CAT 2024: When and How to Start Preparation?

Devising a proper strategy to crack CAT 2024 is of utmost importance. Hence, to crack the CAT exam 2024, one must know when and how to start preparation. India’s top management institutes (IIMs) rotationally conduct the CAT exam every year to provide admission to MBA courses in top B-Schools in India. Candidates who are aiming for the top B-Schools for the academic year 2024-26 should get on their toes and start preparing for CAT 2024, India’s top management exam.

New: CAT Preparation- 60-day Study Material by Experts

Latest: CAT Mock Test Series - 20 Sets,  Questions with Solutions

Don't Miss: CAT 2024 Most Scoring Concepts PDF - VARC, DILR and QUANT

This Story also Contains

1. CAT 2024: When and how to start preparation?
2. CAT Exam Pattern 2024
3. CAT Exam Pattern
4. CAT Syllabus 2024
5. CAT 2024: When and How to Start Preparation?
6. CAT 2024 preparation at home
7. CAT in 6 Months? Yes, Possible!
8. CAT 2024 in 3 Months? Yes, Possible!
9. CAT 2024 in 1 Month? Yes, Possible!
10. Know The Toppers of the CAT Exam

CAT 2024: When and how to start preparation?

The question is when and how to start preparing for CAT 2024. The answer is 'NOW'. Common Admission Test (CAT) being a national-level management exam marks the participation of more than 2 lacs candidates every year. This year, the CAT 2024 is expected to be held on November 24, 2024. To know about the preparation plan and timing, the best books for CAT 2024, and the strategy to devise a study plan for CAT, candidates must go through this complete article on CAT 2024 when and how to start preparation by Careers360.

Also Read

• How to do Time Management for CAT?
• How many questions to attempt in CAT to get the 99 percentile

CAT Exam Pattern 2024

Scoring a good percentile will require extensive preparation for CAT 2024. Candidates who going to fill out the CAT 2024 application form must check the exam pattern beforehand in order to prepare and do well in the CAT exam. The exam pattern of CAT 2024 is in similar lines as was in last year. Given below is an exam pattern for CAT 2024.

CAT Exam Pattern

CAT Syllabus 2024

Along with the CAT exam pattern, candidates must also have a know-how of the CAT 2024 syllabus to prepare in advance. According to some management experts, six months of committed preparation will push you forward toward your goal of being a CAT topper.

Based on the past year CAT syllabus 2024 is likely to be the same with not many changes. The overall question paper will be divided into three sections Verbal ability and reading comprehension, Quantitative Ability, and Data interpretation & logical reasoning. Candidates will be required to solve 100 questions in total.

CAT 2024: When and How to Start Preparation?

Once aware of the CAT 2024 syllabus, candidates must divide their preparation to answer the question of when to start preparing for CAT 2024. It is quite common for candidates to get confused even after knowing the exam pattern and syllabus and end up wasting a lot of CAT 2024 precious time. Better scores than others will open your gateway to top B-Schools of Candidates can break their preparation into 3 stages as mentioned below-

Quick Links: How to prepare for CAT 2024

Strategy Planning of When and How to Start CAT 2024 Preparation

CAT 2024 preparation at home

How to start CAT preparation? There is no better way than starting your CAT preparation at home. Preparing for the CAT 2024 exam at home can be effective with the right approach. Start by understanding the exam pattern and syllabus, and then create a study schedule that covers all the sections: Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, and Logical Reasoning/Data Interpretation. Use high-quality study materials and online resources, and practice regularly with mock tests and previous years' papers to improve your speed and accuracy. Focus on understanding concepts rather than just memorizing them. Additionally, maintain a healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition and adequate sleep to keep your mind sharp and focused. Consistency, discipline, and a positive mindset are key to successful CAT preparation at home.

CAT in 6 Months? Yes, Possible!

Most of the CAT toppers admitted that their major portion of preparation started when CAT was 6 months away. Below mentioned points can be referred to by candidates if they are planning to start their CAT 2024 Preparation within 6 months of duration -

Time Management

CAT Toppers say, “Time management should be considered as the fourth section of the CAT exam. It is not just preparing Verbal Ability, Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability but preparing all these 3 and attempting them within the stipulated time”. Attempting questions with a time allotment of 40 minutes for each section itself makes the CAT exam difficult. To achieve fruitful results, candidates must try to divide their study timetable such that within 24 hours, they practice each section daily.

