CAT 2024 Preparation

S

Chirag

Updated on - Jun 3, 2024

The Common Admission Test or CAT is one of the toughest entrance examinations conducted in India. The examination assesses the analytical, logical, and verbal skills of the candidates needed for completing the business management course at a university. More than three lakh students appear for the exam at every level making CAT preparation and proper planning a necessity. Candidates have to clear and score high marks in all three sections namely verbal ability and Reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and quantitative ability.

CAT 2024 preparation requires a thorough understanding of the type of examination as well as the difficulty of the questions. Moreover, students are required at least 6 to 7 hours of daily study for CAT preparation. Solving past year CAT papers, access to the best CAT books, and various tips and tricks come within the purview of CAT preparation. The candidates can even take the help of coaching institutes and their study materials for CAT preparation. Self-study, however, serves as the best form of CAT 2024 preparation. Daily practice and guidance from a professional mentor can help students immensely and therefore contribute to CAT 2024 preparation. Students can thereby crack the CAT and easily get admission into the top IIMs and business schools through rigorous CAT preparation.

CAT Preparation Tips for Success in CAT 2024

CAT 2024 preparation can be made easy and efficient by opting for a dedicated preparation strategy. Students can opt for the following tips that can help them succeed in cracking the CAT exam 2024:

  • Candidates must make themselves aware of the CAT 2024 syllabus. The students must check the syllabus, type, and difficulty of the questions and opt for a dedicated CAT exam strategy. The overall marking scheme of the three sections, the time slot to complete every section and the overall CAT exam pattern must be known by the candidates.
  • Candidates must search for the best CAT books as recommended by the experts online and in their local bookstores. Books and study materials can help students immensely with their daily practice, and overall, CAT exam preparation.
  • Candidates can even take the help of online MBA study groups. Daily questions, test papers, Mark exams, and even links to necessary updates can be accessed through such online study groups. Moreover, students can take the help of social media and watch various videos that can help them in clearing their concepts essential for hassle-free CAT exam preparation
  • The students must even create a dedicated timetable allocating time for CAT preparation. Weekly and monthly timetables and charts can help students maintain their pace for CAT preparation. Candidates must even stick to the dedicated schedule for efficient CAT preparation.

Students can even combine self-study and coaching institute guidance to complete their CAT preparation on time. Daily practice, access to CAT preparation books, and help from CAT toppers can prove beneficial for the students that coaching institutes and self-study can help with.

CAT 2024 Preparation Coaching

CAT exam preparation through coaching can help students get access to the necessary guidance and help from the best coaches. CAT preparation books, study materials, guidance, and even dedicated test series are made available through the coaching. Students even get access to mock interviews, daily test papers, and access to daily coaching and classes which is essential for CAT preparation. However, candidates are often confused about whether they should opt for online coaching get assistance from a dedicated coaching centre, or opt for simple self-study. This has been enumerated and explained further.

CAT 2024 Preparation from Online Coaching

CAT preparation online has become popular with the recent advancements in technology. The following are their benefits:

  • Candidates can gain access to online websites which provide daily practice preparation materials and guidance. 
  • The students even gain access to mock tests, practice questions, and even help from recorded videos uploaded on the website. 
  • CAT preparation online delivers the flexibility to the candidates to study from anywhere and according to their pace as well.
  • Daily updates are uploaded on the website as well that students can read. Preparation tips, timetable, daily reading passages, CAT books recommendations, and various other services are made available which students can access daily. 
  • Apart from websites, professional coaching centres have online preparation modules and websites that students can enrol in as well. Students and working professionals can opt for CAT preparation online services which are affordable as well.

