Top CAT Exam Preparation Tips: Ace the Test with Strategy

Blog Summary

Preparing for the CAT exam requires strategic planning, time management, and consistent practice. The exam, conducted by IIM Ahmedabad, includes VARC, DILR, and QA sections with a 120-minute time limit. To succeed, candidates should focus on vocabulary, grammar, logical reasoning, and quantitative skills while taking mock tests regularly. A structured study plan, time management techniques, and stress-free preparation are essential for achieving a high percentile. Avoid last-minute cramming, stick to a schedule, and use mock exams to refine strategies. Follow these expert preparation tips to boost confidence and ace the CAT with flying colors.

Table of Content

CAT is a computerized common test conducted for PGDM & MBA Aspirants. It includes Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).Three sections of the test last over Two hours through online. The qualified candidates are called for MBA/PGDM admission in various Institutes. The CAT test has been scheduled on NOV 28 th , 2021 in various Institution.

Basic Details

Eligibility- Applicants must have a minimum of 50% in their undergraduate degrees to take the CAT Exam.

Fees- Candidates in the general category are charged Rs. 2,200, and SC/ST category candidates are charged Rs. 1,100.

Exam Duration- the CAT 2021 examination has been shortened from 180 minutes to 120 minutes. Sectional time restrictions have been lowered from 60 minutes to 40 minutes.

CAT Exam

The CAT is one of the most popular exams to get into prestigious business schools. CAT Examination is facilitated by The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. A multiple choice of questions with limited time for each section is scheduled in the CAT Exam. As per the above mentioned VARC, DILR & QA are the exam patterns. There are thirty centres (cities) all over India, depending on availability, where candidates can choose the test date, session (morning/afternoon/Evening), and venue.

CAT 2021 section-wise tips

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC):

Vocabulary- Students has to find fill in the blanks, one word questions & sentence completion.
Grammar- In the sentence they have to use word substitution and also find the mistakes.
Verbal reasoning- Paragraph completion, sequencing and arrangement of sentences.
Reading Comprehension- Practise reading again and again it will help students to finish the passage at first in the Exam.

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR):

It consists of graphs, charts and table where students have to analyse carefully.
It will be having logical puzzles or puzzle solving questions. They need to have a knack of answering this puzzle type questions.
Fast of switching questions in set of particular questions.

Quantitative Ability (QA):

This section contains numerical questions for mathematical Skills.
To check the candidates speed & Accuracy.
Require to complete with the Fundamental basics.

If candidates follow the below instructions before the CAT exam
day, it will be helpful without any stress

1. Checklist- Ensure that students should have all the things you need on the exam day like

Print the Admit Card on an A4 Size paper.
Valid Id proof like Aadhar Card, Pan card etc.,
Masks ,Gloves, Sanitizer & water bottles.

2. Relax & Sleep

Schedule a time for sleeping before the exam day.
Exercising is a really good way to relax, as it increases their mood.
In order to stay up to date with current affairs, candidates should read the news every day.
Memory-enhancing exercises such as meditation and breathing can also be helpful for students.

3. Be Optimistic

Students Do their test in relax & happy mood.
Don’t be a overthinking persons that let them to be in a depression mode.
They should enough brave before taking a decision.

In order to ace the CAT exam, students must become familiar with the kind of questions which they can expect to encounter.

Don’ts for the Candidate

Multiple time of attempts for 2021 CAT exam will be cancelled
students Admit Card.
Electronic Gadgets are prohibited.
Do not Cheat or Copy answers in Exam.

Plan your schedule

Top CAT scorers advise students to shift their preparation strategy to align with the remaining time as preparation time for the CAT is slowly dwindling month after month.

CAT preparation with Time Table is an important factor.

Without planning students can’t succeed in getting a good result in the exam. By creating a plan, students will not only bring discipline into their lives but also make the tasks that are at hand easier & more efficient.

Section-wise strategy

Each of the students has a different way of implementing strategies. They should consider their weak points more than their strong points. Examining past papers makes them remember everything thoroughly in the exam. Students must start preparing for the CAT as early as possible and not wait until the last minute. For each section, they have to assign a minimal time for each day.

Time Management

To succeed in any exam students should manage their time well. It is particularly crucial for them to succeed in the CAT exam. They should prepare the time for each section of the exam. Easy way of time management for them can be attained through the trial exams which can be a practice. Themselves should take less time on a topic they are good at it so they have more time on a topic they are not familiar with.

They can play around with the timing a bit, so long as they try to start with the easier/quicker topic first. They have to take time to review long questions and complicated instructions twice before the test so they don't make a mistake that will delay their performance.

Different Plan of Actions

In the beginning, students should determine how many topics they have to cover and how many days they have. Each of their mock exams can be used to plan and practice different strategies, and then they can use the most effective one at the time of the actual test. Thus, they can experiment with their exam strategy and prepare well for the big day. Sometimes answers contain key clues that can help them to solve a question more accurately.

Constant Practise

The more Students practice what they know, the more they will be able to access what their preparation for the CAT requires. Keep their knowledge of each topic fresh by practicing them each week. Before they take an exam, they will help themselves identify their strengths and weaknesses while practising. Practice Tests will provide them with feedback on their performance in addition to giving them an idea of what they like to take a live exam In addition to providing them with an idea of what a live exam experience will be like.

CAT mock Test

Mocks should be written by students when there is no better time. If they took a mock test and only manage to answer a few questions correctly, that should give them enough confidence to determine where they need to focus their efforts next. Additionally, if they take as many mock tests as possible, they develop their time management skills, which are harder to learn from any other method. It also enables the candidate to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the three hours of the exam.

By attempting mock exams followed by a thorough analysis, it would be possible to determine their level of preparation.

Conclusion

Candidates with serious interests in CAT preparation should give it the utmost importance. It is imperative that candidates should create a schedule for themselves to determine how best to prepare for CAT. Time should be allocated for both tests and revision in their timetable as well as covering all the topics. In order to ensure that the CAT Preparation is done properly, aspirants must adhere to the timetable religiously once it has been made.

Students be right on track to score more than 99 percentile in CAT if they devote two hours per week (per section) to their VARC, DILR, and Quant concepts, and test them every week by taking a mock test (3 hours) and understanding its analysis (5 hours).