Prepare CAT Entrance Exam
Every student who aspires to earn an MBA degree from a prestigious B-school in India prepares for the CAT exam. Scoring in the 99 percentile in this exam opens the door to ample admission opportunities. Naturally, this makes it one of the most competitive papers to crack. As an MBA aspirant, you must know the right tricks and strategies on how to prepare for CAT and prepare a study plan accordingly. It requires rigorous practice along with a deep understanding of the theory. In this article, we will discuss some of the most important CAT exam tips that will help MBA aspirants
important Tips for CAT Exam
1. Understand the Exam Pattern
The first step is to familiarize yourself with the exam pattern. Go through previous year’s question papers to analyse the number of sections, time duration, and types of questions. This is an important step in CAT preparation as this will help in figuring out your strong and weak points. Once you have identified the pattern of the questions, make sure to practice mock tests regularly to simulate the actual exam environment.
2. Create a Study Plan
Once the exam pattern is clear, create a comprehensive study schedule. See to it that each section is given ample time for preparation. Per your analysis, prioritize weaker areas but maintain a balanced approach to cover all subjects adequately. Regular practice will also boost your confidence and help you identify and rectify weak areas. Since you know your strong and weak points the best, devise a study plan that is realistic so that you can maintain a thorough pace in your CAT preparation and it does not become too difficult over time.
3. Master Time Management
One of the most important CAT exam tips is mastering time management. This strategy will help in the preparation phase as well as the main CAT exam. While solving mock tests and exercises, practice time-bound exercises to enhance speed and accuracy. Learn to prioritize questions and move on if one seems too time-consuming. During practice, keep a timer to check how much time is consumed for each question and try to improve on it with frequent practice.
4. Build Strong Fundamentals
While it certainly helps to have the tricky formulas memorised so that difficult questions can be tackled with ease, it is essential to strengthen your basics for your long-term benefit. Pay special attention to quantitative aptitude, verbal ability, data interpretation, and logical reasoning. It is crucial to have a fundamental understanding of these concepts during your CAT preparation for MBA as the exam often has a few surprise questions from these topics. You can solve these trick questions more quickly and accurately if you have a strong grasp of the fundamental concepts.
5. Read Widely
One step that aspirants often overlook during their CAT preparation is the habit of reading. Cultivate a habit of reading newspapers, magazines, and diverse articles to improve reading comprehension and language skills. Reading enhances analytical and reasoning skills as well, while an improved reading efficiency will help candidates comprehend difficult questions with ease and in less time. Apart from this, newspapers are the best source of knowledge on current affairs, which is crucial for group discussions and interviews.
6.Join a Coaching Program
If self-study is not helping you score well in your practice sessions, do not panic. Consider enrolling in a reputable CAT coaching program to receive guidance from experienced mentors. The mentors in reputed coaching institutes can analyse the exam patterns and trends and often have useful insights on how to prepare for CAT and which areas to focus on for the current year. Their study material is also tailored to suit the students’ ability to grasp the concepts quicker and with more ease.
Apply Now for PGDM/MBA 2025 at NDIM
CAT preparation for MBA is quite a challenge, but there are many ways to ace this exam. Dedicating nine months to a year for this exam will give you ample time to cover all topics and to practice weak areas. But with the right strategy and guidance, it is possible to prepare for CAT in a shorter span as well. But the journey to a management career doesn’t end here! After scoring well in the CAT exam, an aspiring MBA student has to choose the right B-school that makes them future ready for a successful management career.
New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM) is a top choice among MBA aspirants. Over 7500+ well-placed NDIM alumni come together to form a robust alumni network. With its dynamic Corporate Skills department, NDIM focuses on holistic student development and provides necessary skills beyond academic knowledge. Its faculty members are dedicated to designing a cutting-edge curriculum that incorporates the latest AI-ML and technological tools necessary for a successful management career.
NDIM’s commitment to providing top-notch internships and placements ensures a promising start to every student’s career. Due to this, it boasts a 100% placement record even during the pandemic times. Such dedication to every student’s holistic development has led NDIM to be awarded as the Best B-School in India for Industry Linkages by all the national apex business chambers in India. Any aspirant who wants to know how to prepare for CAT must start looking at different B-school options as well. Choosing NDIM for your MBA journey can be the catalyst for a successful and fulfilling journey in the world of business management. For more details, visit our website at https://www.ndimdelhi.org/
Here is a CAT preparation strategy: Clear the Concepts & their Applications. Start taking mocks. You will know the topics and type of questions asked in CAT VARC, LR, and QA sections, their key concepts, and how to answer them. Devise Strategy and complete syllabus of all and start attending sectional tests Revise.
CAT, or the Common Admission Test, is a computer-based management aptitude test conducted in India. It is a prerequisite for admission to various management programs offered by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other prestigious business schools across the country.
The CAT exam primarily tests proficiency in three areas: Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR). Allocate your study time accordingly to cover all these subjects.
Time management is crucial for success in the CAT exam. Practice solving questions within the stipulated time limits to improve your speed and accuracy. Learn to prioritize questions based on difficulty level and allocate time accordingly during the exam.
Mock tests simulate the actual CAT exam environment and help you assess your preparation level. Take mock tests regularly to identify strengths and weaknesses, fine-tune your strategies, and track your progress over time. Analyze your performance after each mock test to identify areas for improvement.