CAT or Common Admission Test is a national level test for candidates hopeful of achieving a Masters Degree in management in one of India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta.
Registration
The registration is done online. You should ensure that you have the minimum qualifications required for CAT. You must have a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks, unless you are an SC/ST. In which case you can apply for the exam with a minimum percentage of 45%. The admission procedure for each IIM is different and may include Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussions (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI). However, CAT is an important part of the admission process. Get registered online on the site iimcat.ac.in. Keep relevant papers at hand while filling the form.
Registration Fees:
Rs. 1,600/- for General Category and OBC.
Rs. 800/- for SC / ST / DA (PWD) category candidates.
CAT 2016 – the test
The test itself is of 180 minutes. Since last year (2015) the test has become computer based and has been divided into three sections. 1. Quantitative Ability (QA) with 34 Questions, 2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) with 32 questions, and 3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VRC) with 34 questions. That is a total of 100 questions. Each section has been allotted a time limit of 60 minutes so you will not be able to waste time in any section. Some questions may not be objectives and you will have to type in the answers.
There are two types of scores involved, a raw score and a scaled score. Three points are allotted for a correct answer and one point will be deducted for a wrong answer. Answers that have not been attempted will not attract any points. These are the raw scores. The raw scores are adjusted through a process called equating so that a common scale can be applied to the scores. This is the way to arrive at your scaled score. Four scaled scores and percentile rankings will be given to the students, one overall and three for each section.
CAT preparations
Many students would have started their preparations for CAT 2016 by now. You have to understand the syllabus according to the three sections of the exams. Read a lot, including newspapers and previously solved papers. You have to increase your vocabulary and understand the kind of questions that are asked. Practice calculations rigorously.
Analyse your strengths and weaknesses
Take a mock test every 10 to 15 days to assess yourself. MT Educare’s Mock Tests with Detailed Analysis is a good way of gauging yourself, since they give you report about your strengths and weaknesses that you need work on. At the same time their time report lets you know how much time you took per question. They also give you an overall comparison of where you stand after the test with regards to all India toppers with the report.
Keep yourself in mint condition.
Eat and drink healthy throughout the preparation and do not neglect your health. Make sure your body is getting the essential nutrients. Give some time for exercise also, since it is good for a healthy body and mind.
