Explore everything about the Common Admission Test (CAT)
What is the CAT exam?
Students who want to pursue a business course aim for the best B-schools. The best business schools include leading institutions like IIM. Getting into some of the top business schools requires taking the CAT entrance exam as well as personal interviews and group discussions. If you want to study business administration and get into your dream business school, you need to start preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT).
CAT is a competitive exam designed to assess student profiles and shortlist students on merit. The CAT entrance exam is an annual computer-based aptitude test. A good CAT score paves the way for the best management schools in India. Successful completion of the CAT exam leads to master, doctoral, and business administration programs.
What is the purpose of the CAT exam?
Common Admission Test is abbreviated as CAT. This is the national MBA/PGDM entrance exam for admission to 20 IIMs and over 1,000 other B-schools that accept CAT scores. Around 2, 00,000 applicants take the CAT exam every year, opening up more than 5,000 MBA/PGDM positions. According to last year's model, the top IIM has a CAT cutoff of over 95%, which fluctuates between the 80th and 95th percentile at other top universities.
What are the eligibility requirements for Common Entrance Test (CAT)
Graduating from a CGPA-accredited college with a 50% or equivalent score will give you CAT academic eligibility. Candidates enrolled in the final year of their studies may also sit for the examination, provided that at the time of selection, the student presents the required certificate attesting that he or she has completed the degree within the prescribed period.
Why should you take the Common Entrance Test (CAT)?
Several reputable institutions take your exam score into account during the admission process for management courses such as the Master of Business Administration (MBA). Most management schools consider the CAT exam to be a prerequisite for the admission process. The results are valid for one year or as long as stated in the notification.
The CAT exam is one of the toughest exams in the country as it does not have a specific syllabus or exam structure. Therefore, CAT forms change frequently, and applicants usually require clarification. To do well in the CAT exam, you must first understand the most important aspects and components of the CAT exam. You should also be aware of any concerns that may be raised. Otherwise, you need to know where to start and how to gather research material for your dissertation. The CAT exam mainly focuses on three sections
• Quantitative ability.
• Language comprehension and reading.
• Data interpretation and logical reasoning.
Why is the coaching center ideal for the CAT exam?
Self-study may seem like the best option to prepare for the competition, but it is; many aspects need to be addressed, such as the confusion of whether to hit or not. One of the biggest benefits of going to a gym is the opportunity to get expert guidance. It is about communicating with the students.
An online coaching center like Verbalhub allows you to get an experiential understanding of how the software model works in the CAT exam and base your analysis and training on it. Professional help is essential to mastering the skills needed to pass the CAT exam on your first attempt.
If you are taking the CAT exam for the first time, professional help is very helpful in assessing the structure of the preparatory course and the talents required to pass the CAT exam. During a CAT coaching session, you will receive tips on what and how to study. That is why attending a CAT training center is invaluable. At Verbalhub, we have well-trained teachers who help students clear their CAT exams.
CAT exam pattern/ CAT Exam Syllabus 2023
The CAT test is a computer-based online test. Until 2019, the CAT paper-based form was 100 questions of 180 minutes or 3 hours (60-minute splits), but in 2020, the CAT exam form was revised.
Currently, the pattern for CAT exams is 120 minutes or 2 hours with a time limit of 40 minutes. Previously, applicants with disabilities were given an additional 20 minutes per episode, but in 2020 they get an additional 13.20 minutes.
Remember that:
CAT exams are administered in English only.
The test consists of three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA.
CAT exam candidates have to complete MCQ and non-MCQ questions.
Each section has a part-time limit.
A negative score of 1 point is given for each incorrect answer and 3 points for each correct answer. There were no negative evaluations of the TITA (non-MCQ) questions.
CAT Exam Dates 2022 will be confirmed after the notification is released. If the exam lasts for two hours, it is expected to follow the pattern of last year's CAT exam.
CAT Exam Syllabus
Quantitative Aptitude: This part of the CAT entrance exam tests mathematical skills and a difficulty level of 10+2. The questions cover basic math, algebra, number systems, geometry, and more. Your math skills include practicing profit and loss problems, basic arithmetic, and taking practice tests.
Logical reasoning and data interpretation: Logical reasoning skills are tested with seating arrangements, orientation, Venn diagrams, lakejle charts, and other data-related issues. You can practice solving the previous year's question paper. To clear this section of the CAT entrance exam, we will focus on topics like relatedness, syllogisms, and logical sequence.
Language comprehension and reading: An understanding of the steps is provided, and questions about these steps must be answered. This section also contains questions that challenge your grammar skills, such as sentence completion, confusing sentences, and sentence types. Always remember to make it a daily practice to read newspapers and articles and expand your vocabulary.
These are the important things you need to know if you are going to appear for CAT Admission Test. Tuition fees at top business schools can be expensive. In addition, other costs associated with education must also be considered. You can opt for an education loan in India to fulfill your academic ambitions.
How much is the difficulty level of the CAT examination?
In terms of difficulty, the CAT questions can be divided into three categories:
1) Easy
2) Medium
3) Difficult
Easy-level questions are those that the best students (those with 90% or more marks) can solve in less than 1 minute on average. There are 7-8 quantitative aptitude questions and 3-4 vocabulary questions. A reading passage is considered easy if it can be completed within 10-12 minutes. There are 1-2 combinations that are on the easy side for logical reasoning and data interpretation.
Intermediate-level questions take slightly longer than beginner-level questions. To get a good score, you must also solve some moderately difficult problems. As a CAT aspirant, there will be areas that you are good at and areas that you are not good at. You must be able to solve intermediate-level problems in your field of expertise. Most CAT questions fall under this category.
