The countdown to the Common Admission Test 2005 has begun and the one question on everyone's mind is -- will the pattern change this year? Should I expect any surprises?
Get Ahead invited CAT gurus Brijesh Singh and Jasveen Grewal of Top Careers & You to answer your queries. And, though CAT is highly unpredictable, they are not expecting major changes in the pattern this year.
Brijesh is project head, MBA, at Top Careers & You. He is an MBA from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, and regularly writes features on CAT for various publications.
Jasveen is project leader, MBA, at Top Careers & You. She has completed her MBA from the International Management Institute, New Delhi. She writes regularly on the importance of Verbal Ability in B-school entrance examinations.
For those of you who missed the chat, here is the transcript:
Part II: Accuracy + Speed = CAT success
Part III: A strategy for D-day
ritesh: hi brijesh , can u let me know which is better JBIMS or SCMHRD?
TCY: JBIMS placements are better.
Sayeed: Hi,I would like to know about sponsorships for studying in IIM'S.
TCY: Most banks will give you loans readily if you are able to make it to the IIMs.
Kingshuk: How much time do you think is sufficient for the CAT preparartion.
TCY: About eight to 10 months.
amazing: Hello, I had a break of 2 years between my 12th class and college. Is it going to create any hurdles?
TCY: If you are able to explain it properly, there should not be much problem.
ashish: Hi I want to know how to improve my verbal score it is very less to cross the cut-off in Verbal Ability.
TCY: Attempt English Usage first and then select the Reading Comprehensions, which have the maximum number of direct questions following them.
vpower: i am getting a percentile of 98 in the mock. I am also a working profesional wat are the things i shoud b careful of in the last month.
TCY: Consistency is the name of the game.
Seshu: I am a professional with more than one year of work experience.Will the cut offs for IIMs be less for experienced ppl?
TCY: IIMs are known to give weightage to people with work experience in the second stage of the selection process. The written test cut offs will almost be same for everybody.
vpower: wat r the things one must look for during the last month of preparation.
TCY: Handling uncertainty and consistency in mock cats.
gypsy: hi brijesh i want to know how many attempts in each section and overall should be sufficient for IIM'S?
TCY: Above 98 percentile. Individual section attempts will depend upon the paper.
AK: I am engineer with engineer years of experience and preparing for CAT. Which institutes I should target?
TCY: IIM-Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta.
pushkaljn: could you give me tips on how to divide time amongst various sections?
TCY: Start with 40 minutes each. If a particular section is tough, add time to it by allocating less time to the easy sections.
nilesh: Can u suggest me how to select a particular institute to do MBASince forms of some institute r out.
TCY: Look at some factors like the faculty, infrastructure and placement record.
vpower: What are the basic differences in approaching CAT and other exams like XAT?
TCY: XAT is more predictable.
crackcat: i wonder how the selection is based in the second round...... if work exp people are given preference does that mean a non work exp person is virtually no good. I dont have a engg background either. I from Goa how do rate Goa Institute of Management
TCY: GIM is a good institute.
indro: What is ur perception about IMT as a b school?? Is it worth the rankings it has got this time??
TCY: IMT is a good b-school. You require above 95 percentile to get a call.
Padmanabhan: How good are the MBA programmes offered by IITs compared to that offered by IIMs? Which IIT is the best according to you for MBA and why? Are the prospects of an international job the same with an IIT MBA and an IIM MBA?
TCY: MBA programmes from the IITs are coming up very fast. SJMSOM IIT-MUM is considered to be the best.
Rishi: Please tell me How many mistakes are tolerable in CAT for IIM cut-off? In other works, what is the minimum accuracy required for an IIM call?
TCY: IIMs are known to have a step negative marking system. The level of accuracy depends upon the toughness of the paper.
Paul: Does 9 months of work exp count during the placements or admissions in a B SCHOOL
TCY: Yes, it would help you.
lalit: sir i have been regularly getting 98-99 percentiles in mockcats.... is mdi gudgaon a good choice for me.
TCY: MDI, Gurgaon is a good institute.
Seshu: What is your take on the CAT pattern this year?
TCY: CAT is highly unpredictable. But this time we are not expecting a big change in the pattern.
vpower: How is XIMB as an institution in relative comparison to XLRI?
TCY: XLRI has a better reputation than XIMB
PKar: Hi, Can you please let me know the prospects of doing MBA ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad
TCY: ICFAI is considered to be a good b-school.
tryin: is givin CAT best in ur penultimate yr of graduation, final yr, or only after some work exp?
TCY: As per the latest regulations, you can appear for CAT only in your final year or after graduation. Final year students have to attach affidavits signed by the principal.
hemendra: Im having 2 year work ex..will MDI gurgaon be good 4 me. Part II: Accuracy + Speed = CAT success
TCY: Yes.
Part III: A strategy for D-day
Illustration: Dominic Xavier
