Complete Details Regarding CAT Examination

It is one of the most competitive and élite entrance examinations conducted in India. The Common Admission Test or CAT is conducted every year by the Indian Institutes of Management or IIMs, which have worked as a door to MBA programs in top B-schools across the country. Moreover, apart from the IIMs, more than 1,200 business schools are using CAT scores for providing admission. Importantly, it is very important that aspirants gain proper knowledge about the exam- eligibility for the exam, its structure, syllabus, and how to prepare for the exam. This article gives you comprehensive information regarding the CAT exam that will guide you during your preparation journey.

1. What is CAT?

CAT is a computer-based entrance exam that gauges the applicants’ aptitude in key areas such as Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability. Typically, this test is conducted once a year where more than two lakh aspirants vie for very limited seats in the top management programs. Beyond IIMs, it is also used by other prominent institutes like FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, and so on.

The test is a tool that analyzes the candidate’s ability to provide solutions to problems, his logical reasoning, and his command over English. It forms an important constituent of the admission process for the MBA as well as other management programs.

2. Eligibility criteria for CAT

Prior to applying for the CAT test, candidates must adhere to the eligibility criteria followed by the conducting body:

 

• Academic Qualification: The bachelor’s degree in any subject from recognized university/institution with 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD categories). Final year students and awaiting result students can also apply for the exam by submitting their final mark sheet during admissions.
• Age Limitation: No, there is no age barrier in CAT.
• Work Experience: Though work experience is not a precondition to appear for the exam, most IIMs and B-schools consider it an essential criterion during the admission process.

 

3. CAT Exam Pattern

The pattern of the CAT exam has undergone a change over time, but in general, it is a three-section exam pattern. Knowing the exam pattern will help you plan your preparation better. Here is a division of the CAT exam pattern:

 

• Mode of Exam : Computer-based test (CBT)
• Total Time: 2 Hours (120 minutes)
• No. of Sections: 3
• VARC-Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension-40 minutes
• DILR-Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning-40 minutes
• QA-Quantitative Ability-40 minutes
• Total Questions: Around 66 questions
• Type of Question: MCQs and Non-MCQs Type in The Answer TITA

The time allotted for each section is fixed and the candidate cannot switch to another section while attempting the test.

 

Rating Scheme

• For every correct answer +3 marks
• Wrong Answer (MCQs): -1 mark
• No Negative Marking for Non-MCQs

This pattern depends much on time management and the candidate’s ability to solve questions accurately. For high scores, the candidate is to attempt and score in each section within the given time intervals.

 

4. CAT Syllabus

Although there isn’t a fixed syllabus for the CAT, as a guideline these questions are decided based on a few popularly known topics. The tests are focused on quantitative ability, verbal ability, reading comprehension, data interpretation, and logical reasoning. Here’s an overview of the syllabus for every section:

 

1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

• Reading Comprehension: Literary, economic, political, and science passages. Questions may include both inferential and factual types.
• Verbal Ability: Para jumbles, sentence completion, odd sentence out, summary writing, and sentence correction.

b.Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

• Data Interpretation (DI): Graphs, bar charts, pie charts, tables, caselets, and Venn diagrams.
• Logical Reasoning (LR): Seating arrangement, puzzles, blood relations, series, binary logic, calendars, and logical sequences.

1. Quantitative Ability (QA)

• Arithmetic: Percentages, ratios, profit and loss, time and work, speed and distance.
• Algebra: Quadratic equations, inequalities, linear equations.
• Geometry: Triangles, circles, mensuration, coordinate geometry.
• Number System: HCF, LCM, divisibility, prime numbers.
• Modern Mathematics: Probability, permutation and combination, set theory.

Aspirants should be clear with basic concepts of the above subjects besides finding a quick and accurate solution for complex problems.

5. Application process through CAT registration

Usually, registration starts in August, and then the exam happens in the months of either November or early December. For now, here is a summary of how to do it:

 

• Online Registration: The first and foremost thing to do would be to register oneself on the official CAT website. Personal, academic, and work experience details need to be filled in.
• Upload Documents: Scanned photographs, signatures, and other relevant documents like caste certificates need to be uploaded as well.
• Choose Test Centers: Candidates can also choose up to four preferred test centers.
• Application Fee: The online fee for the application will be accepted, for most likely to be: general category candidates at INR 2,300 and SC/ST/PwD candidates at INR 1,150
• After registration, the candidate gets an admit card in October, which states the exam center, date, and a specific time slot.

6. CAT Prep Strategy

To crack CAT, candidates need to have a perfect well-structured preparation strategy with proper emphasis on the development of strong fundamentals, massive practice, and enhancing their speed and accuracy. Here are some key tips for CAT preparation.

Familiarize yourself with the syllabus and pattern of the exam: Start by getting familiarized with the topics appearing in the exam and then understand the exam pattern thoroughly.

Mock Tests. This also enables you to simulate the real exam situation, track your progress, and hone your time management skills in the process.  

Section-wise Focus. Spend more time on individual sections. For example, enhance reading comprehension for the VARC section. You have to practice all kinds of puzzles in DILR, and all basic concepts in QA.

Analyzing Your Performance. Analyze every mock test, find the mistakes and learn from them, make some improvement, and change your strategy accordingly.

Time Management: Improve your speed and accuracy. CAT is a time-bound test.

7. Results and Admission Procedure in CAT

The CAT score is normally announced in January. The scores are made available to the candidates in the form of a scorecard where overall, sectional, and percentile distribution is provided before the candidate. Depending on scores, students are shortlisted by several IIMs and B-schools for further rounds of selection such as:

• Written Ability Test (WAT)
• Group Discussion (GD)
• Personal Interview (PI)

Various B-schools have their specific selection criteria, which usually consist of past academic performance, work experience, and extracurricular achievements.

Conclusion

The CAT exam opens up the gates to some of the best management courses in India but demands severe preparation, proper planning, and grueling practice. Understanding the pattern, syllabus, eligibility criteria, and preparation strategies are the first steps towards acing a test. With the right amount of effort and consistency, many more chances of cracking CAT emerge strongly to facilitate a major step towards your dream of studying at a leading B-school.

 

This article is an overview of CAT so the readers will gain an understanding of everything needed by aspirants to begin preparation for the exam.