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XAT Exam Preparation

XAT Exam Preparation

XAT stands for Xavier' Aptitude Test. This is a national level entrance examination which is managed by XLRI every year which allows a student who is interested in the management area. Additionally, this score can be used for admission in various other 100 institutes for admission to their management programs through XAT score. It is conducted on first Sunday of the year in which the program commences and is an online format-based exam.  Kickstart your XAT preparation online now (more…)
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Time Management Tips for GMAT – How to effectively manage your exam preparation

Time Management Tips for GMAT – How to effectively manage your exam preparation

Time Management Tips for GMAT – How to effectively manage your exam preparation

Are you a student, a working professional or someone just studying for entrance exams? Whatever the answer to the above question is, the inevitable fact is that one must be very efficient in their preparation-time management. A key aspect that is ignored by a lot of test-takers is the fact that consistent effort is required to score well on the GMAT and plus GMAT exam total marks are important. The test takers come from different backgrounds, but prudence in the amount of time you spend every day will enable you to ‘work-smartly’ and ultimately, reach your desired score. GMAT A few tips that are applicable across the different categories of students:

  1. The modular system of practice of GMAT:

    A big mistake committed by most students is that they try and learn everything together. You should be able to understand where you stand in terms of your grammar and language levels, and your mathematical skill level. Learn specific concepts every day. Plus and accumulate them, while trying to correct what you have learnt previously. Deviating from the given schedule will hinder not only your preparation but also the faculty’s plan.
                          Prefer a system of quality learning, rather than quantity learning.

  1. GMAT Preparation Technique-practice and enhancement:

    Absorbing the multitude of formulas, and the different concepts of tackling the verbal section is not an easy task. The  GMAT exam total marks demands a high level of concentration, which can only be achieved through practicing and being thorough with the different techniques. The exam is a test of both speed and accuracy; which can only be achieved through persistence.
                            Learn the techniques, implement them, and then master them.

  1. Take a break:

    The rigorous nature of the exam can make you falter, and deviate from the technique that is supposed to be used. You might end up making more mistakes than usual. Mental fatigue can bog you down and make you ‘not-believe’ in yourself. Whenever your mind asks for it:
                                                Take a break, unwind, refresh and restart.

  1. The calculated guess:

    The GMAT is based on a series of questions intended to test your ability to think on your feet. At times, it is almost impossible to comprehend everything that you read in a particular reading comprehension passage. Or in a critical reasoning question within the given span of time. After you practice consistently, guessing an answer becomes much easier and it affects on your GMAT exam total marks in a good way.
                                           Consistent practice leads to calculated correct guesses. Also Read : The GMAT Score : Should I Accept What is On Screen, or Reject it ?  
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IIFT Preparation : IIFT Exam Study Material

IIFT Preparation

According to experts and past IIFT toppers, IIFT  preparation must be well defined, and one of the key differences between IIFT exam preparation and other exams is the GK for the IIFT exam and how to prepare for it. According to the revised IIFT exam pattern, A good sectional and overall score in IIFT  can get you into one of the three IIFT campuses in Delhi, Kolkata, or Kakinada for the high-ROI MBA (IB). Start your IIFT preparation online with IIFT Courses

IIFT Exam Pattern

The IIFT written exam is traditionally administered in November/December of the year preceding the program's start date. It is a two-hour multiple-choice objective style test, with the test areas of Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, and General Awareness in recent years. Check the below table for more details: IIFT Exam: Important Dates, Application Form, Eligibility, Cut-Off
SectionTotal QuestionsMarks per question Negative MarksTotal Marks
Quantitative Aptitude253-175
VARC353-1105
LRDI303-190
General Knowledge201.5-0.530
Total110--300

IIFT Preparation

Are there any differences in IIFT training tips for beginners and repeaters? A six-month training period for the IIFT is necessary to pass the exam. Before embarking on the IIFT planning trip, keep the following in mind:
  1. Given that you have enough time to prepare for the IIFT test, go over and grasp the IIFT exam pattern first.
  2. Get a clear understanding of the IIFT 2021 exam syllabus.
  3. Determine the positive and weak points.
  4. Begin by strengthening the fundamentals and gaining intellectual clarity on the topics that are your weak spots.
  5. Spending so much time on speculation is a waste of time. If you've mastered the fundamentals, take the IIFT sectional exam.
  6. After you've learned the theory, you'll need to put it into practice. As a result, take periodicals. Take the IIFT 2021 Quiz, or try the IIFT quizzes from previous years. Previous year's question papers from the IIFT, as well as a mock exam
  7. Get the best IIFT study materials and books to help you pass the exam.
  8. Beginning your IIFT training early will enable you to evaluate yourself and resolve your weaknesses on a regular basis.
  9. Maintain your trust during your IIFT planning journey.
  10. Self-study is the most effective technique for IIFT  preparation, but time is also a factor.
Strategy for IIFT

IIFT Preparation Section-Wise

The IIFT exam has a unique structure, with parts and sub-sections. The secret to passing this exam is time management, so make sure you plan a section/sub-section-by-section strategy based on your strengths. Additionally, it assesses your speed and accuracy. Some planning strategies are listed below, organized by section:

       1. IIFT Preparation -Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

You are tested on your English language skills in nearly all competitive exams. This is because English is one of the most important requirements for entering the business world, particularly in terms of communication and proposal writing. A strong command of vocabulary and grammar principles will help you succeed in this situation. Here are some of the best strategies for passing this segment:
  1. Wren & Martin's "Made Simple" is a good place to start. Subscribing to one new English word and its synonyms and antonyms every day will help you improve your vocabulary and grammar. If you start early, you will be able to extend your vocabulary list in a reasonable amount of time.
  2. Practice a variety of RCs. Start with short RCs and work your way up to long RCs.
  3. There will undoubtedly be one RC focused on finance, industry, or the economy, or the MOU’s between India and any other nation.
  4. Examine all of the passage's voices, like acerbic, sarcastic, dogmatic, incendiary, humourous, sentimental, humorous, nostalgic, and so on, which you might have learned in school.
  5. The question about the tone of the passage or the tone of the speaker has been asked in a consistent pattern for years.
  6. In addition, read the editorial section of some news publications to boost your RC section.
How to Crack Verbal Ability

        2. IIFT Preparation -DI & LR

  1. Pie charts, line charts, tabular graphs, bar graphs, and hybrid graphs are all good to practice.
  2. Be familiar with the definitions of successive percentages, ratio, and proportion, as they are used in most of the questions, but in a more comprehensive manner.
  3. When answering questions, try to do mental calculations and learn shortcuts.
  4. When working on puzzles, set a timer. Do not get stuck on a puzzle and thereby waste your time.
  5. Topics like a straight line and circular seating arrangements, distance and path questions, blood ties, coding and decoding, statements and assumptions, and conclusions will require extra effort. In addition, this is a segment where you can expect anything to everything.
Strategy to crack Data Interpretation

