CAT preparation strategy by experts

Hi aspirant,

The IIM admissions procedure is multifaceted .

1. You must excel in the CAT exam, aiming for a high percentile (often 98-99+ for the top IIMs, though this varies by category and institute).
2. Your academic profile, which includes your 10th, 12th, and graduation results, is important in addition to the CAT.
3. Many IIMs also evaluate academic diversity (giving preference to non-engineering students) and gender diversity.
4. Finally, shortlisted candidates are subjected to a Written Ability Test (WAT) or Group Discussion (GD), followed by a Personal Interview.
5. If you have any work experience, it would also help you fetch additional points.

Cracking the CAT demands a smart and systematic strategy .

1. Begin by completely comprehending the exam design and syllabus for each of the three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA.
2. Frequently take mock examinations to imitate exam settings, assess your skills and limitations, and improve your time management.
3. Analyze your performance after each mock to determine where you are losing marks and to improve your strategy.
4. Consistent preparation with previous year's papers and targeted questions for weak areas is critical.
5. Reading widely (newspapers, articles, novels) is vital for increasing VARC capabilities, whilst completing puzzles and various problem sets improves DILR and QA abilities.

Success relies on discipline , dedication , and a good outlook .

All the best!

Hey Paridhi ,

I hope you are absolutely fine. As per your mentioned query , you have to understand the exam pattern first. Its syllabus, the type of questions and so on. Here i am mentioning some tips i hope this will be helpful for you.

• Analyse the exam pattern first and read the syllabus thoroughly. So you will get to know what subjects and topics asked in the exam.
• Collect the resources which will be beneficial for you. Like some standard books , mock papers .
• Make your foundation strong so that you can solve the standard questions easily. As foundation is important to solve difficult questions.
• Current affairs also plays important role in this exam so make yourself update by knowing the current things in environment.
• Practice mocks so that your speed will also enhance.
• Give PYQs so you will have idea of questions coming in exam.
• Do revision weekly if you not revise whatever you study then you will forget the things. So revise weekly.

To know more you can refer this :

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-preparation-strategy

Revert for further query!

Good luck !

Hello Abhishek,

No, you cannot take admission into B. Tech Marine Engineering at CUSAT if you do not take the CAT 2025 exam. CUSAT CAT is a mandatory exam for admission into all undergraduate programs including B Tech Marine Engineering. Admission to the program will only be possible for candidates with valid CAT scores.

• 350s is below typical general category cutoffs for private MBBS seats.

• Only realistic route is through management/NRI quota in lower-tier colleges with high fees.

• Government seats are highly unlikely .

Hi aspirant,

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a highly competitive exam, and practicing sample questions is essential for efficient preparation.

CAT SAMPLE PAPERS

Kindly refer to the link attached above for the sample papers.

All the best!

Hello,

States you can apply in (B-category/management quota):
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. All allow non-domicile students for private colleges.

Approx MBBS fees (per year):

• Telangana: Rs. 12–15 lakh

• Andhra Pradesh: Rs. 12–18 lakh

• Karnataka: Rs. 15–20 lakh

• Tamil Nadu: Rs. 15–22 lakh

• Kerala: Rs. 7–8.5 lakh

Karnataka registration:
Closed in Feb 2025. Likely to reopen for mop-up/stray rounds in June–July 2025.

Kerala registration:
Closed in March 2025. Stray round expected in June–July 2025. Dates not announced yet.

Hope it helps !

Dear Aspirant

Your rank at eleven thousand eight hundred eighty seven under the OBC reservation has a strong chance for admission to the Computer Science Engineering (CSE) program at one of the three CUSAT campuses The exact seat depends on opening and closing ranks for CSE in each campus and the round of counselling

CUSAT campuses offering BTech CSE
• School of Engineering Thrikkakkara – flagship campus in Kochi
• CUCEK Kuttanad – second campus in Alappuzha district
• Lakeside campus does not offer CSE so only two campuses are relevant

Previous closing ranks under OBC quota for CSE
• Thrikkakkara campus closed near rank one thousand
• CUCEK Kuttanad closed around six thousand two hundred in 2024

Your likelihood with rank 11887
• Thrikkakkara campus is unlikely as CSE closes much lower than your rank
• CUCEK has potential since closing ranks in recent years have extended into the high six thousands
• Seats may remain open in later rounds so you may gain admission at CUCEK

Other CSE seat possibilities under OBC
• School of Engineering might open seats in spot or mop up rounds if higher ranked students do not confirm
• CUCEK will likely accept OBC candidates up to rank one two thousand to thirteen thousand
• Keep an eye on real time counselling as closing ranks may shift downward with seat cancellations

Alternative branches and campuses
If CSE is not available at CUCEK you may consider similar branches like Electronics and Communication Engineering Information Technology Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering closing beyond twelve thousand under OBC
You may also add interdisciplinary programs or lateral entry courses available in Lakeside or Thrikkakkara depending on available seats

Counselling strategy recommendations
• Register and fill choices on the CUSAT admissions portal in all counselling rounds
• Place CUCEK CSE as a high preference followed by ECE or IT at Thrikkakkara or CUCEK
• Monitor round wise closing ranks through the portal or official communications
• Participate in mop up and spot rounds where seats are more likely available near your rank

Key considerations
• Cutoffs decrease between rounds allowing more opportunities in later phases
• OBC candidates compete within their category reducing competition compared to open rankings
• CUCEK is your best target campus for CSE at your rank under OBC
• You must have all documents ready like previous marksheet category certificate and CUSAT admit card for verification

Let me know if you would like a suggested list of choices tailored to your academic interest or want help tracking counselling round data

Hello aspirant,

Since MBA is a post-graduate program, the primary requirement for eligibility for the CAT exam is graduation or an equivalent degree; that is, each candidate must be in their final year of study or have completed graduation.  Both students in the Reserved and Unreserved categories must meet the minimum score requirements, yet their overall percentages differ.

For more information, you can visit our site through following link:

https://bschool.careers360.com/exams/cat

Thank you

Hi aspirant,

1. The Common Admission Test ( CAT ) is a highly competitive , computer - based entrance exam .
2. CAT is administered annually by one of the IIMs for admission to its postgraduate management programs (MBA) as well as those of multiple other top business schools in India .
3. It primarily assesses candidates' VARC , DILR , and QA skills.
4. The exam lasts 120 minutes , with 40 minutes allotted to each section .
5. The questions are a mix of multiple choice questions with negative marking for bad responses and type-in-the-answer questions with no negative marking .
6. Scoring is based on a raw score , which is then normalized across exam slots to account for differences in difficulty , yielding a scaled score and a percentile that represents a candidate's performance in comparison to other test takers .

CAT 2024 Question Paper With Solutions

You can also refer to the link given above for more information on the same.

All the best!

Hi aspirant,

1. In general, PUMBA (Pune University's Department of Management Sciences) requires a higher CAT percentile, usually between 94 and 96.
2. Nevertheless, final selection is based on a comprehensive process that includes your CAT score (which usually carries 50% weightage), performance in the Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds (30% weightage), academic record (10% weightage), and work experience (10% weightage).
3. Even though your CAT score is strong, a strong performance in the subsequent selection rounds will be essential for admission.
4. It is recommended to contact the institution directly for latest and up-to-date information.

PUMBA MBA

You can refer to the link attached above for more information on the same.

All the best!