Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the toughest and most prominent exams for management education, which is taken by the IIMs for admission in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programme. THE CAT exam is an online exam which has two sections, the quantitative ability & data interpretation section and verbal ability & logical reasoning. Each section has 30 questions and the time allotted for it is 70 mins, so a total of 60 questions needs to be answered in 140 mins. Once a candidate finishes the first section, he is not allowed to edit or recheck the first section.
Preparing for CAT
To prepare for CAT a lot of people suggest a lot of ways like, joining proper coaching centers, studying books thoroughly and smartly, or going through different study materials. Here are the 5 simple steps through which you can crack CAT.
1. One of the most important things one should take a note of is that they should practice rigorously. So one should practice more and more but do it in a smart manner because cracking one needs hard work as well as smart work. Be disciplined, create a routine and follow it properly. Try to practice each section for at least an hour or two.
2. Work on your weaknesses. While preparing for CAT one should keep in mind that one cannot have any weaknesses on any portion or section while preparing for CAT.
3. Do not waste time in the examination time, having said that don’t rush into things. Read the questions properly and answer them. Initially, leave the questions which you have doubts in.
4. Stay updated on the current affairs. Make a habit of reading the newspaper daily, go through various magazines and try to follow the news. This will not only update your General Knowledge but will also help your aptitude on Data interpretation.
5. Selecting proper books and study materials is another crucial aspect. One should go through:
- ‘High School English Grammar and Composition’ by Wren and Martin,
- ‘Verbal Ability’ by Arun Sharma,
- ‘How To Prepare For Quantitative Aptitude For The CAT’ by Arun Sharma,
- ‘Quantitative Aptitude for MBA Entrance Examinations’ by Abhijit Guha,
- ‘How to prepare for the Data Interpretation for CAT’ by TATA-McGraw Hill publications,
- ‘How to prepare for the Data Interpretation for CAT’ by Arihant Prakashan,
- ‘Reasoning and DI for MBA Exam’ by Arun Sharma,
- ‘Business English and Communication’ by Clark Grade C.
