It is never too late to start preparing, and for an exam like CAT, it is never too early to start too. This piece focuses on the early birds who have decided to pursue MBA and will write the CAT in 2017. If you are one such early bird then you can follow the strategy mentioned here.
Firstly, let us congratulate you for zeroing in on your objective.
We have divided the preparation period of 400 days in 4 legs. For each leg we have discussed the objectives below:
400 Days to CAT’17 – The main focus in the first leg of the preparation should be to build a strong foundation for the CAT exam. Before that you should become well verse with the CAT exam format and sections being tested. You need to make a choice – whether to join a classroom program which offers you guided learning in a classroom environment or an online program like the Night Classes for CAT 2017 that allows you to study anytime – anywhere at the comforts of your home. Both the programs are equally good and would give your preparation the correct support that it requires
To read more, visit CL’s Classroom Page and download the CAT 2017 Study Plan.
Sir I am resigning from Tata Motors after a work ex of 1 year . My profile is 10th:93.1,12th : 92.4,Btech : 86.5,GEM . How is this decision going to affect me in my selection chances ?
Snehashish, your past acad records are good and you can hope for a call from all premier B-Schools. Practice rigorously and focus on your CAT results. All the best.
I am in a classroom program for CAT 17 having one class per week of 4 hours with 2 hours of one subject, Is that enough preparation period till CAT 17?
And can i by any chance expect calls from any IIM’s due to low academics?
What other exams can i take apart from CAT?
10th- 88%
12th-74%
Engg (till 4th sem) – 58%
Kushagra, you can practice sectional tests along with your classroom programme. You can check your chances for IIMs by using an interesting tool IIM Profilizer . Apart from CAT, you should take XAT, IIFT, NMAT, SNAP.
Hello Sir. I am in my fourth year now and I wish to give cat exam this year. What should be my studying strategy if I want to start NOW. Please guide.
Ankita, you can refer to our study plan for strategy
sir, i m a 2015 engineering grad with
10th-85%
12-75%
engg-86%
with no work ex but a internship of 3 months after grad
what percentile should aim to get into top most b schools
Anjali, you should target a percentile of 985tile or above for top B-schools.
Hello GP Sir and Rest of the Team CL, what do you expect the difficulty level of CAT this year as compared to that in 2015?
Sagar, as seen in CAT 14 and 15, CAT has become a slightly easier exam. Since IIM-B is conducting the exam, expect the exam to remain the same way. The questions will be logical and are not likely to be calculation intensive. Wait for the CAT 16 notification to know more about the exact pattern.
Hi Sir
I am a 2015 Btech graduate . I gave CAT 2015 , but only managed to get 76 percentile . I have been working for Ericsson for the past 6 months . My preps are not going well due to my hectic job schedule . Please suggest some methods for effective preps and how to crack CAT in the next 6 months .
10-95%
12-91%
Btech-9.4 CGPA
Regards,
Anj
Anjali, you can refer to our study plan for better preparation. You have sufficient time left to prepare for CAT.
hello sir,
i am currently pursuing b.tech from ggsipu delhi.
B.tech in ip consists of 216 credits . In order to get a degree u need atleast 200 credits.
currently i am having 2 backlogs .If i audit those subjects the university will give me the degree because i will have more than 200 credits even after auditing or dropping those 2 subjects.
Q1) will those subjects(which i have audited) be considered as a backlog after i get my provisional degree.?
Q2.) Am i eligible for admission in B.schools after this?
Thanks in advance
Charlie, yes the subjects will be considered as backlogs only. You have to pass all those subjects to become eligible for B schools.
Sir,
I am shortlisted in IMT nagpur & Bimtech noida,So please tell me sir in which one i need to take admission?
Naveen, you should prefer BIMTECH over IMT nagpur because of better brand and placements.
Hi Sir,
I am 2014 engineering graduate working in IT firm(cognizant) around 1.5 years of experience.My grades are as mention below
X:77%(2006)
XII:73(2008)
B.tech:62%(2010-14)(1 backlog)
I took CAT during my final year and got 65 percentile.I am planning to appear for CAT `16. Considering my really poor track record(2 year gap after 12th) :
(1)should i wait and gain more experience and appear for CAT`17
(2)or even it`s possible to get top 20 colleges with such kind of profile
I am thinking for GRE this year…as a backup option.Will it be wise decision to do that…or should i focus only on CAT ?
