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If you are planning to take the CAT exam, you will need to start preparing well in advance. CAT is one of the most important exams for students who want to pursue a career in management. It is also one of the toughest entrance exams.
There isn’t a single answer to how much time you need to prepare for CAT. It depends on the proficiency level of the candidate. The test is divided into three sections: verbal ability and reading comprehension (VARC), quantitative ability, and data interpretation/logical reasoning. You need to start by measuring your proficiency in all of these areas.
Once you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can start making a study plan. Generally speaking, candidates should give themselves at least 4-5 months of time to prepare for CAT. This way, they will have enough time to go through all the material, do practice questions and mock tests, and improve their weak areas.
If you have lesser time, you can also opt for a crash course. A crash course is usually between 4-8 weeks long and covers all the important topics that are tested on the CAT. This option is ideal for candidates who have less than 4 months of time left for preparation.
So let’s start one by one and cover what’s needed to prepare for CAT given your current level of preparation.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT Depending on Your Preparation Level
To start with, you can give a mock test and gauge your percentile level.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT for Current Level=40 percentile
If you currently stand at the 40th percentile, you will need to put in significant effort to improve your score.
Candidates have to follow a more methodical approach here and focus on improving their weaker areas first. Once they have reached their desired level in those sections, they can start working on speed and accuracy. This approach requires at least 6-8 months of preparation time.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT for Current Level=60 percentile
If you’re currently at the 60th percentile, you have a good chance of making it to one of the top IIMs. But you will still need to put in a lot of effort to improve your score.
You have to start by building the basics of all the sections. Read at least 3-4 hours per day. Learn new techniques for improvement in solving all the sections. Revise all the question types. Write at least 15 mock mocks and work on mistakes.
It would take you 4-6 months of preparation this way to get a good score.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT for Current Level=80 percentile
If you already stand at the 80th percentile, you are in a good position to get into one of the top IIMs. Your focus should be on time management and accuracy. You should try to solve as many questions as possible within the time limit. This will help you increase your speed and accuracy.
You should also focus on improving your weak areas. Make sure you have revised all the question types and know how to solve them quickly.
It would take 2-4 months of preparation time if you follow this approach and study daily for 3-4 hours.
The time required also varies depending on whether you are a fresh graduate or a working professional.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT for Fresh Graduates
If you are a fresh graduate, you have the advantage of time. You can start preparing early and give yourself at least 6-8 months to prepare for CAT. This will give you enough time to go through all the material, do practice questions and mock tests, and improve your weak areas.
You should focus on building a strong foundation first. Once you have mastered the basics, you can start working on time management and accuracy.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT for Working Professionals
Working professionals usually have less time to prepare for CAT. They need to balance their work and study time. In some cases, they may even have to take a leave of absence to prepare for CAT.
Candidates who are working full-time should give themselves at least 4-5 months of time to prepare for CAT while studying for 3-4 hours daily. This way, they will have enough time to go through all the material, do practice questions and mock tests, and improve their weak areas.
So these were some general guidelines on how much time you need to prepare for CAT depending on your current level of preparation. Next, let’s talk about various sections and how much time they take.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT Sectionwise
Time Required to Prepare for CAT VARC
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) is one of the most important sections on the CAT. A strong performance in this section can make up for a weaker performance in other sections.
You need to focus on improving your reading speed and understanding. This can be done by reading a lot of books, newspapers, and magazines. You should also focus on building a strong vocabulary by learning new words every day.
As far as the time required goes, you should give yourself at least 3-4 months to prepare for this section if you’re starting from scratch.
Here is a schedule you can follow –
- Reading Comprehension: 2 weeks
- Para Summary: 1-2 weeks
- Para Completion: 1-2 weeks
- Para Jumbles: 1 week
- Odd sentence out: 1 week
If you already have a good hold on English, you can give yourself 1-2 months of time to prepare for this section.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT DILR
The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section is one of the most time-consuming sections on the CAT. This is because it requires a lot of practice to get comfortable with all the question types.
You need to focus on understanding the data sets and finding patterns quickly. This can be done by solving as many questions as possible. You should also focus on time management so that you can finish all the questions within the time limit. You should finish the fundamental concepts and start solving the past 5 years’ CAT papers thoroughly and take as many mocks as possible.
As far as the time required goes, you should give yourself at least 4-6 months to prepare for this section if you’re starting from scratch. If you already have a good hold on mathematics, you can give yourself 2 months of time
You should be able to cover ~1 topic per week in DILR if you are dedicating 1-2 hours every day to this section.
Time Required to Prepare for CAT QA
To do good in QA, you need to focus on understanding the data sets and finding patterns quickly. This can be done by solving as many questions as possible. The quant syllabus is vast and it would take a minimum of 3 months to cover all the fundamental concepts. The time allocated for each topic will vary depending on whether a topic is your strength or weakness, so decide accordingly.
Other Things to Keep in Mind to Prepare for CAT
Besides focusing on the time required to prepare for each section, there are a few other things you should keep in mind while preparing for CAT.
- Have a study plan: A study plan will help you make the most of your time and stay on track. Without a study plan, it is easy to get sidetracked and waste time.
- Take mock tests: Taking mock tests is one of the best ways to prepare for the CAT. It will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and work on them.
- Get feedback: After taking each mock test, make sure to analyze your performance and get feedback from someone who can guide you. This will help you improve with each test.
- Focus on your weak areas: It is important to focus on your weak areas and not just your strengths. This will help you improve your overall performance.
- Be consistent: Consistency is the key to success. You need to put in the time and effort every day to see results.
- Take breaks: Don’t burn yourself out by studying for long hours at a stretch. Instead, take breaks in between to relax and rejuvenate yourself. This will help you stay motivated and focused.
- Have realistic expectations: Don’t expect to score a perfect hundred on the CAT just because you have studied hard. Having realistic expectations will help you stay calm and focused on exam day.
- Stay positive: It is important to stay positive throughout your preparation. This will help you stay motivated and focused on your goals.
- Be prepared for setbacks: There will be times when you face setbacks. It is important to stay positive and not get discouraged. Remember that everyone faces setbacks at some point in their life. What matters is how you deal with them.
- Learn from your mistakes: After each mock test, analyze your performance and learn from your mistakes. This will help you improve with each test and do better on the actual CAT.
By following the tips given above, you can make the most of your time and prepare well for the CAT exam. All the best!
