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Normalization – Do you need to answer all questions in CAT exam?

Praqtise — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 13:51:49 +0000

Priyanka and Pankaj are going to appear for the CAT exam. They have completed their BBA from a very good college and have been preparing for over a year. However, Pankaj does not know much about the concept of normalization which is being applied to the results. The following is a conversation between Pankaj and Priyanka:

Pankaj: Hey, how is the preparations going on? CAT exam is now around the corner. I hope you are studying hard.

Priyanka: Of course, I am. I want to get into one of the best MBA colleges in India.

Pankaj: So, have you been taking CAT mock tests?

Priyanka: Yes, I have been taking a CAT mock test every week. I have been consistently achieving over 95 percentile in them. However, I am still sceptical about the scores because these mock tests do not account for normalization.

Pankaj: Yes, that is true. Can you tell me more about normalization? I do not have much idea how it works.

Priyanka: How can you not know? It is one of the most important factors affecting our results!

Just like Pankaj, many students, who seek admissions into the top business schools in India don’t know about normalization and how it affects the CAT results. Read on to find out more.

What is normalization?

Normalization is the process which is applied to the results to ensure fairness and equality in comparison of performances of candidates across the country. Normalization process adjusts for location and scale differences of score distributions across forms. After normalizing the overall score, the next step is to normalize scores across sections. The scaled scores obtained after normalization will then be converted into percentiles. However, authorities do not share the actual method used for normalizing scores. We can still be sure that numerous factors, like locations, difficulty, score, mean, mode, deviation, highest score etc. affect the normalization multiplier.

Praqtice Fact File: The process of normalization is an established practice that has been used to compare scores across multiple exams. It has been adopted in the educational tests being conducted on a wide scale, like Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

How normalization will affect your CAT exam scores?

Normalizing is a natural outcome in CAT as there are multiple papers for the same exam.. The people who design the question papers are very careful to ensure that you overall difficulty level of all the papers is the same. However, the difficulty level across question papers will vary as a result of the human factor. Normalising helps in comparing the scores objective

Let’s understand this further with an example. Assume that the intelligence and capability distribution of the students in all the slots is the same. Now, the students should score an equal number of marks on average if the level of difficulty across the question papers was equal. However, the actual test results may suggest otherwise. Consider the following test results:

Batch1 average score – 100 and batch2 average score – 110.

As per our assumption, the students in both the batches are equally intelligent and capable, which means that the question paper which batch1 got was more difficult. Hence, for normalising, the marks of all the students in batch1 are multplied by a multiplier, 1.1 in this case, so that the authorities can compare the scores objectively.

This is a very basic example with a very strong assumption that a very high level of difference in the difficulty level of the papers. Hence, in real-life scenarios, the examination authorities would use several other factors and inputs, like the highest score, mean, median, standard deviation, lowest score, etc. to determine the multiplier. However, unless the exam authorities disclose the actual methodology , all we can do is guess.

Should you change your strategy to counter the effect of normalization?

The answer is, no! There is no way to know for certain how the scores of a batch of students will be normalized. Hence, the best you can do is outperform all the students in your batch to counter the effect of normalization. You do not need to change your strategy to tackle the CAT exam to counter the effect of normalization. And you do not have to answer all questions for countering the effect of normalization. Instead of answering more questions, answer the questions more efficiently to better tackle the CAT exam.

Normalization is not an aspect that is within your control. There are is no specific standard for normalization. This means, no one knows what factors will affect the process and to what extent. In such a case, the simplest way to tackle normalization is to perform your personal best. Do not alter the strategy that you have formed for the CAT exam. There is no mantra to counter the effect of normalization, so stick to the game plan that suits you best.

Let us understand this further with an example. Consider that you and your friend appeared for the CAT exam. Both of you took the exam in different slots, different batches, and different geographical locations. Assuming you both scored precisely the same marks, the effect of normalization may change your percentiles. It is possible that despite answering 53 questions correctly while attempting only 53 questions, you may score 99.25 percentiles, while you friend scores 90.25 percentiles.

