How to Crack CAT 2009?

Here is some handy advice for students tackling the CAT. MBA is a career that is preferred by many engineering students, as the industry requires candidates from technical as well as management backgrounds.

The motive behind the preference for this strategic combination is that a techno-management candidate can implement the best of both fields in his job. A candidate opting for a career in management has to undergo an aptitude test, followed by a group discussion and a personal interview.

One of the most challenging entrance exams for entering the management stream at an all India level is CAT (Common Admission Test), which is conducted by seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) for admission to their PG programmes in management.

The most common question in the mind of a candidate aspiring to get into the IIMs is: "Why is CAT considered to be one of the toughest exams?" Probably the IIMs want to absorb only the best of the lot or perhaps the MNCs prefer hiring the most talented candidates. IIMs like to spring surprises to keep the charm and unpredictability of the exam intact.

Let us now take on the big question: How to crack the CAT? Generally, engineering students undertake CAT preparation from their sixth semester onwards. The syllabus of the CAT is based on eighth, ninth and tenth standard mathematics, along with verbal ability and reasoning, which includes reading comprehension, synonyms, antonyms and similar topics.

The methodology for cracking the CAT involves regular study for two to three hours, which includes reading books, problem-solving sessions and answering time-bound mock tests.

I would recommend candidates meticulously deal with each topic in the syllabus and be absolutely clear about the concepts. The CAT always tests your understanding of the basics. Once the candidate believes that his concepts are sound, he should attempt problems from the lowest level and gradually increase the difficulty levels.

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Slowdown making many executives for CAT

AHMEDABAD: Freshers, beware! From next year, belling the CAT will be much more tougher. For there would be additional competition from candidates with two to five years of work experience—a profile preferred by the top B-schools in the country.

The number of candidates appearing for CAT has gone up by 11% versus last year. However, the ratio of freshers to those with some work experience has remained more or less constant at 30:70. Experts feel that this ratio will alter for CAT 2009 in favour of those with additional work experience.

Driven by economic slowdown, many professionals from IT, engineering , medical and finance background are gearing up for CAT.

“Given the current slowdown in the economy, working people are looking to rescale and upgrade their profile, which will lead them to take up CAT next year. Already inquiries are pouring in from people with such profiles. This means, competition for country’s top BSchool will get tougher,” said Career Launcher director Arindham Lahiri.

Experts believe people who have been otherwise busy with their job are now making up their minds to take up CAT and are readying themselves to take the plunge next year. “It is better to do an MBA now as promotions are not expected quickly. In two-years’ time, as economy picks up, job prospects might improve. By that time, I would hopefully have my MBA degree,” says Sakshi Verma, who has been working for eight months for a Delhi-based KPO and has been shifted to a different department as the volume of work in her department had shrunk.

While the bulk of candidates applying for CAT are fresh graduates, over the years there have been an increasing trend of people with two to five years of experience taking up the test for admission to the coveted B-Schools . And candidates with prior work experience have a special preference over freshers for top-slot B-Schools , including IIMs.

“We do consider candidates with prior work experience. This is part of our admission policy. Although it varies from year to year, candidates with varying degree of work experience (which may be as little as six months) are our first choice,” said IIM-A chairperson (admissions) Satish Deodhar. IIM-A has more than 50% candidates with two to five years of work experience.

“Around 40% of candidates take up CAT more than once, and the number has accumulated over the last several years. They are also candidates with some amount of work experience in the fields of IT and banking-finance and have an edge over freshers ,” said director and CEO of Endeavor , an institute that prepares for admission to management schools.

GETTING TOUGHER

Number of candidates appearing for CAT has gone up by 11% compared to last year Ratio of freshers to those with work experience has remained constant at around 30:70 IIM-A has more than 50% candidates with work experience Candidates with prior work experience have a preference over freshers for most B-Schools.

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CAT 2008 Overview

90 questions 3 sections - Quantitative Ability (25 question), Data Interpretation (25 questions) and Verbal Ability (40 questions).

Overall Expected Cutoff for 1 IIM Call: 125/360

Rat race to bell CAT

Ranchi, Nov. 13: Anxiety is evident on the faces of many MBA aspirants as the countdown for the Common Admission Test (CAT) has already begun.

With just two days left for the mega examination to take place, the aspirants are running helter-skelter for last minute tips from coaching institutes, making revision of their notes and taking mock tests for self-evaluation.

At stake are the entry tickets to six prestigious management institutes — the IIMs.

“The exam is no joke. It needs stringent practice, arduous labour and above all, the grace of divine providence. I am better prepared to bell the CAT this time,” said Avinash Ananda, a student who had also taken the examination last year as well.

“I had been scoring reasonably well in all the mock tests taken by my institute up till now. I sincerely hope that I don’t come out a rat in the CAT which I shall be facing on this Sunday,” said Riya Sinha, an aspirant preparing for the examination at Career Launchers in Sainik Market on Main Road .

Hope is reflected in the reactions of these students aspiring for a management career as they gear up for the CAT race.

The race would be testing students on their speed and agility. It shall see many a dream culminate into reality or infuse tenacity in others to aspire for the challenge once again with renewed confidence.

