3 Months to CAT 2024: How to start preparing for the CAT Exam?

This year's CAT exam is set by IIM Calcutta, and based on the analysis of their previous exam in 2018, we can identify the key areas to focus on and effectively prepare within the remaining 3 months .

CAT Sectional Preparation Strategy in 3 Months

An effective 3 months CAT preparation strategy involves targeted practice across key sections: VARC, LRDI, and QA. Focus on high-weightage topics like reading comprehension, graphs, and arithmetic. Candidates should dedicate the final phase to taking mock tests and revising to solidify concepts and boost accuracy. This strategy, if followed diligently, can help achieve an 80-90 percentile, even for those just starting their preparation.

*Include Variety of question

Q*D= Question*days (Question per day)

How to Prepare for CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension in 3 months?

Most Important:

1. Understanding verbal- you don’t require skipping , you don’t require skimming, you don’t require speed reading. Only thing that you require is understanding speed.
2. Understanding options- Sometimes all our focus is on RC, but the first rule is to see the option carefully and read the RC passage as sometimes options are very understandable after reading a few passages only, It will save your time.
3. Right selection of RC
4. Concentration
5. First 5 minutes- open the whole VARC section and analyze which question to go first and next and next.

*This only applicable with 100% accuracy only-

RC Topics to read-

1. Natural Science
2. Philosophy
3. Literature/Religion
4. Science
5. History

How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability in 3 months?

CAT 2024 is set by IIM Calcutta which is very much focused on Quantitative Aptitude, So here’s the detailed strategy for QA in the last 3 months.

Most Important:

1. Vedic Math
2. Percentages
3. Averages
4. Ratio

Students must not skip these chapters from QA to score good percentile:

1. Arithmetic
2. Algebra
3. Geometry
4. Set theory and venn diagram (also for LRDI)

How to Prepare for CAT Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation 3 months?

Most Important

1. Right selection.
2. Don’t Misread/Misjudge/Miscalculate.
3. First 5 Minute -Your entire ranking of questions you want to attempt must be ready in the first 5 minutes.
4. Time management.

Students must not skip these chapters from DILR to score good percentile:

CAT Preparation Tips for Last 20 Days

In the last 20 days, there's no need to learn anything new; focus solely on revising and taking daily mock tests. Don't get discouraged by low mock test scores, as they are generally tougher than the actual CAT exam. Instead, concentrate on consistent practice and improving your accuracy during this final stretch.

Quantitative Aptitude: Algebra and arithmetic dominate this section, so focus on revisiting the basics of these topics in the remaining days. As you review previous mocks, quickly go through all the questions to understand how they’re framed and what they test. Prioritize revising and solving medium-difficulty questions rather than spending time on easier ones. After each topic revision, take sectional mocks to reinforce your preparation.

DI & LR: Success in this section requires thinking through problems before attempting solutions. If you understand the set, you're almost there. Review the basics of different set approaches, but more importantly, aim to solve 3-5 new sets daily. Solving new puzzles is crucial as it builds your ability to think on the spot. Identify easy sets quickly during mocks and exams, solve them first, and then move on to the tougher ones. Be careful not to spend too much time on one difficult set and miss the easier ones.

RC & VA: This section varies in difficulty depending on your reading habits. For those unfamiliar with reading or from a vernacular background, it can be challenging. In the last 20 days, try to read 5-7 articles daily to improve your performance in this section.

So, in the last 20 days, take mocks almost daily and analyze them, revise quants basics, and read at least two hours daily. Come up with your test-taking strategy.

Most Important Tip! Do Not Miss It!!!!

1. Elimination technique-Don’t try to learn each and every topic from the syllabus, know your core area and eliminate questions which are time taking or not prepared well.
2. Focus on accuracy-Minimum 42-48 questions are enough out of 66 to get 99 percentile focus on elimination and accuracy.
3. Mocks-Don't get demotivated after seeing a mock score. Mocks are certainly tough as compared to the main exam.
4. Reading Habit-Generates the reading habit on a daily basis in the morning, as VARC is the first section to come in the Final exam.
5. Focus on Variety-Don’t focus on the number of questions, focus on the variety of questions and their difficulty level
6. Get familiar with the Online Interface: Practice with mock tests and learn how to use the on-screen calculator effectively.
7. Do not skip the TITA questions:25% Type-in-the-answer questions with NO negative marking for TITA questions.
8. VARC- RC’s can be very tough to solve so instead of looking for the right answer at first, try to eliminate wrong options.
9. LRDI- Do not waste more than 5 minutes on a set if you’re stuck. Move on to the next set.
10. QA- Knowing a formula is not the same as Understanding a concept.

How many questions do I need to correctly attempt on the CAT to get above the 99.5th percentile?

Score V/S Expected Percentile

Last 10 years Trend and Pattern:

VARC

VARC Question asked per year:

Key observation:

Reading Comprehension (RC) should be the primary focus, as it consistently contributes the most questions. Parajumbles and Parasummary are still relevant but with diminishing importance, so they should be secondary priorities. Topics like Para Completion, Critical Reasoning, and Odd One Out can be reviewed but should not be the main focus due to their inconsistent appearance in recent years.

DILR

Key Observation:

Numerical Puzzles, Groups Condition, and Reasoning Based also deserve strong focus due to their steady presence across years.

Arrangements should be given the most attention, as it consistently carries a significant number of questions.

QA

Key Observation-

For future test preparation, a heavier emphasis should be placed on Arithmetic and Algebra, as these topics have been consistently important. Topics like Number System and Modern Math have seen decreased focus in recent years but shouldn't be ignored entirely, while Geometry remains moderately important