HOW TO PREPARE FOR CAT 2020 WITH AVISION

Students who start their preparation early get a head start. The journey to CAT’20 preparation has begun. CAT is one of the most competitive examinations and is held annually in the month of November. CAT is the gateway for admission to elite MBA institutes such as IIMs, FMS, MDI among others. To achieve success in CAT 20, you need to start right away, here is a step by step approach to help you plan ahead.

CAT Preparation 2020

CAT is a computer based (Online test) consisting of 100 questions and the total time duration is 3 hours. Candidates must have a clear knowledge of the CAT exam pattern before starting their preparation.

AVISION CAT exam preparation module complies with latest changes and updates done by IIM- CAT authorities and we make sure that our students get the best CAT preparation materials. The CAT 2020 aspirants can go through various interactive video lessons to learn in an effective way.

With our objective to provide quality and convenient learning to all the CAT aspirants, we will regularly update the individuals with free CAT study material designed by India’s best CAT exam experts. Free CAT preparation will cover the full  CAT syllabus and various CAT mock tests along with other preparation material such as video lectures, question papers, test series, topic-specific articles, textbooks, etc., enabling one to have a stress-free learning experience.

With AVISION’S shortcut tricks and tips for CAT level quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, and verbal ability, one can be sure to ace any management level exam easily. CAT preparation needs to be done on a consistent and regular basis to retain the concepts efficiently. We focus on improving the aspirant’s basics first, then delving deeper into the concepts and practicing previous years question papers and CAT sample papers.

The total time duration is 180 Minutes. Each right answer carries 3 marks. The exam has a negative marking scheme. 1 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer in MCQs and no negative marking for Non-MCQs or TITA.

How To Prepare For CAT 2020?

1. Study the CAT Exam Pattern

Common Admission Test or CAT, as it is commonly known, comprises three major sections namely- ‘Quantitative Aptitude (QA)’, ‘Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)’ and ‘Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)’. In CAT 2019, the verbal section (VARC) had 34 questions, data interpretation (DILR) had 32 questions, and the quant section (QA) had 34 questions.

2. Study the Syllabus for CAT 2020

Major areas to be covered:-
i. CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus:-

CAT Verbal Ability is one area which has seen the maximum change in topics and structure over the last three years. After analyzing the topics that appeared in the CAT 2019 exam, you need to study the following topics:

• Reading Comprehension: It is a major component in the CAT exam and out of the 34 questions in the VARC section, 24 questions were from this area.
• Paragraph Summary: This is another area which has gained prominence over the last couple of years and checks a student’s reasoning and analytical skills.
• Para-jumbles & Misfit Sentences: Over the last couple of years, many questions have come from this area. One should bear in mind that sometimes the sentences could be lengthy and arranging them could be a time-consuming task.

A) There are few other topics which you need to study and they are mentioned below:-

• Critical Reasoning .
• Paragraph Completion.
• Grammar & Usage (including questions based on common Grammar errors, Confusing Words, & Phrasal Verbs).
• Vocabulary based questions (mainly Fill in the blanks).

B) Suggested below are a list of other verbal topics which have relevance in other MBA entrance exams:-

• Vocabulary Topics: Synonym-Antonym based questions, Cloze Passage, Analogies or Reverse Analogies, Meaning-Usage Match, Idioms and Phrases, Secondary Shades of Meaning, Usage, Associated words, Antonyms, etc.
• Verbal Reasoning: Fact-Inference-Judgement.
• Grammar: Sentence Correction.

ii. CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Syllabus:-

Mentioned below is the list of topics to be studied well for CAT 2020 exam:-

Caselets, Tables, Bar Graphs, Column Graphs, Line Charts, Venn Diagrams, Pie Charts, Combination of two or more types linked to each other Games & Tournaments, Number and Letter Series, Calendars; Cubes, Clocks, Venn Diagrams, Binary Logic, Seating Arrangement; Syllogism; Logical Matching; Logical Sequence; Logical Connectives; Blood Relations.

iii. CAT Quantitative Ability Syllabus:-

Number Systems; LCM and HCF; Profit, Loss and Discount; Percentages; Speed, Time and Distance; Time and Work; Simple and Compound Interest ; Ratio and Proportion; Averages; Quadratic Equations; Linear Equations; Complex Numbers; Logarithm; Binomial Theorem; Sequences and Series; Surds and Indices; Inequalities; Probability; Permutation and Combination; Set Theory; Functions; Geometry; Mixtures and Alligations; Trigonometry; Coordinate Geometry; and Mensuration.

3. Strengthen your basics

Once you have gone through the syllabus and exam pattern, start working on the fundamentals of each topic. With a good conceptual clarity, you will gain greater accuracy in less time. Regular reading is essential to get a hold on verbal ability section. The other two sections demand you to invest a good amount of time in practicing the concepts. After getting yourself well-versed with the basics, start solving sectionwise and chapterwise test papers.

4. Give CAT Mock Tests regularly

CAT preparation is considered incomplete if you have not attempted the mocks. These simulated CAT mocks or CAT sample papers or CAT test series are designed to make the students understand the level of the paper. Moreover, the mock results give a clear indication of the CAT aspirant’s strengths and weakness as regards to the subject areas of the CAT entrance exam. Also, you will have ample time to improve your weak areas and simultaneously strengthen your strong areas to improve your score.

5. Analyze the Mock Tests thoroughly and prepare a study plan

This is a step which most CAT aspirants skip in their journey of the entrance exam. This exercise of assessing the mocks will provide a clear picture as to where one stands and also give you a guideline to formulate test strategy. You should bear in mind the importance of each section and its relevance to the CAT exam while designing the study plan.

Important points to be kept in mind during your CAT preparation stage

1. Go through CAT previous years’ papers to understand the pattern as well as the difficulty level of the paper.
2. Make a note of important topics subject wise. It will indicate to you the amount of time that you need to devote to each subject.
3. For you to master reading comprehension, it is advised that you read from diverse areas with a focus on understanding the content.
4. General awareness is one area where most students lag in. Therefore start reading newspapers, articles and listen to debates which will further help you in understanding the issues.