Identify the nature of the question. Solve more
mocks. Have a disciplined strategy
The Common Admission Test
(CAT) will be held November 25, 2018.
With
five months to go, it is time MBA aspirants get into serious preparation for
admission opportunities into their dream management institutions.
Since
CAT is the gateway to admissions into all 20 Indian Institutes of Management
(IIMs), the competition level is very high for the exam with about two lakh
aspirants competing for around 5,000 seats in the premier chain of
institutions.
Besides
this, CAT score is also accepted by more than 100 top B-schools towards short
listing of candidates for their next level of selection process.
Given
the significance of CAT for MBA admissions in India, it is important for
aspirants to understand well when and how to start preparing for CAT.
Let’s
first understand what CAT is and its test pattern:
About CAT 2018
The
Common Admission Test is a computer-based examination that evaluates
candidates’ skills in English, quantitative ability and logical reasoning.
This
year, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta will conduct CAT on
November 25, 2018.
Prof
Sumanta Basu from IIM Calcutta is the CAT Convener this year.
The
CAT registration will tentatively begin in the second week of August.
Understand the exam pattern and syllabus
The
first stepping stone towards cracking any exam successfully is to understand
its exam pattern and syllabus.
Though CAT exam pattern is
officially made available, the exact syllabus remains unavailable.
The
CAT paper comprises three sections with a total of 100 questions and total test
duration of three hours.
The
three sections of CAT paper are:
1.
Quantitative Ability (QA)
2.
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI-LR)
3.
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VA-RC)
While
QA and VA-RC carry 34 questions each, DI-LR carries 32 questions.
Each
question carries three marks for a right answer. The paper has a negative
marking scheme with penalty of one mark for a wrong answer.
The
unanswered questions are awarded zero mark. All the three section get equal
importance with separate one-hour slot for each of the three sections.
Also,
candidates are not allowed to switch between the sections during the test as
the sections are time-bound.
Usually,
the syllabi for all the three topics cover the fundamentals of Class 10 and 11 NCERT
books, but the questions are a bit tricky and require logical thinking.
CAT 2018: When is the right time to start preparing?
According
to the experts, five to six months of dedicated preparations could take you
towards your goal of securing a high percentile in CAT.
Coaching Vs. Self-Study
While
different formats of coaching classes help in preparing for such a competitive
examination, a serious self-study plan with online and offline preparation
resources is also an option that CAT toppers suggest.
Though,
aspirants who opt for coaching get the tailor-made section-wise preparation
material which helps them understand basic concept as well as advance
questions, for those who can’t afford coaching classes owing to time or money
constraints can access expert notes and select study material for the same.
There
are thousands of preparation books out there waiting for you to lay your hands
on them.
However,
it is not a good idea to study from a lot of different books or sources. Stick
to one good book of each subject and take mock papers from other sources.
Some
of the must-read books for CAT preparation include How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude
for the CAT by Arun Sharma, The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by
Nishit Sinha, and Quantitative
Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Verma.
Further,
the internet is a reservoir full of online and offline CAT ebooks, sample
papers, video tutorials and timed online mock tests, and the best thing is that
most of them don’t cost a penny!
As
an aspirant, you can even interact and engage with experts and fellow CAT
takers on various social media platforms to ask queries or exchange study
material.
The
key, however, is consistency in your preparation and discipline with which you
follow your preparation strategy.
Focus on basic concepts and section-wise preparation
The
next step is to get acquainted with the fundamentals of each section and build
on them to make each of them your strength.
Manek
Daruvala, director, T.I.M.E. says, "The most important aspect would be to
improve fundamentals as it helps you to factor a question based on the basic
concepts.”
Also,
each section may require a customized preparation approach based on your level
of understanding and interest.
VA-RC
Generally,
this section has 24 RC questions and 10 VA questions.
Regular
reading is the key to crack this section.
Also,
people with reasonable frequency of reading quality materials can crack a 98
percentile in the VA section.
QA
Use
the reverse strategy for this section such as taking mock tests, trying to
solve it with timer, and later analyzing it from the solutions available.
The
areas covered under the Quantitative Ability section include Arithmetic,
Algebra, Number System, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Higher Maths etc.
DI & LR
This
is the make or break section for everyone.
Work
on versatile forms of data representations like pie chart, bar chart, line
graph, piled bar chart, spider chart and complex combinations of these data
formats.
Decoding
data and quick insight building based on the related questions is the key to
crack this section.
Time Management
CAT
is also a test of time management skills as much as a test for candidate’s
knowledge.
Since
a candidate needs to strike a right balance between number of attempts and
accuracy level, the time spent on each question become an important factor
towards scoring high in the test.
While
some question may require long calculation, a few may just be tricky. Thus, it
is important for test takers to quickly identify the nature of the question and
accordingly invest testing time on the same.
Gautam
Puri, vice chairman, Career Launcher suggests, "Try to attempt each
section in three rounds. In the first round pick the questions that you can
solve without wasting time. In round two, pick questions that are an
opportunity for you, while in round three, pick questions that you think you
can solve but are time-consuming and ensure you answer all the non-MCQs as they
do not have any negative marking."
Mock tests are the pillars of strength
The
most important part of the preparation journey is regular mock tests. It helps
a candidate to evaluate his performance and also helps him gauge his standing
among his peers.
According
to experts, mock tests also help candidates to familiarise with testing
environment and develop time management skills.
