Get The CAT Out Of Your Hat

Common Admission Test or CAT is an aptitude entrance test for aspiring management students for admission to any of the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs).

This year’s CAT paper is scheduled for November 16 and 22. The format of the test has undergone various changes. The test has 250 questions from five broad areas, namely - verbal ability and reasoning, reading comprehension, quantitative skills, data interpretation and logical reasoning. All the questions are of multiple-choice type with optional answer choices. The test duration has been increased from 140 to 170 minutes.

Here are a few quick tips to help you crack this dreaded exam.

1. Focus on devoting equal time to all sections. CAT 2014 has ‘section flexibility', which means that you now have the liberty to attempt any section first.

2. This year there are 100 more questions to be solved in comparison with the previous years. Do not ponder over one question for long. If you encounter a tricky question, move on and return back later to solve it calmly.

3. Pick and solve as many mock tests as possible every day.

4. Pick your questions very carefully in order to avoid negative marking. Shortlist 35-40 questions out of 50 from each section based on your strengths.

Ravi Handa, an IITian who has trained a whole generation of MBA aspirants, brings you an all-round solution for all your exam woes. Watch the video series below to successfully bell the CAT.