Asked what tips do experts preparing these students had to give for the last moments, calmness of mind and inner confidence came out as unanimous response. “There is no point in cramming things left untouched at this moment. Just work on your stronger points. take a few mock tests before the examination, relax, meditate and recall your previous victories,” said Rita Shahdeo director of Erudite, an MBA coaching centre at Amravati Complex.

70 to 75 questions in 150 minutes and nearly 1,00,000 intelligent minds of the country competing for 900 odd seats in six IIMs. A tough competition for sure!

“There are only two possibilities. Either I will make it or I shall be eliminated. After all, CAT is not the end of the world,” said Saket Mewara, a final year BCom student at St Xavier’s College who shall be taking the test for the first time.

Yet, he could not hide the anxiety on his face.

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More professionals want to bell CAT

Ahmedabad : With Common Admission Test (CAT-2008) just around the corner, many doctors, lawyers and chartered accountants are spending sleepless nights. Cracking the exam and getting into top-notch B-schools, like Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), doesnt come easy.

Till a few years ago, a management degree was an obvious choice for engineers, but now its becoming the preferred option for other professionals as well. The reason: they find it worth investing two years in an MBA since it gives them much-needed soft skills.

"It was during my CA course, in which I had a subject called general management and communication skills, that I realised importance of soft skills. Even if you are an excellent CA, you need to know how to present yourself, " says Vinay Menon, CA rank-holder.

Vaidehi Darji, who is pursuing her LLB, says: "The grilling and grooming one goes through in a management course is the biggest attraction. This is my second CAT attempt and I hope to make it to an institute of my choice."

The famous Gujarati entrepreneurial spirit is another reason why an MBA degree is getting popular among professionals. "Im hoping to start something on my own eventually. Also, with just a CA degree I would be like any other practitioner," says Parth Desai.

"The number of people with a professional degree taking CAT has increased this year. We had only two CAs last year, this year we have seven. The number of doctors has increased and lawyers are new additions to our students," says Yakub Mansuri, centre manager of IMS Learning Resources.

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CAT: Expect the unexpected

NEW DELHI: Unpredictability is the only prediction for the Common Admission Test (CAT) as over 2.76 lakh students are all set to sweat it out on November 16 to get a place in the top B-schools of the country. There will be over 54,000 female candidates taking the test this year. Over 118 B-schools would accept CAT scores this year. And no one is hazarding a guess as to what surprise is in store in this edition of CAT.

However, before the trends, here is what CAT-2008 looks like in numbers in comparison to 2007. In comparison to 2.3 lakh applicants in 2007, 2.85 lakh applicants have been accepted this year. According to Satish Deodhar, member CAT committee, "Close to 3 lakh forms were sold for 2008. While 2 lakh wrote the test last year, it would be 76,000 more this year."

The exam, scheduled to start at 10.30 am, would have three sections and would be of two-and-half-hour duration. According to sources from IIM Bangalore, CAT would be conducted from IIM Bangalore this year. On condition of anonymity, a faculty of IIM Kolkata, said: "The trend has been a special surprise after a three-year interval. Going by that trend in 2006 and 2007, the number of questions remained 75 and English remained comparatively the toughest section and so we can expect a new variation this year."

However, neither faculty members nor aspirants are going with a fixed mindset as CAT is known to turn all strategies upside down. Deekshant of MBA Guru said: "It would be foolish to predict anything. Variations have been random and the only consistency we have seen is that in last five years the test has been tough and getting tougher as the number of questions are coming down. Earlier, it was speed based, now it is more of testing your managerial skills, rather than your knowledge."

In last five years (2002 to 2007), the variations have been random with one section being the toughest, much more so than others. In 2002 and 2003, the English section has been the easiest. From 2003 to 2005, data analysis was comparatively the toughest, while in 2006 and 2007, English became the nightmare.

Then there were variations in the number of questions, with the only consistency being that since 2002 it has seen a gradual decline in the number of question asked. In 2002, the paper had 150 questions. In 2003 and 2004 there were 123 questions, which came down to 90 in 2005. In 2006 and 2007 there were only 75 questions, which is fairly similar to what GMAT adheres to, giving rise to speculations about CAT going the GMAT way.

While the number of question remained the same in 2003 and 2004 and so also the toughness of the section on data analysis, CAT sprang a surprise by bifurcating the paper into sections A and B. Section A contained questions worth half and one mark each, while section B had question worth two marks each.

Does that leave much option to guess as to what it would be like this time? Rajiv Kumar, an aspirant said: "Why hazard a guess? CAT is not for guess work. And that's where the fun of the game is."

Agrees Asha Kaul, professor, IIM Ahmedabad, "I don't want to comment on what CAT would be like or predict anything. Yes, it has been the toughest challenge for those aspiring to pursue MBA from the best institutes in India and I feel it would maintain that status. And except for those setting the paper, no one has actually been able to anticipate what surprise CAT will throw up. Only those with the right attitude can crack this exam."