Conclusion: A Praqtical Look

There is not and there cannot exist an optimum strategy to counter the effects of normalization. The best way to achieve the best score is to outperform yourself every time you take a practice test. Do this and you can forget about normalisation in the CAT exam!

How concerned are you about normalisation? Have you thought about it as a problem that needs your attention? Please tell us in the comments.

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Ideal time versus accuracy ratio in MBA entrance exams

Praqtise — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 15:47:10 +0000

How to decide how much time to dedicate to each question in MBA entrance exams?

Anisha and Sagar, who are very good friends, are preparing for different MBA entrance exams. When taking a break from studies, they like to play a game where they are supposed to burst maximum balloons in minimum time but with a limited number of darts. Sagar usually loses this game. He uses all his darts in the given time but is unable to burst more than ten balloons. However, Anisha is an expert at this game. She plays the game with concentration and patience. She takes sufficient time to decide which balloon to target and when. This is the reason her success rate is always higher than Sagar.

Similarly, in the entrance exams, you should know which question to attempt and how much time to devote to each question.

In MBA entrance exams, time versus accuracy is the classic dilemma faced by many students. Students don’t know how much time to devote to any given question. Hence, the students find themselves confused about the number of questions to attempt within the given time-frame to get the best score. This article we will try to shed light on the practical methods and ideas to help you decide the ideal time versus accuracy ratio that you should maintain while attempting any entrance examination.

Preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT)

CAT is one of the most difficult entrance exams in India for admission to top B-schools. The CAT exam pattern usually changes each year. According to experts, CAT is no longer a speed-based exam. Earlier, the CAT exam had 160-180 questions which were to be attempted within 2 hours. However, now the CAT question paper has 100 questions which are to be attempted within 3 hours. Despite the sectional restrictions, you have more time per question. Hence, when you are focusing on CAT preparations, focus more on accuracy than trying to attempt all questions. We’ll look the approach to reach your personal ideal time versus accuracy ratio in a while.

Praqtical Fact file: CAT 2016 exam structure

Section	Number of Questions
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)	34
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR)	32
Quantitative Ability	34

Preparing for other MBA entrance exams

Many top Business Schools conduct their own entrance examinations which have a different format than CAT. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) conducts the SNAP, Xavier’s School of Management (XLRI) conducts the XAT, All India Management Aptitude Testing Service conducts the MAT, All India Council for Technical Education conducts the CMAT. Many of the top management schools across India accept scores of these exams. Exams like SNAP, IIFT, and MAT, have more questions to be solved in a shorter period. Thus, here the focus of the students must be more on speed than accuracy. Whereas, in CAT and CMAT, there are a lesser number of questions to be attempted in a longer period. Hence, here the focus of the student can be on accuracy more than speed.

Praqtical fact file: Number of questions and time in different entrance exams

Exam	Number of questions	Duration of exam
CAT	100	3 hours
SNAP	150	2 hours
IIFT	115-135	2 hours
CMAT	100	3 hours
MAT	200	2.5 hours

The ideal time versus accuracy ratio

Stage 1

Understand the MBA entrance exam for which you are going to appear. For example, if you are taking the CAT, understand the CAT syllabus, the pattern and the type of questions the examination. Every exam is different in the way it tests the student. Some exams test your conceptual clarity, while others test your ability to perform well under time constraints. So, get a clear idea about the exam and its pattern.

Stage 2

Prepare thoroughly and revise the syllabus for before taking the exam. Make sure that you are clear about all the concepts in the syllabus.

Stage 3

Test yourself on a regular basis. Appear for mock tests for all the MBA entrance exams. Solve previous year’s papers. When you are solving previous years’ examination papers, take a note of questions you can attempt in the given period. Then verify the number of correct answers. Analyse the ratio of the number of correct answers versus the number of questions attempted.

