Winning CAT 2020 

Needless to repeat, students who begin their preparation early get a head start. The journey to CAT’2020 preparation has started. CAT is one of the most competitive MBA examinations and is held annually in the month of November. To crack CAT 20, you need to start right away, and here is a step by step approach to help you plan ahead.

CAT Preparation 2020

CAT is a computer based (Online test) consisting of 100 questions and the total time duration is three hours. Candidates must have an explicit knowledge of the CAT exam pattern before starting their preparation.

The total time duration is 180 Minutes. Each right answer carries three marks. -1 for every wrong answer in MCQs and no marks will be deducted for Non-MCQs or TITA.

How to Crack CAT 2020?

1. Study the CAT Exam Pattern

CAT or Common Admission Test, comprises three major sections namely-‘Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)’, ‘Quantitative Aptitude (QA)’, and ‘Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)’. In CAT 2019, the verbal section (VARC) had thirty-four questions, data interpretation (DILR) had thirty-two questions, and the quantitative Aptitude section (QA) had thirty-four questions.

2. Study the Syllabus for CAT 2020

Major areas to be covered:-
i. CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus:-

After analyzing the topics that were asked in the previous CAT exams, you need to study the following items:

• Reading Comprehension:
• Paragraph Summary:
• Para-jumbles & Misfit Sentences:

A) There are a few other topics which you need to study:-

• Paragraph Completion.
• Critical Reasoning .
• Grammar & Usage.
• Vocabulary based questions (mostly Fill in the blanks).

B) A list of other verbal topics which have relevance in other MBA entrance exams:-

• Vocabulary Topics: Cloze Passage, Analogies or Reverse Analogies, Meaning-Usage Match, Idioms and Phrases, Secondary Shades of Meaning, Usage, Associated words, Antonyms, etc.
• Verbal Reasoning: Fact-Inference-Judgement.
• Grammar: Sentence Correction.

ii. CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Syllabus: the list of topics to be studied well for CAT 2020 exam:

Tables, Column Graphs, Bar Graphs, Line Charts, Pie Charts, Venn Diagrams, Combination of two or more types linked to each other Games, Caselets, Number and Letter Series, Cubes, Clocks, Calendars; Binary Logic, Seating Arrangement; Syllogism; Logical Sequence; Logical Matching; Logical Connectives; Blood Relations.

iii. CAT Quantitative Ability Syllabus:-

LCM and HCF; Profit, Loss and Discount; Number Systems; Percentages; Speed, Time and Distance; Time and Work; Simple and Compound Interest ; Complex Numbers; Logarithm; Ratio and Proportion; Averages; Quadratic Equations; Linear Equations; Sequences and Series; Surds and Indices; Binomial Theorem; Inequalities; Probability; Set Theory; Functions; Geometry; Permutation and Combination; Mixtures and Alligations; Trigonometry; Coordinate Geometry; and Mensuration.

3. Strengthen your basics

Once you have analyzed the syllabus and exam pattern, start working on the details of each topic. If you have a good conceptual clarity, you will gain better accuracy in less time. Regular practice is necessary to get a hold on the verbal ability section. The other two parts demand you to invest a good amount of time in practicing and revising the concepts. After making yourself well-versed with the basics, start solving section-wise and chapter-wise test papers for preciseness.

4. Give CAT Mock Tests regularly

CAT preparation is incomplete if you have not attempted the mock-tests. These CAT sample papers or CAT test series are designed to make the students understand the difficulty level of the paper. Moreover, the mock results give a clear hint of the CAT aspirant’s strengths and weaknesses as regards to the subject areas of the CAT entrance exam. Also, you will have ample time to improve your weak areas and strengthen your strong areas to improve your score.

5. Analyze the Mock Tests thoroughly and prepare a study plan

This is a step that most CAT aspirants skip in their journey of the entrance exam. This exercise of evaluating the mocks will provide a clear picture as to where one stands and also give you a guideline to make a test strategy. You should remember that the importance of each section and its relevance to the CAT exam while designing the study plan.

Important points to be kept in mind during your CAT preparation stage

1. Go through CAT previous years’ question papers to comprehend the pattern as well as the difficulty level of the paper.
2. Make a note of important topics area-wise. It will help you in revising.
3. For you to master reading comprehension, it is suggested that you read from diverse areas with attention to understanding the content.
4. General knowledge is one area where most students lag in. Therefore start reading newspapers, articles and listen to debates which will further help you in realizing the issues.

“Practice makes perfect”. Although this phrase has been commonly used many times but for an exam-takers, this always holds true.

Jitesh Gupta
Chief Mentor at Headache Tutorials