Over 2 lakh students appeared for CAT 2009, and going by the response, the technical glitches and other goof-ups that marred CAT-Online Version 1.0, are not that big a deterrent. One can expect a lot many students applying to the IIMs and other prestigious institutes offering a Degree in Management. So, how should an aspirant prepare for CAT? How should s/he improve his/her score? How different the online version is, from the paper pencil version?

Based on an exclusive interview with Nitin Gupta (Founder, Director, Alphanumeric Institute), we have tried to answer some questions that most MBA aspirants have.

» Why MBA?

People believe they understand what they want, but in most cases they do not realize that what they want might not be the best option for them. Seems Greek? Well, that is how most decisions are taken. Rat race (CAT, in this case), no other option, best visible option – On asking a lot many aspirants, these were some of the most common answers for the question why a person should pursue a degree in management. While the circumstances might be different for everyone, the common reasons, according to Mr. Gupta for an aspirant to pursue an MBA are, opportunities, exposure and networking. He says, “A budding manager must have leadership qualities, which he may have exhibited in different situations in life, not just at work. He must be responsible, must think on his feet and he must be good at time management. A degree in Management gives you opportunities which you might not get otherwise; it gives you exposure and helps you build a strong network.”

Here’s a self assessment test to help you know what type of career might suit you

» Is the Online version of this feline any different?

CAT has evolved into an Online Computer Based Test which is very different from a paper pencil based objective aptitude tests that you might have taken. While the topics and the concepts tested remain the same as that in its Paper-Pencil avatar, there are things that a student must keep in mind. Mr Gupta points out some of the key differences, he says, “It was easier to solve DI sets on the space provided in the question paper, now, you have to copy the data from the screen onto the paper.” He adds, “It is difficult to concentrate for long, while reading a passage, especially if the topic is not of your interest.”

» What’s the solution to this problem?

Practice. If you are reading this, we assume that you have access to computers, all you need to do, now, is, get accustomed to using the computer for long hours. Read your newspaper online, check those excel sheets, don’t just copy paste the formulae, take online tests, and do just about everything on the computer.

While the strategies vary from one individual to other, here are some general tips, as suggested by Mr. Gupta, which might help you prepare for the exam.

QA: It is essential that you complete all the topics. Now, with 20 questions, leaving a probability question and answering it correctly could be the difference between a call from an IIM and no call.

DI: This section is more of calculations and less of analysis, now. You should also focus on Data Sufficiency questions.

VA: English section can be broadly divided into Reading Comprehensions (RC), and Verbal Ability (VA). Someone not good with RCs should focus on VA. In case, someone is good at RCs, should still focus on VA, simply because it generally takes less time to solve 1 VA question than 1 RC question (including the time to read the passage)


TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW, CLICK HERE