Ending a three decade old paper-pencil format for the Common Admissions Test(CAT), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) have decided to adopt a computer based model for CAT 2009. From now on, applicants will select a test date from a period of ten days towards the end of this calendar year.
“The CAT will be conducted at Prometric centers across the country. The locations of these centers will be determined only after all applications have been received. Students will get some idea about how to prepare for this year’s test when the CAT advertisements and booklets are released,” said IIM Bangalore (IIM-B) Professor Amarnath Krishnaswamy.
The primary reason behind this decision is the manifold increase in number of CAT applicants in recent years. Approximately 2.5 lakh candidates wrote the CAT in 2008 and this is an increase of 163 percent as compared to 2003 when about 95,000 students attempted this test. The IIMs have encountered difficulties in conducting the CAT in the past. In 2003, CAT question papers had been leaked and this resulted in a retest being held later that year.
The IIMs believe that a computer based CAT will result in flexibility in choice of selection date, ease of registration process, better physical environment and test experience. There will also be enhanced security in terms of biometric identification of candidates and video monitoring. Such a format is expected to improve communication between candidates and IIMs in terms of programme information, test delivery, receipt of admit cards, and receipt of score reports.
“The nature of study preparation doesn't depend on whether the CAT is a paper-based or a computer-based test”.
Every year the CAT has changed in some way or the other. This year, the change is with respect to the mode of taking the test. As far as preparing the concepts are concerned, there will not be any change. However, you have to go through sufficient online practice to acclimatize yourself with the online testing process. The nature of study preparation doesn't depend on whether the CAT is a paper-based or a computer-based test. You need material that will cover basic concepts explained in a friendly manner, CAT application based questions for practice with explanatory answers and test papers. Also check out the material of most of the reputed MBA training institutions.
You do not need to be computer savvy to take an online test. All that is required is the ability to use the mouse and a few basic keys. Do not worry on that front. spend at least 5 hours a day for the ultimate preparation.
Expert Suggestions : Follow Strategies
* Preparing Maths
* Preparing Data Interpretation
* Preparing Analytical reasoning
* Preparing Reading comprehension
* Preparing Verbal ability
* word list
* Reading
There are two phases of preparation
Preparation for CAT 2010 - First phase:
In this phase you should get good grip on fundamentals and get familiar with all chapters and problems . Do not look for speed solving or feel any sort of pressure while preparing fundamentals. Learn with your own efficiency, without getting into fundamentals clearly speed-solving is not useful. Please manage to allocate at least one hour a day for reading newspapers, magazines. It is better to subscribe for any good magazines during the preparation. Get in touch with current affairs
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Schedule your weeks to prepare accordingly because haphazardness will waste lot of time. If you have been preparing without any study structure then whatever you may achieve would have been increased up to 50%. Try to shuffle the subjects also, so that you do not get bored with one subject. A good time table for 1 days look like below:
Day 1:
1 hour reading
2 hours of math
1 hour of analytical reasoning / data interpretation
1 hour of reading comprehension exercises / verbal ability
Preparation for CAT 2010 - second phase(self analyzing and improving):
By the time you finish the fundamentals which is about second week of august, you will get a fare idea on the area of your weakness and strengths. Make a tabular form of topics categorizing strengths and weakness to have a clear picture on it. Keep weak areas in mind and try to improve yourself by focusing them more.
From second week of August you can take section tests along with revision of topics in alternate day, here if you think you have to allocate more time you should do.. You must start taking comprehensive tests by the beginning of September.
Things you look to learn in comprehensive tests of 2-3 hour long, is how to manage paper so the attitude here should be the same like a batsman who wants to score as many runs as possible in the last 10 overs in onedayers. You should think of scoring as much as possible ,but most people will get emotional to have a challenging problem and stuck up solving only that problem.
After you tested yourself spend time to analyze it. The key points to analyze your test:
1. Speed:
See if your speed is better than previous tests, notice if you do not understand basics you cannot apply them to tougher problems. Both these attributes are a prerequisite for speed solving;
2. Concentration:
Most of we do not use two hours sitting at a stretch; a high degree of concentration is also not easy for first time test takers. Comprehensive tests make us to sit for two hours at a stretch and we increase our attentive span.
3. Time Management:
The most important value provided by the comprehensive test is an idea of our strengths and weakness. So you should manage time and allocate certain time to each section depending on your strength and weakness
4. Accuracy:
Accuracy is the number of correct questions out of attempted questions. if this is low you need to go and revise the chapters which are reducing your accuracy because marking wrong option will impose negative marks in cat.
5. Finding Traps:
You should avoid false positives or false negatives i.e., you shouldn’t leave easy questions thinking they are hard and attempt hard questions thinking they are easy. analyzing your progress on the above four : compare with the previous attempted paper on above all points
Mock Exam
There are 160 to 220 objective type CAT sample questions and divided into three to four sections. Each CAT sample question question has four alternate answer choices and the candidate has to choose the best answer for each of the questions and mark it on a special Optical Reader answer sheet.
The duration of the test is of 120 minutes. This literally translates to answering a CAT question in 48 seconds. Most successful aspirants do not attempt anything more than 120 plus questions. And quite a lot of them attempt between 85 and 100 questions.
1. The accuracy or strike rate
Each correct question carries 1 positive mark, while each incorrect question carries negative marks. Hence, it is important to get a strike rate of over 85% - that is reduce the number of negatives.
2. Smart Selection
As you will not be generally able to attempt all CAT sample question, and you skip between 30 and 50 questions. Most important thing to success is selecting questions properly. Remember, every correct question carries the same 1-mark and each incorrect answer carries a one-third negative. So be careful and choose the questions that you have practised a lot and smash them.
CAT evaluates your presence of mind and the ability to perform under pressure. You cannot prepare for CAT during the last 10 days.Minimum of 3 to 9 months of regular preparation is essential.
CAT sample questions tests your skills in four broad areas :
1. Verbal
* Sentence Completions
* Analogies
* Reading Comprehension
* Antonyms
2. Math (Quantitative)
* Quantitative Comparisons
* Standard Multiple-choice
* Data Interpretation
3. Analytical
* Analytical Reasoning
* Logical Reasoning
4. General Awareness
