Belling the CAT
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The Common Admission Test for IIM aspirants is round the corner. This tough exam tests a student's attitude and aptitude. Puja S Navin tells you how you can adopt a plan of action.
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CAT is all about preparation and application. — Photo: K. Ananthan
THE COMMON Admission test (CAT) is round the corner. It is that time of the year when an estimated 1.3 lakh aspirants compete for the coveted 1,300 seats at the Indian Institutes of Management(IIMs). In a way, it heralds the series of management entrance tests that follow in quick succession making the months of December, January and February as "entrance test months" for many aspiring managers.
Claimed to be "the toughest test in the world", CAT evaluates the aptitude and the attitude of candidates to take the rigours of management education. The ability to assimilate information, interpret data, and arrive at decisions quickly, to plan and deliver are skills of a manager and this is exactly what the written test purports to find out. "Anyone can take the test if there is no time limit", says Anand Sharma of TIME, a management entrance-coaching institute in the city. "Speed and accuracy are on test". A graduate in any subject with minimum 50 per cent marks is eligible to take the exam. So if you are a keen aspirant, here are a few tips to get you started.
Start early
Ideally, the best time to start preparation is a year in advance. If you are interested in CAT 2005, the time to start is now. The best way to start is revise your Class X concepts of Maths and English. In fact Alok Aggarwal of IMS Learning Resources adds, "Anyone can be successful with serious preparation". Sharpening your skills in reading and assimilating information and improving your ability to calculate is the key. "It is advisable to join a coaching institute as the rigour, regular classes, constant tips and evaluation help you to tune your preparation. In addition mock tests replicate the test environment and also help you monitor your progress", advises Navin, a successful aspirant from the IIM - Calcutta batch of 2002.
Basics first, application next
"You have to revise your basics in English and Maths. But that is not enough. If I ask you what is the HCF of ten, twenty and thirty and if you know the concept of HCF you will reply ten. But if I twist the questions and ask when there are three ropes of ten, twenty and thirty metres which rope can I use to measure all the three? The same questions are couched differently. What is tested is your application," explains Alok Aggarwal of IMS Learning Resources Pvt.Ltd. "The strategy is to start from the basics, go into application, then build accuracy, then speed and then develop a strategy," adds Alok. These blocks are foundation for a solid preparation.
Every section every day
Students should study for two hours everyday over a period of one year but should prepare all sections each day. Reading should become a habit. Dr. Amrita Dass of The Institute of Career Studies, asks students to read "a newspaper a day, a magazine a week and a book a month." Business newspapers and magazines, management literature, business related books, biographies and autobiographies should become regular reading materials. For reading comprehension, read editorials of newspapers. Try reading a variety of subjects. Learn to read and assimilate quickly even portions of subjects you may not otherwise enjoy.
"I ask my students to write down the main points once they have read the passage, says Alok. Navin has another tip. "While reading the passages, students should cover up the heading of the passage and try to guess what the heading could be after they finish. From writing down the key points you should progress to making a mental note of the key ideas", he says. Navin also gives an effective method to improve your verbal ability. Identify tough words and make cue cards. These words could be written on one side of plain visiting cards and the meanings on the other. You could carry these with you.
For the quantitative section, maintain a small pocket diary of all the formulae and revise whatever you have learnt at the end of the week. "This is what I did and it helps. At the end of three weeks I revised all that had been learnt during the last 21 days," says Navin. Another vital input is to make a note of all the questions you found tough and revise them. Analytical ability is all about open mindedness and practice. You will learn and gain speed as you practise.
Finally, it is a psychological test; you should train your mind to handle pressure, make quick and smart decisions.
After all this is what you will do as a professional manager!
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