MAT For Dummies

I bought this on Kindle just to use its practice tests. I didn't even look at the other parts of the book, so I can't comment there.I used the first practice test without a timer, just to get used to what it was like, where to shift my eyes, how to think about the analogies, how much time I would have ... basically, what to expect.Then I took the second and third practice tests. I got 63% and 65% of them right. Then I went and took the MAT. I got a raw score of 63 (432 scaled). So, if you want a fair look at where you are so that you can relax going into it, or so that you can use the other parts of the book to try and boost your score, I think this is a great value. Heck, there were three more practice tests I didn't even use.And some of the familiarity with the specific words and concepts in these practice tests definitely showed up on the MAT. If you are in for a quick preparation, this can't be beat.I have trouble focusing, and I have test anxiety, so this was especially valuable to me for simply understanding the rhythms of the test, the way the thoughts run, how much time to allow myself, how often I would be able to pause my thinking, close my eyes, and take a deep breath to reset my motor. I can't imagine how poorly I'd have done if I had let my runaway thoughts and anxieties kick in.Long story short: worth it for the test exams alone. I knew what to expect, and even what score to expect. Good luck out there.

OK, just took the MAT and did pretty well on it. Had I given myself the time suggested in this book I would have aced it. Not all of them right but I would have been in the 95th percentile instead of the 91st. Without I would have been in the high 80's I just know it. Doesn't matter for my school but it might matter for yours. One of the reason I did well is because I have a humanities back ground which does make a difference. You can't learn everything you need to but where this book helped me more than any of the others (that I waited till the last minute to look through) is its straight forward tips and strategies that were spot on. It will help 're awaken' what you already know. If you are/were a humanities major I think this is the only MAT book you'll need. Get a GRE vocab book if your vocab is weak. Brush up on your -ologies and your greek gods/goddess and the major myths, and do every practice test in here. I only did two of them because I didn't start studying to the day before, this is not bragging this is procrastination talking. Two questions on the exam were in this book. One of them I would have marked wrong had it not been explained to me in this book. Who knew there were idiomatic analogies. Even if you don't buy this book, you will need to review for this test, you have to get your mind think in analogies otherwise it will take too long to get into the rhythm of things and you'll waste time. Good luck!

I liked how everything was broken down into easy to understand sections. The practice tests were extremely helpful.

I bought this book for a friend who was studying for the MAT. This is what he told me about it: It was a very helpful study tool. A lot of good explanation and reasoning about the questions and the test in general. Easy to understand and inexpensive since it was bought used. There was a lot of good information, but at the end of the day, the questions and vocab in the book and practice tests weren't very helpful because it's a test of your comprehensive knowledge and doesn't cross over to the actual test.

When I purchase this book, it was because so many others wrote good reviews. I have mix feelings about the book now. I read the book and study the 6 practice exams which seemed to be helpful and felt I was prepared to take the exam. However, when I took the MAT exam none of the material in the book was on the exam. The practice test in the book are not in the same format as the actual exam. This was a little confusing at first. On the exam all the words associated with the analogy was on the same line as a sentence. Which meant you had to spend more time to find the answer, because you had to work out the problem and determine what is the missing association. The book made it appear that the analogy will be one part and the suggested answer would be another, not the case. I feel that the practice exam in the book should be set up in the same manner as the real exam so you can practice working out the analogy in a sentence structure format. This would have avoided wasted time during the exam. I can't say at this time if the book really help me, because I used my own knowledge and skills to answer the analogies. I think this book worked well for some and others not so good. I will continue using the book to prepare for MAT for a 2nd time and try to find what I missed. I will also look for other materials that may be helpful. The exam is not hard, but you don't have a guide to study is just so much ground to cover. Tracy Chase

I thought the tests and terms in this book were incredibly helpful. If you are willing to take the time to learn the vocab and terms, it will absolutely improve your score. It was really helpful to me to look up the words I didn't know on all the practice tests and make flash cards. Vocab is the key to the MAT. Seriously, there is SO MUCH in this book that I saw on my test! If you can take the time to go through everything in it, it will be worth it. I was kicking myself during the test for not spending enough time studying, because I saw things that I knew were in the book that I hadn't spent time on! For ref, I scored a 432.

I was hesitant to purchase this book, at first. I feared that it wouldn't be as helpful as some of the others out there. Honestly, I think it was more helpful. It explained the MAT test in basic terms, which is a plus for me. Why over complicate explaining the test, when the focus should be on studying the material needed to pass the test. The book is well organized and the six complete practice tests allow you to get a really good idea of how prepared you are for the actual test. Great purchase!

Great book, exactly as advertised. Very pertinent and accurate. Great for preparation of the MAT exam. I recommend!