Common Admission Test (CAT) is a competitive entrance online test taken by aspirant of MBA. The eligibility criterion for CAT 2018 aspirant is minimum 50% marks in aggregate in the Bachelor’s degree. The score of CAT 2018 exam is valid for one year.
It is very well said that Practice makes man perfect. This saying goes well when it comes to preparing for any competitive exam like CAT 2018. Before appearing for CAT 2018 exam, candidates are advised to take mock tests. This will give a better understanding of the actual CAT 2018 exam. A brief detail about CAT 2018 exam and how to prepare is discussed below –
Facts on CAT 2018 Exam
- Online Entrance Test for management programs
- Scheduled to be conducted on 25th November 2018
- The total duration of the exam is 180 minutes i.e. 3 hours
- The exam consists of 3 sections namely Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Verbal, and Reading Comprehension
CAT 2018 Exam Pattern
CAT 2018 pattern consist following sections –
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Aptitude
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension has questions based on vocabulary, Sentence correction, grammar, analogies, Passages, fill in the blanks and so on.
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning includes topics like tables, graphs, number and letter series, basic reasoning questions and many more.
Quantitative Ability section include questions on topics like Percentages, Time and work, Averages, Profit and Loss, Probability and so on.
The questions per section will be a combination of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) and Non-Multiple-Choice Questions.
How to prepare for CAT 2018?
Candidates aspiring to take CAT 2018 are advised to practice well before the exam. The best way to prepare is to practice it through Mock tests. By practicing mock test, the candidate gets familiar with the exam pattern, type of questions, marking schemes and time management for each section. It gives an idea about what approach has to be taken, how much time needed to solve the question, what is the weak and strong area and so on.
It is usually advised to solve the past years question papers of CAT. This will increase the chances to crack the exam and scoring good percentile. The candidate should analyse their performance in each mock test they take. This will help them understand the strengths and the weaknesses in each section. It will also help to manage the time while solving the questions. Mock tests will help determine how much time to put on any specific question and which question to skip for attempting.
Mock is the best tool for preparation of CAT 2018 exam. Whether a candidate has joined any coaching centre or not, mock will support the candidate in scoring good percentile in the exam.
When to take CAT 2018 Mock Test?
Taking mock test is an important step while preparing for CAT 2018. The candidates are advised to start taking mock test 2 months prior to the actual CAT exam.
During 8-10 week prior to CAT 2018, the candidate has plenty of time to prepare and start working on the basic topics which they have covered. They should invest time in the topics which they are not confident about. This will give them enough time to prepare for the topic in which they are weak.
During 5-7 weeks prior to CAT 2018, the candidate should evaluate the performance by practicing the mock tests. It will help the candidate in analysing their mistakes and weaknesses.
During 2-4 weeks prior to CAT 2018, the candidate should take at least 2 mock tests in 10 days. These will help in building strategy of solving questions.
During the last week to CAT 2018, the candidate should have taken ample number of mock tests. By now candidate should be confident and comfortable with all the topics and sections.
It is advised the candidate to take at least 8 to 12 mock tests before the actual CAT 2018 exam.
How to take CAT 2018 Mock Test?
The essential purpose of taking a mock test is to determine the strong and weak area. Once the candidate has taken a mock test, it will help them know which section they are weak in. It will help to determine which section to solve first and give more priority.
Focus on the sectional areas – Each section in CAT 2018 exam is allotted 60 minutes. While taking a mock test, the candidate can focus on each section separately.
Figure out the weak and strong areas – It is important to figure the weakness and strength areas in each section. Candidate should focus on the weak areas. This will help them determine which question to attempt first and which one to leave or not attempt.
Maintain and keep buffer time – It is advisable for the candidate to keep a buffer time of 20 minutes before finishing the test. Practicing buffer time in the mock test will help in time management in the final CAT exam.