      3. IIFT Preparation -Quantitative Ability

This is where the roleplaying ability for proper selection comes into play. Since time management is so important in the exam, you should start with the easiest questions and solve them first. Here are a few main strategies to help you succeed in this segment:
  1. Prepare for Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Binomial Theorem, Probability, Permutation and Combinations, and Geometry & Modern Math by learning the fundamental principles of Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Binomial Theorem, Probability, Permutation and Combinations, and Geometry & Modern Math.
  2. Use shortcuts to your advantage.
  3. Instead of using a pen and paper every time, excel at mental calculations when planning. Remember that using pen and paper wastes time, and the exam will now be done entirely on a computer.
  4. Just attempt questions in mock tests for which you have 100% accuracy, as this technique will prepare you for the actual exam day.
  5. You depend heavily on core principles in this situation. For example, if there is a question in geometry about the "Complete curved surface area of the sphere," it might be difficult to attempt if you are unfamiliar with the formulas and concepts of a sphere or hemisphere. So memorize all of the formulas that will save your life.
How to crack Quants

      4. IIFT Preparation For GK

In the IIFT preparation, the GK section is just as critical as the other sections. This segment should be completed last because it will take up very little of your time. However, if you want to be a pro in this segment, you should know all of the answers ahead of time. This is only possible if you begin brushing up on your GK as soon as possible. The following books and tips are very helpful in preparing GK for the IIFT exam:
  • Manorama Year Book
  • Reading newspapers such as The Hindu, Times of India, Economic Times, Financial Express
  • GK on a daily basis
  • Read current affairs, monthly magazines, and watch business news.
  • IIFT Mock Tests
  • IIFT Previous GK Questions

Strategy for IIFT GK

IIFT Exam Study Material

IIFT preparation books and IIFT study material, whether online or offline, play a critical role in assisting you in achieving a high score on the IIFT test. The following are a couple of the best books for IIFT planning that toppers recommend: Also, Check  Free Study Material

IIFT Exam Study Material for Verbal Ability &Reading Comprehension

  1. How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT’- by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
  2. ‘Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT’ - by Nishit K Sinha
  3. ‘Word Power Made Easy – by Norman Lewis
  4. ‘High School English Grammar & Composition’ – by Wren & Martin
  5. In English newspapers, editorials and short articles are written.
  6. Solve the Verbal Ability questions from your study materials on a regular basis, focusing on the para description and jumbled paragraphs.
  7. For IIFT 2020 candidates, there is a range of free PDF IIFT planning books available online.
  8. Use the best online CAT coaching research materials for IIFT 2020.

IIFT Exam Study Material for  DI & LR

  1. How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT - by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
  2. ‘Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT’ - by Nishit K Sinha (Published by Pearson)
  3. ‘How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT’ - by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
  4. ‘Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT’ - by Nishit K Sinha (Published by Pearson)
Tips to Crack IIFT

IIFT Exam Study Material For Quantitative Ability

  1. ‘How to prepare for Quantitative for the CAT’ - by Arun Sharma, published by MGH Education
  2. ‘Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT’ – by Nishit K.Sinha, Published by Pearson
  3. ‘The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for competitive exams’

Also Read:

When to start preparing for IIFT? IIFT difficulty level
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CAT exam 2020: Pattern, Sections, Syllabus, Dates, Registration, Colleges, Preparation tips

CAT exam 2020: Pattern, Sections, Syllabus, Dates, Registration, Colleges, Preparation tips, and strategy  

The most awaited MBA exam of the year, for which lakhs of students prepare for, is none other than CAT. The Common Admissions Test, also famously abbreviated as CAT is one of the most difficult MBA exams as it is the gateway to the coveted IIMs. If you are looking for an all-encompassing article on CAT, you are in the right place! Keep reading to know all about the CAT exam: Click here to prepare for CAT 2020 with this course curated by IIM Alumni
 

What is CAT?

The Common Admissions Test or CAT is an all India admissions exam that is usually conducted in the fourth week of November or the first week of December. It is conducted online in 2 sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The Exam fees are Rs. 1900 for the General category, and Rs. 950 for the Reserved category.

CAT Eligibility Criteria:

The details of the Eligibility criteria of CAT are as below:
  • The student appearing for CAT should either have completed Graduation or be appearing for the final year of bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification or awaiting their graduation result.
  • The candidate must possess a bachelor's degree with at least 50 percent marks or equivalent CGPA ( 45 percent for SC, ST, and PWD/DA category) from a recognized board or university
  •  There is no age limit for the applicants.

Who sets the CAT exam?

One of the six IIMs becomes the Convener for CAT every year on a rotational basis. Subsequently, the reigning IIM might release a statement if any changes are being implemented for that year. Otherwise, CAT follows a common paper patter, which we shall see next.
 

What is the CAT Exam Paper pattern?

To start off, CAT has 3 main sections namely:
  • Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
  • Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
  • Quantitative Ability (QA)
These three sections are the blood and soul of CAT. You have to pay equal attention and emphasis to each of these sections, as sectional cut-offs apply to IIMs and most top Non-IIM B-schools. Let's look at the other important aspects of CAT:
  • Total Number of Questions: 100
  • Score awarded for each correct answer: 3 marks
  • Negative marking (Applicable for wrong answers in MCQs): -1 mark
  • Questions with negative marking (MCQs): 75
  • Questions without negative marking (Non-MCQs or TITA): 25
  • Duration of Exam: 180 minutes (3 hours)
  • Language: English
CAT exam pattern was totally revamped in CAT 2015 by IIM Ahmedabad and since then the CAT exam pattern has followed the same CAT pattern for all the 3 sections.

Some other aspects of CAT:

  • The sequence of the sections is fixed i.e. The exam starts with VARC followed by DILR and finally QA. Applicants cannot move about the three sections and have to wait for one hour to end to move to the next section.
  • CAT Test takers can't leave their seats in between the exam.
  • Every MCQ question has 4 options to choose from
  • For Non-MCQs (TITA) you are expected to type in the right answer on the PC screen.
  • Each right answer in CAT exam example will be granted 3 marks whether it is MCQ or Non-MCQ
  • There will be no punishment of negative checking on wrong responses to Non-MCQs in CAT 2019 exam design
  • CAT exam design stays in line with the official Mock test that is released by IIMs a month prior to the CAT exam. (Don't forget to attempt this Mock!!)
Also read: How to crack CAT exam

CAT pattern: Sectional composition:

Sections
Total No. of questions
MCQs (With negative marking)
Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)
Total Maximum Marks
VARC
34
24 to 27
7 to 10
102
DILR
32
24
8
  96
QA
34
23 to 27
7 to 11
102

1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: 

The Verbal Section of CAT has a total of 34 questions. The major topics covered under VARC are:

Reading Comprehension Passages

 Para-Jumbles Para-Summary Sentence Completion and Correction
Odd Sentences Fill in the Blanks Word Usage (Vocabulary)

Amongst the questions, you will find that 5 questions are based on RCs. You will have 24 questions based on these 5 Rcs and the rest 10 questions will be based on verbal ability (Mix of  MCQs and Non-MCQs). No grammar or vocabulary questions have been asked in CAT since 2015, however, it would be wise to brush through them, as IIms are known to through surprises any time. The difficulty level of the VARC sections if moderate to high difficulty. A lot of students find it difficult to score in this section due to a lack of reading habits. Hence, your priority for cracking the VARcs section would be to get into the habit of reading, and solving as many RCs as possible. Also read: How to increase your reading speed and score well in Reading Comprehension in CAT  

