MBA is a well-known degree and the most desired one for a career in management. It is considered the door to many career opportunities. To get admission to an MBA, candidates need to appear for Entrance Exams. The most popular among them is the CAT, that is, the Common Admission Test.
A good score guarantees admission to top Business schools, including the IIMs that hold the CAT Exam. This year the CAT 2021 exam is scheduled for November 28, 2021. Thus, to help you with your preparations, here we have shared the CAT 2021 exam preparation tips.
Eligibility for CAT Exam
The eligibility criteria for CAT facilitate maximum appearance in the exam. Every Institute also has its eligibility criteria for admissions.
To appear in the CAT, the candidate must pass the eligibility criteria as given below:
- The candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree (passed) with at least 50% or above (for both General category candidates and NC-OBC caste). For candidates from SC/ST or are Differently Abled (DA), a minimum of 45% is required.
- The university from which the candidate has got the Degree must have recognition from MHRD.
- Some universities award the result in CGPA instead of percentage. If that is the case, one must use the conversion factor provided by the university. If no such factor is given, one can directly convert the CGPA into a percentage using the formula, i.e., dividing the CGPA received by the total CGPA and multiplying the result by 100.
- Any candidate who has completed their professional degree with a minimum of 50% marks (45% for PWD/SC/ST) can also appear in the CAT Exam.
- Students who are appearing in the final year of graduation are also eligible for the exam. The only condition is, they must pass their final year with a minimum of 50% marks (or 45% for others). Failing to do so will make their candidature null and void for MBA.
- As per the CAT Eligibility criteria, there is no age limit for the candidate.
- The graduation degree should be three years as per the current eligibility criteria, but older Bachelor’s degrees are also applicable unless received from a UGC-recognised University.
How to Prepare for the CAT Exam?
The CAT exam is challenging to pass, and one must prepare thoroughly for that. Here is a step-by-step guide for CAT exam preparation this year.
- Go through the CAT Exam Pattern:
One must know the exam pattern of the CAT exam. It has three main sections, namely.
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA) has 26 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) has 24 questions, and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) has 26 questions.
- The duration given to complete these sections is 2 hours.
- The total marks for the same are 228.
- A score of +3 is given for each correct answer, and -1 is given for an incorrect answer.
- Know the syllabus well for CAT
One must be thorough with the syllabus and the types of questions that are asked in the exam. You can refer to last years’ question papers for this.
- In VARC, Paragraph summary, reading comprehension, Misfit sentences, and para jumbles are mostly asked. Besides this, verbal reasoning, grammar and usage, and questions based on vocabulary are also asked.
- In DILR, topics like bar graphs, line charts, pie charts, Venn diagrams, Caselets, number and letter series, clocks, calendars, binary logic, syllogism, cubes, blood relations, series, games, and tournaments, seating arrangement, tables can be asked.
- In QA, Number Systems; Profit, Loss and Discount; LCM and HCF; Speed, Time and Distance; Percentages; Time and Work; Ratio and Proportion; Simple and Compound Interest; Averages; Linear Equations; Quadratic Equations; Complex Numbers; Binomial Theorem; Logarithm; Sequences and Series; Inequalities; Probability; Surds and Indices; Permutation and Combination; Functions; Set Theory; Geometry; Trigonometry; Mixtures and Allegations; Coordinate Geometry; and Menstruation.
- Work on your fundamentals
Once you know the exam pattern and syllabus, you must gain conceptual clarity on all the important topics. You can learn the techniques to be followed in Verbal ability through portals like BYJU’S Exam Prep. The DILR section is practice-based, and you can get the tips for Logical reasoning here.
- Try on plenty of mock tests before the real one
One must attempt the mock test before the actual paper. The mock exam is designed to give you an understanding of the level of the paper. Also, the mock paper allows you to know your weaknesses and strengths in terms of the topics prepared. You can check BYJU’s Exam Prep mock papers for CAT for this purpose.
- Analyse the result and make further strategies
Once you perform several mock tests, you are now ready to make a strategy for preparing each section accordingly. You can plan your time and make a study schedule devoting suitable time to various topics. Also, previous years’ question papers will guide you in making a clear strategy. You can check the previous years’ CAT Question papers here!
CAT is an essential exam for getting admission to an MBA. Hence the aspirants must prepare smartly for it. There are a lot of resources that you can check online about exam preparation, but at the same time, thorough study will help you get your dream score.