Aiming for the top B-schools is the main objective for students who want to study business management courses. One must take the CAT entrance exam, along with a personal interview and group discussion, in order to be admitted to some of the top business schools.
Individuals should begin preparing for the Common Admission Test if they really want to study business management and join their ideal business school (CAT). Here is all the information you need to know about CAT.
CAT: What exactly is it?
In its full form, CAT stands for Common Admission Test. It is a competitive exam that intends to evaluate each student’s competence in order to shortlist candidates based on their merit. An annual computer-based aptitude test is called the CAT entrance exam.
The best management schools in India are accessible to you if you achieve high CAT exam scores. Individuals can join post-graduate, Ph.D., and executive management programmes after passing the CAT.
Key facts to know
| 1. CAT entrance exam duration | 2 hours |
| 2. Overall exam score | 198 |
| 3. Sections | 1) Quantitative aptitude |
| 2) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | |
| 3) Verbal skills and comprehension of text | |
| 4. How are grades given out | 3 points are awarded for each correct answer |
| 5. Negative Marking | For each incorrect answer, one mark will be deducted |
| 6. Entrance exam for the CAT | Online Exam Level |
| 7. National Exam Schedule | Once a year, in November or December |
| 8. Eligibility for the CAT exam | graduation with a minimum cumulative GPA of 50% |
| 9. Courses will be available after taking the CAT | MBA/PGDM |
Exams Syllabus:
- Quantitative Aptitude: You will be tested on your mathematical abilities in this section of the CAT entrance exam, which will be of difficulty level 10+2. Basic math, algebra, number systems, geometry, etc. will all be topics covered in the exercises. The best way to improve your math abilities is to practice solving problems involving profit and loss, basic arithmetic, and taking practice tests.
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: Questions about seating arrangements, direction perception, Venn Diagrams, Bar Diagrams, and other data-related questions will test your capacity for logical reasoning. You can practice answering questions from previous years’ exams. To pass this portion of the CAT entrance exam, pay attention to concepts like syllogism, logical order, and blood relations.
- Reading comprehension and verbal skills: You’ll be given comprehension passages to read, and you’ll be required to respond to questions about them. Additionally, this section will contain issues that will put your knowledge of grammar to the test, such as sentence completion issues, sentence jumbles, statement types, and more. Keep in mind that the more you read, the better. Make reading the news, and articles, and practicing your vocabulary a daily habit.
Tips to follow while preparing for each section of the CAT exam
These are some of below basic tips below that will help you in the qualitative aptitude section:
- Acknowledge the syllabus first
- Practice the speed and accuracy of giving the answers
- Make a strategy plan
- Formulate Instant Solutions
- Choose Your Answers Skillfully and Accurately
The tips for data interpretation are:
- Practice arithmetic
- Learn about time management.
- Try to answer simple questions. Initially, do not stick to the trickier parts of the questions for a long period of time.
Tips for verbal skills:
- First, read the full paragraph.
- Learn to arrange the paragraph jumble as five sentences are typed.
- Try to practice and prepare for the vocabulary-based questions.
- Practice grammar-based questions
Tips for logical reasoning:
- All of the logical reasoning questions should be read carefully.
- Always come to a conclusion without getting confused.
- Concentrate on facts and keywords in the questions.
- Do not spend too much time on the trickier questions.
Thus, if you intend to take the CAT entrance exam, these are some crucial things you need to be aware of.