2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning:

The DILR section consists of 32 questions, with a moderate to the high difficulty level. The topics covered under this section are:

Seating Arrangement, and Data Arrangement

 Blood Relations Syllogisms and Venn Diagrams
Clocks & Calendars

Puzzles

 Data Sufficiency
Tables and Caselets Assumption and Binary Logic

Graphs Related
Out of the 32 questions, 28 are MCQ type and the rest 8 are Non-MCQs. The distribution between DI and LR is equal i.e. 16 questions each from DI and LR. A lot of practice is needed in this section, as the questions are usually very complicated and cannot be solved merely by relying on your logical abilities. A person who has already solved a similar question will have an advantage over you. Hence, take time to solve maximum DILR questions as possible. Also read: How to attempt Logical Reasoning Section

3. Quantitative Ability:

The QA section also has 34 questions. The section involves the following topics:

Number System, Basic Arithmetic

 Probability Profit, loss, and Discounts Permutation & Combination

Geometry & Mensuration

Time, Speed, and Distance

 Simple Interest and Compound Interest

Time and Work
Algebra Trigonometry, Logarithms, and Sets

The questions included 23 to 27 MCQ styled questions and 7 to 11 Non-MCQ questions. The difficulty level for QA is also moderate to high difficulty, however, some questions can be easy as well (hidden within the rest). You will find from the past papers that CAT puts more focus on topics like  Arithmetic – Percentage, Profit and Loss, Time and speed, Work/days, Compound intrigue, and Geometry. Make your basics flawless, that is the only way you can ace the QA section. Also read: How to crack Quants section in CAT

Top Colleges through CAT and their Cut-offs:

While we all are aware that CAT is the pathway to IIMs, there are also many Non-IIm colleges that are a good choice for MBA Aspirants. There are the main IIms, New IIMs, and colleges like FMS, SP Jain, IMT Gaziabad that are well known for giving top placements every year. Also read: Top Colleges with the Best ROI While CAT cut-offs vary for each B-school, the IIMs have followed a pattern of acceptable cut-offs each year. A consolidated look at the top colleges and their cut-offs is given below:
Sr. No. IIMs Minimum overall cut-off
1 IIM Ahmedabad 80 percentile
2 IIM Bangalore 90.6 percentile
3 IIM Calcutta 90 percentile
4 IIM Lucknow 90 percentile
5 IIM Indore 90.5 percentile
6 IIM Udaipur 90 percentile
7 IIM Rohtak 95 percentile
8 IIM Shillong 90 percentile
9 IIM Tiruchirappalli 95 percentile
10 IIM Trichy 94 percentile
11 IIM Amritsar 94 percentile
12 IIM Nagpur 94 percentile
13 IIM Sambalpur 94 percentile
14 IIM Raipur 94 percentile
15 IIM Kashipur 94 percentile
16 IIM Bodh Gaya 94 percentile
17 IIM Shillong 90 percentile
18 IIM Jammu 90 percentile
19 IIM Vizag 92 percentile
Yes! IIM A call at 80 percentile! As surprising as it may sound, if you clear the sectional cutoffs and qualify their profile requisites, you can get a call from IIMA at 80 percentile. Watch this video to get a better idea of how this aspirant got a call from IIM in a similar manner.
 Also, read our detailed article on which IIM calls at which lowest percentile and how here. Some other main colleges and their cut-offs are as below:
Sr. No. IIMs Minimum overall cut-off
1 Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) New Delhi 97 percentile
2 SP Jain, Mumbai 85 percentile
3 Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon 94 percentile
4 Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad 90 percentile
5 K J Somaiya SIMSR Mumbai 85 percentile
6 Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai 85 percentile
7 Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) Chennai 85 percentile
8 FORE School of Management (FSM) New Delhi 85 percentile
9 Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM) New Delhi 85 percentile
10 Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai 80 percentile
11 XIME Bangalore 80 percentile

CAT Mocks:

Mocks are the heart and soul of CAT preparation. There is no other shortcut to this, the more mocks you solve the better. On average, if you start your prep before 4-5 months, try solving one mock every day. As you keep progressing start increasing the number of mocks you attempt. In the last 3 months, you need to attempt one mock every 2 days. This is so that you take one day to solve and the other day to analyze your answers. This means you need to maintain a goal of solving at least 20 mocks before exam. If you are looking for mocks that are closest to the actual IIM mocks, you can definitely check out the mock tests offered by us, which are prepared by actual IIM alumni! It includes a set of 30 mocks, along with 30 sectional tests (Turbo Mocks set). We also offer the Basic and Advanced Mock set, you can check out the details here. So what are you waiting for? Join our Mock test course now!

CAT Exam Study Material:

Let's look at the Best study material available for each section: Quantitative Aptitude:    
QA can be difficult if the students aren't well versed in the basics and concepts. For this purpose, Arun Sharma’s Quantitative Aptitude for CAT (Tata McGraw Hill) has been a hit in this section for a long time and has advanced into an ‘absolute necessity read’ book for this subject. Students can start their QA prep with this book.
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension:  Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay'sVARC book for CAT (Tata McGraw-Hill) can help you with tackling the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension portion of the CAT. It covers an entire range of topics and all levels of questions asked in these examinations. Of course, we can't forget Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, which is the holy grail for vocab, especially for CAT. A must for all aspirants, consider it as a Bible and be well versed with every word and concept given in this book. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning: Tata McGraw-Hill- Arun Sharma can be useful for solving DI questions specific to CAT. The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning- Nishit Sinha gives an adjusted scope of both verbal capacity and logical thinking areas. Plenty of training tests given in the ebook familiarizes students with the actual question pattern of this examination. Other important books: The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude And Data Interpretation For The CAT – Nishit Sinha This helps students strengthen basic concepts, build speed and accuracy for the CAT and other MBA entrance examinations. Books by Arihant Publications Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh – A good book for Reading Comprehension. Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Verma – It covers a large variety of questions and the difficulty level is also maintained. Apart from these, to get a better hold over your verbal ability, start reading books and novels. Getting into the reading habit can help a lot.

CAT Exam Preparation Tips:

Experts suggest that if you are serious about cracking the most competitive management entrance exam with around two lakh test-takers, you must have at least three months in hand for CAT 2019 preparation. The last-minute preparation is equally important as it can make or mark your performance on the day of the CAT 2019 exam. Learn how to strategically prepare for CAT and make your IIM dream come true

1. Give Maximum Mocks

Mock tests and model papers are a must and can be practiced to brush up your skills no matter how many times you have already solved one. You need to make a conscious effort of keeping track of your speed and accuracy to solve the questionnaire. Every attempt can make you realize something that you missed earlier. Regular practice with a scheduled stretch will not only help increase your question-solving speed but also make you habituated to sit for three hours. “Regularly practice and revise the formula, vocabulary and grammar rules, so that you don’t have to think hard on the exam day. You must take a computer-based mock so that you are familiar with the actual test environment. Taking the mock CAT in a real environment will make you completely prepare for CAT 2019 and save any wastage of time on understanding the mode of test.

