CAT Pattern

For all CAT aspirants, the aim is to get into IIMs. For that, students must secure the 99 percentile in CAT. The number of mock tests required to get a 99 percentile depends from student to student. CAT is one of the highly competitive exams in India and Lacs of students appear and compete with each other to get into 21IIMs. The "success" depends on various factors such as students' understanding of the exam patterns, problem-solving skills, time management skills etc. Experts and many successful candidates always propose students take as many mock tests as possible to get a grip of the exam pattern. Why does experts focus on taking mock tests so much? The answer is simple; it helps stimulate the actual exam conditions and environment.  Some candidates take two or three mock tests every week till the exam days while others take one every day. The main focus should be on analyzing the mistakes understanding your strengths and weaknesses and working accordingly. Additionally, it is advisable to take advice from successful CAT candidates and experts to get a vision.

Mock tests are an essential component of CAT (Common Admission Test) preparation and offer several benefits to aspiring candidates. 

• Mock tests simulate the actual CAT exam environment, including the pattern, structure, and time constraints. By taking mock tests, you become familiar with the exam format, the number of questions in each section, and the overall time available. 
• CAT is a time-bound exam, and efficient time management is crucial to maximize your score. Mock tests enable you to practice managing your time effectively within the given time limits for each section. By regularly taking mock tests, you can develop a strategy to allocate time to different sections and questions, ensuring you complete the paper within the stipulated time.
• Mock tests help you identify your strengths and weaknesses in different sections and topics of the CAT exam. By reviewing your performance in mock tests, you can gauge which areas you excel in and which areas require improvement. 
• Mock tests provide ample practice opportunities to apply your knowledge and skills. By attempting a variety of questions, you can refine your problem-solving techniques, develop shortcuts, and enhance your accuracy and speed. 
• Mock tests offer an objective evaluation of your performance. You can assess your score, analyze your strengths and weaknesses, and identify areas that need improvement.

CAT question papers are released within a week of the exam in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key. Candidates who have appeared for the test are able to access the CAT question paper and answer key. The question paper of every slot is released on the same day along with candidate response sheet and official answer to all question. If any candidate needs previous year CAT question papers for preparation purpose, then they can download them from Shiksha website. We have hosted last five years' CAT question papers for aspirants to download and practice. These official CAT question papers are available for download free. You can download the CAT question paper PDFs at this link: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/cat-exam-question-papers Candidates must check and practice the latest CAT question paper to know the latest exam pattern and difficulty level.

The Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT is the third and the last section of the question paper. It has 22 questions and the total marks is 66. This section of the CAT exam is usually dominated by Arithmetic and Algebra. Most of the questions out of 22 are asked from these two topics. There are about 7-9 Algebra questions and 7-9 Arithmetic questions (the exact number varied for all three slots). Apart from these two topics, there are questions from Mensuration Modern Math and Number System in the Quantitative Aptitude section CAT. Some of the important sub topics in this section include: Arithmetic topics: Ratio and Proportion, Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss Mixtures and Allegations Averages, Percentages, Mean Median Mode, Time and Work, Time Speed and Distance Algebra topics: Basics Algebraic Formulae, Number of integer solutions, Quadratic Equations, Finding out roots, Maxima and Minimal, Higher Degree Equations, Linear Equations, Problems on ages, Descartes Rule of Signs, Inequalities, Logarithm, Functions, Modifications of Graphs, The smallest Value in a Maximum Function Number System topics: Finding Out Last Two Digits, Number of Trailing Zeroes, Finding out Remainders based on, Basic Divisibility Rules, Binomial Theorem, Simplifying the Dividend (Single and/or Multiple Divisors), Basics of Numbers, Properties of Numbers, Divisibility Rules, Divisibility and Factors, the highest Common Factor and the lowest Common Multiple, Finding Out the Last Digit, Fermat's Theorem, Euler's Theorem, Pattern Recognition and Cyclicity of Remainders, Wilson's Theorem, Base Systems, Conversion of Bases, Addition/Subtraction/ Multiplication in different bases Geometry Topics: Lines and Angles, Triangles Basic Concepts, Area, Angles, Similar Triangles Polygons, Circles, Solids / Mensuration 3D Geometry, Coordinate Geometry, Trigonometry Modern Math topics: Sequence and Series Binomial Theorem, Set Theory, Permutation and Combination, Probability.

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of the CAT exam has 24 questions. This section has the maximum weightage. 24 questions carry 72 marks. The major part of this section is dominated by Reading Comprehension. It covers about 14-16 questions through 4-5 passages. Rest of the questions are asked from Verbal Ability like Para jumbles, Para summary and Para completion. Every Reading Comprehension passage of the CAT carries about four to five questions. There are usually 3-4 para jumble questions, 3-4 para summary questions and 2-3 para completion questions. Lately it has been seen the CAT does not have word meaning or grammar-based questions. CAT VARC is a high weightage section of high difficulty level. High difficulty level, because the CAT Reading Comprehension passages are long, dense and inference based. To read and understand the passages in a short time poses a challenge to a large number of candidates. So, it is very important to develop reading habit if you want to score high in CAT.