Strategy to Crack CAT Exam

MBA-CAT Exam is a Online Common Admission Test for getting admission into the IIM (Indian Institutes of Management) and about 120 other MBA Colleges in India. Currently there are 9 IIM in India. They are listed below. The Online CAT Test is held online once a year in last week of November.

List of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) in India :

1) IIM Ahmedabad
2) IIM Bangalore (Bengaluru)
3) IIM Calcatta (Kolkata)
4) IIM Lucknow
5) IIM Indore
6) IIM Kozhikode
7) IIM Shillong
8) IIM Ranchi
9) IIM Rothak
10) IIM Raipur

To get into IIMs and the 120 Colleges which use CAT Scores one has to go through a selection process which includes most OR all of the following :

1. Written Test
2. Group Discussion
3. Personal Interview
4. Essay Writing
5. Psychometric Test
6. Group Task
7. Management Games

The percentile secured in CAT is used by the B-Schools in India for short-listing candidates for admissions to their Institutes MBA Programs.

The written exam tests the aptitude of the candidate in a number of areas. It usually consists of questions related to :

1. Quantitative Ability
(Questions in Mathematics mostly from 8-9-10 standard, covering Arithmetic, Geometry, Menstruation, Algebra, Trigonometry and Co-ordinate Geometry)

2. Verbal Section
(Questions in the area cover Grammar, Sentence Correction, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension & Verbal Analogies)

3. Data Interpretation / Data Sufficiency
(Analysis of Data. Usually data is in form of tables, charts, graphs. Students are required to study them and answer the related questions)

4. Logical Reasoning / Ability
(Questions to be solved using Common Logic)

5. General Awareness
(Currently CAT does not have questions on General Knowledge)
(Questions pertaining to current/past issues (national & global), economics, general knowledge etc.


Preparation Strategy to Crack CAT Exam:

There is no formula or shortcut to crack the CAT or any other MBA Entrance Test. One should take care of the following :

1. Clear your concepts of 8-9-10 standard maths (preferably NCRT)
2. Extensive Reading on current issues (Indian & Global), business, economics etc. Reading magzines like Business India/World/Today, Forbes India, India Today, Frontline, and National English Newspapers daily is recommended.
3. Regular puzzle solving
4. Solve as many questions in all areas of the CAT Test. Subscribe to study material from any national coaching center or download from internet. This practice will give you the required speed needed for CAT.
5. Join a Test Series of min 20 Tests and do the complete analysis of each test. We suggest you to join any 2 leading National CAT Coaching Centers such as T.I.M.E., IMS, Career Launcher for test series.
6. Daily write an essay (2-3 pages) on any one topic (currently issues, business etc) of your choice. Try refining them after 1 month.
7. Speak English 24x7 for fluency confidence
8. Increase your vocabulary by over 1000 words (ie memorize & then use 20 new words daily).