2.  Analyze your Mocks

After every CAT mock test, you must analyze your performance and evaluate your scoring areas.  Analyze your strong as well as weak suits in the respective areas (namely quant, verbal, logical reasoning, data interpretation) and ideally, start with the preparation of your weak areas and focus on making them your strong areas. Follow the five crucial steps listed below in the suggested order for sure-shot results:

  • Begin with the solved examples in the book
  • Then move onto the unsolved examples
  • After you are well versed with the examples in the book, test yourself further by taking as many mock tests as possible to get used to this Computer Based Exam(CBT)
  • Finally, resort to previous years' CAT papers and monitor your progress
  • Thereafter, practice and practice and practice more
Also read: How to analyze mocks for CAT

3. Don’t compromise with accuracy

Time management is one of the most important parts of the CAT with prioritization of questions becoming one of the key areas to success. As you go on attempting questions during your CAT, make sure that you compromise very little on accuracy. While speed is important to increase your number of attempts, maintaining a higher level of accuracy is even more important to convert your attempts into your score. Also, achieving a higher level of speed without a high level of accuracy results in negative marking also, making it a double loss proposition with your time spent on the question reducing your overall score by 1 marks. CAT has a negative marking pattern with three marks awarded for every right answer and one mark reduced for every wrong answer. With accuracy its also important to increase your reading speed.

4. Make your strategy

  • Prepare a schedule, Learn to manage your time effectively while maintaining speed and accuracy in solving a given problem.
  • Do not keep important topics to be covered in the last moment. Last moment preparation always creates confusion. Spend at least 3-4 hours every day.
  • Although CAT is traditionally a conceptual exam based on core fundamentals, being conversant with all the shortcuts would help you to solve various problems with greater speed, thus giving you an edge as compared to your competitors.
So that's all folks! I hope you found this article on CAT useful, and I hope that it has helped to answer some of your questions. If you have more questions or want to get a customized strategy on how to crack IIMs for sure, you can get Free mentorship from our Experts online, who are alumni from IIM, SP Jain, NMIMS and can give you expert advice on how to manage your preparation and pave your way towards the IIMs! Click here to get your free mentorship call to crack CAT
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CAT Preparation Strategy

CAT Preparation Strategy in 3 months

There are approximately 110 odd days left for CAT 2021. This is the exact time where aspirants should get disciplined and consistent towards their preparation.4 months are enough to crack CAT if we plan properly and commit to that plan and this exam. Though some students find it easy to stay focused, most of them lag the discipline required to crack this exam hence getting a guide or teacher to sort out a proper plan is important, as the remaining time is extremely crucial in one’s preparation period and each day counts. For a streamlined preparation, plan Click Here In this article, Rahul sir (CEO, Director CATKing) has shared his in-depth strategy for the upcoming months and how this very doable strategy can land you in one of the top B-schools of the country. First, let’s have a brief idea of details related to CAT.

CAT Exam dates

CAT 2021 is decided to be conducted on November 28’ 2021, across 158 cities in 3 slots. The timeline for CAT 2021 is -
  • Official notification – 1st August 2021
  • Registration window opens – 4th August 2021
  • The registration window closes – 15th September 2021
  • Admit Cards download – Oct – Nov 2021
  • Exam date – 28th November 2021
  • Results – 2nd week of January 2022 (tentatively)

CAT Exam pattern

Before getting into a detailed strategy, let's discuss the pattern we expect to see in the exam.
Important pointsDetails
Test duration2 hours
Slots3
Total questions76
Total score228
Total questions in VARC26
Total Questions in DILR24
Total Questions in QA26
The number of questions stated here is the same as CAT 2020, as nothing is clearly specified in the official notification the paper can consist of 66, 74, or any number of questions. Hence you should practice accordingly i.e., with a varying number of questions. CATKING’s mocks (specially curated by experts from top B-schools like IIM A, FMS, IIM L) make you comfortable with this variance. Also, see – Catking Mocks

What does the CAT exam expect?

CAT exam consists of three sections –
  • Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
  • Data interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
  • Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Though there is no well-defined syllabus, it’s still important to be thorough with the topics asked, to have an understanding of the exam. Read CAT Syllabus here!
  • The CAT is more prominently a 3C (Comprehension, concepts, and commitment) based exam i.e.-
  • 1) C – Comprehension – Verbal section of this exam is all about reading and comprehending the passages, hence this makes it extremely necessary to hone your reading and comprehension skills.
  • 2) C- Concepts and calculations – Quants and LRDI sections have concepts and calculations as their foundation. Getting a stronghold of basic concepts and mentally solving questions in quants improving your calculations can help you save the maximum amount of time in the exam.
  • 3) C- Commitment – Nothing is possible without gradual persistence and loyalty towards preparation and thus abiding commitment is a prerequisite.

CAT Strategy for 3 months

The very initial step after knowing the syllabus is to chalk out a preparation plan. Most of the aspirants are either in college or are working professionals, hence making a plan and following it diligently comes as the biggest challenge in this journey. Hence, THE 40 DAYS CHALLENGE is strongly recommended. The 40 days challenge of CATKING is curated keeping in mind the confusion and anxiousness of students of how to complete the syllabus, thus this challenge breaks the preparation into phases so that aspirants remain focused.       The 40 days challenge just needs you to devote 2 hours every day to prepare, starting from the very basics to the advanced level of difficulty. We through this challenge make the student go through the whole CAT syllabus so that no topic is left untouched and so that they gain a basic understanding of all the topics asked. The challenge consists of a different module every week and comes with ease to be done and helps in sorting out your preparation. Join In The 40 Days Challenge!

The first phase- Build your basics!

Starting with August, the priority for the next 1-1.5 months should be to build basic concepts for all three sections. The ultimate goal is to familiarize ourselves with the areas and types of questions found on the CAT exam, thus emphasizing the necessity of going through the whole syllabus at least once in these 40-60 days.

Section-wise strategies

Verbal

Verbal is the trickiest section of the CAT exam and the level of difficulty for this section is increasing by the year, so practicing this section becomes salient. Quick tips for this section.
  • Read a lot of difficult articles like AEON ESSAYS, THE GUARDIAN, EDITORIALS, etc. This will make you comfortable with uncomfortable and difficult topics and styles of writing.
  • Solve at least 2-4 RC passages each day and a few questions of Para jumbles, Para summary, and Odd one out.

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

LRDI is a make or breaks section in the CAT as apart from concepts and practices the most important thing to take care of is “SET SELECTION”. There is no straightforward tip or trick to improve in this section. However, consistent practice will help you improve your set selection. The only way to ace this section is to PRACTICE a lot. The wider and deeper range of sets you will practice either from previous year papers, online material, cat mocks, etc., the more you will witness improvement.

Quantitative Ability

Almost 70% of the Quants question paper is of the doable level of difficulty, hence once again the point to CLEAR THE BASICS reiterates itself. 1. Go chapter-wise and then topic-wise in those chapters. One can enroll in an Online CAT Quant Course to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals. 2. Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Number Systems include 80% of the paper. Understanding these topics and practicing diligently is more than enough for acing this 3. Try Increasing your speed of calculations and do it mentally. This will help you solve questions quickly and effectively.

