When to Start Preparing for CAT 2024? Preparation Tips

When to Start Preparing for CAT 2024? One year to six months must be dedicated to CAT preparation. Starting early is the key to effective CAT preparation. Aspirants must understand the syllabus and exam pattern, fill knowledge gaps, strengthen fundamentals, practice mock tests, and develop time-management skills to score well in the exam.

CAT is the most popular MBA entrance exam in India, serving as a gateway to the top B-Schools in the country, including the IIMs and over 1,200 others. Over two lakh candidates take the CAT each year. It is critical to develop a proper strategy for CAT 2024.

CAT 2024 Preparation Time Depending on Paper

The CAT 2024 Exam is unquestionably just an aptitude test, but CAT aspirants should keep in mind that only about 1% of total applicants make it to the cream layer of 99 and above percentile.

The major factors for when to start preparing for CAT depend on the paper pattern and competition level for the ideal time for preparation are discussed below.

1. Academic History

CAT preparation may take more than a year for an aspirant with a normal academic record, 6- 8 months for a student with a better-than-expected academic record, and 3-4 months for an aspirant with an exceptional academic record. Because CAT 2024 is held in November, starting the preparation at least a year before CAT is the best time.

2. Competition

Applications are at an all-time high, and competition is getting tougher by the year. Only 20 people in CAT 2016 received perfect 100 percentiles. To secure a seat in an IIM of their choice, any general category student must achieve a percentile of 98 or higher. To achieve such a high score, aspirants must still devote 10-12 months to CAT 2024 preparation.

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CAT Preparation Time Depending on Aspirant

The appropriate time to begin preparing for the CAT exam is determined by each candidate's skills, abilities, and the amount of time he or she can devote daily. However, the majority of students begin quite early. The major factors for when to start preparing for CAT 2024 depending on the type of aspirant for the ideal time for preparation are discussed below.

1. Students in their Pre-final year

The best time to begin preparing for next year's CAT exam is during the pre-final year of college (3rd year of engineering or 2nd year of a 3-year graduation course). These students can enroll in a super long-term CAT classroom batch at the coaching centre.

It will give them enough time to prepare. Because they will be studying for almost a year and a half, they will be able to pass the CAT exam by studying for 1-3 hours every day.

The only thing that must be ensured is that the participant remains motivated and constantly prepares for the duration of the programme.

2. Students in their final year

Since these students are eligible to take the CAT 2024, they should begin preparing for the exam as soon as possible. They can get a good CAT percentile if they plan their preparation properly.

It is recommended that those in this group devote approximately 25-30 hours per week to CAT exam preparation. Every year, a large number of students who join the coaching centre for 3-4 months of the CAT classroom programme pass the CAT exam and gain admission to IIMs.

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3. Working MBA candidates

They must decide whether they want to take the CAT this year or next. If a person decides to take the CAT this year, they should begin preparing for the exam as soon as possible.

They can get a good CAT percentile if they plan their preparation properly. It is recommended that students devote approximately 25-30 hours per week to CAT exam preparation.

As previously stated, many students who enrolled in a CAT classroom programme for 3-6 months passed the exam and were admitted to IIMs.

4. CAT Past Year Toppers Advice

The CAT 2024 exam date is November, and if aspirants plan to take the exam, they should begin CAT preparation in March-April. However, if aspirants begin preparing now, they will be able to pass. All they need to do is make four-month plans from August to November.

CAT preparation should ideally begin in March. Expert advice and toppers' CAT preparation experience on when to start preparing for the CAT exam is provided below.

According to Chirag Gupta (100 percentile in CAT 2021)

“I started preparing in March 2021. I focused mainly on giving mock tests and analysing them. I used to work on my weaknesses by watching various CAT preparation YouTube videos on various topics.”

According to Bir Anmol Singh (99.94 percentile in CAT 2021)

“I started preparing in April 2021. I solved Arun Sharma sir's CAT books for VARC, LR, DI and Quant. I attempted as many past year CAT questions papers (timed attempt) that I could attempt, on weekends.”

