i don`t know anything about cat but i wanna do MBA. and my english is very week but i wanna do MBA. at present time i have been studying BA 1st year. please help me for beating CAT through IIMs. please help me.

Asked by deepak singh on 5 October 2008 at 12:07 PM.

Answered by Studyplaces Counsellor India

Common admission test is a mandatory entrance examination conducted by the India Institutes of Management for granting admission in the management programs of all the six IIMs. Besides IIMs, there are other management schools too, which consider the CAT scores as the main eligibility criteria for enrolling students in their management courses. After successfully clearing the CAT test, you have to clear the group discussion and interview rounds as well to secure a place for yourself in MBA program.

CAT Test Patterns
The CAT test is conducted generally during the months of November- December. It is comparatively less predictable than other management entrance tests as its pattern/ number of questions keeps changing every year. The number of questions, however, is spread across 4 sections namely,

Quantitative Ability (QA)
Data Interpretation (DI) and Logical Reasoning (LR)
Reading Comprehension (RC)
Verbal Ability (VA)
In the year 2004, the concept of differential marking was introduced. Therefore, it is essential that you prepare thoroughly for all the four sections in order to receive calls from the best management institutions.

There is disparity regarding the duration of the test too. For instance, till 2005 the duration of the CAT test was 2 hours which was changed to 2 ½ hours in the year 2006.

No. of Section 3
Number of questions 75
Duration 2 hours
Negative Marking 1 marks the marks allotted

Eligibility Criteria for CAT test
It is essential for you to hold a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum of 50% score in order to be eligible to give the CAT test. In case you belong to SC, ST or the disability category, you are required to have at least 45 % marks in graduation.

CAT Test Registration
The CAT test application form is the same for all IIMs. You can get this form from any branch of the State Bank of India. The form is usually available in the month of April. It should be noted that the CAT test application form is to be filled and submitted only once, irrespective of how many IIMs you are applying to.

However, for non-IIM institutes, you might have to fill a separate form available from their institute.

List of IIMS
Indian Institutes of Management, Lucknow
Indian Institutes of Management, Bangalore
Indian Institutes of Management, Kozhikode
Indian Institutes of Management, Ahmadabad
Indian Institutes of Management, Calcutta
Indian Institutes of Management, Indore
List of Non-IIM Institutes accepting CAT scores
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai
S.P.Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon
Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), Trichy
Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), Ahmedabad
T.A.Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal.
Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad
National Insurance Academy School of Management (NIASoM), Pune
Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad
Welingkar, Mumbai
Kindly note that this list is not exhaustive and there could be other management schools too which grant admission on the basis of CAT test scores.

Tips and Strategies
CAT is an entrance examination for over 80 institutes offering MBA programs. Almost all the top B schools including the six IIMs consider the CAT scores for granting admission in their MBA programs. Needless to say, cracking the CAT takes rigorous preparation and consistent hard work. Given below are some of the tips which might help you in getting admission to the MBA School of your choice.

CAT being an application driven test, regular practice with complete focus is the key to clearing the test
As the curriculum for the CAT is limited, it is essential for you to cover the entire curriculum leaving nothing
After you have completed most of the course, start giving mock CAT test. Higher the number of test that you take, higher would be your learning curve
Thoroughly analyse the result of the mock CAT test for identifying your strong and weak areas. Now follow a structured and organised approach to turn your weak points into your strength
It is a good idea to spend an hour or so in trying to find out what you could have done better in the mock CAT test. Remember, one of the key reasons of giving mock CAT test is to learn from your mistakes
Help from teachers, joining a coaching institute, study of the fundamental concepts and solving solved and unsolved questions would help you in gaining command over the concepts that you find difficult
Build mathematical proficiency. You should thoroughly work on the math problems of 10th and 11th standard
Follow the 3 times principle. Solve every question 3 times; first time would be the attempt, second would be a solution and finally for the purpose of revision. The 3 times principle would help you in understanding the concept better
You should know what to leave for l