Vince Kotchian

Article / Updated 05-04-2023

There’s a saying, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to have it show up on the MAT.” To prepare for analogies involving history on the MAT, you should familiarize yourself with important events in history. The following historical events give you a good history foundation for the MAT. 1970s energy crisis: Shortages of petroleum caused by Arab Oil Embargo and Iranian Revolution American Civil War: Period in 1861–1865 when the North (Union states) and South (Confederate states) fought over slavery and the Confederates’ desire to secede from the Union American Revolution: Thirteen colonies in North America that broke free from British rule Apollo 11: First manned landing on the moon, in July 1969 Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: April 14, 1865, in Washington DC. Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth Attack on Pearl Harbor: Surprise Japanese attack on Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, which led to the United States’ involvement in WWII Bay of Pigs Invasion: Failed attempt by the CIA to overthrow Fidel Castro Chernobyl disaster: Nuclear accident in the Ukraine on April 26, 1986 Crusades: Religious wars by the Catholic Church to take back the Holy Lands Easter Rising: Irish insurrection in 1916 that tried to end British rule in Ireland Fall of the Berlin Wall: On November 9, 1989, East Germany announced that citizens could visit West Gemany; this led to German reunification Holocaust: Genocide of six million Jews and millions of others during World War II in Europe Hundred Years’ War: Conflicts between England and France between 1337 and 1453 Louisiana Purchase: The purchase of the vast Louisiana Territory by the United States from France in 1803 Manhattan Project: The program by the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada that developed the first atomic bomb Russian Revolution: 1917 revolutions in Russia that ended the Russian Empire September 11 attacks: Four hijacked planes attacked targets in the New York City and Washington, D.C., areas in 2001 Thirty Years’ War: Series of wars fought in Europe between 1618 and 1648, one of the longest and most destructive wars in European history

Article / Updated 08-11-2022

The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is a standardized test normally used for graduate school admissions. The test is composed entirely of analogies. The Miller Analogies Test uses multiple analogy types, such as 1:2,3:4. Recognizing the type of analogy being used plays a crucial role in your ability to select the right answer for that question. When it comes down to it, analogies are pretty simple: They’re just relationships between words (and sometimes between numbers). Your job for any MAT analogy question is just to recognize the relationship presented to you and find its match among the answer choices. Easy, right? The only problem is that sometimes you may not recognize the presented relationship, its match, or even some or all of the terms in the question! The first step in dealing with any MAT analogy, however, is identifying its structure. If you don’t correctly determine its structure, you may create a relationship between the wrong terms. MAT analogies fit into just two structural types: 1:2,3:4 and 1:3,2:4. In a 1:2,3:4 analogy, the first and second terms in the question have a relationship, and the third and fourth terms in the question have the same relationship. To help you recognize the structure of a 1:2,3:4 analogy, here is an example. Take a minute to wrap your head around this notation if it’s confusing — it’s important to understand before you move on. Fitzgerald : literature :: Monet : _________________ (A)fishing (B)philosophy (C)art (D)music The first term in this question, Fitzgerald, has a relationship to the second term, literature: F. Scott Fitzgerald, a famous American literary figure, created literature — for instance, he authored The Great Gatsby. Since the first and second terms are related, the third term, Monet, should have a similar relationship to the fourth term, which is one of the answer choices. You may realize this is a 1:2,3:4 analogy structure instead of a 1:3,2:4 structure, either by recognizing the strong relationship between Fitzgerald and literature or by reasoning that Fitzgerald and Monet don’t have a clear or compelling relationship. Although you could write a sentence linking F. Scott Fitzgerald, a famous American writer, to Claude Monet, a famous French painter, the relationship between the two men is not obvious, other than that they’re both famous. The correct answer is Choice (C), art. Claude Monet, a famous artist, created art, just as Fitzgerald, a famous writer, created literature. By the way, a MAT question’s structure will never be 1:4,2:3, though you sometimes may think you see that type of relationship. For instance, the following question is an attempt to trick you into creating a 1:4,2:3 relationship: _________________ : 6 :: billion : million (A)6 (B)9 (C)10 (D)100 You may think about picking Choice (A), reasoning that the first and fourth terms (6 and million) have a similar relationship to the second and third terms (6 and billion). However, MAT analogies can’t, don’t, and won’t have that structure. Also, there’s not much of an argument that the relationship between 6 and million can be the same relationship as in 6 and billion, and hopefully if you tried to create a sentence for that relationship, you realized it was weak. The right answer is Choice (B), 9, making the analogy a 1:3,2:4 (a billion has nine zeroes and a million has six zeroes). Even if, in your mind, the first and fourth or second and third terms of an analogy have the most beautiful relationship in the world, remember that it’s not meant to be. 1:4,2:3 relationships don’t exist on the MAT.

