Sun Nov 24 07:53:09 UTC 2024: ## Last-Minute Tips for CAT 2024 Aspirants Released
**Hyderabad, November 21, 2024** – With the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 scheduled for November 24th, aspirants across India are making final preparations for the crucial MBA entrance exam. To help them, the IIM Calcutta released a mock CAT on November 12th on the official CAT website. Analysis of this mock test reveals key insights for students.
The mock CAT indicates some changes compared to last year’s exam. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning now includes 22 questions, up from 20 in 2023. Notably, sentence completion questions have been removed from the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section. While the mock test doesn’t perfectly predict the actual CAT 2024 paper, it highlights these shifts. Importantly, the syllabus remains unchanged.
Experts advise against unnecessary stress. Achieving success in CAT doesn’t require solving every question; answering approximately 40% correctly is sufficient for a good score.
**Strategic Question Selection is Key:** Time management is critical. The strategy should focus on *which questions to skip*, rather than which to attempt first. Students are advised to tackle easier questions first to build confidence and then allocate remaining time for more challenging ones.
**Section-wise Strategies:**
* **Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension:** This section doesn’t have a chapter-wise syllabus; all answers are within the passages. Students should focus on efficiently extracting information. With four passages and 16 questions in Reading Comprehension and 8 in Verbal Ability, it’s recommended to choose two suitable passages initially, then proceed based on time and confidence. A strong performance in Verbal Ability can reduce pressure during Reading Comprehension. Last year, scoring on just 8 questions (without negative marking) achieved a 90th percentile.
* **Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning:** Questions are typically presented in sets. Students should review all sets, prioritizing those that seem easier. Efficiently understanding data is crucial. This year, answering 7 questions correctly (without negative marking) might achieve a 90th percentile.
* **Quantitative Ability:** Arithmetic and Algebra constitute most of the questions. However, most questions involve everyday math, easing the pressure on non-math students. Allocate around 3-4 minutes per question. Last year, only 6 correct answers (without negative marking) achieved a 90th percentile in this section.
The article concludes by reminding students to focus on efficient time management and strategic question selection for optimal performance on exam day.
First Piper 