CAT 2017: 3 months preparation before CAT date may hit high score; CAT last date closes Sep 20

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
August 31, 2017
Your CAT 2017 exam date is still 3 months away and if you have not seriously started your CAT exam preparation, it is advisable to focus on it. You can prepare well in these three months, provided you are able to apply before the CAT last date which is September 20
CAT 2017 preparation
Thousands of candidates despite having a will to prepare for CAT 2017 do not know what is the CAT 2017 syllabus, what is the CAT exam pattern, which books they should study to crack CAT exam

Your CAT 2017 exam date is still 3 months away and if you have not seriously started your CAT exam preparation, it is advisable to focus on it. You can prepare well in these three months, provided you are able to apply before the CAT last date which is September 20. After 2 months from the closing of CAT registration date is your appointment with CAT exam date falls on November 26.

CAT 2017: Important dates
The very first thing you need to do is to apply for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2017. If you miss the CAT registration date and CAT last date to apply, you will not be able to appear in the exam.

Another important CAT date is the CAT admit card down load date. This CAT date falls a month after the closing date of CAT registration process. After this comes the CAT exam date followed by CAT result date. All these CAT dates are as important as the CAT exam itself. Below are shared the important CAT dates:

  • CAT 2017 Exam date is Sunday November 26. CAT is the mandatory exam for admission to 20 IIMs and other top B-schools in India.
  • CAT last date for registration and submitting CAT application is September 20.
  • CAT 2017 Admit card download date is October 18, 2017.

Be aware about CAT syllabus and CAT pattern
This is a fact that thousands of candidates despite having a will to prepare for CAT 2017 do not know what is the CAT 2017 syllabus, what is the CAT exam pattern, which books they should study to crack CAT exam. Once you get clarity on these points, get direction on how and what to prepare, you will be able to prepare for CAT 2017 very well. 

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If your CAT 2017 preparation is not in accordance with CAT exam syllabus and CAT exam pattern, you need to check and review your CAT preparation strategy and revise it without further loss of time.

3 months - good time to prepare for CAT 2017
t is high time that you should assess your ability to prepare for CAT 2017 in 3 months. If you are not able to spare time enough to prepare and thereby are not able to perform well in the mocks and practice tests for CAT 2017, there is still time and therefore you should be confident that you have the potential to crack CAT 2017 with high score.

Given the volume of competition and level of test difficulty, sometimes you get disheartened whether to continue preparing for CAT 2017 or leave it on luck. The CAT date still gives you time to prepare well. The coveted nobility attached to good performers in CAT in the form of awarded admission to IIMs also keep you dragging on with your preparation level, although you remain not so satisfied with the manner you are preparing with.

While weighing the two, latter becomes the inspiring factor that continues motivating you always and guides you to reach the final destination - the coveted IIMs. In view of Prof S K Agarwal Expert on Verbal Ability and mentor on CAT 2017 preparation, the weightage of getting admission in IIMs and turning your dream into reality is always greater and your focus should remain on devising ways and means how to prepare well instead of giving a thought whether to prepare for CAT 2017.

Changed CAT exam pattern similar to other exams
Despite all the changes in CAT exam pattern over the last 3 years, the key sections and sub-parts of CAT 2017 exam will remain the same. Earlier you had to prepare for clubbed sections and for the last 2 years, these test sections have become separate.  

There will be 3 sections in CAT 2017 exam with individual time limit of 1 hour each. These sections are Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC); Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR); Quantitative Ability (Quant).

If you are preparing for other MBA entrance exams like XAT 2018, IIFT 2017, SNAP 2017, NMAT 2017, the study and preparation strategy for CAT 2017 may not be found much different from these exams. Almost all the exams have similar test components, while a few have additional ones like General Awareness (GK) which CAT 2017 does not have.

Prepare as per CAT 2017 Syllabus & pattern
Remain updated about the past and prospective changes in CAT exam. Your preparation has to be on these updated lines for CAT 2017. Although IIMs have not clearly defined the CAT 2017 syllabus, the official CAT Mocks and CAT previous year papers clarify well about the structure and type of questions asked in new CAT exam pattern. 

Since there are more questions in CAT now, the ratio of some of the topics has increased while some of the topics may not get a place in the CAT 2017 question paper.

Another fact is that it is not necessary what did not appear in CAT 2016 would also not appear in CAT 2017. But the CAT exam pattern is proposed to remain the same as that of CAT 2016. Therefore, plan your CAT preparation strategy accordingly. your preparation planning should also be in the right direction without getting distracted. 

Confidence building – Must for CAT preparation
You will be reading the versatile material to improve your performance for questions based on Grammar, different types of jumbled paragraphs, Reading Comprehension, Critical and Logical Reasoning among other topics. Next time when you go for reading some books on philosophical ideas, literature, it will be a good idea to go for some inspirational reading material. These inspiring books will not only motivate you further but will also help you perform better, indirectly as they will add to the stock of your vocabulary, make you understand the complexities of sentence formation and get you RC passage ideas.

