select the section and
and you have start the test, you cannot change the
click on the one order midway. So, if you select VQ-
that suits you the QA-LR and during VA, you feel you
best. want to attempt LR second, it will not
4) If you do not be possible.
select the section
order within 3
minutes, the
system
automatically
starts the test
using the first
section order
given.
1) Section 1 – QA + 1) QA – 48
1) Unlike CAT, since you know the
DI – 30 questions – 60
structure in terms of subject area
questions – 70 minutes
beforehand because of the breakup
minutes 2) VA – 32
Sections given by the NMAT authorities, you
2) Section 2 – VA + questions – 22
can plan and prepare accordingly. In
LR – 30 minutes
CAT, you won’t know how much time
questions – 70 3) LR – 40 questions
to spend on DI and how much on QA
minutes – 38 minutes
1) CAT clearly wants a focus on accuracy
and attempts based on whether you
are confident of what you know.
2) NMAT obviously wants you to
attempt all questions) like MHCET)
Negative 1) Yes, but because of the no-negative marking
1) No
Marking undisclosed policy.
3) For questions where you are not sure
in NMAT, “flag” the question and in
the last 2-3 minutes, randomly mark
those questions. Don’t waste time on
those questions initially.
1) Not allowed 1) Lapse of 1) Unlike CAT, if you finish your section
Termination
before the schedule time slightly earlier than allowed, you CAN
of Section
scheduled time 2) Completion of end that section and move to the
 lapses questions next section.
2) However, your time saved in this
section does not get added to the
subsequent section.
3) So, in case you save time on, say,
Verbal Ability, it is a better idea to
review your questions. You will
anyways lose the spare time by
ending.
1) For CAT, it makes sense to take your
water and toilet breaks well in
advance.
1) Breaks allowed 2) For NMAT, though the Pearson
1) No breaks but they are authorities were slightly more lenient
allowed 30 timed. Any time and allowed people to take water and
Breaks minutes prior to that you use in toilet breaks even 10-15 minutes
and during the the break gets before the exam, it may not be wise
exam deducted from to take a chance.
that section 3) In NMAT, if you manage to end
section 1 or section 2 with more than
5 minutes to spare (unlikely), you
could use it to take a break.
1) As is evident, CAT scores more than
NMAT in this regard. In NMAT, when
you start a group question, you don’t
know how many questions that set
has. This makes “attempt planning”
1) Number of
virtually impossible.
questions in the 1) Number of
2) For each question, you need to use
set declared questions in the
the “Next” and “Previous” buttons.
beforehand set NOT declared
Group This harms you if the latter questions
2) All questions beforehand
Questions of a set are easier or multiple
seen one below 2) Each question
questions are related to each other
the other on the seen on a fresh
e.g. if calculating data for question 1
right hand side page
can help solve question 4 as well.
of the screen
3) In CAT, since you can see all
questions together, you can decide
whether you want to attempt all the
questions or some or skip the set
altogether.
1) Since highlighting is not allowed in
the NMAT RCs, finding relevant data
Highlighting 1) Not allowed in
1) Allowed in CAT may become slightly more difficult.
in RCs NMAT
You may need to practice NMAT RCs
accordingly.
1) 5 minutes 1) 5 minutes before 1) Since NMAT gives only one warning
Section End
before the end the end of each i.e. 5 minutes before the section is
Warnings
of each section section scheduled to end, you will have to
 and 1 minute keep a tab of when approximately 2
before the end minutes are left. This will help in
of each section marking the questions you haven’t
attempted
1) I found CAT 2011 more challenging
compared to last year with a better
1) Challenging 1) Simpler quality of questions
Difficulty
compared to compared to last 2) I felt NMAT 2012 was simpler
Level
last year year compared to my NMAT exam last
year but was on the lines that I
expected
1) 21 in section I
with
approximately
17-18 correct (I 1) 48 out of 48 in
1) For CAT, I would suggest anywhere
assume) QA
between 17-19 attempts with 15+
2) 30 in section II 2) 36 out of 40 in LR
correct in section I and 23 -24
Attempts with 3) 32 out of 32 in
attempts in section II with 20+ correct
approximately VA
2) For NMAT, try to attempt all 120
27 correct 4) 116 out of 120 in
questions
(Again. all
Assumption)
3) 51 in all

Please note that the last two points above (in RED) depict my personal performance and opinions and as
such, should not be taken very rigidly. Please look at your actual exam and then take a decision. You can
use these as a guideline.

Wish you all the very best!