Preparation for CAT and Similar Exams By Samartha Kulkarni

 I have done my B.Tech. from the Pune University in Mechanical Engineering (2021 batch). In this article I hope to provide the readers thinking about pursuing MBA with some tips and advice which they may find useful in getting a good score in various entrance exams.

The CAT :

 

The Common Aptitude Test (CAT) exam is a gateway to 20 IIMs and over 1,200 B-schools in India. It is conducted in the last week of November every year. It has three sections namely Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Ability. Each section has 20-25 questions and you get 40 minutes for each section. You have to attempt the sections in the above mentioned order only. The CAT contains both MCQ and non-MCQ questions with MCQ questions carrying negative marking.

Some Other Entrance Tests : 

1. The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is an entrance test conducted by Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, for admission to its management programs and other XAT colleges across the country. The test has around 60 questions with three hours time with greater difficulty level questions compared to the CAT. The test has four sections : Verbal Ability & Logical/Analytical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Decision Making and General knowledge. However the marks of the GK section are considered only for tiebreaks.

2. Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) Test is a management aptitude test conducted by the Symbiosis International (Deemed) University for admission to the MBA/PGDM programs offered by its 16 constituent institutes. The SNAP exam paper has General English, Quantitative-Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency and Analytical & Logical Reasoning sections. It's a speed based test with 60 minutes for 60 questions and the difficulty level of the questions is relatively lower than CAT. The SNAP test is conducted over three days and you are allowed to give two attempts in the three days with the best score being considered for admissions.

3. The IIFT exam is a management aptitude test conducted for admission to MBA in International Business course offered by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Delhi, Kolkata and Kakinada. The exam has  Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge sections. It’s a two hour exam with 120 questions asked.

All the tests mentioned above have negative marking for wrong answers. Other than these tests there are many other tests for admission into MBA courses offered by various universities. Mostly all the tests ask questions on verbal ability, quantitative ability and logical reasoning. Also there is a sectional cut off which you need to clear to get admission to most of the top colleges via the CAT, XAT and IIFT. SNAP doesn’t have a sectional cut off. I suggest you to start focused preparation around 5 months before the CAT exam.

After the Entrance Tests :

If you clear the entrance exams you have to clear another round whose composition depends on the college. Most of the top colleges have a written ability test (WAT) in which you have to write your opinion on given current affairs topics. Some colleges also have group discussion or case studies. All this is followed by an interview. You get the admission based on your performance in the entrance test, intermediary rounds, interview and your resume. 

Some Tips for the Entrance Tests :

1. Give as many mock tests as possible. I will recommend around 25 tests for CAT, 7 tests for IIFT and XAT and more than 5 tests for SNAP.

2. Give each mock test seriously and review the answer paper in detail for corrections later.

3. Developing reading skill is very important for reading comprehension questions. For this I suggest you read English novels of your choice regularly.

4. Review your solved questions and re-solve the questions which you got wrong or the tough questions multiple times. 

5. Arun Sharma’s books are good for CAT and cover each topic and have good practice questions.

6. Read newspapers for General knowledge. Arihant publication’s GK book of the year is also good for last minute studies..

Some Tips for the Interview and Intermediary Rounds :

1. Fill personal response questions in the SOP very seriously. Interview will have questions on this. Don't forget to mention your hobbies and favorite subjects in your resume. Also give a couple of extracurricular activities a mention.

2. The interview may contain some questions about your projects in college and some basic on subjects in your graduation course.

3. For people with work experience a lot of questions will come from topics related to that.

4. Read newspapers thoroughly especially the business news for getting a better idea on current affairs.

5. Specifically for IIFT test have a basic understanding of RBI functions, monetary and fiscal policies and India’s trade relations.

Note : All this has been written from the author’s personal experience and he has scored 99.5 percentile in Quantitative Aptitude section in CAT 2020. You can contact the author for any feedback, doubts, suggestions and for getting some extra resources at his Instagram handle.