The Written test is a means of assessing the aptitude of a candidate. Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation & Language Ability are the most important skills tested. Most institutes have similar test patterns, although institute - specific variations exist. Most institutes require knowledge of mathematics till class X and good linguistic aptitude. The most common test areas are:

Verbal Ability: This section aims to evaluate how well you understand the English language. To do well in this section, a good vocabulary and general understanding of English grammar is required. Some common question types are sentence completion, para-jumbles, analogies, word usage and verbal reasoning.

Reading Comprehension: This section is aimed at ferreting out how well you can comprehend a given passage and subsequently answer questions based on it. Passages cover a variety of topics like history, biology, literature and economics taken from newspapers, novels or academic journals. To do well in this section, you should try to work on your reading speed and reading habits. It is recommended that you regularly read newspapers and business magazines.

Quantitative Aptitude: This section tests your knowledge and understanding of basic mathematical concepts till class X. However some tests might feature a few questions on class XII topics like functions and probability. Apart from testing your proficiency in calculations, the questions test your aptitude for reasoning. Speed and accuracy are critical in this section. Regular practice enables a person with even a non-Maths background to do well in this section.

Data Interpretation : In this section, questions are asked on the basis of data given in various forms like bar graphs, line graphs and pie charts. You are required to understand the data presented and answer the questions asked, based on the same. Good deduction power, good calculation speed and an ability to understand data will help you tremendously.

Data Sufficiency : This section checks your ability to logically deduce whether enough data has been presented to answer the question asked. Typically, questions in this section will be followed by two statements. You have to determine whether you can find the answer to this question by using one or both of these statements.

Logical Reasoning : This section assesses your ability to think logically. You have to analyze a given situation, make deductions and then logically answer the questions.

Essay Writing : In exams like XAT, 20 minutes are given to present your views on a given topic in about 250-300 words. This evaluates your knowledge of the topic, your ability to structure thoughts and the ability to present your ideas in a coherent fashion.

General Awareness : In some MBA tests such as SNAP, IIFT, MAT and IRMA, General Awareness forms an important part of the test. Regularly reading newspapers and listening to news related to politics, business and sports will help you score well in this section.