Tips for CAT. Review on Tips for CAT Preparation

(Comment)13-Jul-2004: The author is currently doing his MBA at IIM-Kozhikode

(Comment) Dec-2004: The CAT pattern has been changed to include questions carrying different weightage. Hence the reader is advised to refer to the latest CAT mock papers.

Preparing for CAT-2002 has taught me some tips, which I would like to share with you. An overview on CAT first. CAT is a common entrance exams for the IIMs. A lot of institutes also base their admissions on CAT score.

CAT is a 2 hour exam, divided in different sections like:

a. Quantitative Ability

b. Data Interpretation

c. Puzzles

d. Data Sufficiency

e. Reading Comprehension

f. Verbal ability

These sections are generally combined in 3-4 sections, which could be (a), (b-d), (e-f) for a 3 section paper, and (a), (b-d), (e), (f) for a 4 section paper. The combinations could vary from paper to paper.

CAT has individual cut offs for every section(generally) and this point needs to be kept in mind while writing CAT.

Now for the Tips:

1. Start your preparation atleast 5-6 months in advance. While this period may vary on individual basis, this could be considered as an ideal time for which one needs to give a full go.

   
   




2. If the paper does not divide time among sections, and permits the candidates to do so, ideally the time should be divided equally among the sections. This helps in ensuring an equal effort for all the sections. Again, this vary from individuals to individuals.

   
   




3. Every section has to be attempted very well, since the cut-offs are not predefined.

   
   




4. Personally I prefer to do Reading Comprehension in the beginning, because if I attempt it in last, I feel very tired, which results in lack of concentration. This is purely a personal opinion.

   
   




5. CAT is a test of ability as well as choice. One has to wisely filter the easy questions from the tough ones, and attempt those. I would like to rate this point as the most important of all. e.g. one could be struck in a difficult question in 5 mins, in which one could have attempted 3 easy questions. Never take it on your ego, if you are not able to solve a tough question, and keep working on it. Just leave it coolly.

   
   




6. Be sure to read all the questions. This helps a lot in choosing the easy questions.

   
   




7. Take a lot of mock-tests before the final exam. This helps to get a good feel of the actual scenario. I prefer taking these mock tests in a center with lot of people, rather than doing it alone at my place. This is again a personal opinion.

   
   




8. Join a coaching institute, if it is a good one. It helps in getting a good exposure.

   
   




9. Constantly keep in touch with the different sections, viz., Maths, Verbal, Data Interpretation and puzzles.

   
   

Hope this review would be able to give some good pointers for CAT exam.