Avinash, your profile is suitable for top B-schools. You should appear for CAT’16. these 4-5 months should be sufficient to prepare for CAT’16. You can also prepare for GRE this year if you are inclined towards it. But you prime goal should be CAT.
Hi Sir,
I am planning to appear in CAT 2016 . I have given CAT without any preparation in 2013 and got 70 percentile . After that joined a reputed IT firm (Cognizant) and have 3 years of software experience. Along these years I was preparing for CAT (Not very seriously ) and never appeared . I have done B.Pharma and have pharmaceutical knowledge as well. My question is whether appearing for CAT would be a good idea or should I appear for GMAT. How can I utilize those 3 years of experience. I am very much confused with CAT v/s GMAT. And also how should I start preparing with all tactics/approach ? (I have opted for self study as of now but want to bind myself to deviation free and focused study.).Below are my scores and grades :
Xth : 90%
X||th : 85%
Grad : 72 %
Thanking you in advance
Reagards
Abhishek
Abhishek, prepare for CAT and GMAT seriously this time. Given your experience you can also go for Executive MBA by ISB Hyderabad. Refer to the study plan for preparation tips.
Hello sir,
I need to consult you regarding my approach to CAT 16, currently I do not find myself in a very good state with my acads being much lower than what is required for the best IIMs. I secured 76.6%, 67.2% and 72.15% in my Xth, XIIth and B.tech(I.T.) respectively. I also have a work experience of 2 years in a reputed IT firm and had quit my job in november 2015 following a critical health problem. I need to discuss with you about the exams other than CAT (on which my acadmics won’t have as bad impact), I must apply for and the study plan that I must follow starting this week.
Kindly guide.
Kind Regards
JS, you can refer to link for study plan. Or else you can also prepare for SSC, UPSC
Hello sir,
I need to consult you regarding my approach to CAT 16, currently I do not find myself in very good state with my acads being much lower than what is required for the best IIMs. I secured 76.6%, 67.2% and 72.15% in my Xth, XIIth and B.tech(I.T.) respectively. I also have a work experience of 2 years in a reputed IT firm and had quit my job in november 2015 following a critical health problem. I need to discuss with you about the exams other than CAT (on which my acadmics won’t have as bad impact), I must apply for and the study plan that I must follow starting this week.
Kindly guide.
Regards
JS, you can refer to STUDY PLAN . Further, if you wish to speak personally, then email at gp@careerlauncher.com
Sir i need your advice. I am a student enrolled in CL CP centre for CAT’16. I am very weak at everything i suppose. My quant basics are not strong, i don’t have good vocabulary, i don’t have reading habit, can’t do speedy calculations required in DI, LR is also not my strong part. I am doing average in it.. I am not good in any area. Even when i did practice beforehand of a topic in quant from cl module of what is going to be taught in next class, i understood the concept well but still wasn’t able to do worksheet questions in class. I go through module and i understand well but am not able to solve questions given at back or of class worksheets. Not able to understand shortcuts or substitution/elimination methods to solve a question. Sir please suggest me something. How can i make my all areas and sections strong in these 9 months (i don’t have any strong area/section). With every passing day, my morale is getting down. i had given mock cat to analyse where i stand and i got 40 percentile. Sir please suggest me ways to convert this 40 into 99 percentile.
I am in final 3rd year of my graduation and pursuing B.Sc. (H) Microbiology
X- 91.4 % , XII- 71.4%, Graduation marks – 76% (upto 5th semester) , Category- SC
Diksha, practice makes a man perfect. Only more and more practice can help you with this. We are always there for support. You can ask faculty members for help.
hello sir
10 – 10 cgpa
12 – 77.8 but after giving improvement in 4 subjects in cbse board i had scored 90.2%
which % will iims consider
Karan, you can refer to IIM Profilizer
Sir, Left my job 5 months back started onl9 prep ,but did not get good marks in CAT & XAT below 60. I have 96 % in CMAT , Have applied to IMT -N/H , KJ Som , GLIM PGDM ,GIM .
should I go for these colleges or should I wait 1 more yr for prep.
