How Much Time is Required to Prepare for CAT?

Exactly how much time is required to prepare for CAT? If you google this question, then you will find that you definitely need more time than you think. CAT is considered to be one of the toughest exams to crack and one of the things that help the most in cracking the exam is time. Time plays the most important role in CAT preparation and can take you from zero to hero. CAT is a hurdle that every management aspirant has to cross in order to get into the most prestigious IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur etc. CAT is considered not only for IIM admissions but some top B-Schools also accept CAT scores for selecting students. The CAT scores are also important for admission to the top MBA colleges in India like SP Jain - Mumbai, Narsee Monjee - Mumbai,FMS - Delhi University etc.

Based on your Common Admission Test (CAT) score, you can take admission in various Masters in Business Management (MBA) courses in India in specialisations like - human resources management, finance management, marketing management, and even hotel management & hospitality management. Many business schools also offer courses of Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), Executive MBA etc.

Traditionally, a Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) course best augments your MBA aspirations, but a student with a background of any other stream can also prepare for CAT & other management entrance exams in India. Some of the popular regions where MBA colleges are in huge demand include Assam, Calicut, Mysore, Vadodara, Kerala & Karnataka. Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mysore, Ahmedabad etc. are other popular destinations from where you can complete your MBA or PGDM courses.

While people may argue that 6 - 10 months of dedicated preparations will help you sail through, if you ask the CAT toppers of previous years, they will tell you that they have spent a dedicated 1 - 1.5 years to crack the CAT exam. And that too, not aimlessly. They had chartered a time table with designated slots to crack each section of the CAT paper - Verbal, Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. Plus, continuous brush up of news & happenings around the world, which will help you in the GDPI process.

So, here are some tips that can help you make your CAT 2020 preparation process a lot easier & streamlined.

Is CAT Coaching Necessary?

This is one of the most asked questions and the answer is - it really depends on you. Coaching classes provide an organised way to success and are the best way to get in touch with people who know more about CAT than you do. Coaching does not make you great, it just helps you in your way to prepare and clear the CAT exam. It gives you a schedule that you have to follow, notes that will be most helpful, and customised mock papers.
So, it just leaves us with the answer that if you are organised and dedicated enough then you probably do not need coaching because coaching is just one of the things, not THE thing. Preparing by yourself is also an amazing idea and this way you will be able to give more time to studies and will be able to practice a lot.

Also Read:Step by Step Guide to Crack CAT Without Coaching

Understand the Pattern and Syllabus

CAT has the following sections and each section requires the same level of loyalty.

• Quantitative Ability
• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
• Verbal Ability

The syllabus of CAT is pretty simple and you can easily understand the pattern of CAT exam by going through past year’s question papers.

Do You Need to Quit Your Job?

It is very important that you figure out whether you need to quit your job in order to prepare for CAT or not. You must weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of quitting your job for the preparation of CAT as it is a huge decision. Most of the top MBA colleges also give points for work experience, so keep in mind that a gap in your resume can be a disadvantage. Make sure that you can explain that gap during your interview for selections before deciding to quit. Figure out how much time you need and then make your decision.

Also Read: CAT Preparation Tips for Working Professionals - Check Study Plan & Time Table

Action Plan

Now that you are done deciding whether you want to join a coaching or prepare by yourself and now you also understand the syllabus of the exam, it is the ideal time to make the ‘Action Plan’. You need to make a timetable and stick to it because the organisation is the key. You need to take each section one by one and complete it and then you can check your progress through mock tests because it is the easiest way.

It is the time to enrol in coaching institutes and attend classes regularly and subsequently, practically analyse your progress and ask yourself the question - are you really CAT ready?

CAT 2020 How to Prepare

The difficulty level of the CAT examination is very high. You should study hard in order to get good percentile in CAT entrance exam. You can either prepare a combined strategy for all the sections of CAT or you can follow a separate preparation plan for all section. These articles provided below will help you to know some preparation strategies for CAT examination.

Preparation Tips for CAT 2020

Here are some preparation tips for CAT entrance exams. These preparation tips will surely help you score well in CAT exam.

• Go through the syllabus of CAT exam

• Check the CAT exam pattern to know what type of questions can be asked in the exam

• Practice a maximum number of CAT 2020 mock test papers

• Try to solve all CAT previous years question papers of CAT

• Prepare a preparation schedule 

• Make notes alongside your CAT preparation 

• If you are not good in Quantitative Ability, practise at least 2-3 questions of each type 

Besides this, you can also refer to these articles provided below to know more about the preparation tips for the CAT exam.

If you have any other doubt regarding CAT preparation, you can ask them on the Collegedekho QnA zone. For admission-related assistance, call on our toll-free number 1800-572-9877 or fill our Common Application Form

All the best for your CAT exam!