So no fixed mindset before you step in for the exam. Ulhas Vairagkar, director, TIME, Delhi, said: "Don't worry about the surprise element. Just do your best. Even if one attempts 40 to 45 questions and even if seven to 10 of those are incorrect, even then there is a huge probability of getting a good percentile and a call from a good B-school."

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Slog overs begin for IIM aspirants

BANGALORE: With barely a week left for one of the toughest entrance tests in the country, Common Admission Test (CAT), preparation by prospective IIMers is peaking. This is, after all, an exam where serendipity has a limited role to play, with methodical planning and intense preparation being everything.

Expectedly, candidates are burning the midnight oil. A majority of the 2.76 lakh taking the exam are spending a good "three to four hours" a day preparing, with additional hours put in during weekends. A few brave souls are striving for a semblance of normalcy in these stressful days by taking some time out for themselves, going out with friends for a movie or to a restaurant.

For a majority of candidates, this will be the first brush with the famed test. For others like Ankit Kumar, a software engineer with a private firm, a second attempt.

He's organised this time, having figured out his strong and weak points from the first attempt. Last time, a 97 percentile failed to land him any calls from the IIMs. An intensified effort this time has him take a different approach to the test. More focus on mock tests and fine-tuning sections he's good at.

Preparing for the CAT for the last four months, he's not cut down on social networking. As he says: "Even my friends are appearing for CAT, so when we meet the discussion is on CAT".

He hasn't taken leave from work unlike the first attempt, as he feels CAT is more application-based and preparation cannot happen overnight.

A few first-timers TOI spoke to, admit to stressful moments. Madhav Jain, final year electronics and communication engineering student, is anxious as he's aware there are only limited seats at the seven IIMs and more candidates are vying for them. "It will be tough. There is no end to studying. I started to prepare for CAT from January," he says. His challenge was to strike a balance between college and CAT preparation. "Sometimes, I find it tough to concentrate on both engineering and CAT," he admits.

As D-Day draws closer, aspirants are intensifying their efforts. But this is not what Arun Sharma, an IIM-C alumnus and CAT specialist, advises. He says candidates should not study any new topics at this point. "From now till the day before CAT, just go through all the questions you have solved. Don't solve the paper, rather analyze the questions. Let steps to arrive at the answer run through your minds," he explained.

While stressing the need to focus on the question, Sharma also advises aspirants to create a kind of a mental statement so as to reassure themselves anytime they encounter a stumbling block. "Creating an alternative plan of action also helps candidates take the pressure off a bit," he adds.

Offering tips, Sharma says candidates should be confident in their abilities and have faith that they will bounce back, no matter what. "Attempt as many questions as possible. Answering those few, extra questions can mean upping the percentile to 95," adds Sharma.

Prashant Tibrewal, assistant operations manager of IMS Learning Resources (a CAT coaching school), said a majority of students fail to understand the CAT. "This is an entrance test for admission to B-schools, which will train future managers. The expectation is they should have the same skills as that of a manager, like time management, decision-making and appetite for risk. The paper pattern changes every year. So candidates have to decide how much time to spend on each question. This is where time management comes in," he says.

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59,000 to take CAT from NCR

NEW DELHI: Come November 16, and the common admission test (CAT) would see a new high with around 2.7 lakh aspirants taking one of the `globally-acclaimed toughest entrance-test'. In the NCR alone, over 50,000 students would be appearing for the test to get into one of their favourite B-schools.

According to CAT committee sources, there has been a 23 percent increase in the total number of applications filled this year. However, the number will come down substantially after the screening of applications. Satish Deodhar, a faculty member at IIM, Ahmedabad, and member, CAT committee, said: "We have received over 2.9 lakh applications, of which over 2.7 lakh would be receiving the admit cards for the exams, which would be around 70,000 more then that of last year."

Delhi region, which falls under IIM Lucknow, is handling 59,000. According to IIM Lucknow sources, the NCR region would be having 55 to 60 centres. IIM Ahmedabad is handling over 51,000 applicants, while its Bangalore counterpart is handling over 60,000 applicants and IIM Kolkata would be taking care of over 50,000. Apart from the Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs), this year 118 other B-schools would accept CAT score for admission for the academic session of 2009-2010. NCR tops the list with 34 B-schools.

CAT, an examination known to throw up surprises every year, would be a two-and-half-hour exam. For the last two years, it tested aspirants with 75 questions, divided into three sections. And most coaching classes are not taking any chances of predicting the unpredictable. IIM-Kolkata alumnus, Deekshant, director of MBA Guru said: "In all probability, the pattern would remain the same with three sections and around 75 questions. Not too much of variations in numbers, but yes we can see variations in the toughness of the questions. Last year, the English section was tough. So we might see a relatively easy English section."

However, Parvesh Bansal from Tata Consultancy Services and an aspirant this year disagrees. He said: "English is still going to be the toughest this year as well as CAT is trying to get into the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) mode and get online. In online tests, they can't really make the quantitative section tough."

With the paper setters in the past have repeatedly said that the aim of the exam is to search for genuine talent and, therefore, the surprise element, Ulhas Vairagkar, director, TIME, Delhi, said: "Our advice remains unchanged. Don't go with a fixed mindset, whether in terms of number of question or structure of questions. Also doing well in CAT has nothing to with the number of questions."