Pls suggest
Riki, with the CMAT score of 96% you can easily get a call from Sydneham Institute of Management Studies,
Goa Institute of Management,K J Somaiya, Welingkar, Great Lakes. However, if you want to get into better B-Schools , then you should be loooking at CAT’16.
Respected sir, i scored 212 in nmat. Could not score a decent percentile in cat(<90). I want some counselling from you. May i call at number mentioned in blogs if your goodself permits?
Ankit, sure you may call.
Sir i need your valuable advice.My academics were not so good.i scored 78% both in my 10th and in 12th.after that i joined in a private engineering colllege and did engineering in computer science during the year 2005-2009.But i had more that 18 backlogs after the course completion and i could clear all backlogs only in september 2015.from 2010 i was working working with technical bpo companies as technical support associate(with sutherland & Dell).i also had career break two times as i had to prepare for my backlogs.now i dont have any extra curricular activities or co curricular activities while in college.Sir doing a mba from IIM is a broken dream of mine.once i cleared all my backlogs the very old dream of mine is back again and is haunting me internally.I am thinking to prepare for CAT 2016 religiously(since i dont have any basics,i have to start from the scratch).I am 28 years old and and i am working now.If i have a good score in CAT 2016 is there any chance that i can get a call from any IIM.can i crack the PI & GD.please help me sir.
Nazneen, You can make it to top MBA institutes including the IIMs. Please call me at 9811155160 to discuss your preparation plan for CAT 2016. Any day after 7pm is fine.
Hello sir,
I have been working in IT field for three years and planning to give CAT 2016.Please suggest me whether it is a right decision to prepare for CAT after three plus years of work ex?
PKS, taking CAT is a good decision as you can not only go for the PGP programs but also for the EPGP programs at the various IIMs which require 2.5 years of work ex.
Hello GP sir,
I scored 94.6% in 10th
96.92% in 12th
I’m currently doing my CA FINAL and I cleared CA Intermediate with 63.71%
I’m also doing B.com in correspondence and I secured 76% in first year.
I don’t have any work experience but I’m currently undergoing Articleship/ Internship for CA.
Please let me know whether top IIMs are possible for my profile and also advise me what should be my percentile in CAT 2016 for me to enter a good institute. Eagerly waiting for your reply, sir.
Keerthana , top IIMs are possible with your profile. Please refer to CL’s IIM Profilizer for the list of IIMs from where you can get a call and the score required for the same.
Hello, Sir. I am going to give my cat exam in a couple of days.
I am preparing from an array of books that range from CL for varc and dilr, arun sharma for QA, and so on. I cannot seem to improve my accuracy rate no matter what I do, I do not seem to get any better than a 55percentile or a 50% accuracy. And after completing my mocks(I have done about 30-35 so far) when I analyse them, I ALWAYS, ALWAYS notice that I answered wrongly so many number of the questions I could have gotten right- to an extent that, had I done them correctly, they would actually put me among the top 85-90 percentilers to say the least.. I just cant think of anything else to do, and at this point of time, I feel like giving up because ..coming this far and, getting a meager 50percentile in actual cat is not what I want.
Kindly suggest any remedy if you can..
thank you.
Sharada, you cannot give up after the amount of effort you have put in. Most probably your score can improve by changing the way you are attempting the paper. Call me tomorrow anytime at 9811155160 to discuss the issue.
I am a student of cat-0-mobile. i am facing problem on ‘how to start preparation of number system and geometry’. should i go through videos first or through study material. is there any else method please help me here. i get very confused when come to these two chapters.
Ankit, ideally you should read the fundabooks first and try the level 1 and level 2 problems yourself. After that you can come to the videos to get a further edge.
Dear Sir,
I am a B.Tech (2010) and have working experience of almost 5 years in project management. I am giving CAT this year (2015) and have taken CL online course also. But this year my preparation is not good enough. Should I try for next year also?
Confusion is that my age is now 28+ and my present organisation is not a renowned one like MNCs’ or PSUs’. So if attempt CAT 2016 & get admission from 2017, then my age will be over 31 after MBA; So will this create any problem to get job in college placement?
so my frustration is my age factor and experience from a mediocre organisation?