Article / Updated 07-29-2022

The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is a standardized test normally used to assess the analytical abilities of graduate school applicants. The test is composed entirely of analogies. To do well on the MAT, it helps to understand that its analogies fall into several different categories. MAT analogies are all about relationships, and familiarizing yourself with some of the general categories of relationships on the MAT can make it easier to identify them in questions. The MAT officially lists four types of relationships: Semantic, Classification, Association, and Logical/Mathematical. The names for these types are not as simple and descriptive as they could be, so it helps to group the MAT analogies into these five major categories: Description Type Parts Similar/different Playful It’s a good idea to get familiar with these five major categories and how they work by studying the following examples. Then you’ll know what’s coming on the practice tests and the real MAT. To identify description analogies, it’s helpful to understand what a verb is. A verb is a part of speech that expresses existence or action. Description analogies are quite common on the MAT. In a description analogy, one of the terms in the analogy describes the other term in some way. The description is usually accomplished by a verb, which can be any action. For example: DOCTOR : HOSPITAL :: FARMER : _________________ (A)crop (B)acre (C)labor (D)field In this 1:2,3:4 analogy, a doctor works in a hospital, as a farmer works in a field, so the right answer is Choice (D). A hospital is a description of where a doctor works, as a field is a description of where a farmer works. The description is accomplished by the word works. Here’s another description analogy example: CHICKEN : DOLPHIN :: _________________ : CALVE (A)green (B)hop (C)hatch (D)swim This analogy is a 1:3,2:4. A baby dolphin leaves its mother’s womb through calving, as a baby chicken leaves its protective egg by hatching. The answer is Choice (C). Calve is a description of how a dolphin is born, as hatch is a description of how a baby chicken is born. In this example, you can think of the description as being accomplished by the word born.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-26-2022

The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is an aptitude test used for admission to graduate programs. Although it's lesser known than the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), many universities base their assessment of potential students on the MAT score, and the test has been around for more than 50 years. Knowing how the test is structured, how to best plan your study regiment, and how to decipher and share your test results will help you earn a place in the program of your choice.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-27-2016

