Preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT) requires a strategic approach and a thorough understanding of the exam pattern and syllabus. With CAT 2024 just around the corner, aspirants must gear up and start their preparation journey.
The CAT exam is a gateway to prestigious management institutes like the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other renowned B-schools in India. To help you navigate through this challenging yet rewarding journey, let’s delve into the essential preparation tips and strategies. But before we dive into the preparation strategies, let’s take a quick look at the important dates for CAT 2024, ensuring you stay on track with your preparation schedule.
CAT Exam Important Dates 2024
- CAT 2024 notification release: 30 July 2024
- CAT exam 2024 registration dates: 01 Aug 2024 (10:00 AM) to 13 Sep 2024 (5:00 PM)
- CAT form correction: Last week of September 2024
- CAT admit card 2024: November 5, 2024, Tuesday
- CAT exam 2024 date: 24 Nov 2024
- CAT answer key release: To be notified soon
- Answer key challenge process: 2–3 days after the exam (tentative)
- Declaration of CAT 2024 result:Second week of January
Below is an overview of the exam pattern and syllabus for your reference to analyze and pave a path for your preparation process.
| CAT Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Weightage | Main Topics |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 72 | RC passages, Inferences, Summary, Para jumbles, etc. |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI) | 20 | 60 | Graphs, charts, syllogism, arrangements, etc. |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 66 | Algebra, arithmetic, trigonometry, probability, etc. |
With these dates in mind, let’s explore the best strategies for conquering the CAT exam and securing admission into your dream management institute.
Section-Wise CAT Preparation Strategies
Let us divide the paper into its sections and discuss the tips that will work in your favor whilst preparing for the exam.
1. VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension)
Following the exam pattern from CAT 2023, CAT 2024 is expected to feature 24 VARC questions, comprising 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. To excel in this section, an aspirant must possess strong English skills, including grammar and vocabulary. Here are some tips for VARC preparation:
- Enhance grammar and vocabulary skills by reading regularly.
- Focus on grasping the underlying meaning of passages quickly.
- Allocate time for weekly topic-wise and sectional VARC mock tests.
- Select appropriate study materials that cover the fundamentals of verbal ability.
- Practice solving 4-5 RC questions daily to improve comprehension and speed.
2. DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)
Similar to CAT 2023, CAT 2024 is anticipated to include 20 DILR questions. The DILR section assesses logical and analytical reasoning abilities, covering topics such as linear and matrix arrangements, blood relations, coding-decoding, and analogies. Here are some strategies for DILR preparation:
- Identify the easiest sets within the DILR section and prioritize them.
- Aim to answer at least 2 out of 4 sets with high accuracy to achieve a percentile above 99.
- Regularly practice DILR mock tests to improve speed and accuracy.
- Develop a strategy for selecting and answering sets based on difficulty levels.
- Focus on enhancing speed and accuracy through consistent practice and revision.
3. QA (Quantitative Aptitude)
The QA section focuses on mathematical concepts, requiring candidates to practice essential equations extensively. CAT 2024 is expected to feature 22 QA questions covering algebra, geometry, percentages, and probability. Here are some strategies for QA preparation:
- Strengthen foundational mathematical concepts and formulas.
- Learn shortcuts for quicker calculations and efficient problem-solving.
- Time your responses during practice sessions to improve speed.
- Utilize mock tests to evaluate performance, identify weaknesses, and refine strategies.
- Study from QA-focused study materials to familiarize yourself with the exam pattern and topics.
Month-Wise CAT Preparation Strategy
Breaking down the preparation process into monthly milestones enables candidates to cover the syllabus and monitor their progress systematically. Here’s a month-wise preparation strategy for CAT:
February to May
- Identify syllabus topics and focus on strengthening foundational concepts.
- Practice regularly and revise fundamental concepts for each section.
- Devote time to studying algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and reading comprehension.
June and July
- Review basic concepts and identify weak areas.
- Attempt full-length mock tests and analyze performance.
- Dedicate time to sectional revisions and preparation.
August and September
- Gain familiarity with exam topics, concepts, and question
CAT Coaching For Better Exam Preparation 2024
CAT coaching can help you in overcoming your weak areas. Choose the CAT coaching centers for exam preparation. The best CAT coaching centers are TIME, CL, IMS, and more.
Here are some of the factors you should consider while choosing a CAT training institute:
- The best CAT coaching center will provide uniform study material based on the latest exam pattern and syllabus.