Mocks

A common myth amongst aspirants is to “Complete their syllabus” and then give mocks. But this myth needs to burst. It's not advisable to give frequent mocks in the first one or one and a half months at least 1 mock per week should be given to start building your test-taking strategy. Much more is the importance of analyzing these mocks and working on your strengths and weaknesses. CAT never asks you to solve all the questions, 33% to 50% of the paper is sufficient to land you in a reputed B-school. One mock per week and then increasing the frequency eventually to 1 mock every three days is good. (CAT LEVEL MOCKS)

Second Phase

The two months of October and November are critical for preparing for the CAT exam. This is the time to focus on mocks, finalizing your strategy, and revise the whole syllabus again. The 60 days in October and November should be used in this revision using topic and sectional tests and mocks. These tests should be thoroughly analyzed for your own SWOT analysis i.e. you should be clear with your strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. This is time to practice your weak areas, turn them into strengths, and fine-tune your strategy. For taking your preparation from LOD1 to LOD2 Watch

Final phase - Last-minute tips for CAT

For the last 20 days, it's crucial to revise the concepts once. Revision of mocks and their analysis for eg:- The mistakes you did in the first mock, The time-lapse in the third mock, The wrong set selection in the seventh mock, etc, each and everything should be revised. Zeroing in on the problem areas, working towards eliminating these problems, and avoiding committing the same mistakes in exams is the key. Taking mocks and proper revision multiple times will ensure you a great score in the exam. Lastly, more than aptitude CAT is a mind game that tests your calmness and patience in a pressurized environment. Trusting your efforts and believing in yourself will make you the ultimate winner. All the Best!
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All about IIFT Exam-2022

What is IIFT Exam? IIFT exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) MBA International Business (IB) program in Delhi, Kolkata and Kakinada. The exam pattern includes a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions in the following four sections:  Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and General Awareness. It is usually a 2 hour online exam and is usually conducted on the first Sunday of December. Start your preparation with online IIFT Courses How is IIFT different from other MBA exams like CAT or XAT? IIFT is a bit different from CAT as it allows the students the flexibility to switch between sections and has an additional General Knowledge section. But IIFT exam pattern is quite similar to XAT except for the duration of the exam and the total number of questions. IIFT is a 2 hour online exam with 110 questions, while XAT is a 3 hour online exam with 100 questions. Cracking IIFT is not everyone’s cup of tea. As you have to solve 110 questions in 120 minutes & this is what makes this exam so challenging! So it is even more important to crack this exam just to build the inner confidence for the upcoming season, even if IIFT is not your dream college.

Important Changes: IIFT Exam 2022
  • This exam is now conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency). NTA is responsible for all of the IIFT admission process starting from announcement of the IIFT exam schedule to declaration of results.
  • Official notification from NTA regarding the exam dates and schedule was released on August 16, 2021.
  • IIFT Exam would be conducted on 5th December, 2021 (Sunday). Registration process starts on 1st September, 2021 & will close by 15th October, 2021.
  • Earlier the exam was conducted from 10 AM-12 noon, but now the new timing of the exam is 3-5 PM. NTA would regulate this online exam across 68 cities, all over India.
  • The release of the official notification by NTA might get delayed but the admission process is not hampered by it. The final selection process is completed by April & students are offered admission by the end of May.
  • The Sectional & key changes in the question-paper are as follows:
IIFT Exam is an online MCQ test (2 hours) and consists of 4 main sections: VARC, QA, DILR & GK.
SectionsTotal questionsMark awarded for each correct answerMax marks out of 300
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension353105
Quantitative Analysis25375
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning30390
General Awareness (GK)201.530
Total110-300
    What is the expected IIFT Exam Pattern? Exam Date: 5th December 2021 (Sunday) Total Duration of the exam: 2 hours
  • Exam mode: Online
  • No sectional timing, flexibility to switch between sections
  • Includes Negative marking: 1/3rd marks deducted for every wrong answer
  • Number of questions: Usually 110 (as observed since the last few years)
  • Correct answer ranges up to 1.5-3 marks per question
  • Sections: General knowledge & current affairs (GK-20 questions), Quantitative ability (QA-25 questions), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR-30 questions),Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC-35 questions)
Exam Fees The exam fees for IIFT entrance exam is Rs. 2500. This fees includes all the registration fee, application fee, even the participation fee for GD-PI-WAT process after result declaration. This is a one-time payment before admission into IIFT Campus. However, there is concession for SC/ST/PwD/Transgender category candidates and for them, the exam registration fees is Rs. 1000 only. Programme Intake IIFT Delhi Campus takes 260 students for its MBA (IB) programme while IIFT Kolkata Campus takes 140 students. IIFT Kakinada Campus is yet to be launched. So this makes a total intake of 400+ students by IIFT every year into its core MBA (IB) programme. IIFT Exam Eligibility
  • Recognized Bachelor’s degree of minimum 3 years’ duration in any discipline with at least 50% marks.
  • Candidates in their final year of graduation can also apply but they need to submit proof of requisite qualification by October, 2022.
  • No Age restrictions.
  • Work experience is also not mandatory.
    How to Prepare?
  • Check the syllabus for IIFT: Find the right material; get sorted with all your concepts by solving the IIFT study material and all your preparation books.
Also Read: IIFT Preparation
  • Download previous years’ papers: To know the question type; start practicing from the previous years’ IIFT papers. It’s undoubtedly the best reserve for your exam preparation.
  • Give Mocks: Practice, Practice and Practice even more! The best to keep a track of your performance is by giving mocks. Analyze yourself and start working accordingly.
  • Exam Pattern: Stay updated and aware about the changed exam pattern.
  • Tips from the Toppers: Keep following the toppers & believe in their methods & strategy. Try to ace those strategies and implement them in order to score 95 percentile (+) in the exam.
  Section-wise Preparation Strategy
  • VARC: Speed-reading is important here. So develop your reading-speed and work on your grammar. Start reading newspaper editorials, online blogs, novels & short stories.
For detailed VARC strategy, click here
  • GK: Reading newspaper not only helps in your VARC section, but also GK section. Start watching business news. For static GK, you can prepare from ‘Manorama Year book’ and ‘Competition Success Review’. You can even read the current affair magazines like Frontline, Business today.
For detailed GK strategy, click here
  • LRDI: Go through all the concepts & formulae and get your basics sorted. DI involves a lot of calculation based questions, so you would need a lot of practice to ace this section. For logical based questions, you can start by doing puzzles, brain teasers or analytical reasoning questions.
For detailed LRDI strategy, click here
  • QA: The 3 portions that you can’t afford to miss are: Arithmetic, Algebra & Geometry. Solve as many questions as possible. Keep revising these topics because most of the questions are asked from these topics. But don’t forget to look into Mensuration problems. They are important!
For detailed QA strategy, click here   Some Important Tips for IIFT
  • IIFT is a speed-based exam. So work on your speed. The more mocks you appear, the better your speed would be! It’s all about time-management.
  • Sectional cut-off is really low. Don’t forget to answer and clear the minimum sectional cut-off for each section first. No matter if you end up scoring a 99 percentile but if you failed to clear the sectional cut-off of any 1 section even, you won’t be shortlisted.
  • Some essential topics to prepare for GK are: Current affairs, Economics, Politics, Science, Sports, History, Books, Geography, Business and Trade-related news.
  • There is negative marking in IIFT. So be consistent with your accuracy even in the mock exams. Mark the questions which you are absolutely sure of or you could go for logical or intelligent guesswork if confused between 2 options. But don’t attempt the questions if you don’t know.
  • It is an exam of your speed and accuracy. So practice what is going to work for you and take you ahead of others. Take mocks, run through them & analyze every mock properly!
  • Giving Mocks is the only strategy to ace this exam. Practicing from previous year’s papers is of immense help but you need to appear all the mocks before the actual exam. Analyze your strengths and weakness. Keep working on yourself and keep on improving till the actual exam.
  • Believe in yourself. Don’t underestimate yourself. “You can & you will do it!” Be confident and stay motivated all throughout your preparation. Keep working hard until you succeed. All the best!
  Also Read: Strategy for IIFT To know more about IIFT placements, click here Also Read: Tips to crack IIFT
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CAT Syllabus

