CAT(Common Admission Test) is an entrance test conducted for admission to MBA programs in prestigious business schools in India. It is one of the toughest entrance exams in the country, and it is designed to test the aptitude skills required for management education. Many aspirants, before starting with their preparation, often wonder how tough CAT is. In this article, we will discuss how tough is the CAT exam in detail.
CAT exam consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension(VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning(DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude(QA). Each section has its unique challenges, and candidates need to perform well in all three sections to secure a good score.
What does CAT test?
As mentioned before, the CAT tests the aptitude skills of the candidates. Let us look at all three sections of CAT tests.
VARC Section
- The verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section test a candidate’s reading comprehension skills, grammar, and vocabulary.
DILR Section
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section requires candidates to analyze and interpret data and make a logical deduction to solve complex problems.
QA Section
- The quantitative Aptitude section tests the candidates’ mathematical and analytical abilities.
How tough is VARC?
The VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) section focuses on your comprehension and verbal skills. If you are already in the habit of reading a lot of material, whether they are books, magazines, newspapers, novels, articles, or editorials, this section would be relatively easy for you. However, the questions might be tricky, adding to the difficulty level of this section.
How tough is DILR?
DILR(Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) is considered one of the toughest sections of CAT. CAT has constantly been improving the standard of this section over the past 2-3 years. Hence, this section will consist of questions that are not so easy to solve. You need to choose the sets that you are comfortable with, and that are not very complicated, and make sure that you spend your time wisely solving these sets. Again, the difficulty level may vary across aspirants based on their level of preparation in this section. A good amount of practice would place you in a relatively comfortable position in this section.
How tough is QA?
QA (Quantitative Ability) focuses on your quantitative aptitude skills. If you are someone who is good with basic mathematics and knows the concepts well, you will find this section easy. If your fundamentals are not strong, you will face 2 main challenges in this section. First, you won’t be able to solve a lot of questions. Second, the questions that you solve will take a relatively longer duration of time. Hence, make sure that you get used to the underlying concepts and attempt a decent number of questions before you sit for the examination.
The difficulty level of the CAT exam varies from year to year. The questions are not just challenging but also time-consuming, which makes it crucial for the candidate to manage their time effectively. One of the main reasons for the toughness of the CAT exam is the competition. Around 2 lakhs of aspirants are appearing for the CAT exam to secure admission to the top B-schools in India. Therefore, to succeed in the CAT exam, candidates need to have a strong foundation in the concepts tested, as well as excellent problem-solving and time-management skills.
Despite the challenges, cracking the CAT exam is not impossible. With the right preparation, dedication, and hard work, candidates can increase their chances of success in the exam. Check this excellent article regarding the best way to prepare for CAT online (Free Online Resources For CAT Preparation).
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