Coaching institutes are now gearing up students mentally for the defining moment. And they are taking different approach in doing so. "This year, we have conducted a large number of revision workshops. Based on our past experience, we have found that now more and more students start preparing early and may lose focus. So they need a lot of revision. Unlike in the past, almost 50 per cent of aspirants come to us with prior preparations," said Vairagkar.

With just over 10 days left, students are being prepared to face the exams on a positive note. "One should go for the exams with lot of positive attitude and, therefore, we are holding motivational sessions like screening of films like Pursuit of Happyness to remove the fear of failure," said Deekshant.

And most students are taking mock CATs. Ankit B Jethani, a final-year student of BBE from DU said: "With just a few days left, we (friends) are taking our mock CATs. Mocks are tougher than the original CAT, so it gives us a lot of confidence. Of the 75 questions, if we can attempt at least 10 in each section, that would be the key."

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Timely tips to bell the CAT!

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is scheduled to be held on November 16 for admissions into various MBA programmes of business schools in the country. The following is a compilation of the most common questions posed to CAT aspirants.

An attempt has been made to answer some of the common questions, provide guidance to tackle CAT and clear some myths about the examination. So, here we go...

Student: I have not had a great academic background so far. Can I clear CAT?

Definitely. To clear CAT you do not need academic success as much as the willingness to work hard, smart and utilise your time most efficiently. The last four lines of the poem If by Rudyard Kipling answers it best: If you can fill the unforgiving minute, With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son.

How much time should I spend every day preparing for CAT?

Well, you need to spend all the time you can get. If doing well in CAT is your goal, you need to focus your time and efforts on preparation.

Most people, if asked on the one thing that has contributed most to their success would probably say ‘focus’. To give you a rough indicator, two to three hours a day should be sufficient. But more than the time you spend, what is really important is how much you can take out of your study time.

I can solve most questions from sample papers at home but I am not able to do the same during mock exams. What should I do?

There are two important factors that contribute to success in CAT. One is accuracy in problem solving, and the other is speed. In your case, you need to develop speed. Try a simple exercise at home. When you take a mock CAT exam at home, use a stop-clock and write down the time you start and leave a question adjacent to the question. After the exam, you may find that you have spent a lot of time on the questions that have not yielded marks.

You need to judge more quickly if you can solve a problem by reading it once. If you are not sure how to get the answer after you read it, you probably have to go to the next question without wasting time. This way, if you can spend most of your time in solving all the easier questions, you should be able to clear the exam.

How to spot the easier questions during CAT?

As the general advice is to do the easy questions, students tend to frantically search for easy questions in the paper. If you too are doing it, chances are that you probably will actually miss a lot of questions that are easy. We surely cannot spot all the easy questions by just glancing through the paper and attempting what looks to be easy.

A more effective approach would be to read the problem one by one from the start of the section. After you read and understand a problem, you decide if you think the time you spend on this problem will quickly give you results. If you can’t spot how to do it soon enough, go to the next question.

This way, you let questions come to you and you decide what to attempt and what not to. At the same time, you need to ensure that you go at a steady pace, which will ensure that you read all the questions. This way, you will not miss any easy questions.

I have tried a lot of shortcuts. But none of them has yielded results consistently. Is there anything I am missing?

I am not aware if there are any real shortcuts to long-term success in pretty much anything. We need to identify what is stopping us from getting the desired results. For example, in ‘reading comprehension’, is it the lack of the right shortcuts the problem, or is it the inability to comprehend passages or questions very well the problem?

If your answer is the latter, we need to find ways to develop those abilities than look for shortcuts.

To develop reading comprehension skills, try the following exercise:

Choose newspaper articles on subjects you are not competent on, check the time and start reading. You can read at whatever speed you are comfortable, but ensure that you do not read the same line again. When you have finished reading, note the time and record the time you have spent on the passage.

Next, close your eyes and try to recollect your understanding of the entire passage. You will then get feedback on your ability to comprehend.

If you do this exercise regularly, I am sure you will see your comprehension improve and naturally when that is tested in CAT, you can get the desired results.

What is the best way to prepare for CAT?

One way is to join a programme in a leading institute and prepare from the material given there. Alternatively, you can take the mock exam series from a good institute and analyse your performance vis-À-vis other aspirants.

Are there any good books that you can suggest for CAT preparation?

Yes. Some good books I have come across are: The Complete CAT Digest (Tata McGraw Hill), How To Prepare For Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT (Tata McGraw Hill), CAT Topic-wise Analysis of Previous Years Question Papers 15 Years (1993-2007) (Arihant Publishers), How to Prepare For The Verbal Ability And Reading Comprehension for the CAT (Tata McGraw Hill), The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for CAT (Pearson Education), Vedic Mathematics (Published by Motilal Banarsidass).

What should I do after CAT?

You should start preparing for group discussion and interview immediately after CAT. Reading the newspaper everyday and noting down your opinions on different subjects will be very useful when called for a group discussion or an interview.

Can you give us a checklist of things I need to ensure on the day of CAT?