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CAT Preparation in 6 Months

The majority of CAT toppers admitted that the majority of their preparation began six months before the exam. Candidates can refer to the following points discussed below if they plan to begin their CAT 2024 preparation within the next 6 months.

1. Time Administration

"Time management should be considered as the fourth section of the CAT exam," said CAT toppers. It is not only preparing Verbal Ability, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Ability but also preparing all three and attempting them within the time limit."

Attempting questions with only 40 minutes allotted to each section makes the CAT exam difficult. To achieve fruitful results, candidates should try to divide their study timetable so that they can practise each section daily within 24 hours.

2. Join CAT Coaching or Facebook groups

If some candidates believe they will be unable to study and prepare for CAT 2024 on their own, it is recommended that they join some coaching institutes.

Another response to the question CAT 2024: when and how to begin planning. Nowadays, popular social media groups are popular and aid candidates in passing the CAT and other management exams.

3. Working on Shortcuts for Concept Clarity

Candidates should only focus on clearing their concepts during the first six months of CAT 2024 preparation. The clarity of fundamental concepts is one of the assets of CAT toppers.

Most top scorers believe it is simple to predict what types of questions will be included in the Data interpretation & logical reasoning and Quantitative ability sections.

But even guessing what will come in VARC, i.e. verbal ability and reading comprehension, is difficult. Candidates must be familiar with the CAT exam pattern and CAT 2024 syllabus to clear concepts.

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CAT Preparation in 3 Months

Candidates will be closer to the exam date once they have completed the basic knowledge of the CAT exam 2024. The most common are agitation and stress. Don't panic and follow the CAT 2024-related tips listed below.

1. Divide the Preparation into Sections

Keeping track of past papers, CAT is divided into three sections. As the CAT 2024 exam date approaches, candidates should devise an effective section-by-section strategy.

• To improve their chances of passing the CAT VARC (Verbal and Reading Comprehension), candidates should begin reading newspapers, journals, blogs, and articles.
• Candidates should attempt to solve comprehension and inference problems. Fill in the blanks with appropriate vocabulary and read passages.
• Try adding a new word to the vocabulary every day.
• Concentrate on mastering the fundamentals of mathematics.
• Candidates should concentrate on topics such as profit and loss, number systems, and geometry because they may appear as key questions in the CAT 2024 question paper.
• To grip hands on this section, try to study basic topics such as seating arrangements, blood relations, syllogisms, and so on.
• Candidates should avoid using calculators when answering questions from this section.

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2. Improve Weak Areas

In terms of CAT 2024, candidates should concentrate on areas where they believe they are weaker than others. Instead of being depressed about how much new information there is to learn, candidates should take the initiative to focus on and improve their preparation for weaker areas.

3. Mock Tests and Past Year’s Papers

Candidates are advised to review the CAT previous year's question papers. After completing the syllabus, candidates should attempt to revise at least 2-3 sample papers per day.

It will help candidates improve their speed while also letting them know how accurate they are. There will be times when candidates will not find any questions of a new type while rigorously solving the CAT question papers or sample papers.

CAT Preparation in 1 Month

With less than a month until CAT 2024, candidates must remain calm and emphasize only what is necessary. The following points will assist candidates in scoring high and receiving a call from any of the IIMs.

1. Mock Tests

The official CAT Mock Test 2024 will be released by IIM to provide candidates with a taste of the actual exam simulated environment. Mock tests help candidates understand and access the difficulty level of CAT 2024. The mock test is the most effective method of assessing the current preparation level.

2. Concentrate on Important Topics

Beginning a new topic will confuse. As a result, candidates should concentrate on and improve their strong points. Don't waste time trying to figure out new topics or learning new concepts.

Considering the CAT pattern, every student or working professional must recognise when to start preparing for CAT and learning all of the 8th, 9th, and 10th concepts again while juggling a hectic schedule is critical. Lastly, before appearing for the CAT 2024 exam, candidates are advised to download their CAT admit cards on time and cross-check their CAT exam centre details to avoid any last-minute confusion.