- Ensure the coaching institute provides the best teaching faculty.
- Check the past year’s results and students’ pass-out rate.
- Read the student reviews about the coaching center. You can also ask your friends about the best coaching institute.
Note: Apart from attending coaching for CAT, it is highly recommended that you prepare well at home. You can also hire a personal tutor for one-on-one training on specific concepts.
CAT Self-Preparation Tips 2024
Here are some tips on preparing for the CAT Exam without coaching. These tips will also guide you on how and when to start your CAT exam preparations.
- The CAT exam pattern and syllabus will help you analyze your strengths and weaknesses in all three sections.
- Choose the best CAT books and study material as per your skillset
- Take the CAT mock test while you are preparing for the exam. After taking the test, analyze your answers.
- If you face problems scoring good marks in VARC, you can start reading novels, watching English TV shows, and communicating with others in English.
- Solving Data Interpretation questions might be a little time-consuming initially, hence dedicate a set amount of time for it.
- It is of utmost importance that you sit with the NCERT textbooks from classes 9 to 12 regularly as a part of your quantitative aptitude preparation.
CAT Exam Preparation Tips for Working Professionals
It can be overwhelming as a working professional to prepare for an exam as big as the CAT and ensure best of the both worlds.
So, ensuring that you have a steady routine and a few strategies that you can follow religious leave for your preparation can help you go a long way and crack the exam.
- Firstly, it is of utmost importance to make a routine that suits your daily work schedule. A realistic routine is going to ensure you meet your goals rather than only hyper-fixing them.
- Since you will be contributing a greater part of the day to your work, make sure you set your study goals as per your work pressure so that you can retain knowledge.
- If you’re someone who commutes a lot for work, you can use that time to brush up on your knowledge skills.
- As a working professional, you can surely join a CAT study help group where you can meet like-minded professionals who are also aspirants and seek advice or help.
- Apart from these extra steps, you can start preparing for the exam like any other aspirant and make sure you utilize most of the study materials and online resources available for preparation.
Best Books For CAT Preparation
We have listed the best books for you as per the aspirants and experts in the field to have a glance. Here is the list below.
Here are some of the CAT Preparation Books For Verbal Ability And Reading Comprehension:
Books For VARC |
Author |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT | Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay |
| Mastering the Verbal Ability for CAT | Ajay Singh |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT | Nishit Sinha |
| High School English Grammar and Composition | Wren and Martin |
The best Quantitative Aptitude Books for CAT Preparation are as follows.
Books for Quantitative Aptitude |
Author |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | Dr. R.S. Aggarwal |
| Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Rajesh Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude Quantum Cat | Sarvesh K Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Dinesh K. Sinha |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Arun Sharma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Nishit K. Sinha |
The top-rated books for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning books are as follows.
Books for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Author Name/Publisher |
| CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | Arun Sharma |
| Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit K. Sinha |
| Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency | Disha |
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma |
Mistakes to Avoid While Preparing for CAT
Acing an exam like CAT can be a lot to process, owing to the dynamics and the pressure attached to it. You have to ensure that you avoid the common mistakes while preparing for an exam like this to make sure you can crack it.
Let us see some common mistakes aspirants can commit while preparing for this exam and the collective measures to avoid them.
- You have to ensure that you get adequate practice before sitting for the exam since a lack of practice is going to be catastrophic in this environment.
- But aimless practice will lead you nowhere, so it is of critical importance that you have a structured plan and routine to ensure you cover all the topics for the upcoming exam.
- Always remember that you can never ignore the current affairs in your practice and make sure that you’re always updated.
- Sometimes aspirants tend to ignore the weaker sections and that can be the main reason why your ship sinks. You have to ensure that you cover all your weaker areas for the exam.
- Another important thing to remember as an aspirant is, that it is always advisable to seek help whenever you’re stuck, rather than assuming so that you don’t face any difficulties while writing the exam.
- Lastly, among all the pressure of preparation and cracking the exam, make sure you take ample breaks and prioritize your health too to succeed.
Conclusion
The first step in preparing for the exam is to know the CAT exam pattern and syllabus, then decide if you want to take up the coaching or study by yourself.
Books are the best source of preparation for the CAT exam. You must ensure you choose the right and the best book, which will make exam preparation easy.
Moreover, after completing a chapter or a concept, taking online mock tests and quizzes is recommended to help you analyze your strengths and weaknesses. You can also take full-length mock tests and solve previous year’s question papers, which will help you prepare for the exam.
Good luck!
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