Excelling On The MAT
Emily Gung
Admissions Test Specialist
Graduate School
Valdosta State University
Analogies
• Boy : Girl :: Man : _____
• Boy is to Girl AS Man is to -----(auto, school, jungle, woman)
Miller’s Analogy Test
• What is it?
• Where and when can I
take it?
• Scores Required for
VSU?
• What are analogies?
• How are they used in the
test?
• How can I prepare to do
my best?
What Is The MAT?
• Developed at U of Minn-1926
• New forms developed periodically
• Developed to “measure scholastic
aptitude at the graduate level”
• Test items require recognition of
relationships
• Vocabulary and general information
play an important part in determining
scores
Where & When Can I Take It?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
See Handout
Psychological Corporation Website
Toll-Free Number
List of Schools and test dates
Candidate Information Booklet
Special Dates Available through VSU
New Computer-based testing
Test Format
•
•
•
•
•
Pencil & Paper
100 questions
50 minutes
No Breaks
No Calculators or
Dictionaries
• Ask for scratch
paper
What Are Analogies?
• An analogy states that two things are related
to each other in the same way that two other
things are related to each other
• A:B ::C:D (A is to B as C is to D)or (A is
related to B in the same way C is to D)
• Questions may ask you to solve for any one
of the terms above (A,B,C or D)
• 4 choices given for all problems
What Content Areas Are Covered?
Language
Usage
Mathematics
Physical
Sciences
Biological
Sciences
Social
Sciences
History
Fine Arts
General
Information
LiteraturePhilosophy
Relationships in MAT Analogies
Similarity
Contrast
Predication Subordination
Completion
Part Whole
Word
Coordination
Relationship
Equality
Negation
WholePart
Sound
Relationship
Letter
Relationship
Superordination
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Similarity -Relationships between
synonyms or words that are nearly the same
– HAPPY:GLAD :: DULL (razor, blunt, sharp,
bright)
– Happy & Glad are synonyms
– Dull & --------- are synonyms
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Contrast - Relationships are between
antonyms or words that are nearly opposite
in meaning
– WET: (dry, moist, towel, water) :: STOP:GO
– Stop and Go are opposites
– WET and - are opposites
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Predication - Terms of the analogy are related by
a verb or verb relationship. One term describes
something about the other term.
– Some of the variations- A is caused by B, A
makes B, A rides on B, A eats B, A is a source of
B, A induces B, A studies B, A is made of B, A
uses B, etc
– AUTOMOBILE:ROAD :: TRAIN : (conductor,
track, engine, ticket) (implied verb is travels on)
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Subordination - Relationships are those in
which an object A is a type of B
– (lizard, toad, sponge, trout):FISH :: FROG :
AMPHIBIAN
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Coordination - The first two terms are one
type of thing and the last two are another
– LETTUCE : CABBAGE :: PEAR : (fruit,
peach, radish, carrot)
– Requires recognition of members of classes
– Lettuce & cabbage are both types of vegetables,
pear and peach are both types of fruit
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Superordination - Relationships are those
in which A is a category into which B falls
– BIRD : ROBIN :: MOLLUSK : (fish, water,
sponge, snail)
– This analogy deals with category membership.
Bird is a category that includes the robin;
mollusk is a category that includes the snail.
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Completion - Each term of this kind of an
analogy is part of a complete expression
– SAN : FRANCISCO :: (San, Santa, La, Los) :
Angeles
– San and Los complete the names of two citiesSan Francisco and Los Angeles
– United : Stand :: Divided : ______
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Part - Whole - Relationships are those in
which A is part of B
– DAY : WEEK :: MONTH : (hour, minute,
year, time)
– A day is part of a week, and a month is part of a
year
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Whole - Part - Relationships are those in
which B is a part of A
– (hour, minute, year, time) : MONTH :: WEEK:
DAY
– A month is part of a year. A day is part of a
week.
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Equality - Relationships involve
mathematical or logical equivalence
1/2 : 1/4 :: .26 : (.52, .18, .13, .11)
– Requires recognition of mathematical
equalities. 1/4 is equal to one-half of 1/2, .13 is
equal to one-half of .26.
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Negation - Relationships involve logical or
mathematical negation
Pentagon : Decagon:: Rectangle : __
(square, pentagon, heptagon, octagon)
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Sound Relationships - Two words are related
because they sound similar in some way. The
relationship is nonsemantic in that it has nothing
to do with the meanings of the words.
– TOE : ROW :: LO : (now, crow, boy, you)
– Answer is crow - all have a long o vowel sound
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Letter Relationships - The order of letters of
one term are altered or in some other way
transformed to form the letters of another term
– PAT : TAP :: RAT : (trap, skunk, tar, eat)
– Tap is obtained by spelling Pat backwards. Tar
is obtained by spelling Rat backwards.
– BRAT : RAT :: -------- : RINK
Relationships in MAT Analogies
• Word Relationships - These usually express
grammatical relationships between words.
