How to Prepare for the dMAT: Sample Questions, Study Material & Practice Resources

The dMAT doesn't have a fixed content syllabus the way an entrance exam built around a specific subject would. The Core Module measures general reasoning skills, and the General Academic Module tests whether you can apply reasoning to unfamiliar academic material rather than recall facts from your own degree — so re-reading your undergraduate textbooks isn't the useful prep here. Getting familiar with the exact task types and the on-screen interface is.

Official preparation materials

g.a.s.t.'s own preparation page (linked from d-mat.de) hosts the resources worth using first:

• Preparatory materials PDF for the General Academic Module — the closest thing to an official "dMAT sample paper" or question paper — with sample questions, worked solutions, and explanations of how to approach each task type. This is the module that matters for APS/India applicants; g.a.s.t. also publishes separate PDFs for other subject modules (for example, Battery Science and Technology, and Data Science) used by specific German universities outside the APS India process. Check the same page for the latest version, since g.a.s.t. revises these PDFs as the exam format is clarified.
• Five official walkthrough videos, each explaining how a part of the exam works on-screen: an overview of the exam format, plus dedicated walkthroughs for Figure Sequences, Mathematical Equations, Latin Squares, and the Subject Module screen. g.a.s.t. re-issued this set of videos on 8 September 2026 — the links above point at the current versions, and an earlier set published in August is no longer the one linked from d-mat.de, so work from these. These interface walkthroughs apply regardless of which module you're sitting, including the General Academic Module used for APS purposes.

The General Academic Module PDF confirms the module's format directly: you're given a short academic passage — on a topic drawn from mathematics, computational sciences, natural sciences, engineering, business administration, economics, social sciences or humanities, sometimes with figures, tables or formulas — followed by several single-choice questions with four options each, testing whether you can read and apply the passage rather than recall outside facts. Its sample exercises walk through worked passages on vector calculations, hydrostatics, inventory-order-quantity economics and social-science research methodology, each with full solution reasoning. You can try practice questions built in the same passage-plus-questions style on our General Academic practice page.

g.a.s.t.'s own guidance is to work through everything available on that page before test day, since no further explanation of task types is given once the exam starts — you won't get clarifying instructions mid-exam, so any confusion about how a task type works needs to be resolved in advance.

A practical order to work through this in

1. Watch the general overview video first to understand the on-screen interface before anything else.
2. Watch each subtest's walkthrough video as you get to it, rather than all at once — the format details stick better next to the material they apply to.
3. Work through the General Academic Module PDF's sample passages, since this is the module that determines your actual result for APS purposes.
4. Try timed practice questions last, once you're familiar with the format, so your practice results reflect your actual reasoning speed rather than confusion about how to answer.

The TestAS Core Test as a reference point

The dMAT's Core Module uses the same three-subtest design (Figure Sequences, Mathematical Equations, Latin Squares) that g.a.s.t. has run for years in its established TestAS Core Test, described on testas.de. That page is a useful supplementary reference for understanding how the subtests are built and timed — just keep in mind TestAS and dMAT are separate exams with separate registration; working through TestAS materials helps you understand the Core Module format, but it doesn't substitute for registering and sitting the dMAT itself. See dMAT vs TestAS if you're unsure which one you actually need.

For a refresher on what each section actually covers before you dive into practice materials, see the syllabus breakdown. Ready to actually try questions rather than just read about them? See free mock test practice for every subtest.

Should I re-read my undergraduate textbooks to prepare for the dMAT?

No — that's the one thing g.a.s.t.'s own materials suggest isn't useful prep. The General Academic Module tests whether you can apply reasoning to unfamiliar material, not recall facts from your degree, so time is better spent on the official sample questions and interface walkthroughs.

Is there official dMAT coaching available?

g.a.s.t. does not run a paid coaching programme for the dMAT. Its official preparation resources are the sample tasks, tutorial videos and demo formats published on d-mat.de — see this page for the direct links.

How should I actually use the prep time before test day?

Work through the General Academic Module PDF and all five walkthrough videos first, since no further explanation of task types is given once the exam starts. Then use free practice questions to get comfortable with the on-screen format under real time pressure.