Miller Analogies Test

The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is a 120 question, 60 minute (formerly 100 question, 50 minute) standardized test used primarily for graduate school admissions in the USA. It was created and is published by Harcourt Assessment.

The exam aims to measure an individual's logical and analytical reasoning through the use of partial analogies. An example test question might be:

Bach : Composing :: Monet :


 * a. painting
 * b. composing
 * c. writing
 * d. orating

The answer would be a. painting because just as Bach is most known for composing music, Monet is most known for his painting. More example questions may be found here

Out of the 120 questions, only 100 are scored for a raw score. The remaining 20 questions are experimental. As a test-taker there is no way of knowing which questions will count toward the raw score and which questions are experimental. As of the fall of 2004, the exam became computerized; test-takers can now opt to take it as a Computer-Based Test (CBT), although the pen-and-paper exam still exists.

Unlike analogies found on 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.

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, however, the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is the most common qualifying exam.

The Miller Analogies Test is also accepted by MENSA for their admission requirements. MENSA requires a score in the 98th or 99th percentile for admission.

Tests taken before October 2004 were scored simply by the number of questions the test-taker answered correctly with a range from 0-100. Tests taken in October 2004 or later have a test score range from 200 to 600, with 400 as the average. As of 2006 the score of 421 was in the 81st percentile and as of 2007 a raw score of 454 was in the 98th percentile. As of March 2007, a score of 464 was in the 99th percentile.