CAT 2024 Preparation from Coaching Centre

Coaching centres offer CAT preparation material and dedicated guidance services that can help with CAT preparation online. Day of our student batches that candidates can enrol themselves in. Students have to attend classes for about 8 to 6 hours offering guidance and teaching related to verbal ability, reading comprehension, quantitative aptitude, and logical reasoning. Here are some points that can help students consider the benefits of preparing from a coaching centre:

  • Coaching centres offer CAT books, study material, and mock tests that can help with efficient CAT preparation.
  • Classroom discussions organised that prove beneficial for students offering one-on-one teaching and doubt-clearing sessions.
  • Students who are not able to practise on their receive guidance from mentors who motivate students to study and practice on a daily basis.
  • Students even get to study in a competitive environment which serves as a motivation.
  • A team of highly qualified individuals and mentors helps clear the doubts of the students. Past year papers, CAT preparation books, and even mock interviews are provided for the benefit of the students.
  • Students receive feedback regarding their performance in mock tests and interviews. Students can learn the importance of time management which is a necessity for clearing the CAT exam.

Some coaching institutes even offer tips and tricks as well as guidance from CAT toppers who have studied from the centre itself. Students get first-hand experience of how to solve the CAT 2024 exam and ace interviews and written ability test rounds.

CAT 2024 Preparation for Self Study

Self-study is one of the most essential aspects related to taking the CAT 2024 exam. Following are the benefits of self-study with students must consider before opting for online preparation or coaching centres:

  • Students in the final year of their bachelor's program as well as working professionals who have enrolled themselves for the CAT 2024 exam receive flexibility through self-study. They can practise and learn at their own pace providing them with free time to study according to their speed.
  • Students do not feel pressured to complete a particular section within a specified period of time. Students can learn at their own pace without feeling the peer pressure of fellow CAT aspirants.
  • Candidates can use their available time with greater efficiency and skills.
  • Candidates are even able to improve their foundational skills and basics which is a necessity for the CAT exam. Logical reasoning, analytical ability, and mathematical skills can be built up from the ground to self-study.

Last but not least, candidates receive enough opportunity to use their available time to relax. Preparation for the CAT 2024 exam can be quite hectic. A self-study offers sufficient time in the hands of the students which they can use according to their speed, ability as well as overall preparation.

CAT 2024 Preparation Tips from Toppers     

CAT 2021 and 99.4% tile

Apart from self-study and guidance from coaching centres, CAT toppers even offered various tips and tricks for the CAT exam. The toppers possess experience in clearing the CAT Exam as well as interview and written ability tests of various IIM and business schools. Following are some tips as provided by the CAT Toppers that can benefit students immensely:

CAT 2022 and 99.8% tile

The CAT exam is all about practice and continuous preparation. Candidates must opt for self-study and improve their overall basics. Regularly solving important questions, taking mock tests, and solving of previous year's papers can help students. However, time management is also necessary. Students can take the help of coaching centres if they wish to.

CAT 2021 and 99.9% tile

I started my preparation around May. With a clear goal of improving my basics and building a strong foundation in maths and verbal ability, I began my preparation with self-study and with complete confidence. At a later stage, I joined the mock test session of a coaching centre to improve my time management skills which helped me immensely.

CAT 2020 and 99.93% tile

With a daily target of solving 30 to 50 questions of quantitative ability, completing 3 to 4 logical reasoning and data interpretation sets, and solving three or four Reading Comprehension, I was able to take my CAT exam. The mock tests helped me as well with time management. The most important thing is to analyse the questions and attempt all TITA-based questions.

Books for CAT Preparation

The best books for CAT preparation are available online and in local bookstores that students can easily purchase. The CAT preparation books offer section-wise study material, formulas, and important questions for practice. All the topics are included within such books according to the current CAT syllabus. Students get access to sample questions, test papers, and previous year's important questions and answers that can help them in section-wise preparation. Here are some of the important CAT books that students can buy for CAT preparation:

  • Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri
  • How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
  • 30 Days to A More Effective Vocabulary by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis
  • How to Prepare for Global Ability and Reading Comprehension by Sharma and Upadhyaya
  • Quantitative Aptitude by RS Agarwal
  • Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha
  • Past Year CAT Questions by GK Publications
  • High School English Grammar by Wren and Martin

Students can even take the help of coaching centres that deliver study materials for daily practice. One can even read newspapers and magazines and even opt for online websites and social media handles that offer daily practice questions and regular updates.

