A question that every CAT aspirant comes across at the onset is "How to start preparing for CAT?". Not knowing the right answer to this question can cripple your preparation. So, "How should you start preparing for CAT?" The first step in the process is determining where you stand at present, i.e. if you were to take the CAT exam today then how much would you score? It's easy to know, take our CAT Readiness Test and understand your preparedness for the exam. Accordingly, chalk out a preparation plan for yourself. Here are a few things that you should keep in mind:
The question that follows right after “How to start preparing for CAT?” is what resources you need. Whether you should join online coaching, offline classes or take the route of self-study.
To know if self-study is the right choice for you, take a litmus test. After preparing for 30 days through self-study if you don’t see any improvement in your preparation then it’s time to take the help required through online or offline coaching. In addition, joining a coaching program will indefinitely help you and guide you in the right direction throughout your CAT journey.
Strong basics are imperative for scoring well in any exam and the same follows for the CAT exam. The first priority should be ensuring that you have attained mastery over the basic concepts.
How do you achieve that? Start solving the study material from one of the institutes. Keep revising and solving questions from the weak areas. This will put you on the right track.
Taking CAT mocks is not an option if you are planning to write CAT. Waiting to finish the basics to take CAT mocks is a foolish play. Preparing with CAT mocks is the right strategy, so take CAT mocks along with the rest of your preparation. Each mock analysis will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, which will then help you strategize your preparation.
CAT 2023 will be conducted by IIM Lucknow on 26th November 2023. Given below are the details about the exam pattern.
Exam Pattern as per CAT 2022
Section |
Time Limit (in minutes) |
No. of MCQ |
No. of Non-MCQ |
Total Questions |
---|---|---|---|---|
VARC |
40 |
19 |
5 |
24 |
DILR |
40 |
15 |
5 |
20 |
QA |
40 |
14 |
8 |
22 |
Total |
120 |
48 |
18 |
66 |
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