Study smart: Key to success
CAT 2017 the gateway to 20 IIMs and other top rated B schools calls for a consistent study and smart preparation strategy with more inspiration and motivation and less mental pressure. Do not feel depressed, pressurised at any point of time. In case you ever plunge into it, the better way is not to force yourself towards study and try to find the source that can bring your mental status back and you could again focus on CAT 2016 preparation.

Aspire for more to crack CAT 2017
The thoughts like ‘what would happen if I opted for MBA’; ‘How would my family get financial support’ are expected to interrupt your preparation journey, adversely affecting your performance.

Think on the other side of the coin. Think of the Return you will get after MBA from IIM. Just once drop the negative thoughts and let a few inspiring thoughts flow in, to reshape the process

  • The great learning experience, the confidence, new vistas of career options that I will have during my MBA are greater assets for life than a short span of 2 years devoted to it
  • I don’t have to worry about education expenses as the 100% study loan facility is available
  • I would earn twice/thrice the amount I am earning now after 2-3 years
  • Two years is not a very long period. The family can be supported with what we have and later the things will brighten up
  • My life will get an absolutely new makeover after 2 years. I need it and will achieve it.

When you drive away the negative ideas and allow the positive ones to set it, the motivation you will get, the energy you will get would be the source of inspiration to paddle up your CAT 2017 preparation with greater determination.

Important Books for CAT preparation

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
VARC is considered as one of the most difficult sections especially for the candidates coming from engineering background. CAT 2016 toppers confronted VARC as their weakest section but never got tired from moving with consistent improvement. The result was that they cracked the VARC section with very high percentile. Following books, study material to crack CAT 2017 is recommended by the toppers.

  • ‘How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT’- by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay 
  • ‘Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT’-by Nishit K Sinha
  • Attempt online practice sectional Quiz, Mock Tests available on MBAUniverse.com site and other important study centres TIME, CL, VistaMind
  • ·Editorial and short articles published in English news papers

Logical Reasoning
To overcome the hurdles and ace the LR section, there are very good books available in the market on Logical Reasoning apart from the study material available online for CAT 2017. A few of them are:

  • ‘How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT’ - by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
  • ‘Logical Reasoning and data Interpretation for the CAT’- by Nishit K Sinha (Published by Pearson)
  • Online study material for Logical Reasoning and study centre’s practice exercises

Data Interpretation
There are very good books & study material available in the market on Data Interpretation. A few of the good books and study material available are:

  • ‘How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT’ - by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
  • ‘Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT’ - by Nishit K Sinha (Published by Pearson)
  • Attempt online practice sectional Quiz, Mock Tests available on MBAUniverse.com site and other important study centres TIME, CL, VistaMind

Quantitative Ability
Almost all the CAT toppers suggest to thoroughly study and prepare with class 10 books and study material on different parts of Mathematics. Not only the comprehensive and specific books meant specifically for CAT exam are helpful, the small NCERT prescribed books for class 10 CBSE board are quite helpful to make your fundamentals strong in Quantitative Ability.

CAT toppers suggest following books to crack Quant in CAT 2017:

  • Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT  - by Nishit K Sinha (Published by Pearson)
  • How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT – by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
  • Attempt online practice sectional Quiz, Mock Tests available on MBAUniverse.com site and other important study centres TIME, CL, VistaMind

Getting through the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2017 with high percentile gives you an opportunity to enter one of the few top rated B-schools in the country. Along with the 20 IIMs, top notch B schools like SPJIMR, FMS Delhi, MDI, IMT, IMI, JBIMS, Great lakes, TAPMI, will accept CAT 2017 exam scores. Once you are in, you can further polish your leadership and managerial skills. Learning at these B-schools is in itself a great experience which leads to a promised career progression.

Remain motivated with every next step you have taken towards CAT 2017 preparation journey. Whatever new you have studied and understood, whatever shortcuts and tips you have learnt should always inspire you. Every step, however small, in learning will take you to perform better, excel in your preparation journey, will help in scoring high in mocks. As a result you will be able to assess the progress made by you so far.

There is no need whatsoever to be afraid of CAT 2017 exam but simultaneously there should not be any laxity in sincere preparation.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more preparation tips for CAT 2017

Read also:

Take CAT 2017 Mock Full LengthTo assess your preparation in revised CAT 2017 exam pattern with 100 questions.
CAT Previous Year Question Papers, Answer With Solution:
CAT 2008    |    CAT 2007    |    CAT 2006    |    CAT 2005   |    CAT 2004
Section 1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension CAT 2017: Quiz 1 CAT 2017: Quiz 2
Section 2: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning CAT 2017: Quiz 1 CAT 2017: Quiz 2
Section 3: Quantitative Ability CAT 2017: Quiz-1 CAT 2017: Quiz-2