CAT 2024 Target Marks Blueprint

The CAT Exam consists of three sections which are as follows:

  • Verbal ability and Reading Comprehension
  • Data interpretation and logical reasoning
  • Quantitative Aptitude

Section

MCQs

TITA

Total

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

19

5

24

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

14

6

20

Quantitative Aptitude 

14

8

22

Total

47

19

66

Candidates receive a total of 120 minutes to solve the three sections with 40 minutes allotted to each section. Moreover, there is a negative marking in the exam where for every wrong answer one mark is deducted. The following table provides information about the target marks that students must score to get a higher percentile:

Percentile

VARC

DILR

QA

Marks

99.9%

70

57

68

171

99%

65

53

62

158

95%

49

39

44

119

90%

41

32

34

99

VARC CAT Preparation Strategy by Experts

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension is comprised of mainly three sections which are vocabulary, reading comprehension, and grammar that students must focus on. Following is the preparation strategy for VARC that candidates can opt for:

  • Candidates must read newspapers, magazines, and books daily to improve their overall reading and comprehension ability. Synonyms antonyms, spellings, analogies, and sentence completion are the most essential aspects of reading comprehension-based questions that students must focus on. Moreover, students must try to improve their overall vocabulary which can be built through daily reading and practice.
  • Students must even focus on grammar-based questions. Books and study materials are available providing questions based on grammar that students must solve daily.
  • Reading comprehension questions must be solved as well daily. Students must first read small articles and move further to newspapers and blogs to improve reading speed. At least 3 to 4 reading comprehension-based questions must be solved daily.

VARC Important Topics to Target 

Candidates must focus on the below-mentioned topics to ace the VARC section of the CAT Exam:

  • Parts of speech
  • Error in tenses
  • Subject-verb agreement
  • Pronouns
  • Para jumbles
  • Clauses

DILR CAT Preparation Strategy by Experts

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning is considered to be one of the toughest sections by the students. Apart from being a difficult section, it is time-consuming as well which requires time management on behalf of students. Following are the preparation tips and strategies that students can opt for:

  • Students must foster clear basic concepts and understanding of the DILR section and type of questions. Clarity of the patients can help them in solving the questions in the least time possible.
  • As evident from its name, the data interpretation and logical reasoning-based questions require observation and thinking capabilities of the students. This can be built and improved by daily practice of DILR-based questions.
  • Logical reasoning-based questions are not dependent upon any kind of formulas. Therefore, daily practice of sample questions and previous year exam papers can help students.
  • Candidates must even focus on reading table charts, pie charts, bar charts, and Venn Diagrams to solve the Data interpretation-based questions. Series, number systems, blood relations, and family trees are some of the important questions that students must divert their focus on for logical reasoning.

DILR Important Topics to Target

Following are some of the important topics in the DILR section of the CAT exam that students can target:

  • Venn diagrams
  • Percentage
  • Number systems
  • Approximation
  • Circular patterns, blood relations, and number system
  • Table, pie chart, and bars-based questions

QA CAT Preparation Strategy by Experts

Quantitative Aptitude includes questions based upon various mathematical subjects like arithmetic, provident hours, percentages, mental maths, etc. Basic mathematical skills and an understanding of various formulas and tips and tricks can help students in solving the quantitative aptitude questions in the CAT exam. Following are some tips and strategies that students can focus on:

  • Candidates must first improve their basic understanding of various mathematical concepts. A strong foundation in mathematics can help students greatly.
  • Students must focus on topics like probability, simple and compound interest, square root, binomial theorem, Permutation and combination, Time, Speed and distance, trigonometry, etc.
  • Daily practice of questions can help students in solving the questions within the available time.
  • Students must even memorise important formulas and theorems. Various tricks to solve questions must be memorised as well to save time.

QA Important Topics to Target

Some of the most important Quantitative Aptitude topics that students are your target and focus upon are as follows:

  • Arithmetic
  • Geometry
  • Mensuration
  • Probability
  • Square root and cube root
  • Simple and compound interest
  • Permutation and combination
  • Percentage
  • Mean median mode

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).

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