Is the CAT Exam that difficult to crack?

The CAT test is one of India’s most popular and difficult exams. It is held every year to allow hopefuls to gain admission to prominent Indian business institutions. Cracking the CAT is not an easy task. It entails a great deal of planning and qualifying techniques. Is the CAT test truly difficult, or is it simply a myth? This article will walk you through all parts of CAT and help you assess whether it is indeed difficult to pass CAT.

According to experts, the CAT is one of the most difficult competitive tests in India. The irony is that it becomes more difficult for candidates each year.

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an online entrance test used to provide admission to IIMs and other top-tier business schools across the country. Every year, it is usually held in the month of November or the first week of December. As a result, you only have one shot to pass the CAT because it is only given once a year.

Before determining whether the CAT test is difficult, it is necessary to first understand its exam pattern. The CAT exams consist of 100 questions divided into three sections: quantitative ability, verbal ability and reading comprehension, and logical thinking and data interpretation. Each segment has 34 questions out of the 100 questions answered in the CAT. The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an online entrance test used to provide admission to IIMs and other top-tier business schools across the country. Every year, it is usually held in the month of November or the first week of December. As a result, you only have one shot to clear the CAT because it is only given once a year.

There are three points awarded for each right answer. However, for each erroneous response, 1 mark is deducted. Negative marking is only available for multiple-choice questions, not for descriptive questions. CAT is 3 hours long, therefore each component receives one hour.

CAT may seem tough due to the following reasons :

Is the time constraint an issue?

Some students take the time restriction too literally, leading them to believe that the exam is difficult. Understand that no one attempts all of the questions in the CAT exam since the exam is designed in such a way that no one can solve/attempt all of the problems. You’d have to skip a few time-consuming questions and concentrate on the ones that are less time-consuming and easier to grade.

Now that we know we shouldn’t attempt every question, we should focus on our talents. Many students concentrate on their deficiencies; this is not a good practice, especially in competitive tests such as the CAT; consequently, it is vital to focus on one’s strengths in order to pass the CAT. Now, let’s take a closer look at each of CAT’s three sections:

Verbal ability

The difficulty level of the VARC portion ranges from moderate to challenging. The difficulty level of the verbal component has risen over time, making it more difficult for anyone to achieve high scores, particularly engineers. When compared to VA in GMAT and XAT, the difficulty level stays somewhat lower.
Reading Comprehension Passages
Para-Jumbles
Para-Summary
Sentence Completion and Correction
Odd Sentences
Fill in the Blanks
Word Usage (Vocabulary)

Now, most individuals struggle with reading comprehension from these themes (RCs). The RCs are not very difficult in and of themselves, especially for individuals who read often. You can only do so if you want to feel confident solving the five Rcs in the CAT. Para jumbles are the next topic of concern. There are usually parajumble questions in this part, and even one error will result in a mark deduction. Although there are no direct grammar questions in the CAT anymore (since 2015), grammar is still important in this situation since you need it to complete paraphrase puzzles. Most students overlook this, thus they erroneously complete it.

Data interpretation and logical reasoning

Most people find the DI & LR questions to be challenging. The questions are typically lengthy, laborious, and challenging. You need to be mindful not to spend too much time on one question. A scaled score of around 49 out of a possible 96 in the CAT 2015 equated to an almost 98 percentile.

This portion can be successfully completed by someone with above average ability who enjoys solving problems. To tackle the issues, quick thinking and a positive mindset are essential. The greatest approach to raise your DILR score is to go through various challenges and issues. A DILR question can be made up of n different permutation combinations, but if you are familiar with the crucial and fundamental types of questions, it will really benefit you on the exam day

Quantitative ability

The Quant portion is moderately challenging. The problems in Quant are difficult to classify since they frequently include all three degrees of difficulty, with an average difficulty of moderate.

This segment is dominated by engineers since they are better familiar with quants. Although it is difficult for non-engineers to pass Quants, it is not impossible. Yes, there are questions of greater and intermediate difficulty, but if you can pick out the simple ones first, your score will be maximized. For people who are not very strong in math, strategy and planning are crucial.

Overall, every learner needs to receive consistent practice with questions. Not only will the concepts get better, but also the pace at which you may accomplish this portion. Always start with the simpler questions before moving on to the trickier ones. Practice as much as you can because even a tiny change in your grade in this section has a significant impact on your sectional percentile.

Conclusion

With the correct preparation, no exam is too difficult or too simple, but the CAT Exam is a notch more challenging. The CAT Exam mimics the everyday challenges that managers face since it is an admission exam for aspiring managers. In actuality, the exam measures much more than just one’s proficiency with the English language and their ability in math.

Because there will be many ups and downs in these few months, it’s crucial to maintain concentration. The first thing you need is a firm confidence that you can pass the CAT Exam. More importantly, have faith in yourself. Have faith in your plan. Nobody can tell you how to prepare for yourself the best, but there are certain fundamental steps you may take to guide yourself.