Join the discussion on CAT 2021 and Get the details about the Common Admission Test Exam Date, Admit Card, Notification, Preparation, Syllabus, Result, Score, Percentile, Vacancy and much more.
CAT 2021 Updates:
Registrations for CAT 2021 begins – August 2021 (Tentative )
CAT 2021 Exam Date: November 2021 (Tentative)
CAT 2021 Convener: Prof Ram Mohan MP (IIM Ahmedabad)
CAT official website – iimcat.ac.in.
How to prepare for CAT 2021?
CAT, which stands for Common Admission Test, is one of the most important exams in India. It is held annually for the selection of candidates for various reputed business schools like the Indian Institutes of Management IIMs. Since the onset of COVID19 pandemic the exam is has become computer-based online exam with a hundred questions divided into three sections.
The exam is conducted over a span of 180 minutes, with 60 minutes allotted for each section which cannot be switched while attending any of the sections. CAT has a marking scheme with a negative marking which means the student taking the exam loses one mark for each wrong answer.
Each question has a weightage of three marks, and no marks are altered in case the question is not attempted by the student.
What is the pattern for CAT 2021?
The question paper is divided into three parts.
● The first section consists of Verbal Ability, and Reading Comprehension (VARC) has a weightage of 34 marks. The 34 marks are made up of 27 multiple choice questions and seven non-MCQs or type in the answer form questions (TITA),
● The second section consists of Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), which is of 32 marks consisting of 24 multiple choice questions and 8 non-MCQs.
● The final section is of Quantitative Aptitude (QA), which is also of 34 marks consisting of 23 multiple choice questions and 11 TITA questions.
How to prepare for CAT 2021?
CAT is an aptitude based test, which means that unlike other technical exams you don’t need to spoon-feed yourself an ocean of contents. The three sections are divided, such as to test your different field of expertise.
● Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: This section comprises the literature part of the exam. To crack this section, you need to be thorough with your reading and writing skills since they improve your grammar. Having a habit of regular reading helps a lot in this scenario. If you do not happen to have a habit, you can start practising reading anything like magazines and newspapers every day to create a flow which on proper dedication will lead to a good habit of reading
● Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning: These sections test the reasoning part of your brain and comprise puzzles and simple logical questions. Practising puzzles at home will help you keep your brain fit and active so that you are able to solve most of the questions thrown at you.
● Quantitative Aptitude: This section comprises academic questions and contains lots of numbers to play with. Keep your concept clear on the topics and refer to the old question papers for sample questions; you can also find sample questions on the internet.
How to take mock tests for CAT 2021?
The most important part of the preparation for any exam lies in the number of mocks solved. Mocks help to make you accustomed to the exam environment so that you are not staggered during the exam time due to a completely new environment. Regular mocks help you speed up your performance and helps build confidence which is one of the most important factors during any examination. You should start taking mocks as soon as possible, most probably at least four months before the exam commences. In the beginning, start with three mocks a week and gradually increase the frequency until it is two mocks per day. Also, to note that only attending mocks is not going to help, you need to prepare accordingly and correct your mistakes from the past exam.
How to join a crash course for CAT 2021?
If you are in short of preparation, you can join crash courses for a quick revision. Crash courses provide researched study materials and question papers for your better understanding. Moreover, the content timespan is short; therefore, you get more time to explore for extra materials and get a handy preparation time. Although Crash courses are only helpful if you have been regular with your preparation and need an end time preparation in case you are not thorough with the curriculum, you may end up more confused. Also, make sure to attend the crash course as soon as possible so that you have more time for self-preparation and analysis because taking classes only a month prior to the exam will create obstructions to your confidence.
Should I join part time coaching or full time coaching for CAT 2021?
If you are planning for CAT, from at least six months prior to the exam, you can opt for various coaching classes. Coaching classes have structured study patterns and pre-tested strategies which give you an edge during the examination. There is an exceedingly small gap between the scores scored by the top 1%ile; this difference is determined by the strategies students use during the exam. Moreover, coaching provides custom study materials for easy understanding of the concept. If you are busy on some schedule, you can also join the part-time coaching, so that the whole is not wasted on just coaching and their homework. Moreover, you can also consider online classes in case you want to go at your own pace. But for online classes, you need to take care that consistency is important; otherwise you will lose the flow and will end up losing confidence.
How to self-study for CAT 2021?
While coaching and crash courses are a good choice, self-study is still the best choice. Self-study improves the concept and allows you enough time to experiment with your exam strategies. Self-study also helps you gain extra knowledge apart from the conventional ones, which can be beneficial if the question paper is tough or differs from the traditional overview. In case you are studying alone, you can make use of the vast online resources and books available loyalty free. Some of the best books for CAT are listed below.
You can find these books in any bookstore or even order them online
● Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: Trishna’s Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT and Other MBA Examinations by TIME, The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Nishit Sinha and A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal published by S. Chand.
● Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning: A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha published by Pearson and How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma.
● Quantitative Aptitude: How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma & Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha.
How to take different tests for CAT 2021?
Taking mocks and solving samples are quite enough to get you through the qualifying marks, but if you want to excel in the exam, you need to take a strategised test so that you get an even preparation throughout the paper. As it is said, do not judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree; similarly, it is important to recognise your weaknesses and strengths. And in order to succeed, you need to focus more on your strengths and evenly distribute the rest of the prep time to the other topics. It would be useless if you give the same time for all the topics; hence you need to take more tests on your weak topics and lesser tests on your strong topics. Utilise this time for more preparation instead, so that you score better on the mocks and eventually in the final test.
How to manage time management in CAT 2021?
The ruling factor in any exam is the time management and the strategy the student uses to complete the paper. You may know all the answers in the paper, but it is useless until and unless you have sufficient time to finish them. It is important to know which topic to complete first and which topic requires more focus. Paper is divided such that some questions are very easy, and some questions are very difficult. While solving all the easy questions will get through the qualifying marks, you need to excel the difficult questions to make a mark; hence it is important to balance your time between such questions so that you are able to quickly solve all the easy questions and then switch to the difficult ones. While practising the sample, analyse which section you can complete first and then attend that section first so that you have more time to attend the other sections. Also learn to allot a specific time frame to each question and do not jump the deadline so that you are able to attend all the questions and no easy question gets left unattended. Practice makes a man perfect, going by this, the more you practice, the more naturally you will grasp the concept of time management.
By following these tips, you can ensure better preparation for the CAT 2020 and improve your chances of scoring a higher percentile.
Other Important Articles:
How to crack CAT 2021? Step by Step Approach for CAT Preparation
CAT Toppers Preparation Tips to score 99+ Percentile in the first attempt
To keep track of latest discussions on CAT 2020 Exam, Score, Percentile, Admit Card, stay connected with fellow students on PaGaLGuY.