Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Exam On - 30 Nov '25
Lalit Kumar Prusty
CAT is one of the most important exams for any MBA aspirant. With numerous test-takers appearing for the exam every year, there is cut-throat competition to be on the top. While some aspirants join renowned coaching institutes, some choose self-study.
Lalit Kumar Prusty appeared for CAT 2016 and scored 98.42 percentile. He believes that first time test-takers must start preparing early for the exam so that they get their basics right before attempting the mocks. Here is how Lalit prepared for the CAT:
Self-study may not be sufficient for everyone and it is difficult to stick to a schedule, which is where coaching really helps. Also, coaching helps immensely in clearing doubts and provides you with the right environment where you can learn as well as compete.
For first time takers, consistent preparation for a period of 8-10 months really helps. It gives you enough time to get your basics cleared before attempting the mocks.
An ideal routine strategy should include 15 hours of self-study (5 for each section) along with 2-3 mocks a week.
All the previous years’ papers and at least one full set of study material from any of the reputed coaching institutions are good enough. Additional books are not required.
A balanced approach is necessary. Include all three sections in a regular week of preparation and pay attention to each and every mock to track your proficiency across sections. Reading good books and articles on web will give you an edge in VARC. Develop a habit of solving random puzzles from authentic sources to do well in DILR. For Quants, just practice questions from materials and mocks. Keep separate chapter-wise notebooks for each section.
Always start from the easiest questions and keep an eye on the timer. If you don’t get a rough idea of the answer by the time you complete reading a question, it is better to mark it and come back to it later if you have some time left. The only trick here is to never miss out on an easy question.
Mocks help you master the process of time management. So take as many full mocks as possible to prepare yourself for the worst.
After every mock result, analyse the paper with solutions. See where you lack and go back to the theory if needed. You may have missed some key concept or you may need more practice to get the application right. Be patient and improvement will definitely be visible.
I’ll share some do’s. Keep your notebooks clean and organised, and develop a reading habit. Read newspapers daily to stay updated. Have a social life to release stress.
 CAT scores are used for admission to 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and various other top B-Schools. Are you eligible for the IIMs? To know more, click on the image beside. |
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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
The online application for GIBS Business School is very well-organized and student-friendly for its MBA, PGDM, and BBA programs.
Application Procedure Step 1: Access the Admissions Portal
Go to the official website of GIBS Business School, and click on "Apply Online", which can be found under the sect
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GIBS Business School considers the overall CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT scores for the admission of candidates in the PGDM and MBA programs. Rather than using solely high cut-offs, the entrance test scores are used to judge the aptitude of a candidate in terms of analysis, quant, and verbal f
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GIBS Business School, Bangalore accepts various national-level examinations for admission to the PGDM and MBA programs. The scores of CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT are accepted by the institute. Besides these, GIBS also accepts all the state-level management entrance examinations if their scor
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GIBS Business School, Bangalore, has a strong and dynamic Placement Cell that helps in securing excellent career opportunities for the students. Every year, more than 260 reputed companies have visited the campus for recruitment, offering versatile jobs in sectors like BFSI, IT, consulting, manufact
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Getting into the MBA programme of NIT Trichy with a 300 SC CAT rank is somewhat uncertain. As the recent data sets suggest, NIT Trichy's CAT cutoff for SC category admission stands around 65th percentile. A 300 SC rank could be borderline depending on how many SC candidates apply and the quality of
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At GIBS, the faculty-to-student ratio is around 1:15, which honestly makes learning a lot easier. Since the classes aren't overcrowded, the faculty actually get time to focus on each student.
You can easily ask your doubts, get personal guidance, and have open discussions. It feels more like a mentor
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Candidates who did not appear for the CAT entrance exam can apply St. Xavier's College, Kolkata admissions as it is not a mandatory entrance exam. The candidates who wish to gain admissions into the MBA course of the institute have to appear for the Kolkata University entrance test for St. Xavier's
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PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
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That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
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Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
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