Aspirants need to realise that a bit of anxiety is normal and a little bit of stress is needed to ensure peak performance on the day of CAT. Keep your mind open and free from any last minute preparation. Reach the centre much ahead of time, so so as to avoid unwanted stress. A good night’s sleep will help you give the energy needed to endure 2.5 hours of problem solving during the next day. This is often the best you can do one day before the exam.

I am taking CAT this year. Which are the non-IIM institutes that use CAT scores I should apply?

There are about 118 institutes that use CAT scores for admission to their programmes. Some of the very good non-IIM institutes that use CAT scores are (in alphabetical order) Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Tiruchirapalli; Indian Institute of Forest Management; Institute for Financial Management and Research, Chennai; Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur; Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad; International Management Institute, New Delhi; KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Management Development Institute, Gurgaon; Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad; Nanyang Business School, Singapore; NITIE, Mumbai; SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai; TA Pai Management Institute, Manipal.

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Countdown to CAT 08

Expert Advice by Mr Gautam Puri - For D-Day:

"One of the biggest pitfalls is that as students we always search for short cuts, asking 'which is the easiest way out and which are the easiest questions?' A critical issue here is the tremendous urge to skip questions.

We tend to lose concentration at different stages during the exam and tend to skip questions because of the pressures of time. But things get better if you follow a couple of golden rules. If you want to identify the questions to attend, it is imperative that you read all the questions.

Prioritise

Start with the shorter questions. The advantage with short questions is not that they are easier, but that it will take you less time to identify whether you can do them or not.

The short questions are not just one-liners or two-liners. So read all the questions and quickly decide which ones to attempt.

Be decisive

Decide in two readings whether you are going to attempt the question or not. This is perfectly normal and don't let it bother you. It will take not more than 15 seconds, at a very leisurely pace, to read a question. But if you read the question faster, you would have saved a few seconds. These can then be spent on understanding the question.

While reading the question, your attitude should be, 'let me give everything I have.' Concentrating for those two and a half hours is not easy, but imperative.

Another good approach is to attempt questions that you are comfortable with. The second issue is about the maximum marks per page.

Ask yourself, "If there are five sheets, can I get three marks in every sheet?" If the quant paper is covered in five sheets, it forces you to remember that you have to get so many marks on each sheet and not get stuck on the first sheet. Realise that you need to move on.

Here and now

This is also the time when students have to appear for other MBA entrance exams. For IRMA, XLRI, IIFT and others, the one section where you need to work on is general awareness and business aptitude. Good reading habits help. But right now, focus on CAT till November 19 and nothing else.

In the last month, people are under a lot of tension. Reading the newspapers will not only give you that daily dose of news, but also help you relax.

The DI Angle

Let's talk about the Data Interpretation (DI) section for a moment. If your basic fundas are clear you will immediately understand the question. And out of a set of five questions, at least three are bound to be easy.

Learn the art of skipping questions in DI. The misconception is that you have to solve the whole set before you move on to the next set.

Risk taking

If you do the question correctly, you get marks. If you do it wrong, you get penalized. The negative marking is broadly speaking 1/4th of a mark. Since you don't lose a mark if you leave the question, one should avoid really wild guesses. Which brings us to a controversial area: What should you do when you know that the two choices are wrong and that the correct answer is among the other two? You could mark one of the two as the answer. But if you do not have the appetite to take that small risk, leave it. But also remember that intelligent guessing is a part of the game. As long as it is an educated and intelligent guess, it will benefit you. Often by this stage we also know our effective at intelligent guessing, this is where the regular test analysis comes in, especially checking questions that I got right and analyzing what is it that helped me get it right. If you are a poor logical guesser even when down to two options – invest time in seeing why you consistently go wrong. This could pay huge dividends in the long run.

Expect surprises

The surprise is more in terms of format than spirit. They will change the structure somehow. CAT is traditionally known to check how students deal with ambiguity because it is necessary to be a good manager in real life and the IIMs are very clear, they are looking for the best of the best of the best.

Ease up Learn to relax

Many a time, very high potential students have not made it to the IIMs because they could not handle the pressure. So unwind, go for movies, do things that help you relax, go for walks, meditate… do all that it takes keep your head clear. Get back to those tougher sections after CAT, when you are ready for yet another lap for other management schools. People, who stick it out, hang in there and continue to peg away will make it."

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Chances of IIM seat get slimmer

Only one out of every 175 students who take the Common Admission Test will make it to the Indian Institutes of Management this year. The logic, note experts, is simple. Around 300,000 students are slated to appear for CAT this November.

Only 4,000 to 5,000 get an interview call going by the last few years' data. However, there are only 1,700 seats (last year, it was 1,500) for the next two-year management programme (2009-11), which warrants further elimination.

Despite such slim chances, industry players believe more students will try to crack CAT as the job situation is not at its best. The increase in the number of students taking the CAT exam this year will be around 20 per cent over last year when an estimated 250,000 students appeared for the exam.

"We believe more students will appear for CAT this year considering the slowdown and the fact that jobs will be at a premium. We had seen a similar situation in 2001, when there was an almost 100 per cent jump in the number of students appearing for CAT," said Shiv Kumar, director, Career Launcher, an MBA test-preparing institute.

