CAT preparation strategy by experts

Yes, candidates who qualify in CUSAT CAT can gain admission to various participating institutes based on their rank. These include engineering colleges associated with CUSAT, such as its own School of Engineering in Kochi, Model Engineering College, and over 20 government and private engineering colleges across Kerala like College of Engineering Thrikkaripur, Co-operative Institute of Technology Vadakara, and MG College of Engineering Thiruvallam. The final seat allotment is based on your rank and your choice of program during the counselling process.

Hello Ashish,

Yes, you can get admission to MBA programs at IISWBM without a CAT score, but only for certain courses. Note that IISWBM has MBA programs under the University of Calcutta and flagship courses like MBA (Day) or MBA-HRM typically require a CAT score. Other programs like the PGDM or Executive MBA/Course may have other entrance examinations on which consideration would be made, or considerations may be based on merit, and of course work experience. Always run any eligibility detail checks with the official IISWBM (https://www.iiswbm.edu/) website or The IISWBM prospectus.

Hello,

Yes, a state (Delhi) NC-OBC certificate is valid for CAT 2025 , but it must be in the central government format (for appointment to posts under Government of India).

Also, it should be issued after 31st March 2025, as required by IIMs. If your certificate meets these conditions, it will be accepted.

Hope it helps !

Hello aspirant,
With 375 marks and an AIR of around 2.6 lakh in NEET 2025, getting admission to Ayurvedic & Unani Tibbia College (AUTC), New Delhi under the state quota is quite difficult. The cutoffs for government BAMS seats in AUTC generally stay below AIR 50,000, especially for the General and EWS categories. Your score may not meet the cutoff in the first or second rounds, but you might still have a slim chance in the mop-up or stray vacancy rounds, depending on how many seats remain and how other candidates opt. If you're a Delhi domicile and have all your documents ready, you should definitely apply and fill AUTC as a top choice. It’s also good to keep backup options in other AYUSH colleges open.

GIBS Business School in Bangalore accepts multiple national and state-level entrance exam scores for admission to its PGDM program. You can apply using scores from exams like CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, or various state-level CETs.

The admission process typically considers your entrance exam score along with your academic record, performance in the group discussion and personal interview, and any work experience you may have. For the BBA program, admissions are generally based on your Class 12 marks and do not require entrance exam scores.

If you're planning to apply, it's a good idea to keep your exam score, academic documents, and personal statement ready for the selection rounds.

If your son’s first preference is CSE, then Amrita Bangalore clearly leads among the three, simply because CSE opens more doors in terms of placements, internships, and future-proof careers. Amrita is also NAAC A++ and has a strong reputation, especially for CSE. Category 2 is also manageable fee-wise compared to higher categories.

VIT Chennai is a decent campus, and their ECE program is solid, but Category 5 means much higher fees and very low chance of branch upgrade later. CSE at VIT Chennai would have been more competitive here — but ECE at that fee tier is not as strong a deal unless your son has a strong interest in core electronics.

Manipal Bangalore (MIT Bengaluru campus) is a newer campus. ECE there is still developing in terms of placements and faculty compared to the main Manipal campus. Unless your son strongly prefers Bangalore or is getting some advantage here like scholarships or internship access, it doesn't stand out above Amrita.

So, recommendation: Go with Amrita Bangalore CSE (Category 2). It balances a strong branch with a decent campus and better long-term potential in the tech industry. If your son is open to core electronics and you’re okay with the higher cost, VIT Chennai is fine, but still comes second to CSE at Amrita.

All the best!

hi,

Yes, with a NEET score of 317 and being from Bihar with OBC category, you still have chances to get a seat. For BDS, getting a government seat may be difficult because the cutoffs are usually higher. But you can try for private BDS colleges, especially in the mop-up and spot rounds.You can get a seat in private BAMS colleges in Bihar, and maybe in semi-government colleges if cutoffs drop this year.

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.