For example, in CAT, suppose you attempted 70 questions out of 100 in 3 hours. This means you took, on an average, 2.5 minute per question. However, only 50 answers out the 70 attempted, are right. The ratio of your accuracy versus attempted question would come to 0.7 as opposed to 1 if all questions were correct. Had you attempted only the 50 questions which were right, the time per question would have been 3.6 minutes. With an increment of 1.1 minutes (44%), you can increase the possibility of answering more questions correctly. This would also mean losing lesser marks in negative marking schemes.

Stage 4

Give multiple mock exams and test this ratio to see if there is an improvement in scores.

Praqtical Look

The approach mentioned above is just one way of improving performance in the MBA entrance exams. There might be other better ways too. We cannot generalise the ratio for all. Each person has different strategies for different entrance examinations. By analysing the time taken to attempt each question correctly and by trying to reduce the time while maintaining the accuracy, you can perform great in any entrance examination. Try different approaches, and find the one that works best for you.

What are your thoughts on speed and accuracy? Do you have a strategy worked out? Please share with us in the comments.

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Image Sources:

[1] [2] [3]

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Can you really not compete with someone who has taken CAT exam multiple times?

Praqtise — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 08:59:40 +0000

Mehek is preparing for the 2016 CAT exam. She goes to a coaching centre where she has enrolled for a mock test series. Mehek has made friends with some of her fellow test takers. This is what they were discussing one day after a mock test.

Shubham: “I appeared for CAT last year. I got a decent percentile of 97 but could not make it to any of the IIMs.”

Mehek: “But with such a score you could have got into any other good college”

Shubham: “Yes, but my dream is to study in an IIM.”

Reema: “Shubham, you scored well last year. I got 89%ile last year and 77%ile the year before that. I also want to get into top B-school; and am therefore sitting for the CAT again this year”.

Ayush: “Wow, you guys seem to have a lot of experience in taking CAT exam. I will be giving the exam for the first time this year. What chance do I have against you experienced CAT takers?”

This got Mehek wondering. She is also going to appear for the CAT for the first time. She has many questions in her mind about competing with someone who has taken CAT multiple times.

Over the years, CAT has seen many toppers from different backgrounds. All of them had different preparation styles. Many of them were first time CAT takers, and many were CAT repeaters. What made them win? How much does prior experience in taking CAT matter? Let’s find out.

Facts and figures about the CAT exam

CAT allows students to sit for the exam multiple times without counting the number of attempts. So, every year there are many first time CAT takers and many who have taken it before.

PRAQTISE Fact File

Year	No. of candidates applying for the test	No. of candidates actually taking the test
2016	232,434	–
2015	218,664	1,79,602
2014	196,988	1,67,829
2013	194,516	1,73,714

CAT is an exam that enjoys large number of test takers because the score is valid for many colleges. Not just the IIMs, but many top b-schools in India use the test for selecting students for their business administration programs. The test is conducted every year by one of the IIMs based on a policy of rotation.

PRAQTISE Fact File

CAT Testing Year	CAT Conducting IIM	CAT Testing Agency
2012	IIM Kozhikode	Prometric
2013	IIM Indore	Prometric
2014	IIM Indore	Tata Consultancy Services
2015	IIM Ahmedabad	Tata Consultancy Services

Each year a different IIM sets the CAT question paper and the pattern keeps changing. Last year IIM-A had set the paper, and they introduced a lot of changes in the exam. According to the latest press release, this year IIM-B will be conducting the exam. They have announced that the CAT exam pattern will not change from last year, but the number of presentation of questions may vary.

Would that mean that people taking CAT again this year will have a better chance of cracking it? The answer is they may or may not. It depends on their preparation and practice. But can you beat them? The answer is a big yes!

