The exam is a gateway for students to enter prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Other management institutes and universities which offer MBA courses also require CAT exam scores for admission into their respective programmes.
The CAT exam consists of three sections, viz.Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA).
Each section has a 40-minute duration, within which candidates are required to finish that section. The total duration of CAT examination is 120 minutes, or 2 hours.
Qualifying the CAT exam requires dedicated preparation by the candidates for a prolonged period of time. Paired with that, effective revision is also required for scoring high on each of the sections. Here is a low-down on section-wise top scoring topics that you should prepare for.
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
The VARC section is considered to be one of the relatively easier topics to prepare for, and gives the candidate the potential to score the most. At the same time, it requires the candidate to have thorough practice of the topics in verbal ability, and enhanced reading skills for the reading comprehension questions. Here are some parts within the section that require dedicated focus.
- Emphasise on reading comprehension: It is regarded as one of the most scoring part; aspirants are required to inculcate the habit of reading editorials and newspaper articles. This will help in grasping the concepts when a comprehension paragraph is given in the CAT exam.
- Para jumble, odd one out: This part of the VARC section comes with significant opportunities for the candidates to score. This requires minimal effort to prepare; Improving on your reading ability will give you an advantage over other candidates. Practising this daily will improve on your speed of processing the given information on the comprehension paragraph. This helps improve managing time while attempting the questions in the section.
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Focus on practising non-traditional type of sets. The trend for the past few years has indicated that the questions are less data-intensive, and more logic based. This gives an opportunity to score higher, if the practice is focussed on unconventional problem-solving exercises, and different kinds of puzzles.
Important topics include:
- Arrangements
- Games and Tournaments
- Puzzles
- Venn diagrams (maxima-minima)
- Quantitative LR
- Spider charts
- Graphs & charts
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Thorough understanding of fundamental concepts during practice sessions can help in last-minute revision and reduce exam time. The QA section has numerous questions and high potential for scoring due to the straightforward nature of questions. Here is a list of sub-topics you should focus on.
Arithmetic:
Ratio & Proportions; Average & Percentages; Simple & Compound Interest; Time, Speed & Distance; Time & Work
Algebra:
Linear Equations; Quadratic Equations; Polynomials
Geometry: 3D Solids, such as cones, cylinders, spheres, and 2D Geometry, which includes shapes like triangles, circles, squares