There are some of India's top business schools that took Common Admission Test (CAT) as an admission criterion. The examination is tough, and many candidates ask the question: "How much time should I devote to CAT preparation?"
To be honest, there is no specific answer. It depends on a number of factors, including your academic background, your present level of preparedness, and the time you have left before the examination day. Nevertheless, this blog post aims to offer guidance in preparing for the CAT.
Initial Preparation Phase (4-6 months before the exam)
This is the stage where you establish a strong base for yourself. You will have to learn new things as well as refresh yourself on what you learned long ago. Allocate a larger part of your 24 hours to studying around 8 hours if possible, here's how:
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Focus on Core Concepts: Rather than jumping from one topic to another, plunge into the basics of each section; VARC – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension; DILR – Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning; QA – Quantitative Ability. Reviewing the CAT Previous Years question papers will help you understand the test format and know about sections' portions.
Master the Basics: Do not underrate the importance of good grounding in grammar, logical reasoning or percentage calculation prior to engaging in challenging methods. You may get assistance from textbooks or online sources.
Build Your Stamina: With a three-hour duration test, CAT is all about building up focus over longer periods through gradual increments in your study sessions.
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CAT Previous Years' Question Papers: Your Best Friend
Throughout your preparation, CAT previous years' question papers are an invaluable resource. They offer several benefits:
Understand the Exam Pattern: Get acquainted with different types of questions asked in the test along with their difficulty level and weightage per topic.
Test Your Knowledge: Take regular mock tests based on previous year papers so that you get used to the actual exam format and understand your strong as well as weak areas.
Develop Exam-Taking Strategies: Efficient time management is a must in CAT. By solving the question papers from previous years, you learn to allocate equal time for each section or part of the test.
Exam Time – The Final Push
As such, one may decide to increase their study hours per day to around 12 hours during this period. This is when you strengthen your understanding and brush up on test-taking skills. Here are some other tips:
Focus on Revision: Go through key points, formulas and core concepts from your study material again.
Analyze Mock Tests: It is not enough to just take mocks, thoroughly analyze them instead. Look for patterns in error making, improving weak areas and refining how one addresses each type of questions presented to them.
Maintain Focus: The last weeks can be overwhelming, therefore come up with a schedule that provides ample studying time and try sticking by it as much as possible.
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In your quest for success in CAT, it is vital to remember that the number of hours alone cannot help you achieve this. The strategy of studying, understanding fundamental ideas and solving CAT previous years' question papers and CAT mock tests will help you conquer the exam and go ahead to your dream B-school at first.