CAT Syllabus, exam pattern and important dates.

CAT Syllabus, paper pattern, and important dates

What is CAT?

CAT is touted to be one of the most sought after exams to get into an IIM or any other prestigious B Schools. But to reach that milestone you have to carefully devise a strategy. Moreover, a plan of action to not only crack the exam but also to get a score of 90 percentile and above. The toppers in CAT do not like to give repeated attempts in the exam. They believe in writing CAT for the first time and crack it with a high score. So, their strategy is to kill it in the first shot with intensive preparation. And this by following the smart way of doing work instead of heartless multiple attempts which gains nothing. Let's look at the CAT syllabus, exam pattern, and other aspects. CAT online courses
  (more…)
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CAT Preparation in 5 months : Toppers Strategy

How to do CAT Preparation in 5 months?

There are approximately 145 odd days left for CAT 2021. This is the time when everyone starts thinking about getting an MBA and preparing for the CAT! If one is systematic, consistent, and committed, five months is more than enough. Only a few students have begun their preparations in earnest, and almost everyone is gearing up to do so. June and July are the months when students realize they must take the CAT. If you plan your 5 months properly, you will have more than enough time to prepare for the exam! CAT Online Coaching has many advantages over traditional classroom programs. However, because CAT preparation is self-directed, a few things must be addressed during the course of preparation. Let us find a toppers way to CAT Preparation in 5 months Start Your IIM Journey with CAT Online Courses

CAT Exam Pattern

CAT 2021 Exam Components
Likely CAT 2021 Pattern (If Covid situation does not improve)  
Likely CAT 2021 pattern (If Covid situation improves)
Test duration
2 hrs
3 hrs
Test sessions
3
2
Total questions
76
100
Total score
228
300
Total questions in VARC
26
  34
Total Questions in DILR
24
  32
Total Questions in QA
26
  34
Also Read: CAT Exam Pattern

CAT Preparation in 5 months

Preparing for any entrance exam necessitates a well-thought-out strategy! Here's one that can give you the broad strokes of what you need to do to get into the coveted IIMs also executed by a 100 percentile topper who is in his dream B-school.

1. Building Foundations 

Starting with July-August, the first basic thing is to build on our basic concepts for all three sections. The goal of these two months would be to become completely familiar with the areas, topics, concepts, and types of questions found on the CAT exam. During July and August, the emphasis should be ongoing over all of the topics in all areas of the CAT, namely, QA, DILR, and VARC. The first two months must be used for the first round of exam preparation in all areas using a simple method known as CAT! CAT Syllabus

2. Fundamentals of Commitment, Assess & Theory (CAT)

Commitment: Solve exercises to apply the concepts/formulas learned. Assess: Conducting topic-specific tests to evaluate your speed and strategy. Theory: Learn all of the fundamental concepts and formulae for each topic. In addition to the foregoing, one must begin taking Mock CATs. For July and August, one mock should be taken every two weeks, and from August onwards, two to three mocks should be taken every week.

3. CAT Preparation in 5 months: Verbal Ability

  1. Read as much as you can and try to understand what you're reading.
  2. Reading newspaper editorials and opinions will help you improve your reading speed and comprehension.
  3. Every day, solve at least four passages and a few questions from Critical Reasoning, Para Completion, and Para Jumbles.
  4. The majority of the practice for this section can be obtained from an Online Verbal Ability Course and mocks, and you can improve greatly if you work hard.

4. CAT Preparation in 5 months: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 

LRDI is a scoring section in the CAT that is especially important for those who struggle with other sections. There is no easy, convenient, or straightforward way to improve in the LRDI section. However, with consistent practice and applying a few methods, you can significantly improve your performance.
  1. Solve the problem using a diagram or a table. This will improve the speed with which you can discern the information in the passage.
  2. Solve puzzle games such as Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and so on.
  3. Try as many questions from the online mock test or sample paper as you can.
Tips to improve logical reasoning

5. CAT Preparation in 5 months: Quantitative Ability

When preparing for the Quant section, focus on the number of correct answers rather than the number of attempts. This section will include all types of questions, from simple to difficult. When it comes to answering these questions, speed is crucial. The following are the five most important tips for excelling in the Quantitative Ability section:
  1. Chapter by chapter practice. Learn the fundamental theories and types of problems covered in each chapter. One can enroll in an Online CAT Quant Course to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals.
  2. Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Number Systems are the main topics in CAT. If you study for 3 hours on weekdays and 6 hours on weekends (excluding coaching time), you will have 60+48=108 hours in a month to work on your fundamentals, plus the time spent in class.
  3. Divide it now in the ratio 2:2:1:1 Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Number Systems
  4. Arithmetic: The emphasis should be on ratios and percentages. Once you've figured it out and are proficient in it, calculations for not only QA but also DI-LR will become extremely simple.
  5. Remainders, Divisibility, and Cyclicity are all important in Number Systems. This chapter is crucial in its entirety.
  6. Algebra: Emphasis should be placed on quadratic equations, inequalities, sequences, and series (AP-GP).
  7. Geometry and Mensuration: The entire chapter is crucial. Simply learn the fundamental properties of figures, particularly triangles and circles. For example, if a question arises regarding the value of each external angle in a hexagon, you should be able to determine whether or not a formula should be used.
  8. Increase your speed. While doing the practice, study for 3-4 hours at a time.
  9. To adequately prepare for this section of the CAT, complete at least 20-25 mock tests.
Tips to crack Quant for Cat

5. Second Revision Phase

The two months of September and October are critical for preparing for the CAT exam. One must work on strategy, revise, and continue to take full-length mock CATs. Furthermore, now is the time to test out different exam-taking strategies. The 60 days in September and October must be used for the second revision of all concepts via topic-specific tests and section-specific tests. and monitor the progress in each specific topic or area of the exam. Full-length CAT Mock Tests should be used to fine-tune one's strategy and arrive at a strategy that provides the most benefits. Please keep in mind that there is no one best strategy, and the strategy should be tailored to each individual's strengths and weaknesses. How to prepare for CAT in 3 months

6. Final Lap Before the Exam

The last 25 days before CAT would be the final assault on the exam! Selective revision, mock CATs, and additional sectional tests are required here, and finalizing exam strategy. After each mock, the main requirements in November would be a thorough analysis of each section, zeroing in on the problem areas, working towards eliminating these problem areas, and, most importantly, strengthening the mental ability to crack this exam. Aptitude has a time validity attached to it. With these pointers, you'll be ready for CAT  exam. Take a lot of mock tests to ensure that you are completely prepared to answer the CAT questions. So, preparing for the CAT in 5 months is not too difficult if one prepares smartly and efficiently.Fill gaps if they still crop up and be as relaxed as possible Best wishes! Also Read: How to prepare for CAT 2021? How to prepare for CAT Section-Wise?  
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Things to DO before CAT Exam Day

  This long journey of CAT will finally be over tomorrow. We understand you must be going through a series of emotions right now. In the next few hours, you will be sitting for the exam you have been preparing for so long. For some last moment trips and tricks, we hope this article will help you out.

