What are PBT, IBT and CBT Modes in MAT Exam?

What are PBT, IBT and CBT Modes in MAT Exam? Well, the first thing that would pop into anyone’s mind would be the methods in which the MAT exam is conducted, of which there are three: PBT, CBT, and IBT.

For those who don’t know what they are, these are ways with which the MAT exams are conducted for the students writing them, PBT is Paper-Test Based, CBT is Computer-Test Based, and IBT is Internet-Test Based. The first two are significantly different from one another, but the trivial difference between CBT and IBT can irk some people.

Some questions come to mind. What do each of them provide? Why are they important? In what scenarios are they appropriate? These are some of the questions which the article will do its best to answer, so read on to find out!

Table of Contents

• MAT 2023 Exam Highlights
• MAT CBT vs. MAT PBT vs. MAT IBT 2023 Comparative Analysis
• What is MAT PBT Exam?
• What is MAT CBT Exam?
• What is MAT IBT Exam?

MAT 2023 Exam Highlights

MAT is the Management Aptitude Test. It is an aptitude test conducted by the AIMA for admissions into top Business Schools in India. 

MAT 2023 Exam Highlights

Particulars	MAT
Full Form	Management Aptitude Test
Conducting Authority	All India Management Association - AIMA
Examination Level	National
Mode of Test	PBT - Offline, CBT - Online, & Internet-Based Test - IBT
Mode of Application	Online
Exam Duration	150 Minutes
Eligibility	Graduate in any discipline (Final year candidates can also apply)
Official Website	mat.aima.in

MAT CBT vs. MAT PBT vs. MAT IBT 2023 Comparative Analysis

To learn about the MAT exam it is necessary to know and understand the difference between MAT PBT, MAT CBT, and MAT IBT. The list below displays the major difference between the exams. 

MAT Exam Highlights

Particulars	MAT 2023 PBT	MAT 2023 CBT	MAT 2023 IBT
Mode of Exam	Offline	Online (Computer Based)	Online (Internet Based)
Number of questions	200	200	200
Number of sections in the test paper	5	5	5
Marking scheme	+1 for every correct answer	+1 for every correct answer	+1 for every correct answer
Negative marking	-0.25 for every wrong answer	-0.25 for every wrong answer	-0.25 for every wrong answer
Duration of Exam	150 minutes	150 minutes	150 minutes
Difficulty Level	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Option of Changing Answers	Available	Available	Available
Exam time	10 am to 12.30 pm	10 am to 12.30 pm	Morning slot: 10am to 12:30pm Evening slot: 4:00pm to 6:30pm

What is MAT PBT Exam?

PBT stands for Paper-Test Based exam, in which the candidate must perform their MAT examination using pencil and paper. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about it; it’s the usual, traditional way of conducting exams. Among the student and faculty communities, it is more popularly called ‘Offline Mode’. Since COVID-19 struck in 2020, PBT wasn’t an option, and faculties and authorities alike relied on conducting the exam via IBT, which we have explained below.

Since there is no technological involvement, you won’t lose any progress you make in the exam. Mistakes made in the exam papers can always be rectified using an eraser, since the mode of communication is written via pencil. Although these are considered to be the advantages of MAT PBT exams, the issues arise in the following:

• In-person attendance: Travel is a difficult subject for many candidates. It’s difficult enough to manage the weight of academic pressure, let alone long-distance travel, or even expensive travel.
• Lack of technological conveniences: Since MAT exams cover topics on analytical, statistical, and numerical data, it’s important to make use of equipment that may help substantially reduce the workload that goes behind calculating them. Since that is taken away, you’re forced to adapt to traditional calculation methods, which takes more time.
• Time management: You’ll have to flip through the question booklet, erase the mistakes in your answers and rewrite them, calculate the time you’ve spent on a question, calculate your answers, all in a small amount of time. On average, you’re expected to spend merely 30 seconds to a minute on each question.

For an exam that’s meant to push candidates into prestigious business schools and whatnot, forcing them to adapt to traditional forms of education isn’t of a big help on this day and age. Which brings us to...

What is MAT CBT Exam?

Candidates often wonder what is CBT exam? MAT CBT exam full form is mode exam is Computer-Based Test, in which the candidate must perform their MAT examination using the computer itself. The candidates would do the exam on the computers allocated to them in the examination hall itself. It is most popularly called “online mode” among teachers and students alike. 

There are both upsides and downsides to this. The good thing about CBT exam means that there is:

• No need to mark or remark your answers with pencil and erasers, since everything is digital.
• A clock is provided in the computer, so the candidates know how much time is left.
• Rough sheets are provided so that you can work out the answers to practical questions.

The major downside involved is actually small but devastating enough, should it occur, and that is the technical issues behind a computer. If a power outage, or data loss event occurs, then it’s likely that the candidate will lose their entire progress. Although it may not be the candidate’s fault, and that there will be contingencies for it, it would probably still affect the time they spend for the other tests.

So how does it compare to IBT? Well, CBT still requires you to be physically present in the test centre, so it wouldn’t be a viable option, should you be going through a global crisis, like a pandemic, or something much more substantially smaller, like centre maintenance and technical issues. This is where IBT comes in.

What is MAT IBT Exam?

While evaluating what is IBT mode? The explanation is that IBT stands for Internet-Based Test. The candidate performs the MAT examination using the online mode itself, but this can be carried out from the leisure of their systems and homes. 

On one hand, the freedom to take the test from any place and any device (that supports it) is extremely convenient. On the other hand, the likelihood of technical issues are much higher since various candidates use varying internet speeds, and some may lack the technical know-how to get around any spontaneous problems.

Apart from these differences and similarities, nothing about the MAT exam changes between them. Candidates would still be dealing with the same number of questions, the same type of questions, and within the same amount of time. That’s all you need to know about them!

If you have any questions about this, write to us and we’ll get back to you!