– EAT : ATE :: MEET : (meat, meet, met, meets)
– Ate is the past tense of Eat and Met is the past
tense of Meet
Tips To Improve Your Score
• Don’t Say “IS TO”
– AN ANALOGY IS A PAIR OF WORDS THAT
CONSTITUTES A SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIP
• Make a sentence that expresses that
relationship
–
–
–
–
–
Apple : Fruit
Sheet : Bed
Hat : Head
Mouse : Whale
Goat : Gloat
Finding The Analogy Pair
• A:B :: C:D
• 1 2 3 4
• Apple : Fruit :: Lollipop : (Candy,Chocolate,Vegetable, Sugar)
• A 1-2 analogy
• Sheet : Mask :: Bed : (face, ghost, costume, paper)
• A 1-3 analogy
• Hat: (glove, finger, scarf, winter) :: Head : Hand
• NO OTHER RELATIONSHIPS ON THE MAT!
After You’ve Made A Sentence With The Analogy Pair-
• Try “plugging” in the answer choices to the
sentence
• Apple: Fruit :: Lollipop (Candy, Chocolate, Vegetable, Sugar)
– 1-2 analogy pair
– An apple is a type of fruit
• A lollipop is a type of candy
• A lollipop is a type of chocolate
• A lollipop is a type of vegetable
• A lollipop is a type of sugar
Do the same with the 1-3 analogy
• Weight:Length :: Gram: (cup, volume, distance, meter)
–
–
–
–
–
–
1-3 relationship
A gram is a measure of weight
A cup is a measure of length
A volume is a measure of length
A distance is a measure of length
A meter is a measure of length
Summary
• Identify whether a 1:2 or 1:3
analogy
• Make a clear sentence
expressing the relationship of
the words in the pair
• Go through the answers given
by “plugging” each one into the
sentence with the other stem
word
Other Tips
• Consider alternative meanings and different parts of speech
• Dog:Bay :: (cow, sheep, fish, bark) : Bleat
• Practice using a study guide and practice tests
• Simulate the real test
– 100 questions / 50 minutes
Know how the test is constructed
• First 33 questions
relatively simple
• Second 33 or so
medium difficulty
• Last 33 difficult
Beware of Distractors
• Wrong answers not random
• Meant to entice
• Read ALL Answer Choices
• Especially in questions 66 100
Manage Your Time!
• Skip Questions
• Process of Elimination
• What is the capital of Uganda
• Paris, London, Kampala, Madrid
• No blanks
– Don’t fear guessing
• Three pass system
• Remember- No Unanswered
Questions
Other Suggestions
• Reduce “worries” related to the actual taking of the
test!
• ARRIVE EARLY (schedule it for everyone’s
convenience)
• BRING TWO IDENTIFICATIONS (one with a picture)
• Eat and sleep adequately several days prior to the
exam
• Think POSITIVELY. Avoid negative self-talk such as,
“I know I am going to fail,” or “I never do well on
standardized tests.”
• Focus on each question and don’t worry about what
you just answered or what may be coming up next.
Questions
What Scores Does VSU Require?
MASTER OF EDUCATION Admission
Standardized Test Scores (GRE or MAT)
A. GRE
950 +
900 - 949
=35 points
= 30 points
B. MAT
44 +
39 - 43
= 35 points
= 30 points
C. GPA
3.50 +
3.25 - 3.49
= 35 points
= 30 points
and Undergraduate Grade-Point Average (GPA)
850 - 899
800 - 849
750 - 799
Subtotal =
= 25 points
= 20 points
= 15 points
36 - 38
32 - 35
27 - 31
Subtotal =
= 25 points
= 20 points
= 15 points
3.00 - 3.24
2.75 - 2.99
2.50 - 2.74
Subtotal =
= 25 points
= 20 points
= 15 points
NOTE: Use either the GRE or MAT; do not award points for both tests.
TOTAL________
Recommendation Guidelines
40 + Points =
Regular Admission
30 - 39 Points =
Admit by Exception (Probationary)
Below 30 Points =
Reject
What Scores Does VSU Require?
EDUCATION SPECIALIST Admission
Standardized Test Score (GRE or MAT) and Graduate Grade-Point Average (GGPA)
A. GRE
1050 +
1000 - 1049 950 - 999
900 - 949
850 - 899
=35 points
= 30 points
= 25 points = 20 points
= 15 points
B. MAT
48 +
46 - 47
44 - 45
39 - 43
36 - 38
= 35 points
= 30 points
= 25 points = 20 points
= 15 points
C. GGPA
4.00
3.75 - 3.99
3.50 - 3.74 3.25 - 3.49
3.00 - 3.24
= 35 points
= 30 points
= 25 points = 20 points
= 15 points
Note: Use scores from either the GRE or MAT; do not award points for both tests.
Recommendation Guidelines
40 + Points =
Regular Admission
30 -39 points =
May be considered for regular
admission via the appeals process
Subtotal =
Subtotal =
Subtotal =
TOTAL__________
Below 30 points =
Reject