101 Days left to Prepare for CAT 2015

Cat 2015

• the most sought after entrance exam for MBA aspirants in the country is going to be held on November 29, 2015. It is certainly the most competitive management entrance exam that needs thorough preparation.

CAT preparation is a crucial aspect if an aspirant dreams of getting into one of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). To have the right as well as focused study plan one first needs to know about the sections that form the test – Quantitative Ability (QA), Data Interpretation & Logical reasoning (DILR) and Verbal & Reading Comprehension (VRC).

These 3 sections will together comprise of 100 questions. Quantitative Ability (QA) and Verbal & Reading Comprehension (VRC) will have 34 questions each, while the Data Interpretation & Logical reasoning (DILR) section will consist of 32 questions.

The test duration is of 180 minutes, 60 minutes to be devoted to each section. Till last year, the test duration was 170 minutes. Candidates are required to solve one section at a time, switching between sections is not allowed.

This time a major change introduced is the inclusion of written answers for some questions in each section. These questions would not carry negative marking as declared by the conducting body - IIM Ahmedabad on July 31, 2015.

The topics to be prepared for each section are as follows:

Quantitative aptitude

Trigonometry

Number system, LCM, HCF

Quadratic equation, inequalities

Profit and loss

Ages, time speed and distance

Time and work

Sequence and series

Permutation and combination

Ratio, mixture and alligation

Area, volume and geometry

Data interpretation & Logical Reasoning

Table with missing values

2 Tables with placement data

Scattered chart of companies, different products, different locations

Caselet based on Venn diagram

4 sets of data arrangement and reasoning

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehensions

Reading comprehension

Critical reasoning

Summary of passages

Para jumbles

Grammatically correct usage

Odd sentence out

Toppers of CAT 2014 shared some tips and strategies to crack CAT exam:

• Work hard on building concepts and practice
• Focus on time management.
• Opt for coaching for practice, not concept building. Concepts can be understood by self study.
• Give as many mocks as possible and analyse them thoroughly to find your weak spots and work on them.

Isha Sharma is a graduate in Economics from Delhi University & also holds a masters degree in Business Economics from Guru Nanak Dev University.