The Common Admission Test is a prerequisite for admissions in the Indian Institutes Of Management and other prestigious B-Schools across the country. The IIM’s conduct the CAT exam once every year on a rotational basis.
IIM Lucknow has scheduled the CAT 2017 exam on November 26, 2017.
One of the most prevailing myths is that cracking the CAT is easy for candidates with an engineering background since engineers are well acquainted with the quantitative topics. So, this sometimes discourages the non-engineers and drags their morale down.
The MBA aspirants should always remember that IIMs set the paper such that the candidates from all educational backgrounds find the CAT paper comfortable. So, here are some effective CAT preparation tips to help the non-engineers ace the CAT exam easily.
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Strategize a Proper Preparation Plan for CAT 2017
An effective and realistic study plan is extremely crucial before starting the preparation. Get well versed with the syllabus and pattern of the exam.
The candidates are required to prepare quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, reading comprehension, data interpretation and verbal ability for CAT well and get confident with the respective sections.
Also, it is suggested to prepare all the topics of the CAT effectively so as to increase the chances of clearing the cut-offs of different management schools, including the IIMs. So, analyse personal strengths and devise an individual preparation plan accordingly.
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Give Equal Importance to all the Sections
It is often seen that the non-engineers struggle with the quantitative section and they avoid preparing the topics. As CAT exam is extremely competitive, one must prepare all the sections equally and efficiently.
For the quantitative ability and data interpretation, the candidates must be well-versed with the elementary school concepts like number systems, averages, graphs, etc. to be able to solve the respective questions.
Logical reasoning, reading comprehension and verbal ability questions require rigorous practice and constant preparation to be able to solve them. So, practice different variations of questions and be thorough with the basic grammar.
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Practice Mock Tests and Sample Papers (Previous CAT papers)
The candidates must take several CAT mock tests to be able to get acquainted with the timing, difficulty and pattern of the actual exam. Also, solving sample papers and previous year question papers to get confident and efficient while solving the questions.
It should also be noted that the mock tests must be followed by proper self-evaluation to understand the current preparation level and strategize the changes accordingly.
For example, if one is facing trouble with a particular section, that respective section must be given the utmost priority until the mock test score of that section improves.
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Be Accurate and Avoid Guessing (Accuracy matters for CAT)
As the CAT questions (except TITA questions) have a negative marking of one-third, the candidates should be very wary before marking the questions. So, guessing in the paper should always be avoided.
As the reading comprehension and data interpretation for CAT are one of the most time-taking sections, the candidates should develop strategies to improve their reading speed and attempt the questions faster and more accurately.
With these aforementioned tips, candidates from non-engineering backgrounds can easily prepare for the CAT exam effectively and crack it with ease.
Being one of the most competitive exams in the country, the CAT exam expects the MBA aspirants to be very well prepared and dedicated to ace it and get admission to their preferred management school in the nation.
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