MAT vs GRE

[cintachakra]

Is there any website that will give me some sort of mini-quiz and then tell me if I should take the GRE or the MAT

Comments

[teaclouds]

[cintachakra]

I have a choice :)

[kahlan_amnell]

There are only a few programs that will accept the MAT instead of the GRE. I haven't taken the MAT, but it sounded like it would be easier.

[cintachakra]

Yeah, I have a choice. The MAT does look a bit easier.

[wcolsher]

As teaclouds says, each program will tell you what test is required. That said...

The biggest difference is that the MAT, as you might expect from the name, is entirely analogies. So no math, no reading comprehension, no writing. However, the analogies are, in my opinion, very heavily biased toward North American, upper class, caucasian culture. So you get things like these (from their test guide) :

FROST : POETRY :: MILLER : (a. grain, b. drama, c. literature, d. bard)

NAPOLEON : PERGOLA :: (a. baker, b. general, c. lumber, d. trellis) : CARPENTER

You answer 120 of these delightful questions in 60 minutes. Yep. 30 seconds each.

Its pretty obvious from this why the MAT is an "also ran" at best: it is little more than a high speed trivia quiz.

So unless all the schools you're applying to accept the MAT you'll end up taking the GRE anyway. And why take both?

[cintachakra]

I am only applying to one at this point and I have a choice on the exam.

Thanks for the examples :)

[tylik]

You might drop who_is_she a note - the program she was applying for would take either, and she chose to take the MAT.