1. Check your checklistNew Backbone Checklists for SAP Solution Manager available! | SAP Blogs

Before sleeping today, make sure you check and keep all the necessary things you need to carry with you to the exam center. Here is a small checklist you can use – 
  1. Admit Card – Take the printout and paste the same picture as in the CAT Form.      
  2. Valid ID proof like Aadhar Card, passport, driving license.
  3. 2 simple pens to be used in the examination
  4. Mask, Gloves, Sanitizer and Water bottle (Special Instructions due to Covid )
Also, don’t forget to reach the center well before your gate closing time to avoid any last-minute issues.        To download your admit card, click here.

2- Get a goodnight sleep

You must attend the examination with a fresh mind the next day. Try to get a good amount of sleep on the day before your exam. Many students are accustomed to giving examinations without sleeping the previous night but, we do not recommend it. Although, if you are unable to sleep well at night, don’t stress too much about it during the examination.

3- You are in the same boat with other graduates

We often think that belonging from a particular background e.g. being an engineer might give someone an edge in one section over other students. But it is not the case. We should not let this thought disrupt our actions during examination time. CAT is an exam where you will compete with those who are similar to you. An engineer competes with an engineer and a non-engineer competes with a non-engineer. All you have to focus on is yourself. If you are stuck on some question while solving the examination, don’t worry. There will be many more students like you who will also get stuck on the same question. JUST KEEP GOING.

4- Old is Gold !!

Don’t start reading new formulas and new concepts at the end moment. It will only add to your confusion. Whatever you have read in the past months during your preparation is ENOUGH. Just revise what you have already learned, look at your mistakes, and check out the formulas you have used in the past.

Free Strength Cliparts, Download Free Strength Cliparts png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library5- Focus on your strength

During the preparation phase, you must have given several mocks. After analysis of these mocks, you would have known what you are good at. If at any point in the exam you feel demotivated, say to yourself –I have done it before. I have analyzed my performance and I know what I am good at. I will perform my best in those parts and crack this exam.

6- CAT in an exam for losers

Still worried if you are going to make it or not? Understand this- CAT is an exam of strategic losers. You don’t need to attempt everything. Neither are you required to master every topic. All you have to do is find your strength and weakness and then use it to answer the questions in the examination. Prepare a strategy in your mind of which type of questions you will be attempting first, what are the questions that you will be leaving, so on and so forth. Just make sure in whatever questions you attempt, try to prevent negative marking as long as possible.

7- During the examination, LIVE IN PRESENT

While attempting the examination, do not think of the topics that you didn’t study or the mistakes you did in your mocks. If you are attempting a particular question, don’t think if you marked the previous answer right or if the next question will be difficult. Just stay STOP in your mind and only focus on solving the current problem. Remember, “What successful people do right is they live in present”

8- Stay Positive and Kill your nervousness

Think of the best mock you gave till now. Why did you score so high in that? The only different thing was your mindset. You gave that mock with a very relaxed and happy mind. Do the same with your CAT exam. Don’t think about the 1000 ways it could go wrong, think about 1 way it can go right. If you stay nervous, your brain will stop releasing the happy hormones and you won’t be able to focus on your exam. So, before the examination, give a fighter message to your brain that – I’m going to do it.

9- Say your prayers and collect your blessings

Don’t study till the last minute. Before leaving for the examination, pray to your God and collect the blessings of your elders. Build a strong belief in yourself and go attempt that CAT with a big smile on your face. You will give your best in this examination. ALL THE BEST!! To start your WAT-PI preparation for B-Schools, Click here.
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cat exam pattern

CAT Exam Pattern 2021

CAT Convenor 2021 - Prof. M P Ram Mohan

MP Ram Mohan, an associate Professor at IIM A has been appointed as convenor of CAT 2021. Ram Mohan obtained his doctorate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur before MPhil, National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, and LL.M, University of Wales, Aberystwyth His opinions on topics such as shale gas extraction, need of public support for scientific research, and dealing with dual disaster of COVID-19 and monsoon in Kerala last year have been published in The Week and the Hindu. View Complete Profile Looking to prepare for CAT 2021? Click here to get started!

CAT Conducting Body Since 2007

Year

Conducting IIM
2021
 IIM Ahmedabad
2020 IIM Indore
2019 IIM Kozhikode
2018 IIM Calcutta
2017 IIM Lucknow
2016 IIM Bangalore
2015 IIM Ahmedabad
2014 IIM Indore
2013 IIM Indore
2012 IIM Kozhikode
2011 IIM Calcutta
2010 IIM Lucknow
2009
IIM Ahmedabad
2008
 Not Known
2007
 IIM Bangalore

CAT Exam Changes since Computerization

The exam design in the course of recent years since it was automated in 2009 has gone for detectable changes. Feline paper design before 2009 was paper-pen based. Feline exam design was changed from paper-based exam to CAT online PC based test in 2009. Indeed, even after that CAT paper design kept changing from 3 areas to 2, and after that CAT design was changed to 3 segments in 2015. From that point, forward CAT is following a comparable example. Feline 2020 example likewise continues as before as that of CAT exam 2019 example with 3 segments and 3 hours time in spite of the fact that the quantity of MCQs and Non-MCQs may change.