First attempt: Winners

Despite the pattern change every year there is at least one first time CAT taker who is among the top 20. Last year in CAT 2015, Prateek Bajpai scored 100%ile. This was his first attempt at CAT. He prepared for CAT without coaching but gave lot of mock tests. Similarly, Rajeev Reddy scored 100%ile who was also a first time CAT taker. Amit Warrier was another person from same category who scored 99.94%ile. He says it was all his hard work that helped him in making a mark for himself.

The aspirants need to notice that, CAT exam has always been about testing your concepts and understanding. It all comes down to the effort and confidence of the student. It does not matter if people have taken CAT before or are taking it for the first time. If you have worked on improving yourself, you can win against anyone. Even after CAT during GDPI phase, it’s your practice; confidence and knowledge about current happenings that will help you succeed.

A Praqtical Look

CAT exam has always had a lot to do with competition. The scores and results are relative. So, it’s natural for students to worry about competing against the experienced test takers. However, being a repeat test taker does not necessarily confer you with absolute advantage. You can compete and win against anyone.

Start by calming yourself down. Look at the CAT syllabus and prepare accordingly. Have a CAT preparation strategy. Work out a timetable based on your convenience so that you can cover the course thoroughly. Once done with the syllabus, take up a CAT mock test series. It is important to take these tests because you will get used to taking the test online, your concepts will be refreshed, and you will know where you stand in the competition. Use the enhanced online facilities available for preparation.

So buck up, because as Alexander Graham Bell says, Preparation is the key to success.

Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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CAT Exam- Does solving the quantitative section require you to be an Engineer?

Praqtise — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 12:22:29 +0000

I happen to remember one of my school Alumni meets where I met a lot of my old school chaps. By that time we were on the verge of completing our graduation courses. This event strikes me the most because it was a turning point in the life of many of my friends. We had a discussion about our career plans wherein a majority were intending to pursue MBA. One of the points that were raised by my friend was that CAT exam was a piece of cake for Engineers which wasn’t well received by many. We have a stereotypical way of thinking, but I have my bibliographical evidence which clearly indicated that its converse is true.

We are writing this article to break the cliché among non-engineering students that quantitative section is something they need to fear. Tom Krause, a motivational speaker, quotes it very rightly “Life isn’t about living with problems. Life is about solving problems.”

PRAQTISE FACT FILE: IN CAT 2015, 67590 CANDIDATES WERE FROM OTHER ACADEMIC STREAMS LIKE COMMERCE, SCIENCE, ARTS, HUMANITIES WHO TOOK THE TEST

It is observed that the students who have taken up humanities or commerce after grade 10 have less affinity for mathematics. They develop a fear of mathematics which hinders them from attempting the quantitative section. This fear is just because of a lack of practice and being out of touch with the subject. There are tools and techniques devised to go about this section. We empathise when we see “Quantitative Aptitude” as a mental block amongst non-engineering fellows. If we view Quantitative Ability from a positive outlook, it is just 34% of the whole pool of questions. Let’s work to tackle this part of CAT Exam Syllabus

How to Study quants for CAT Exam?

To begin with, it is very necessary to have some good authors on your shelf such as Mr Arun Sharma, Shakuntala Devi or Savesh Kumar. Books are a source of adequate knowledge and help to penetrate deeper into fundamentals and concepts. Further, we live in a digital era where everything is available on the click.

PRAQTISE provides access to a huge database of e-books, cat study material, CAT mock test series and previous years’ materials. It acts as a virtual tutor and trains students for the CAT Exam. PRAQTISE’s adaptive e-learning modules are a great resource available at students’ disposal.

Simplification of Quantitative section

Well, one can’t escape the quantitative section, but one can tackle it with proper planning and organising to study the quantitative modules. It is not rocket science, just stay calm and exercise a few tips such as:

Keep a note of important formulae, equations, roots or cubes.
Make notes for yourself and break chapters into modules.
To break the monotony keeps rotating modules of quants.
Practice is the thumb rule for success
Develop a rhythm of solving numerical problems and maintain this flow

Areas of Focus for CAT Exam Syllabus

After solving questions regularly, one can clearly identify their strengths and weaknesses. Once identified, one shouldn’t be afraid of their weak areas, in fact, one should try to vex those areas by getting involved in group discussions, meeting your coach regularly for doubts, reading more in those areas. On the other hand, one should also enhance their strengths rather than bargaining for their weaknesses.