CAT is a gateway to getting admission to IIMs and other leading B-schools. There are 116 non-IIM institutions, which will use CAT 2008 scores. These management institutes offer 13,000-15,000 seats.

"A large number of people who take CAT are from the IT industry, which is maturing. As the growth rate slows, people understand that technical skills alone will not help," said Jaideep Singh Chaudhary, product manager CAT, TIME.

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CAT to be held in November

The Common Admission Test for admission into Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) will be held on November 16 this year.

The IIMs in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow Kozhikode, Indore and Shillong today said in a notification that the sale of application forms for CAT will start from Monday at the Axis Bank branches across the country till August 8.

The application forms could also be obtained from the IIMs counters till August 13, the notification said.

The intake at the elite B-schools have been increased this year with the government having set up a new IIM in Shillong.

More than 2.5 lakh candidates had appeared in the CAT examination held in November last year.

The last date of submitting the CAT application forms is September 5.

The number of seats will also be increased by the IIMs to implement the reservation for OBC candidates from this year.

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CAT 2008 on 16th November

Application Process for CAT 2008 has started.

CAT 2008 Bulletin

CAT 2008 Eligibility

Test Centres and Dates

The CAT comes Calling

An oft repeated query of CAT aspirants is: “How much time do I need to prepare for the CAT?”A suitable analogy to this query would be the question: “How much time would it take to reach New Delhi railway station?”

The answer is dependant on three things:

a) What is your starting point?

b) At what speed would you be travelling? and most importantly

c) Would you be taking the straight line approach to the destination or would you be taking a circuitous route?

Experience and past records show that unlike university exams, where there is more clarity about minimum and maximum preparation time, the CAT is an exam which subscribes to neither. One sees students clear the CAT in as less as three to four weeks and then there are students at the other end of the spectrum, who do not clear it even after three or four years.

ISSUE 1: When planning your preparation, be task-oriented and not time-oriented

In simpler terms, focus on defining the quantum of work rather than defining the time schedules for the work. Your focus should be on what work you need to do, rather than focusing on the time dimension of your preparation.

So instead of trying to explore questions like: “How much time should I devote to which subject on a daily basis?,” think of how much work you would need to do on a particular subject in order to shift your ability level from your starting level to the desired level.

For instance, if your current ability in the subject of quantitative aptitude is in the below 50 percentile level and you aspire to move your percentile to the range of 95 percentile plus — you would broadly need to do anywhere between 4000 to 6000 questions during your preparations. (Depending on how much you can learn from every question).

Thus, how much time it would take on a per day basis then is immaterial. All that matters is whether you have completed your work or not.

Similarly, you should try to define the outline of work based on the following parameters:

-How many questions do you plan to do in each area of Quants before you go for the CAT?
-How many passages on reading comprehension do you intend to solve before you take the CAT?

-How many questions on areas like reasoning, data interpretation etc do you intend to solve prior to taking the CAT?

-How many tests do you intend to solve prior to taking the CAT?

Once you have drawn outlines for each area, you can easily work out how much work you need to finish by the end of the current week.

ISSUE 2: Do not try to balance your preparations on a daily basis, but balance your work on a weekly basis

Attempts to balance work in areas such as English, verbal ability, reading comprehension, quants and data interpretation and reasoning on a daily basis, would only lead to frustration. Instead, you need to ensure that you maintain equal emphasis on each area of preparation on a weekly basis. In other words, on a weekly basis you could plan days on which you are only doing Quants and other days where you might only be doing reading comprehension.

ISSUE 3: Learn to enjoy your work and do not look at it as a burden

Aristotle had once remarked: “Find a job you love and you will never have to work a single day of your life.”

Preparations for aptitude exams especially the CAT, if taken up through the right intelligence development approach, could turn out to be the most entertaining study process you have ever gone through. In fact, the enjoyment of the preparation process is one of the common features observed among successful students.

So, take a reality check on how much you are enjoying quants, data interpretation, language and vocabulary preparation. In case you have started to look at any of this as a burden, there is something seriously wrong in the way you are approaching the exam. Try to change the way you perceive the work you are trying to do. CAT preparation, and all its components, is extremely enjoyable if you approach it in conjunction to improving your thought process, basic intelligences and your exposure.

ISSUE 4: A paradox: Make CAT the most important thing in your life at the same time reduce the importance of CAT in your life

Paradoxical as the above statement may seem, there is a perfectly logical explanation. While you are preparing for the exam, you would be required to make sacrifices and adjustments to your life in such a way that you will have to be mentally prepared to leave everything else in the process of CAT preparation. Thus, while preparing you should be working as if there is nothing more crucial in your life than the CAT.

At the same time, by design, you should try to reduce how important the result of the CAT is for your life. Hence, you should have a back up plan for a situation wherein you would be failing in the CAT. Having this plan ready ironically would help you take the pressure of performance off your shoulders resulting in your best chance of belling the CAT.

