Quantitative Skills
This year, out of 48 questions in the Quantitative Skills section, 23 were on Problem on Solving, 16 on Data Interpretation and 5 on Data Sufficiency. Surprisingly, the remaining 4 questions in the Quantitative Skills section were on Grouping and Conditionalities set typically asked in the Logical Reasoning.
In the previous NMAT exams (mainly NMAT-2014 to NMAT-2016), the questions from one area were grouped together. This pattern was loosely followed in NMAT-2018.
Majority of the questions on problem-solving were easy to medium level of difficulty. In the past, the Quantitative Skills section of NMAT exam used to have 5 sets on Data Interpretation. However, this year, there were only four sets on Data Interpretation. Two of the four sets were data heavy and involved significant calculations. Because of the nature of the presentation of the data, it required some effort to make sense of the data before the set could be attempted. The other two DI sets were relatively straightforward. The key to attempting this section was not to spend too much time on really calculation intensive sets and attempt the straightforward questions before more time-consuming DI sets.
The Problem Solving questions were dominated by Modern Maths and Arithmetic. There was no question on Algebra.
Following was a representative break-up of the Problem-solving questions (as per student feedback):
| Topic/Subtopic | Number of questions | Level of Difficulty |
| Modern Maths | 10 | Easy to Medium |
| Arithmetic Progression | 4 (including one question on Data Sufficiency) | Easy to Medium |
| Probability | 2 | Medium |
| Permutation & Combination | 2 | Easy to Medium |
| Logarithms | 2 | Medium |
| Arithmetic | 9 | Easy to Medium |
| Profit and Loss | 3 (including one question on Data Sufficiency) | Easy to Medium |
| Percentages | 3 | Easy to Medium |
| Time and Work | 1 | Easy |
| Ratio-Proportion* | 1 | Easy |
| Simple-Compound Interest | 1 (Data Sufficiency) | Easy |
| Numbers | 5 | Easy to Medium |
| Divisibility | 1 | Easy |
| Prime Numbers | 1 | Medium |
| Last two digits | 1 | Medium |
| Remainders | 1 | Easy |
| Misc (Question involving the relations between the numbers) | 1 (Data Sufficiency) | Medium |
| Geometry | 4 | Easy to Medium |
| Triangles | 2 | Easy to Medium |
| Mensuration | 1 | Easy |
| Co-ordinate Geometry | 1 (Data Sufficiency) | Easy |
| Data Interpretation | 16 | Easy to Difficult |
| Bar chart with two charts | 4 (one set of 4 question each) | Three questions were observation based and were easy. Some students reported that one question was ambiguous. |
| Bar Chart with five variables in two series over three years | 4 (1 set of 4 questions) | Difficult (Presentation of the data made the set rather tough) |
| Bar Chart | 4 (1 set of 4 questions) | Difficult (Calculation intensive) |
| Table | 4 (1 set of 4 questions) | Medium to Difficult |
| Logical Reasoning set on Grouping and Conditionalities | 4 (1 set of 4 questions) | Easy to Medium |
*: A few students reported that one question on Ratio-Proportions was confusing.
A genuine attempt of about 35 questions with about 85% accuracy will be considered good. However, in order to attempt 35 questions, selection of DI sets was very crucial.
Logical Reasoning
NMAT-2018 underwent a slight change in the structure of Logical Reasoning section. There were 25 questions on Non-Verbal Reasoning (as compared to 28 over the previous years) and 15 questions on Verbal Reasoning (as compared to 12 over the previous years). The section also had one set on Binary Reasoning that was not tested in NMAT in the recent period.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning questions consisted of set based questions as well as standalone questions. One question in Non-Verbal Reasoning also tested the concept of a Venn Diagram in Mathematics.
There were 15 Verbal Reasoning questions this year.
Following is a representative break-up of Logical Reasoning section (as per student feedback):
| Topic/Subtopic | Number of questions | Level of Difficulty |
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | 25 | Easy to Difficult |
| Matrix Arrangement | 4 (one set of 4 questions) | Easy to Medium |
| Sequential Output | 4 (one set of 4 questions) | Medium |
| Binary Logic | 4 (one set of 4 questions) | Difficult |
| Coding | 4 (all standalone questions) | Easy to Medium |
| Venn Diagram | 2 (both standalone questions). | Easy to Medium |
| Family Tree | 2 (both standalone questions) | Easy |
| Complete the number series | 1 | Easy |
| Games and Tournament | 1 | Medium |
| Directions | 1 | Easy |
| Miscellaneous | 2 | Easy |
| Verbal Reasoning | 15 | |
| Implicit Assumptions | 3 | Medium |
| Strong argument/ Weak argument (1 paragraph - 3 arguments) |
1 | Medium |
| Course of Action/Decision Making | 3 | Medium |
| Critical Reasoning Strengthen/Weaken Inference/Conclusion |
6 | Easy, Medium, Difficult |
| Syllogisms (3 data statements/ 3 conclusions) | 1 | Easy |
| Implicit statement | 1 | Easy |
A genuine attempt of about 28 questions with about 85% accuracy will be considered good. However for attempting 28 questions, it was important to select the right sets
Language Skills
There were no changes in the Language Skills section from last year.
The RCs were both of around 600-700 words. According to one student one of the passage was easy and the other wasn’t. The RCs should have been dealt with only after the other questions had been answered. The non-RC questions, which tested vocabulary and grammar concepts, were predictable and fairly easy.
The remaining question types were on:Mark the error in a sentence; Fill in the blanks (double, cloze, subject-verb agreement & prepositions-based); Jumbled paragraphs; Word Analogies; and as usual in NMAT, Antonyms and synonyms
The vocabulary based questions ranged from easy to medium.
Following is a representative break-up of the Language Skills section:
| Topic/Sub-topic | No. Of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
| Reading Comprehension (2 passages with 4 questions each) |
8 | Easy to Medium |
| Reasoning | ||
| Paragraph Jumbles (5 sentences) |
4 | Easy to Medium |
| Analogies | 4 | Medium |
| Cloze Passage | 4 | Easy |
| Vocabulary & Usage | ||
| Synonyms | 1 | Medium |
| Antonyms | 2 | Medium to Difficult |
| Fill in the Blanks (2 blanks – a combination of grammar and vocab) |
3 | Easy |
| Grammar | ||
| Fill in the blanks with 3 Prepositions | 2 | Easy |
| Part of the sentence has an error | 4 | Easy |
While attempting the RC questions, students are advised to drag the slider of the vertical scroll bar to the bottom of the scroll box, attempt the question and then click ‘Next’ to navigate to the next question. In case of the slider not touching the bottom of the scroll box, the test-taker is prompted with a pop-up notification stating ‘Read the entire passage before attempting the question’ resulting in a waste of a precious few seconds.
A genuine attempt of about 26 questions with about 85% accuracy will be considered good.
Miscellaneous
Since there is no negative marking in the NMAT exam, it made sense to mark answers even for the questions you could not get.
No major technical glitches were reported from the test centres and the administration of the exam was smooth.
Students are given an option to choose the order in which they want to take the three sections of the exam. Students are advised to immediately click ‘OK’ once a section’s timing is over and load the next section on the screen as the timer does not stop till the time ‘OK’ button is clicked.
When you go for your exam, ensure that you carry the following with you:
- Primary ID
- Secondary ID
- Admit card
- Confirmation email
- Photocopy of primary ID: The test centre staff will retain the photocopy of your primary ID for their own record.
The test centre staff will return the copy of your admit card to you after signing and stamping it. Make sure that you retain the same because you will have to carry the same copy for later attempts of NMAT, should you wish to attempt more number of times.
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