A Praqtical Look: “It is all about logic and the solution to any problem is embedded within the problem. It is up to the student to recognise it,” said Mr Sharma in his recent interview with The Hindu. It doesn’t take you to be a mathematical genius to crack quants. Rather, if you are good in verbal, you can make a good aggregate there so there is nothing to worry about.

How do you tackle quantitative section in CAT Exam? Do you have some useful tips/suggestions that you would like to share? Let us know in the comments.

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Image Source:

https://johnphillipthomas.com/independent-research/

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Will High IQ Guarantee Success in MBA Entrance Exams?

Praqtise — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 00:13:12 +0000

Will my IQ solely determine my success in MBA entrance exams?

[“Sheldon: Is that the prototype drive system for the high-G rover?

Howard: No, Bernadette got me a Fitbit so she can track how much I’m exercising….”]

“I wish I had Sheldon’s IQ. I could do such a lot more than engineering.” My 19 year old nephew lamented, pushing me to pause the television for the fifth time.

“Like what?” I replied, trying to contain my impatience as best as I could.

“I don’t know man. I spend such a lot of time studying, someone with Sheldon’s IQ would study half as much as I do and still ace the test. And here I am, struggling to keep up with my class.”

“At least you’re not about to put yourself through a grueling selection process to get into a top college.”

“No. But Sheldon would ace that too.”

My nephew’s stoic response had put me off for that night. I was worried enough already. With every though of that day, a steady whirlpool grew in my stomach, churning all my thoughts into dreadful possibilities. Now to add to that, I had started to worry about Sheldon.

Well not Sheldon Cooper. But the realism of his fictional IQ struck me like a dagger. There had to be people of a higher IQ than mine attempting to crack that exam with me. I had always been an average student. Not exceptionally high grades in school but nothing that my parents had complaints about. What I did have was discipline. I put my heart and soul into preparing for CAT. But now I had started to second guess myself. Was this going to be enough?

How Far Does IQ Take You in Life?

Short for Intelligence Quotient, IQ is a measure of one’s intelligence. A standardised test determines the level of one’s IQ.

PRAQTISE Fact File: On the Stanford-Binet test, a score of over 140 tags you as a genius, while average IQ remains at about a 100. In the past, research has shown that 20% of our life’s success depends on our intelligence.

Researchers still debate on the extent to which IQ influences success in life. Most contemporary thinkers seem to agree that although Intelligence is a crucial component, high IQ by itself does not assure success at work or other aspects of life.

IQ and its relevance to MBA Entrance exams

Intelligence is what determines our ability to understand concepts. A higher IQ equals a better comprehension of ideas which later translates to grades and scores in terms of academics. However the question we are asking is, does IQ decide your eligibility for CAT?

This question can only be answered by someone who has been in and out of this game. We look at some students who aced MBA entrance exams and their take on this subject:

Arup Chaudhari, who cracked the CAT exam for the fifth time in 2011 said that “to crack CAT, you need to be smart, not intelligent.” In an interview then, Chaudhari had said that CAT can easily be cleared if basic concepts are clear. Arup attempted CAT 5 times, and scored above 98 percent in each of his attempts. His 5^th attempt landed him a 99.36 percent in 2010. To ace the test, the trick is to know which questions to attempt, says Arup. To get into a good b-school, you need a good score, and playing smart is the key, thinks Chaudhari.