Difficult questions are questions that should not appear in the exam. These are given to counter student bids to distract them. One of the most useful skills CAT students can learn is to quickly choose and skip difficult questions.
From a syllabus perspective, most of the concepts and ideas covered in the CAT exam are primarily at the 10th-class level. However, it tends to be a bit more difficult as you have to implement these concepts.
If you need to compare it with other national-level exams like JEE or UPSC, it is much easier than them. CAT does not require the deep understanding required to crack JEE. The CAT does not cover as many topics as the UPSC exam, but still, a proper preparation strategy is important to crack this exam.
CAT Exam Book
Although there are specific CAT Exam Books, yet there are few books that can be followed as CAT exam Subjects.
Grammar: Cambridge Advance English Grammar.
Vocabulary: Cambridge Advance Vocabulary series
Reading: The Hindu, Indian Express, Guardian, the dawn, economic times (Newspaper)
Book for VARC: Arun Sharma RCVA
DILR: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Gautam Puri, & Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT Nishit K. Sinha
Quantum CAT: Arihant Publication
The best strategies to follow for effective CAT exam preparation
Make the schedule- With higher CAT scores, the preparation time for CAT slowly decreases every month, so students are advised to change their preparation strategy to accommodate the remaining time.
CAT exam preparation with time table is an important factor- Without planning, students cannot do well in exams. By making a plan, students not only introduce discipline into their lives but also make the task easier and more efficient.
Strategies distributed across different sections- Each student has their own way of implementing the strategy. They should think more about their weaknesses than their strengths. By searching past papers, you will be able to remember everything accurately for the test. Students should start preparing for the CAT exam as early as possible and not wait till the last minute. Each section should be allocated a minimum amount of time each day.
Time management- To succeed in any exam, students need to manage their time well. For them, passing the CAT exam is especially important. You must prepare time for each part of the exam. A simple way to manage their time can be achieved through mock tests for them to practice. They themselves must spend less time on the subjects they are good at and more time on the subjects they do not know. They can play with the pace a bit as long as you try to start with the easiest and fastest topics first. Long questions and complex instructions two should be reviewed before the test to avoid making mistakes that slow down performance.
Different action plans- First, students must decide how many subjects and days they will cover. Each practice test can be used to plan and implement different strategies so that you can use the most effective one during the actual exam. So they can practice exam strategies and prepare for the big day. The answers may contain important clues that help solve the question more precisely.
Continuous practice- The more students practice what they know, the more they will be able to access what they need to prepare for the CAT exam. Keep your knowledge of each topic fresh by practicing it every week. It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses during training before taking an exam. Practice tests not only give you feedback on your performance and give you an idea of how you'd like to take the live test, but they also give you an idea of what the live test experience will be like.
Cat Mock tests- Students must take mock tests when they are not feeling confident about their preparation. Even if you take a practice test and only get a few questions right, it should give you enough confidence to know where to focus your efforts next time. Taking as many practice tests as possible will also help you develop time management skills that are otherwise difficult to master. It also enables candidates to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the 3-hour exam. You can determine your readiness by attempting a practice test and analyzing it thoroughly.
Why choose Verbalhub- A name synonymous with success in CAT
Verbalhub is the best center for CAT preparation; it also ranks one in online CAT coaching and is known for its success and conviction. Verbalhub follows all visions and works for the benefit of the students so that they can achieve their goals. The institute's purpose is to guide students and motivate them to make the right career decisions. Our faculty members are experienced and able to bring self-awareness to students and know their path to success. Verbalhub achieves success for students under excellent supervision.
Verbalhub has the best full-time faculty members, and its sole purpose is to provide quality CAT training to its students. Since its inception, Verbalhub has maintained its exclusivity by consistently producing toppers and the largest number of top-level earners in CAT. Many students have been selected for Best B-Schools, and it was a real pleasure when the experienced instructors always stood by the students in every situation. In the classroom, the teaching is excellent, and besides that, it focuses on the performance of the students and helps them to improve their performance to achieve their goals.
Verbalhub stays ahead of its competitors by offering the best CAT training in Delhi. We offer regular classroom instruction with very friendly, experienced mentors. We also offer practice exams for these competitive exams based on artificial intelligence (AI) and help students understand their strengths and weaknesses. We serve in small batches, innovative and ready-to-use CAT, aiming to create even bigger success stories in the future.
While studying with us, you'll be able to take your performance to the next level with access to the latest learning materials, practice tests, tutoring sessions, workshops, and grade identification. Additionally, we not only conduct competitive exams but also conduct management sessions to help you prepare for your upcoming career. Increase your chances of success by enrolling in the best CAT exam classes at Verbalhub! At Verbalhub, our primary focus is to provide the best education to graduates and working professionals who are preparing for or aiming to take competitive management exams like CAT.
Winding it up
Candidates who are seriously interested in preparing for the CAT exam for MBA should give top priority to CAT preparation. It is important that the candidates program themselves to decide the best way to prepare for the CAT exam for MBA. In addition to covering all topics, time should be allocated for both testing and revision. To ensure proper preparation for the CAT exam for MBA, candidates must adhere to the schedule once completed.
Timed individual questioning sessions help students recognize their weaknesses and find ways to overcome them. Verbalhub is a leading CAT coaching center in Delhi that strives for excellence. So whether you are a working adult or a student in your final year of graduation, you can count on Verbalhub to get you into your dream B-school and become a winner in life.