MBA CAT Preparation: 5 Tips for success

Preparing for MBA entrance exams like CAT is a tough job if you do not have an idea of what you should be preparing and how. Hence, I am writing this simple guide for anyone wishing to start their MBA preparations….

1)      Tip for Verbal Ability

Verbal Ability is a section that cannot be mastered easily. Hence, you need to start preparing for your Verbal Ability as soon as possible. This is because it takes time to master a language. So, the best thing that you can do for your VA Preparation is to start reading ‘Quality’ books as early as possible. Read articles from the best sources on the internet. Make reading a hobby. Read as much as you can. This is the simplest tip someone can give you for your MBA preparation. Reading Comprehension is one of the most important parts of Verbal Ability section and mastering it is not difficult, but it takes time to master.

2)      Tip for Quantitative Aptitude

The best thing that you can do for your Quantitative Aptitude preparation is to have Math concepts clear. Having your concepts clear is as good as 80% of your preparation being over. The rest 20% can be completed by practicing problems from as many different sections as possible. Ideally, one should solve all types of problems from all the different areas. You should try to make sure that you are a Jack of all Trades, not a master of any one. So, do not go to advanced level questions in any section until and unless you have completed the basics from all sections.

3)      Tip for Data Interpretation

Data Interpretation is all about interpreting data from tables, pie charts, histograms, etc. Start practicing it by solving puzzles, crosswords and most importantly, previous year CAT questions from the DI Section.

According to me, Data Interpretation is the simplest section to prepare in the least possible time. It should not ideally take more than two months to completely prepare for Data Interpretation. However, this should not be a reason to push it till the end. Do this only if you are sure that you can stick to the plans and that you can put the hours under any circumstance for the preparation.

4)      Tip for Data Sufficiency

Data Sufficiency type questions ask you to find what you need to completely solve the Data Sufficiency problem. The most common pitfall in this type of question is that the students start solving the whole question instead of just checking if the data is enough.

Another trap is that of not clearing previous assumptions. Generally, there are 2 different statements given. The mistake that people do is that they still use the first sentence to solve while checking if the problem can be solved only by the second statement.

5)      Tip for overall preparation

You do not need to study for long hours every day. Study when you feel like studying. When you are in a mood to study, you have more chances of retention. Yes, it is good to make a proper time for studying…. but if you are not in the mood to study, do not do it half-heartedly.

Wish you Best of luck for CAT.