Verdict: Smartness over IQ

Sumit Patil, aced the CAT exam in 2013 on his first attempt agrees that doing well in CAT takes more than just intelligence. A near perfect performance in the MBA exams, with zero coaching is no easy feat. According to Sumit, CAT is not a very difficult test to crack, only if concepts are clear. While Sumit spent not more than 6-12 hours a week to prepare for MBA entrance exams, he believes that solving more question papers raises your chances of cracking the test. Sumit believes that Intelligence will aid when learning new concepts but practice will highlight the weak areas, that can be worked on and similar mistakes can be avoided.

Verdict: Practice over IQ

Sudipta Banerjee, a graduate from IIM Calcutta, says that IQ is an important aspect when attempting to crack CAT but it is not the only thing that will bring about success. Banerjee too, draws focus on mock tests and the familiarity of the paper pattern that solving mock tests bring about.

Verdict: Practice over IQ

In popular opinion, it has been noticed that most MBA graduates emphasise on having a higher frequency of solving CAT mock tests rather than a higher IQ.

A Praqtical Look: Dedication is more important than IQ in MBA entrance exams

As an answer to this burning question, we think it would be safe to say that a high IQ does not further your chances at cracking CAT any more than an average IQ does. Dedication towards your goal with practice is and will continue to be the answer to your prayers for success. To quote Denis Waitley “The winner’s edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner’s edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude. Attitude is the criterion for success.”

How important is IQ according to you? Should one’s IQ stop them from even trying? Tell us what you think in the comments.

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CAT Coaching Institutes – Can you crack the exam without them?

Praqtise — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 20:31:05 +0000

“ CAT Coaching for the Brave”

A cold wind blew through the trees, creating the illusion of a long and undulating painful song. It almost seemed like the trees themselves were wailing this dreary tune, as the snow fell and clung over their dead branches. As the cold and dreary forest remained unlit by anything except the moonlight, the song of the trees saw a peculiar audience. This audience left behind their footsteps in the snow, as their heaving breaths shown like smoke coming out of a hot furnace. With tongues drawn out and teeth bared, the pack of wolves continued moving forward through the wilderness, searching for something unknown.

“A peculiar thing about wolves is that their packs have a highly intricate hierarchy,” my dad stated in a calm manner as I weaned my attention off the television for a moment.

“The ones in the front are the weakest, and this hierarchy keeps building up till the end of the pack, where the alpha resides.”

As I looked at the television again with this new perspective, the screen showed a large black wolf that was howling up at the moon in majestic mystery. Even though it seemed quite similar to the other wolves, there was something in the way it carried its savagery and primal majesty that made it stand out.

Suddenly, the camera turned to the far end of the mountain, away from the pack, where the trees gave way to blizzards of hail and storm. Here, amidst snow-capped crevices, a white figure stood unmoving in the mist. As it became more and more visible, the figure turned out to be a wolf that looked as pale as the frozen wasteland that it stood in.

“Have you heard about the lone wolf, son?” The question that my Dad threw at me seemed like the start of a conversation filled with mysticism.

Well, even though that conversation was immensely intriguing, I understood the importance of being a lone wolf only while sitting in the last bench of the classroom of a CAT coaching institute.

The Human Pack

Humans are dependent on each other; that is just the way we have been created. We need each other more than we think we do. At the same time, the urge to compete with each other is also embedded in our psyche. One look at the education system of today, and we see glimpses of both these urges being nurtured. The education system is the tool that is used to fan the fires of some of our most primal urges.

Almost all coaching institutes work on the philosophy and the practice of encouraging a competitive spirit amongst the pupils. It is this need to compete and rise above opposition that also results in the formation of internal groups within classrooms. Yes, you might have observed how certain type of students club together with others, such as nerds, sports enthusiasts, gossip girls and so on. Most of the times, these groups may also be defined by perceived intellectual ability of the members, AKA “marks”. You might observe how the species of “nerds” tend to move away from groups like the “backbenchers” or the “artsy types”.

The Individual

If our need to compete is removed from an institutional setting, we might eventually find ourselves getting isolated from each other. As I watched the different groups moving about like wolf packs, the image of the lone wolf came into my mind. I pictured a caricature of myself standing atop the hill of CAT preparation books, as the stormy hail of CAT questions fell all around me. This is when I wondered about what it would be like if all that stood between the CAT exam and me was my own inhibitions to learn outside the box.