The Secondary School Aptitude Test (SSAT) and Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) are the two most common standardized aptitude tests used in American private secondary schools. Prepare for the SSAT and ISEE by knowing what to expect on the tests, how to register for the exams, and how to do your best on test day.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Registration info, test dates, and fees for the ISEE are always changing, so be sure to check out the ISEE homepage. Here, you can find the latest information about registering for the ISEE, and you can even register online. The online registration allows you to locate and register for an open test site during various times throughout the year. However, some schools have closed registrations where they test their existing students or students who are applying to the school. Always check with the school you're applying to for more information about registering for the ISEE because closed registrations must be handled by the specific school. Start by contacting the school's admission officer, and go from there. After you register for a test, you can reschedule the test if necessary or access additional information about inclement weather, testing accommodations, and so forth. When you take the ISEE, bring your ISEE admission ticket, some form of identification, two sharpened #2 pencils, a good eraser, and a pen for the writing sample. (Note: Make sure the pencils are #2, which is usually labeled on the box and the pencil itself, because other kinds may not be read correctly by the scoring machine.) You can't bring books, papers, calculators, phones, watches with alarms, or basically any other electronic devices. Also, no visitors are allowed.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Test dates, fees, and other important registration info for the SSAT are always changing, so check out the SSAT website before you register for the test. Here, you can find the latest information about registering for the SSAT, and you can even register online. Also, if you observe a Saturday Sabbath, the SSAT website shows you how to register for a Sunday exam. After registration is complete, you receive an admission ticket, which allows you to enter the testing center — so be sure to keep it in a safe place! Most exams begin at 9 a.m. and end around 12 p.m. Check your admission ticket for details and make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes early so you have plenty of time to check in and get ready for the test. You may not be allowed to take the test if you're late, so make sure you get there early instead. When you take the SSAT, bring your SSAT admission ticket, some form of identification, two sharpened #2 pencils, a good eraser, and a pen for the writing sample. (Note: Make sure the pencils are #2, which is usually labeled on the box and the pencil itself, because other kinds may not be read correctly by the scoring machine.) You can't bring books, papers, calculators, phones, watches with alarms, or basically any other electronic devices. Also, no visitors are allowed in the testing room.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Naturally, you want to do your best on the SSAT and ISEE, so how can you make sure your performance shines on test day? Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind: Take advantage of practice questions and practice exams on the SSAT and ISEE websites. The more you practice, the better prepared you'll be for the actual test. On test day, listen to all directions and make sure you read all directions on the exam. Nothing is worse than doing the wrong thing because you didn't heed the directions. Watch your time. Both the SSAT and ISEE are timed exams with each section having a certain number of questions and a time limit. Use practice exams to practice taking the test sections within the time limit allowed; doing so helps you get used to the time limit pressure. Read the questions carefully and check all answer choices before you make a decision. Many questions ask you to choose the best answer, so be sure to check out all the answer choices before you bubble one in on the answer sheet. Answer every question you can, but if you just don't know the answer to a question at all, skip it and move on. Don't waste time on questions you can't answer. Use the process of elimination. For every question, you're given a few answer choices but only one of them is correct. Try to rule out answers you know are wrong. Doing so greatly increases your odds of answering the question correctly, even if you're not sure of the answer.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) explores your ability in a few distinct key areas. In fact, the SSAT focuses on only a few subjects, divided into four sections. With the exception of the Writing section, all questions on the test are multiple-choice. Section Questions Time Limit Writing Sample One writing prompt 25 minutes Quantitative Two sections: 25 questions each, consisting of a mixture of different kinds of questions in each section 30 minutes for each section Reading Comprehension One section: 40 questions based on about 7 reading passages 40 minutes Verbal One section: 30 synonym questions and 30 analogy questions 30 minutes The SSAT has two different versions: The lower level test and the upper level test. The only difference between the two levels of the SSAT is the difficulty. The lower level test questions are tailored for students currently in grades 5 through 7, and the upper level test is tailored for students currently in grades 8 through 11. Other than that, the tests are exactly the same in terms of the types of sections, number of questions, and time limits.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

You can't make the SSAT or ISEE any easier, but you can start your test day off right and make it easier and less stressful, which can lead to better results on your entrance exam. Here are a few tips to keep in mind on SSAT or ISEE test day: Get plenty of rest. The night before the test is a time to sleep — not a time to text your friends until the early morning hours. In short, go to bed! Eat breakfast. Studies show that students who eat breakfast perform better on exams than students who don't. So be sure to eat a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast (which means you should skip the half box of doughnuts because the sugar high won't help you answer questions effectively). Make sure you or a parent know how to get to the testing center. Nothing is more nerve-wracking than driving around lost when your test is about to begin. Know where to go so there's no stress in getting there. Arrive at least 30 minutes early. This extra time gives you a little wiggle room for problems along the way, and it also gives you a chance to go to the restroom and relax for a few minutes before the test actually begins. Keep it relaxed. Test jitters are normal for everyone, but try to keep things in perspective. After all, the SSAT and ISEE are just exams; they don't measure how smart you are, and they don't predict your future success in life. In a nutshell, the sun is going to come up tomorrow so don't let the test totally freak you out today. Just do your best and work hard, and you'll do great!