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CATch the confusion

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Every year, Common Admission Test (CAT), for the IIMs and various other B-schools, manages to keep everyone wondering about the format of its question paper. Be it the total number of questions, marks allotted per question or varying difficulty levels of different sections, CAT has enough permutations to baffle aspirants. But it is not only the aspirants, even the four popular coaching institutes (IMS, PT, CL and TIME) are as puzzled. In a reality check done on November 19 to see what the answer keys of different coaching institutes had in store, presented huge variations in the answer keys.

These four institutes train more than half of the total number of CAT aspirants every year and therefore answer keys of these institutes were referred. This year’s CAT had 75 questions and when answer keys were compared it was found that answers for 19 questions differed. This accounts for more than 25% of the total number of questions. So a candidate calculating his or her CAT score will either have four sets of score cards, per coaching institute basis, or will simply not be able to get a final score. Of course there will be one answer key that will have minimum errors, or may be none, amongst the four in it but even then the other three will certainly have errors.

This is an area of concern and a pressing need to address this. Further analysis revealed that the language section had 14 such questions while Data Interpretation had four and Quant section had one such question (refer to the table). Pre-empting the pattern of the CAT paper has been the dream of every coaching institute and this is understandable considering the nature of the exam that emphasises on ‘on your toes’ thinking. But when it comes to solving a CAT paper and providing students with the right answer, isn’t it time that top brains of all these coaching institutes sit together to arrive at a consolidated answer key, after a thorough discussion and analysis. This will help lakhs of students strategising for their other examinations and will also put an end to this wide-spread confusion.

CAT Cutoffs: What various institutes predict

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Soon after CAT was out of the bag, India’s top-tier management entrance institutes like IMS Learnings, Career Launcher, TIME and Career Forum got busy in making predictions on what cutoffs are likely to get you a call from the IIMs.

Overall Cutoff
IMS Learning Center : 100+
Career Launcher : 102-107
TIME : 88-92
Career Forum : 123+
MBA Guru : 96
Professional Tutorials : 105-115

Read More…

Stay-cool tips for all CATs

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The rigour is over, now relax till you get the test paper on Sunday morning.

In the countdown to Sunday’s common admission test (CAT) — the entrance test for the six Indian institutes of management (IIMs) and a host of other B-schools — the training institutes have issued a chill pill advisory to students.

“We are asking our students to take it easy before the exam,” said Kaushik Kapoor of Erudite, a training institute specialising in B-school entrance tests.

As de-stressing is a must in the last hours ahead of the two-and-a-half hour examination, Erudite is screening films — primarily comic films — in its classrooms.

With complaints of sleepless nights and nervousness pouring in at various training institutes, the faculty members are dishing out de-stress suggestions to students.

At the Triumphant Institute of Management Education (Time), students have been specifically asked not to spend excessive time with books.

“A movie or a game of cricket are great de-stressing tools at this time,” Jaydeep Singh Chowdhury of Time.

Vijay Mishra, a B. Com graduate — set to take his first CAT on Saturday — is following the instructions of his faculty members.

“I did my revisions today. Tomorrow, I intend going out and watching movies,” said Mishra, all set for the toughest test of his life.

Richa Malhotra is aware of the degree of difficulty in the test, where she will have to compete with over 230,000 students from across country. Around 11,000 students will write the test in Calcutta.

“I have spent a year preparing for CAT. So much has gone into the preparation. Obviously, I am a bit tense,” admitted Richa.

Unnecessary tension may affect performance, warned Kapoor. “Every year, there is some surprise element in the question paper. It is impossible to predict the pattern change. So, the best strategy is to keep your cool and deliver your best,” he summed up.

Appearing for CAT? You have a 1:100 chance

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If the numbers are any indication, more and more aspirants are lining up for a career in the managerial ranks instead of sweating it out on the shop floor.

Around 230,000 candidates are scheduled to take the Common Admission Test (CAT) — one of the most competitive exams in the world — next month.

This translates into a 21 per cent increase in the number of CAT aspirants over last year, when the total number of candidates stood at around 190,000. In contrast, the number of aspirants for the CAT exam a decade back was only 40,000.

The increasing numbers are indicative of the importance of CAT as the premier management entrance exam as well as the growing economy, which has seen an explosion in the creation of managerial jobs.

CAT VISION
Total CAT aspirants in 2007 : 230,000
Total CAT aspirants in 2006 : 190,000
Total number of seats available through CAT* : 5,000
No. of seats in IIMs* : 1,600
No of seats in 99 other B-schools* : 3,400
(* Figures are approximate)

The country’s seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) use only CAT scores to shortlist candidates.

The IIM’s annual intake is 1,600 students, including IIM- Shillong, which starts operations from academic year 2008.

In effect, the ratio of aspirants to the number of IIM seats available is 1:125. If one were to take the total number of 3,400 management degree seats available across schools (99, not including the IIMs) that use CAT scores to select candidates, the ratio stands at 1:59.

CAT is as competitive as the IIT engineering qualifying test, the Joint Entrance Examination, which saw as many as 200,000 candidates appear for just 4,193 seats spread across the seven IITs in 2007.

The numbers also hide the growing gap between the demand and supply of seats in the top management institutes across the country.