I remembered my Dad telling me that lone wolves are either driven out of the pack or are too weak to continue traveling with the pack. This point coincided with the first step that I took towards moving away from an institutional mode of training. Would self-study make me an outcast among other students, thus crippling my chances to excel in the examination? What would happen to me if I opted for a mode of study that was different from what most students opted for?

Most students find it extremely daunting to go against the herd mentality when it comes to CAT preparation. The fear of indulging in online study for CAT on their own can cause a lot of anxiety and stress. Another element that can be especially troubling for any lone wolf is the prospect of letting go of the structured patterns of teaching that coaching institutes follow. Plunging into the world of self-study can be extremely chaotic and might be considerably taxing on the student.

The Process of Liberation

A PRAQTICAL Opinion: There are several students who have made the most out of self-preparation for CAT. A quote by a student named Punnu Haniya summarizes the immense potential of self-study. He had this to say about self-study, “No class room coaching can teach aptitude, it is inherent in the system of the human body.”

Once you step into the world of self-study, the opportunities that arise for you are endless. With just the right amount of discipline and conviction, one can create complete structures of learning that are tailored to personal preferences and abilities. Even though this freedom can be scary for some, many students have plunged into the art of self-study and emerged victorious.

The absence of a classroom environment can open up windows of exploration, such as CAT preparation online courses and tutorials. The internet, if used wisely, can be an extremely useful resource pool for overcoming any obstacles while preparation. Self-study can also help you target the core of CAT preparation, which is embodied in the following message: CAT is not about how good your technical knowledge is; it is about how well you can apply your knowledge practically.

If you have failed in your previous attempts at CAT, or are overburdened by your work, it is probably time to become a lone wolf. The extent to which this liberation can teach you about time management and self-discipline is higher than the scope that any coaching institute provides. The prospect of self-study also opens up doors for innovative and creative ways to complete the CAT syllabus. This includes creating study circles or groups which have periodic group sessions to enable systematic preparation.

Let us have a PRAQTICAL look at the differences between online preparation and classroom coaching – that will help you decide for yourself.

Online Coaching for CAT	CAT Coaching through Institutes
Personal empowerment through one to one attention	Lack of personal attention due to increased focus on classroom teaching
Increased freedom for customization of study pattern	Limited freedom due to fixed syllabus and methods of teaching
Increased level of personalization as far as time periods and choice of study material is concerned	Decreased level of personalization due to fixed classroom structure
Lack of distractions due to the solitary mode of study	Increased distraction due to group study and discussions
Increased creative freedom for study arrangement, which could give rise to increased interest in the subject	Decreased creative freedom for structuring and study arrangement, which could result in a decreased level of interest in the subject

Preparing for CAT by leaving behind the systems of coaching institutes can be an intense learning experience. However, as you can see from the table above, the pros of online self-study for CAT are more numerous as compared to classroom learning.

So, would you like to be a lone wolf and resort to creating your own path towards success in CAT? Let us know your strategies in the comments section.

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Image Sources:

[1]: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/451556300112013807/

[2]: http://my.fakingnews.firstpost.com/india/coaching-institute-announces-iit-jee-preparation-course-for-unborn-students-8744

[3]: http://blog.simplylearnt.com/2015/07/how-to-manage-self-study-with-school-and-coaching.html

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Is CAT exam only for IIMs?

Praqtise — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 14:40:59 +0000

“IIMCAT: How did these two words become conjoined?”

“Those gates look so pristine in the moonlight, man,” remarked my friend in a sombre tone as he peered down the balcony with longing eyes.

“You are a lucky man. People would give anything to go through the gates. You only need to jump through your balcony to enter the most coveted educational institute in the country!”

