Content and Use
The test aims to measure an individual's logical and analytical reasoning through the use of partial analogies. A sample test question might be
Bach : Composing :: Monet :
- a. painting
- b. composing
- c. writing
- d. orating
This should be read as "Bach is to (:) Composing as (::) Monet is to (:) _______." The answer would be a. painting because just as Bach is most known for composing music, Monet is most known for his painting. The open slot may appear in any of the four positions.
Unlike analogies found on past editions of the GRE and the SAT, the MAT's analogies demand a broad knowledge of Western culture, testing subjects such as science, music, literature, philosophy, mathematics, art, and history. Thus, exemplary success on the MAT requires more than a nuanced and cultivated vocabulary. In-house factor analysis studies, however, show that only one major factor accounts for most of a person's performance.
The MAT has fallen out of favor among some admissions departments, yet it is still widely accepted in the social sciences, education, and occasionally in the humanities. For most graduate programs the GRE is the most common qualifying exam.
Read more about this topic: Miller Analogies Test
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