CAT 2014: How alarming with tricky questions will be the CAT new pattern

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
August 8, 2014
New attire of CAT 2014 is expected to present itself in a different pattern with more tricky questions.
It's an alarming situation especially for the aspirants when you know nothing about the forthcoming CAT 2014

New attire of CAT 2014 is expected to present itself in a different pattern with more tricky questions. Most of the aspirants are praying to God to get their admit cards for the second day i.e. Nov 22, 2014 sessions so that what appears on the first day is understood well. Incidentally on Nov 23, 2014 IIFT is going to conduct its entrance test.

 

Till date Cat convening IIM Indore has not shared the composition of CAT 2014 test paper and what topics will get prominence in the test except for the fact that it will have same 2 sections with no restriction to move from one section to another within the total frame of 170 minutes. CAT 2014 site, despite having the icon ‘Exam pattern & Duration’ has not yet shared it as well.  In fact delaying the disclosure is causing lukewarm response in submission of applications for CAT 2014.

 

 

 

Expect different Question type

 

CAT 2014 aspirants are not clear about the presentation type of questions in CAT 2014 test. Will the test paper will have same pattern or it will be different.  CAT 2014 site states “CAT is not an online exam. It is a digital or Computer Based Test (CBT); not an Internet-Based Test (IBT); i.e. a candidate will not take the exam on an internet site. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on the answer-sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on the correct option.”

 

Nowhere the CAT 2014 site mentions whether the pattern will remain the same as in past years or it will be different this year. It’s an alarming situation especially for the aspirants when you know nothing about the forthcoming CAT 2014, the most important test that could be the turning point in your life.

 

If you go on practicing the regular past CAT years’ mocks and replica tests they will contain only those question types that appeared in past years and this may not be of much help to you. Prof S K Agarwal, CAT preparation expert on Verbal Ability shares the implications of this alarming situation with an insight on expected type of tricky questions in CAT 2014.

 

100 questions in place of 60; need versatile efforts

 

CAT 2014 will have 100 as compared to 60 questions in 2 sections in past CAT years.  20 questions have been added in each of the two sections of test. Duration of the CAT 2014 has also been increased to 170 minutes from 140 minutes earlier. So CAT 2014 will have a total of 50 questions for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section and another 50 for Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning section.

 

More intelligence needed to solve CAT 2014

 

Average allotted time per question in CAT 2014 stands reduced to 1.70 minutes from 2.32 minutes.  So what are the IIMs upto? Could we expect a reduced difficulty level to solve more questions in less time? Forget it! Going by the history of CAT, the difficulty level can be balanced in 2 sections but you may not expect low difficulty level since CAT has been known for its unique type of exam that aims to test more of your intelligence level than only knowledge. So be ready for different type of questions also on different topics.

 

Expect more tricky questions

 

The test paper size is increased by 66% in CAT 2014. Division of test paper with different type of questions with a view to enhancing the value of CAT in each of the sections is the main purpose of CAT 2014 convening IIM Indore and testing agency TCS.

 

Experts give the examples

 

CAT in fact doesn’t go by any predefined Syllabus although the topics have been more or less over the years. Surprises and tricky presentation questions in CAT is nothing new. In view of Prof S K Agarwal, Verbal Ability expert aspirants should expect following type of tricky questions in CAT 2014

 

• Aspirants while going through past CAT questions may come across surprise elements of CAT 2006 and CAT 2012 when tricky questions like ‘completion of Last sentence of paragraph’ and ‘out of context’ type questions appeared in CAT exam. You may expect smaller but more questions of such type.

 

• Aspirants may also expect questions like picking out the first sentence of a paragraph along with the last sentence of the paragraph.

 

• There used to be questions on arranging the middle part of jumbled sentences while opening and /or closing sentences were given in the question. For the last few years CAT has not been placing such type of questions. In all probability such questions may again surface in CAT 2014.

 

• So far CAT has been placing questions on error corrections in sentences and paragraphs. To add more number of different type of questions that should enable the examiners to assess the understanding of English Language of the aspirants CAT 2014 may ask you questions on single sentences divided in parts. Such questions were not asked in CAT during the past many years but they form an important type of questions on error correction. It’s advisable to the CAT 2014 aspirants to study various parts of language to prepare for such questions. A few examples are given below

 

Expected different type of questions in CAT 2014

 

Directions for questions 1 to 2: For each of the questions given below, select the word that fits well  in all the four given sentences.

 

Q.1

 

(i) The Bill ____________________________ reduction in electoral expenses.

 

(ii) The plan ________________________ten percent growth in production.

 

(iii) The budget ____________________a two–fold increase in this year’s turnover.

 

(iv) The Company ________________  a good production year due to better harvest.

 

A. Seeks        B. Envisages          C. Hopes        D. Demands

 

Q.2

 

(i) We ______________the room with an electric heater.

 

(ii) His mother _____________ lunch for all his friends.

 

(iii) The will ______________________that each child will receive half of the money.

 

(iv)  He ____________ for his family by working overtime.

 

A.prepared    B. equipped     C. arranged      D.provided

 

Direction-Select the word to replace the blank space

 

Q.3. Benevolent : Kind : : Unclear : _____________

A. Bright         B. Thick                      C. Luminous               D. Muddy

 

Direction-Select one word/phrase which is closest in the meaning to the given sentence

 

Q.4. Person who Knows or can speak many languages

 

A. Polyglot      B. Potable                   C. Plebiscite                D. Paramour

 

Q.5. Which of the following Statements is grammatically correct?

 

A. Each of the girls living in the orphanage had been ill-treated by her family before they were abandoned.

 

B. Each of the girls living in the orphanage were ill-treated by their family before they were abandoned.

 

C. Each of the girls living in the orphanage had been ill-treated by her family before she was abandoned.

 

D. Each of the girls living in the orphanage was ill treated by her family before she had been abandoned.

 

Direction Q 6 to 10- Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is ‘5’.

 

Q.6 Although the proceedings went on/ for one year or so,/ we are not aware/ what were the verdict

 

(1)                              (2)                    (3)                 (4)
           of the gentlemen of jury.           (5) No error

 

Q.7  My neighbour as well as his wife/ always discuss the family problems/ before me although

 

              (1)                                (2)                                (3)
          both of them know/ that I will not be of any help.
                       (4)                             (5) No error

 

Q.8  Thank you for/ helping me study,/if you hadn’t tutored me,/ I would fail the test.

 

(1)         (2)             (3)                (4)       (5) No error

 

Q.9  Stop asking me/ what my wife bought you for your birthday./ Even if I know what she

 

         (1)            (2)                              (3)
          bought you/ I would have not told you.
              (4)              (5) No error

 

Q.10  Open the window and/ look outside/ whether it is raining./ It had rained heavily last night.

 

           (1)                    (2)          (3)                   (4)     (5) No error

 

 

 

 Answers

 
Q No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Ans

B

D

D

A

C

4

2

4

4

4

 

 
Advisory

 

Please remember that with an increased size like that of CMAT/XAT/IIFT, CAT 2014 may bring with it unanticipated type of questions deviating a bit from its past pattern. Although difficulty level may remain moderate to difficult but it could be tricky enough to keep your brain exercising. So prepare and practice versatile type of questions on almost all the topics.

 

 

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Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more preparation tips for CAT 2014