CAT 2016: Working executives dont need to quit job; know how to manage your 6 month preparation

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
May 11, 2016
There is no need to quit the lucrative job to prepare for CAT 2016 as you need around 3 hours a day to prepare well for next 6 months
If you are busy, you can plan better and can spare a good volume of required time for CAT 2016 preparation instead of thinking that you can make full use of time by giving up your job

Quitting the job that fetches you lakhs of Rupees per annum to prepare for CAT 2016 may not be a very good idea as you may not prepare that well if you are idle. In view of expert and mentor on CAT preparation, Prof S K Agarwal, If you are busy, you can plan better and can spare a good volume of required time for CAT 2016 preparation instead of thinking that you can make full use of time by giving up your job.

You need 3 to 4 hours a day for next 6 months to prepare well for CAT 2016. If you have already started your preparation to improve your weak areas, you need to go for planned strategy for next 180 days which will need around 3-4 hours a day that you can very well spare out of your busy schedule.

Earning a handsome amount after graduation and taking leave from the job for a month or two to finalize your CAT 2016 preparation may be a good decision but giving up the job to prepare for CAT 2016 may not be the wise action by an IIM aspirant says Prof S K Agarwal, Verbal Ability Expert and mentor on CAT 2016 preparation.

Common Entrance Test (CAT) is the gateway to MBA.PGDM programmes in 19 IIMs and other top rated B-schools like FMS, SPJIMR, NITIE, MDI, IMI, IMT, BIMTECH, TAPMI among others. CAT is taken by more than 1.75 lakh MBA aspirants every year, including a good number of working professionals.

Wkg executives to adopt different strategy
Many think of leaving their jobs but most of the working executives who aspire for the management degree from IIMs to achieve their career goals devise preparation strategy which can balance between the study and job very well. The preferred preparation strategy is to go for self study, join some good late evening online CAT 2016 classes and attend off-line classes at weekends.

Quit the job & see Study volume going down
It is human tendency to find an easy way out and thinking of quitting the job is an example of it. When you have nothing to do all day, you do not study for 16 hours. Even if you make up your mind to study, you find excuses for not studying and go on dangling with uncertainties between now and afterwards.

It is a good idea to take leave for 1 or 2 months before the exam to keep you focused and in high spirits to implement your plan to go for vigorous practice of exercises, taking mocks and analyzing them more frequently than earlier. Leave the job when you get admission offer from your dream IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta or other preferred B school.

Your work ex: Added advantage
The fact is contrary to the belief that you can prepare better by giving up the job. No one studies for all the 24 hours nor can anyone do it.  On the top of it IIMs award bonus marks to the working executives. The range of weightage to your work experience can go from 3 points to 15 points depending upon your work experience. The ideal period of work experience is between 2 years to 3 years.

3 hours a day suffice
CAT 2016 is proposed to be held in the month of October/November 2016 preferably on weekends. If you are serious enough to crack CAT 2016 with a high percentile, the suggestion is to devote 2 hours a day.

Out of your 24 hours, if you spend 8-10 hours at your work place and supposing that your 10 hours are spent to a cozy sleep, time in bathroom, dining, travelling, entertainment, among others you are still left with 4 hours. If you extract 2-3 hours out of your busy schedule, you can score a very high percentile in CAT 2016.

Plan preparation according to time
Prepare your CAT preparation schedule according to your working hours. After spending the day in office, you should devote a few hours in the night preparing for CAT 2016.

Prepare a schedule first and then follow it for next 30 days. Update the preparation strategy after 30 days, make amendments according to the need and again follow the same without any laxity. Devoting 2-3 hours a day for next 6 months is sure not a bad deal to get the best for your career. Once you start the preparation according to the schedule, it will become a routine for you.

CAT 2016 will be convened by Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. Professor Rajendra K Bandi, faculty on Decision Sciences and Information Systems; Chairperson Admissions & Financial Aid, IIM Bangalore is the convener for CAT 2016. IIM Bangalore will be convening CAT 2016 in partnership with the CAT testing agency TCS in the months of October/November 2016.

This is the first time since CAT has become a computer based exam in 2009 that IIM Bangalore has been assigned the responsibility to convene CAT 2016. IIM Bangalore has taken over the reins from IIM Ahmedabad who convened CAT 2015 after bringing in number of changes. It is expected IIM Bangalore will carry forward the legacy of changes in CAT 2016 and may bring about even more changes in the exam pattern.

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Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2016