By Moksh Khatri · Founder, DMAT Club · Updated 20 August 2026
Exam facts verified 11 September 2026 against g.a.s.t. (d-mat.de) and APS India (aps-india.de). Answer formats checked against the official dMAT demo exam, sat 23 August 2026. The dMAT is a first-year exam and its rules move — confirm anything date-sensitive at the official source before you act on it.
Key facts
Core Subtest 1Figure Sequences — 20 questions in 25 minutes
Core Subtest 2Mathematical Equations — 20 questions in 25 minutes
Core Subtest 3Latin Squares — 16 questions in 20 minutes
Break30 minutes
Subject ModuleGeneral Academic Module, about 90 minutes
Total durationAbout about 3 hours plus a break
Timing enforcedPer subtest, not per sitting
Negative markingNone on any subtest
Score scale0 to 200, mean 100
Verified 11 September 2026 against g.a.s.t. and APS India.
The dMAT is a computer-based test taken at an authorised centre, delivered in
English, running about about three hours plus a 30-minute break including a 30-minute break. The
answer format varies by subtest: Figure Sequences is single-choice with four
options, Mathematical Equations takes a typed value for every variable, and
Latin Squares presents a fixed A to E answer column.
Those per-question figures only become real under a clock you cannot pause, which is what a full-length dMAT mock test exists to reproduce.
Do the arithmetic and a pattern appears: 25 minutes for 20 figure sequences,
25 minutes for 20 equation systems, 25 minutes for 20 Latin squares. That is
75 seconds per item across all three core subtests, consistently.
Timing is enforced per subtest, not per sitting. You cannot
finish Latin Squares early and spend the saved minutes on Figure Sequences. When a
subtest's clock expires, that subtest closes.
The practical consequence is that pacing discipline matters as much as ability.
The most valuable skill the format allows you to train is recognising within about
twenty seconds whether an item is a solve-now or a guess-and-move.
Practise the real thing, free. Mock 1 is a full 56-question
dMAT Core Module test with enforced timers and a worked solution for every
question. Free account, no card.
Attempt the free mock test.
Marking scheme
There is no negative marking. This single fact should change
your behaviour in the room. An unanswered item earns nothing; a random guess among
four options has a 25% expected return; eliminating even one option pushes that to
33%. On Latin Squares the column is five letters, so a blind guess is 20%, and on
Mathematical Equations there is nothing to guess between — you type the
values — which is exactly why that subtest rewards finishing the algebra. The official instruction for every subtest says the same thing — if you
do not know an answer, guess.
Leaving items blank is the most common avoidable mistake on a no-negative-marking
test. Our mocks explicitly count your blanks and flag them before you submit, for
exactly this reason.
The score scale
Results are reported on a 0–200 scale with a mean of 100.
Your core score and subject score combine into a total result. Evaluation is
central, at the TestDaF Institute in Bochum, so there is no local examiner
discretion and no re-marking negotiation.
Because the scaling model is not published, no preparation provider can
honestly convert a mock score into a predicted official band. Anyone offering a
guaranteed dMAT score is selling something they cannot deliver. What a mock score
can tell you reliably is your accuracy per subtest and your pacing —
which is what you actually act on.
Exam-day rules that shape preparation
No notes. You may not take notes at any point. No rough paper.
No calculator. None is provided and none is permitted.
Short instructions only. The detailed task rules appear in the
preparatory materials; the exam shows brief reminders. Learn them in advance.
Single-choice throughout. Four options, one correct, both
modules.
Together these are the strongest argument against preparing from printed PDF
question papers: a PDF trains you to solve with a pencil in hand, which is
precisely the habit the exam forbids. Practising in a browser under enforced timers
is not a gimmick — it is the only way to rehearse the actual constraints.
How the subject module differs
The Subject Module gives you 90 minutes for the whole test rather than tight
per-subtest windows. You read an input text that may include figures, tables and
formulas, then answer single-choice questions on it. The item count varies by
module. Content is aligned to your bachelor's field group and is
application-oriented rather than recall-based.
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in the dMAT?
No. There is no negative marking, so you should never leave a question blank.
How much time do I get per question?
About 75 seconds per item across all three Core Module subtests: 25 minutes for 20 figure sequences, 25 minutes for 20 equation systems and 25 minutes for 20 Latin squares - 60 items in 75 minutes.
Can I go back to a previous subtest?
No. Timing is enforced per subtest. Once a subtest's time expires it closes.
What is a good dMAT score?
Scores are reported on a 0-200 scale with a mean of 100, so 100 is average by construction. Universities weigh the score differently and no official cutoffs have been published for the first cycle.
Moksh KhatriFounder, DMAT Club
Built the question generator behind the DMAT Club mock tests, including the verifier that rejects any Figure Sequences item with more than one defensible answer. Checked the dMAT answer formats against the official demo exam on 23 August 2026 — which is how this site came to describe them differently from most published guides.