“Yeah, well it is such a pity that most CAT exam coaching centres do not share this beautiful view. All they would need to do is give us a good push, and we land straight inside IIM Ahmedabad.”

As we sat on the balcony and looked at the campus of IIM Ahmedabad, where red-bricked structures and greenery moulded in beautiful unison, my friend rambled on about how 99 percentile was a distant dream. This is when a problem slowly reared its head in my mind.

Do people give CAT exam only to get into IIMs?

This is a common myth amongst most people that I have met on the long and daunting road towards the dreaded CAT syllabus. Please don’t mistake me when I label CAT as “dreaded”, even though most of you might agree with me on this. However, have you ever questioned the reason behind why most MBA aspirants “dread” this examination in the first place? Well, just like my friend with whom I had the above conversation, most of us are consumed by the immense need to get into IIMs through CAT. Add a handful of expectations from teachers, parents, and friends and we’ve got a “dreaded” and potentially “fearful” entrance exam for MBA called CAT.

Let me act as your saviour here. Here is a fact that will help you prepare yourself for the coming onslaught of MBA “gyaan”.

PRAQTISE Fact File: About 67% of colleges consider scores from multiple MBA entrance exams for admitting students into the institutes. On the flip side, 33% of B-schools consider the scores from only one examination, even though this may vary between different gateways such as XAT, CAT, SNAP, ATMA, GMAT, and MAT.

Now that we have some specific things out of the way let me get to the point. The scope that opens up once you are done with CAT exam is wider than you think. Even though most people enter the examination room with the expectation of getting into IIMs around the country, there are avenues that they can explore beyond this.

Most people approach CAT as a test of fire, where their mathematical skills and logical reasoning is tested to the limits. However, some individuals have crossed this realm of fire without burning their own personal ambitions and aspirations.

A PRAQTICAL Look: Shashank Prabhu, the founder of learningroots.com, was a 100 percentiler in CAT 2011, who had the chance to get into the most prestigious IIMs in the country. However, he opted to go for FMS (Faculty of Management Science) instead of the IIMs, owing to several reasons. One of the main reasons he cites for the same is that apart from the brand value of “IIM”, there is not much behind all the hype and the moolah. He is also quick to clarify that as far as operations, banking and finance are concerned, IIMs take the cake. However, elements like technological innovation, fee structure and placement statistics make institutes like FMS and ISB (Indian School of Business) at par or even better than the IIMs.

Only a meagre few CAT examinees, in their IIM-soaked mindsets, would have dared to opt for such a background and hoped for any valuable future. Well, guess what! The times are changing, and the paradigms are shifting. There is now much more scope for the initiation of students into top business colleges without the need to be a perfect engineer. Your educational background can be as varied and diverse as you want it to. Moreover, there is also a paradigm shift in the way colleges are using the CAT exam as their evaluation playground. Even though the IIMs are still the top bullies in this playground, more and more institutes are raising their levels gradually through the years.

Just to set things into perspective, here are the top ten non-IIM b-schools that you can gain access to by giving your CAT exam:

Name of the InstituteCAT Cutoff Score

No.
1	Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi	95 Percentile
2	IIT Roorkee	90 Percentile
3	Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur	95.2 Percentile
4	Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi	98.54 Percentile
5	National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai	97 Percentile
6	Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Mumbai	95 Percentile
7	Management Development Institute, Gurgaon	92 Percentile
8	SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai	85 Percentile
9	IIT Kanpur	95 Percentile
10	Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore	90 Percentile

Numerous b-schools around the country are rising to the ranks of IIMs and are planting the seeds of opportunity in this educational playground. They are slowly but surely making use of the immense potential that the CAT exam provides them with. However, the real question is whether students are ready to leap into this vast ocean and avail the enormous potential that this examination provides them with?

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Image Sources: [1] [2] [3]: http://mba.webmaggu.com/

: https://learn.eazycoach.com/

: https://insideiim.com/15-recommendations-to-boost-your-cat-prep/

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