The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer based test conducted by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as a pre-requisite for admission to various management programmes. Admission to the two year PGDM programmes in IIMs are on merit, based on a rigorous selection process comprising of Personal Interview, Written Ability Test / Group Discussions, and scores in CAT. The test is conducted every year by one of the IIMs based on a policy of rotation.

CAT scores are also accepted by IITs & IISc for their management programmes & many more elite B-Schools such as FMS, MDI,SP JAIN, JBIMS, NITIE, IMI, FORE, KJ SOMAIYA, BIM, IFMR, etc. as well. It is one of the most sought-after entrance exams after graduation for the quality of opportunities it opens up.

A disciplined, focused preparation along with a proper strategy helps in achieving the success. The role played by mentors is very crucial. He also says that a candidate can ace CAT by taking mock tests seriously and analyzing the mistakes that they were making. However, one should pay importance on maintaining a good network of candidates who can help in various ways. Moreover, the fundamental clarity of all the three sections of the test is essential for scoring well in the test. it is also important for the candidates to keep themselves motivated and take the competition with the batch-mates positively.

What to do?
    1: Solve a lot of mocks without break and then spend time analyzing them. You get better with every practice test you take.
    2: While attempting the paper, do not go with a pre-decided number of questions. You never know what the difficulty level of the paper might be.
    3: After a few experiments, learn to finalize on the order of sections that you will be attempting. Since there is no sectional time limit, it is very important to know when to give up on a question/section.

What not to do?
    1: While preparing, do not get stuck to very complex stuff. Remember that CAT only tests Class 10 level mathematics. The IIMs want managers with analytical abilities who can think new ways for tough decisions.
    2: The mocks are a learning experience. You learn more when your performance is not so good.
    3: Structure a daily/weekly schedule and commit yourself in a disciplined manner to it, you will thank yourselves later.