Need your suggestion ….. ?
Jayanta, apologies for the delay in responding to your mail. Let us discuss your retake plans next week after CAT.
Respected Sir,
My academic records are 10th-81.5, 12th-67, engineering-65 (should have completed my engineering in 2012 but due to backlog I completed it in 2013). After that I worked in MNC for 3 months.
I have a gap of 2 years as of now but by 2016 it will be 3 years.
I want to give cat in 2016.
Will a backlog and and a gap of 3 years a problem in interview .
Moreover sir , I have a failed gmat , a failed blog and a failed cat 2012 to my credits .
Can I ever make into IIM?
Sir, please give me an advice.
Regards,
Nikita sharma.
Nikita, Your marks in XII and graduation could eliminate you from the top IIMs but the other IIMs and most of the other top B schools are possible. Suggest that you pick up a job and prepare simultaneously for CAT 2016. This will reduce the importance of the gap issue.
Call me at 9811155160 any day in the evening in case you want to discuss the issue.
hello GP sir
I am in my 5th sem of B.tech
my profile is
class 10th – 88% (cbse)
class 12th – 86% (cbse)
B.tech – 68.5% (Till 4th semester)
what aggregate % should i target in B.tech since i still have 4 semesters left so that i am not at disadvantaged position if not at advantage for admission into tier 1 and tier 2 Bschools excluding IIMS as i am not targeting them because i am Genral engineer male (Gem)
please give aggregate % for both cases
1.so that my profile becomes my strength academically.
2.so that my profile is neither my strength nor my weakness.
also i am enrolled in an online course for cat 16.
i will joining CL test series ..when should i do that?
i hope u can reply to me ..this is very important for me
thanks in advance
Ashbir, ideally you should target a 80% in B.Tech but anything above 75% is goo. With a good performance in X,XII you should target IIMs also since GEMs also make it to IIMs. To check the IIMs from where you can get a call and the score required for the, please refer to the CL’s IIM Profilizer.
While you can join for CL Test Series by April 2016 but it will be useful to enroll for Test Gym immediately.
Sir i m giving cat this year and i m not very confident of cracking cat this year. So sir for a retake what would u suggest that i should join a job or again join programme class and study hard?
Abhirup, ideally it should be preparation along with a job.
Hello sir
I have
10- 66.5%
12-77.6%
BBA- 71.59% year 2015
Category-obc
I am preparing for cat 2015,as this I am not so confident to clear cat as I started in October. How can I make it to old IIMs and is it good for me to do a job to avoid a year gap or should I do some certification courses.Does IIMs consider work ex of BPO. Also tell what should be my 2016 CAT target to made it to old IIM FMS
Thank you in advance
Arun, as a NC-OBC candidate if you do not do well in CAT 2015 then for a retake do not drop a year. My suggestion is to ideally pick up a job and prepare simultaneously. A certificate program is also fine but it should preferably help you in your career. BPO job experience is also okay for MBA institutes.
The target score for NC-OBC candidates should be 95%ile for the old IIMs and FMS, please check the IIM Profilizer for the list of IIMs from where you can get a call based on your category and profile.
Sir
I joined the classroom program in the last week of August
My score in mocks is in the range of 70s
I score 99 plus in the VRC section but my scores in the other two sections are nowhere near the mark
I completed my BTech this year
90 percent in 10th, 72 in 12th and 76 in BTech
I took a drop after 12th to prepare for engineering entrance exams
I have no work experience
I have been educating myself as much as I can using books, online articles, news, videos etc. to acquaint myself with business and management education. I am interested in pursuing further studies after MBA (eg PhD) and would like to work in research.
Please advise ! Is dropping another year unadvisable ?
AL, in case you do not do well my suggestion is to pick up a job and go for a retake. You will learn about Management in a job also.
Call me on Saturday at 9811155160 to discuss your QA and DILR issues.
Hello sir
I am preparing for cat-2015. I am 2015 pass and having 0 work ex.
I am not confident of clearing cat this year. Just want to ask you that will i be able get calls from old iims if clear the required percentile next year. Also what will be my chances of clearing PI round provided I will have 2 years gap in my education by then.