CAT Paper Pattern over the Years

CAT exam pattern has gone with perceptible changes since 2014 not only in CAT structure but also in content. Going by the tradition in changes in different types of questions in CAT, you cannot rule out a different CAT 2021 Exam pattern. CAT 2021 exam is expected to be held in the month of November/December 2021. The next 6 months will be a crucial period to devise a well chalked out plan for your CAT preparation as per the CAT 2021 pattern. Given below is the exam pattern from 2005 up to 2020.
YearNumber of QuestionsSectionsMarking SchemeDuration (in Mins)Conducting BodyMinutes / Question
2020Total of 76 questions (24 in one section and 26 in the other two sections)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer120IIM Indore1.58
2019Total of 100 questions (32 in one section and 34 in the other two sections)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer180IIM Kozhikode1.8
2018Total of 100 questions (32 in one section and 34 in the other two sections)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer180IIM Calcutta1.8
2017Total of 100 questions (32 in one section and 34 in the other two sections)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer180IIM Lucknow1.8
2016Total of 100 questions (32 in one section and 34 in the other two sections)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer180IIM Bangalore1.8
2015Total of 100 questions (32 in one section and 34 in the other two sections)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer180IIM Ahmedabad1.8
2014Total of 100 Questions (50 per section)2 Sections - Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI), Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer170IIM Indore1.7
2013Total of 60 Questions (30 per section)2 Sections - Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI), Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer140IIM Indore2.33
2012Total of 60 Questions (30 per section)2 Sections - Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI), Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer140IIM Kozhikode2.33
2011Total of 60 Questions (30 per section)2 Sections - Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI), Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer140IIM Calcutta2.33
2007Total of 75 questions (25 per section)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer150IIM Bangalore2
2006Total of 75 questions (25 per section)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer150Not Known2
2005Total of 75 questions (25 per section)3 Sections - Verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude3 Marks for every correct answer and Minus 1 mark for every incorrect answer150Not known2

What will be the CAT 2021 Exam Pattern

If CAT exam design of 2020 is followed, CAT 2021 will comprise of 3 segments with a sum of 76 questions. Each area is planned with the individual time point of confinement of 40 minutes. You have to guarantee a high score in every one of the 3 segments as there is additionally a sectional score cut off in IIMs for shortlisting. Be that as it may, regardless of a number of changes achieved amid the most recent 4 years in CAT exam design, the nuts and bolts of the CAT exam have not changed. CAT exam design since 2015 has stayed on similar lines. CAT exam is of 180 minutes with 100 questions, but in CAT 2020, both exam duration and number of questions were reduced. Apart from that, no other change was made in the CAT exam pattern. However it is expected that CAT 2021 will be on the similar lines as CAT 2020, nothing firm can be said yet. Below are some guestimates of how the paper might be set. 1. Same as 2020 - (Total 76 questions for a duration of 2 Hours) 2. Total 60 questions comprising of 20 questions per section for a duration of 2 Hours 3. Total 100 questions comprising of 34/32/34 questions for VARC/DILR/QA sections respectively for a duration of 3 Hours 4. Total 90 questions comprising of 30/30/30 questions for VARC/DILR/QA sections respectively for a duration of 3 Hours Disclaimer: The above points are only estimates from CATKing's Experienced Faculties. The original paper pattern might vary depending on the decision taken by Conducting Body.
CAT mocks

CAT Paper Pattern 2021

  • In 2020, the total number of questions was 76 and these are in both MCQ and non-MCQ format
  • Time allotted was 120 minutes (2 hours) to answer these questions
  • There is a time limit of 40 minutes for each section
  • The exam is conducted in online mode at various test centres
  • The CAT 2021 exam pattern can be reverted back to 100 questions-180 minutes format
CAT Syllabus

Sectional composition for CAT 2021

Section name
No. of questions
Total MCQs (With negative marking)
Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)
Maximum marks
VARC
 26 18
8
78
DILR
24
18
 6
72
Quant
 26 18 8 78
  1. VARC: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension 2. DILR: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 3. Quant: Quantitative Ability CAT 2021 exam will be directed on the third or fourth week of November 2021 of every a solitary day isolated in morning and evening sessions. One of the best six IIMs will be the Convener for CAT 2021 and has reported that CAT 2021 exam example will stay unaltered. Free CAT study material Is the CAT online test? Reacting to this inquiry IIMs, in spite of the fact that acknowledge that CAT paper design is PC based however whether CAT is an online test, they say 'No.' Regarding the CAT exam design, IIMs say "Feline isn't an online exam. It is an advanced or Computer Based Test (CBT); not an Internet-Based Test (IBT); that is, an applicant won't take the exam on a web website. Rather than perusing the inquiries in a paper booklet and obscuring the ovals on the appropriate response sheet, a hopeful will read the inquiries on a work station and pick an answer by tapping on the right choice."

So the CAT exam design 2020, regardless of being a PC based exam, won't be an online exam. Sharing the key contrast and USPs of CAT exam design, IIMs additionally expand "In the PC based arrangement, the hopeful peruses an inquiry on a work station and taps on the right answer. Moreover, the clock on the PC screen discloses to you the rest of an opportunity to finish the present segment."
CAT GDPI WAT

CAT 2021 exam: Sections: sub-sections, Expected difficulty level

CAT exam pattern was totally revamped in CAT 2015 by IIM Ahmedabad and since then the CAT exam pattern has followed the same CAT pattern for all the 3 sections except the recent change in CAT 2020. The key features of CAT 2020 sectional exam pattern are:

1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: 

Total questions: 26 LOD: Moderate to Very difficult Section Highlights: No Grammar or vocabulary based questions in CAT 2020 Verbal Ability questions confined to 3 topics – Jumbled paragraph; Para summary; picking the odd sentence out of the jumbled sentences

2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning:

Total questions:24 LoD: Moderate to difficult Section Highlights: Questions appeared in set of 6 & 4 Time crunch is faced by test takers as questions are more time consuming CAT 2020 improve logical reasoning

3. Quantitative Ability:

Total questions: 26 LoD: Moderate to difficult Section Highlights: More questions are on Arithmetic – Percentage, Profit & Loss, Time & speed, Work/days, Compound & Simple interest

CAT Exam: Key Facts:

The entrance exam is a Computer-based Test (CBT) of 2 hours length. CAT exam is separated into 3 primary areas of 40 minutes each The 3 segments in CAT exam 2021 example are – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC); Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR); Quantitative Aptitude (QA) There will likewise be sub-segments inside the 3 segments in updated CAT exam 2021 example. For instance, the patched-up CAT exam design for VARC comprises of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sub-segments; DILR contains inquiries on Data Interpretation and Logical thinking. Also read: CAT Preparation beginners
  • Applicants are not permitted to move between one segment to others amid the 40 minutes relegated to the specific area.
  • CAT Test takers can't leave their seats amid the exam.
  • MCQs in CAT 2020 exam example will require you to choose 1 correct answer out of 4
  • Non-MCQs in the CAT exam example will expect you to type in the right answer on the PC screen.
  • Each right answer in CAT exam example will be granted 3 marks whether it is MCQ or Non-MCQ
  • Each wrong response for MCQ in CAT exam 2020 will be forced punishment of 1/3 negative check (- 1 stamp)
  • There will be no punishment of negative checking on wrong responses to Non-MCQs in CAT 2020 exam design
  • CAT exam design stays on the lines of the CAT official Mock test discharged by IIMs a month prior to the CAT exam.

CAT exam changes since Computerization

The exam design in the course of recent years since it was automated in 2009 has gone for detectable changes. Feline paper design before 2009 was paper-pen based. Feline exam design was changed from paper-based exam to CAT online PC based test in 2009. Indeed, even after that CAT paper design kept changing from 3 areas to 2, and after that CAT design was changed to 3 segments in 2015. From that point, forward CAT is following a comparable example. Feline 2020 example likewise continues as before as that of CAT exam 2019 example with 3 segments and 3 hours time in spite of the fact that the quantity of MCQs and Non-MCQs may change. I hope this article helps you with your preparations! All the best and Happy Learning!
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