Unarguably common aptitude test (CAT) is one the toughest exam in India for aspirants wanting to pursue an MBA from top B-schools of the country. More than two lakhs of aspirants compete every year for securing seats in different MBA programs. It tests the candidate’s Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension (VARC), Quantitative Ability, and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning (DILR). But more than this it is a test of your speed and accuracy.
CAT Eligibility criteria
The eligibility criteria for CAT if given below:
1. A candidate must have a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA from a recognized board or university. For candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PWD/DA category must have at least 45%.
2. Candidates currently in the final year of their bachelor's can also appear for the CAT examination.
3. Candidates who have completed professional degrees like (CA/CS/ICWA) with the mentioned percentages are eligible to appear in CAT.
Should you opt for coaching or not?
Whether you should go for a coaching center or not is completely a subjective matter. Understand your circumstances and needs then take a decision, you need not follow the cluster. Generally working professionals opt for self-study due to lack of time in their schedule, they end up taking online courses and mock tests (which is mandatory for CAT preparation). Candidates who are in their final year of graduation opt for coaching guidance. Hence you cannot have a ride or die set of rules for each candidate.
Past year question papers for CAT
Having knowledge of previous year's questions always comes in handy not only in CAT but in any competitive examination. Solving the previous year's problems boost the confidence of the aspirant, there are also high chances of repetition of the same question in the current year. Try to solve at least past ten-year questions this will make you understand the format and the frequency of a particular set of questions being repeated every year.
Accuracy and speed
The most common myth people have regarding CAT is if you have aced Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension (VARC), Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning (DILR) you will score 100 percentile, needless to say, all these topics are extremely important but what’s more important is your speed and accuracy that’s the real battle you need to fight for. The best way to improve speed and accuracy is by giving as much mock test as possible, mock tests not only clears your concept but also help you to analyze your flaws so that you can perform much better next time. Prioritizing questions during a mock test is really important in that way you will give sufficient time to important questions also you will learn to lessen your time on each question by applying shortcut techniques. After giving each mock test sit and analyze your approach and try to come up with a better one next time.
Online session with experts
These days many renowned CAT experts and mentors are taking online sessions for aspirants wanting to take the CAT exam. Having the guidance of mentors who have expertise in their field plays a crucial role in the preparation, not only they will guide you with strategic planning but also, they will cheer you up and boost your confidence. There are various platforms from where you can seek expert guidance free of cost, YouTube is one such platform, on which you will find numerous CAT preparation channels.
The two most renowned channels on YouTube are 2IIMs By Rajesh Balasubramanian, ARUN SHARMA MINDWORKZZ, and Rodham (Popular for Quant and LR), they have helped more than thousands of students to clear the exam with flying colors and get into their dream B-school.
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