The top 10 B-schools accepting CAT scores, barring the IIMs, have a capacity of only around 2000 seats.

These include reputed ones like the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad, Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, S.P.Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai, Mudra Institute of Communication (MICA), Ahmedabad and others. The ratio for them works out to 1:100.

“Competition is bound to remain fierce because of the increasing number of MBA aspirants. Even though, premier institutes like IIMs and others have increased the number of seats, it is not sufficient to meet the ever- growing demand,” said Sharad Awasthi, chief operating officer, Career Launcher, an MBA test preparing institute.

“Competition getting tougher has two reasons for it. First, people with experience know that they need to upgrade. These could be people who have spent three to seven years in industry and could either be looking for additional qualifications to switch to management, or may be even a second MBA. Secondly, people who earlier had never even heard of an MBA, today know what it is and what the ‘benefits’ of doing one are, increasing the sheer volume of people who take the exam,” added Jaideep Singh Chowdhary, senior member academic team, TIME, another test preparing institute.

"CAT is the toughest, but not the only one," TIME Education advices students not to lose a year

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Some aspirants who are not finding their CAT 2007 preparations up to the mark are getting nervous and searching for experts help.

When their mock-test scores are not shoring up, they are asking: “should I start preparing for CAT 2008.” Mr Sai Kumar, Course Director at Triumphant Institute of Management Education (TIME), one of leading MBA test prep companies, answered this query and said, “Students should realize that what they are working towards is a seat at a top notch B-School and not necessarily ‘doing well in CAT’. CAT is the toughest B-School test anywhere in the world, but it is not the only one!”

Given that there is no guarantee for doing well next year, Mr Kumar advices students not to give up on CAT 2007 and wait for next year. Said Mr Kumar, “The moot point is that one should not lose a year in the hope of doing well in CAT 2008. Rather one should take the best possible option available to them currently as one can never predict that performance will ‘certainly’ improve in the next year.”

A few top B-schools other than Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), who run their own entrance tests, are also offering good quality education to the students. Emphasizing this point, Mr Kumar says, “The so called ‘gap’ between the world class IIMs and the other top 20 B-schools in the country is decreasing year after year and currently all of them are within striking distance of the IIMs.”

Apart from CAT, its time aspirants also put other entrance exams into their plans to hedge their risks. Said Mr Kumar, “Students should hedge their risks by also writing other major entrance tests in India like Xaviers Aptitude Test (XAT) for XLRI, Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) for Symbiosis Group of Institutes, National Management Aptitude Test (NMAT) for Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, ICFAI Business School Aptitude Test (IBSAT) for ICFAI Business School etc. These exams are not as difficult as the CAT and as such students tend to perform better in these tests. Thus more opportunities open up to the students who diversify their risk!”

Students can appear in other important management entrance exams include XAT on January 6, 2008; FMS Entrance Test for Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University on January 13 2008; IIFT Admission Test for Delhi based Indian Institute of Foreign Trade on November 25 2007; Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET) for Indian Institute of Technology (IITs B-schools) on December 9 2007; NMAT on December 30 2007; SNAP and IBSAT on December 16 2007.

Emphasizing the importance of not losing a year, Mr Kumar says, “Thus aiming to get into a good B-School in 2007 itself should be the aim and any thought that one entertains of cracking the exam in 2008 would only weaken the preparation and not strengthen it.”

Concludes Mr Kumar, “The way forward is to steel yourself and take CAT 2007 as if it is the only attempt you have got in your life!”

CAT-IIMs announce revised non-IIMs B-schools list for CAT 2007

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CAT-IIMs have released a revised list of institutes who can officially use CAT 2007 scores. The new list, released on official CAT website (www.CATIIM.in), names 111 non-IIM institutes who will officially receive CAT scores.

Mumbai based SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) and Institute of Management, Nirma University of Science & Technology, Ahmedabad are noticeable additions.
Six other institutes that have been added are: Bengal Institute of Technology & Management, Shantinikhetan; Management Institute of Durgapur; Mangalmay Institute of Management Studies, Greater Noida; Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal; University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Gurgaon and Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management, Secunderabad.

As reported earlier, several new B-schools have decided to be part of this prestigious entrance test. New schools include Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi; Ishan Institute of Management & Technology, Greater Noida; Fortune Institute of International Business, New Delhi; Kohinoor Business School, Pune; Delhi School of Professional Studies & Research, Rohini; Asian School of Business Management, Bhubaneshwar; Pearl School of Business, Gurgaon; Institute of Finance and International Management, Bangalore; Gitam Institute of Foreign Trade, Vishakhapatnam; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. All these names are part of the new CAT 2007 non-IIMs institution list.

MBAUniverse.com readers will remember that this portal ran a story on July 20 highlighting the fact that SPJIMR and Institute of Management, Nirma University of Science & Technology were not part of the first list of non-IIMs institutes released in official CAT Bulletin. Both these institutes, responding to MBAUniverse.com query, had informed us that their institute were indeed part of CAT 2007, but were left out due to “tight deadlines of CAT Bulletin 2007.” These institutes now figure in the revised list.