Also sir I belong to SC category.
My profile
10- 82.2
12- 83.8
BE- 6.06(10)
Prabh, as a SC candidate you will be able to get calls from almost all the IIMs despite a CGPA of 6.06 in your graduation. The only institutes that you could struggle in are IIM A and B as the others do not consider graduation marks.
Please check IIM Profilizer for the list of IIMs from where you can get a call and the percentile required for the same.
In case you do npt do well and decide to go for a retake my suggestion will be to pick up a job and not stay at home for preparation. A retake preparation can be handled easily along with a job. While a 2 year gap can be explained, it is best to restrict the gap to 1 year.
I WANT TO DO MBA
I AM STUDYING IT ENGG GROM LDCE OF GUJARAT
10STD 84%
12STD 81%
JEE SCORE 167
I WANT TO START MY CAT PREPARATION FROM NOW ONWARDS
MY QUESTION IS SHOULD I START PREPARING CAT FROM NOW ONWARDS AND IF YES WHAT SHOULD I START WITH
MY DREAM IS IIMA
Aamir, i’m assuming that since you want to start off your preparation now, you are aiming for CAT 2016. Please have a look at out CAT 2016 study plan.
sir can you please tell me what will be the marks required to get 95 and 99 percentile in cat 2015.sir if possible please provide marks vs percentile table
Karan, My estimate is that in CAT 2015 a 95%ile should be possible at a score of 130-135 an a 99%ile at 165-170.
Hello i have decided to prepare for CAT 2016
My academics are as follows :-
10th (CBSE ) :- 86.1% (top 5 :- 90.8 %)
12th (CBSE) :- 89.8%
B.tech (IIT BHU Electrical Engineering) :- 84%
Work experience 16 months as a software engineer
I tried using your profilizer but it was giving an error.
Please advise.
Kanwardeep, What was the error? Please elaborate and send a mail to me at gp@carrelauncher.com
Based on your academics and work experience calls are possible from all IIMs for you.
Respected GP sir,
My profile is below average – 64.8% in 10th, 59.8% in 12th, and 65% in grad (B.E)..SC category..do i have a chance of getting calls from IIMs, FMS Delhi, JBIMS, SP Jain, SJMSOM IITB ??
how much percentile do i need to get calls from these b-schools ?
i have checked IIM-profilizer but its specifing that i have no chance of getting calls from IIM-A,C,L,K at 95 %ile…Does this mean i should score above 95 %ile to get calls from IIMs ??
Abhi, please email the Prifilizer report to me at gp@careerlauncher.com
Sir, I have a worst academic profile.
10- 84.4%
12- 71.4%
BTech- I completed my engg. course in 2014 and had many backlogs, still have 2 more papers which I can attend only on this Dec. Sir do I have a chance if I score more than 80 percentile for cat’15. Or is it better to try again for cat’16 after clearing the papers.Also I have applied for the iift entrance.
I am regularly attending the mocks of time(aimcat) and percentile varies between 70 and 85.
Also I belong to nc-obc category.
Sir please give me an advice.
Anit, a good institute through CAT is possible only at a score of over 85%ile and ideally you should have over 90%ile to get into good institutes.
If your results will be declared by July 2016 then you are eligible for MBA this year itself. My suggestion is to put your best foot forward for IIFT/CAT/SNAP/XAT and decide on a retake after you get the results for this year.
Call me at 9811155160 in case you want to discuss this further.
My Xth % is 85.6
XII % is 72.8
B.E.% is 74.2
category : OBC
I will be having 37 months work experience in IT by Jan 2016.I am planning to quit my job in Jan 2016.I have decided to join an NGO part time job and Career launcher classroom training to prepare for cat for 10 months.
Will it be difficult to convince the interview panel for the dropped year?If so how can I use the dropped year effectively to convince the interview panel?
Eagerly waiting for you reply.
Thanks,
Mahendran.
Mahendran, dropping a year is not a problem and the panel does not reject candidates who have have dropped a year for preparation. Working with a NGO is fine during the preparation period.
However my suggestion is to start your CAT preparation immediately and not wait till Feb 2016. If you start now it is possible that you will delay quitting (or may not need to quit) your job.
Apologies for the delay in responding to your message.