Quick Link: How to do Time Management for CAT?

Join Coaching/FB groups

If some candidates feel that they will be unable to study and prepare for CAT 2024 on a self-basis, then it is advisable for such candidates they join some coaching institutes. Another answer to the question CAT 2024: when and how to start preparation is nowadays popular social media groups are in trend and help candidates to crack CAT and other management exams. Topper of CAT told us that he joined the coaching institute and began preparing from their study material in order to learn new and efficient approaches to solving the questions.

Concept clarity with shortcuts

In the initial 6 months of CAT preparation, candidates should only focus on clearing their concepts. One of the assets of CAT toppers is the clarity of fundamental concepts. Most of the toppers believe that it is easy to guess what type of questions will form part of the data interpretation & logical reasoning and quantitative ability section. But to even guess what will come in VARC i.e. Verbal ability and reading comprehension is very challenging. In order to clear concepts, candidates must be aware of the CAT exam pattern and CAT 2024 syllabus.

Quick Link: CAT Exam: Important topics for preparation

CAT 2024 in 3 Months? Yes, Possible!

Once done with the basic knowledge of the CAT exam 2024, candidates will be nearer to the exam day. Agitation and stress are the most common. Do not panic and follow the below-mentioned points for CAT 2024;

Break preparation into sections

Keeping track of past papers, mainly there are three sections in CAT. Candidates are advised to draw an efficient section-wise strategy when CAT 2024 is almost near.

• How to prepare for CAT VARC (Verbal and Reading Comprehension): Candidates should start reading newspapers, journals, blogs, articles, etc to enhance their skills. They should try to solve comprehension, and inferences, Fill in the blanks with the right vocabulary choice and read passages. Try adding a new word each day to your vocabulary
• How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability: Focus on building up mathematics basics. Candidates should focus on topics like profit and loss, number systems, and geometry as they might form key questions in the question paper of CAT 2024.
• How to prepare for CAT DI & LR: Try to study basic topics like seating arrangements, blood relations, syllogisms, etc to grip hands on this section. It is advisable for candidates to not use a calculator while solving questions from this section.

Work on areas of improvements

As for CAT 2024, candidates can focus and try improving the areas in which they feel are not as strong as compared to some others. Instead of being melancholy about what all new can be learned, candidates should take the initiative to focus on and enhance their preparation for weaker areas.

Practice sample paper/past years' questions

Candidates are advised to check the previous year's question papers of CAT. After finishing the syllabus, candidates should try to revise at least 2-3 sample papers on a daily basis. It will help in improving speed as well as let candidates know how accurate they are. While solving the questions papers or sample papers of CAT rigorously there will be a time when candidates will not find any question of a new type.

Quick Link- CAT Sample Paper

CAT 2024 in 1 Month? Yes, Possible!

With almost a month left until CAT 2024, candidates will be required to keep calm and emphasize only what is majorly required. Below mentioned points will help candidates in scoring great and most likely a call from any of the IIMs.

Mock tests

IIM will release the official CAT mock Test for giving candidates a gist of the actual exam simulated environment. Solving the mock tests helps candidates to understand and access the difficulty level of CAT 2024. Lakshya the topper of CAT said that “he was regular at testing myself via mock tests (once a week). Post any mock he gave some time to analyze the test and figure out what went wrong and then focused on that”. The most effective method of evaluating the current preparation level is the mock test.

Quick Link- Why, When, and How to Take CAT Mock Test

Focus on Strong Topics

Starting any new topic will lead to confusion. So it is advisable for candidates to focus on and improve their strong areas. Do not waste your time figuring out new topics or trying to learn new concepts.

Know The Toppers of the CAT Exam

CAT results will be declared by the authorities on the second first of January 2025, in online mode. Around 2.0 lakh candidates will appear for the exam. To Know and read the success stories of the toppers, when and how they started their CAT preparation as well as their message for future candidates, go through the complete article on CAT toppers.

Read more-