MBA CAT Videos

As part of our ongoing initiative to reach out to students and provide them with 24×7 support and guidance, we have compiled all our videos (on CAT preparation) on YouTube and made them available in a new free-to-use and easy-to-browse website.

This is an online repository of video explanations of important questions from the various Mock CATs. It is a free resource and you should be able to browse through by simply clicking on the appropriate section and topic links given on the left of the website.

CAT takers can browse through the videos by first choosing the section of the paper (on the left of the website) and then subsequently the topic and the particular Mock CAT. More videos will be added on a regular basis.

Do visit http://mbacatvideos.careerlauncher.com and let us know what you think.

New Batch Update for MAT Dec'09 & MAT Feb 2010

MAT December 2009 + MAT February 2010 @ Rs. 7000/

Features:

100-hours+ of classroom sessions

Dedicated Faculty Members

Funda Books and Workbooks on each section.

Includes books on Grammar, Reading Comprehension and English usage

Word list for building vocabulary

16 individual sectional test

18 Full Length Tests including online Mock Tests

Ranking at an all-India level...and more!

Call 9436451619 or mail us at agartala.cl@careerlauncher.com

December MAT Analysis

This time, the MAT paper was jumbled up with no sectional breakups. This pattern entailed a little bit of re-strategizing at the beginning on the part of the aspirants. If you look at the paper minutely, you would find that though at first glance it looks confusing, it was actually “old wine in a new bottle’. This year, in sync with earlier trends, the test comprised 200 questions to be solved in 150 minutes. While there was 1 mark allotted for each correct answer, 1/4 negative mark was specified for every wrong answer.

On the whole, the test was simple and manageable. As such, no benchmarks can be provided for MAT. We would like to suggest that if you attempted approximately 120+ questions (not including the GK section) with at least 90% accuracy, you should be in a position to get a 90+ percentile score.
Salient Features:

Total no. of questions: 200
Total Time allotted: 150 minutes
Marking Scheme: 1 mark for each correct answer & ¼ negative mark for a wrong answer
Possible Score: 119+

MAT to go online from September

The Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is all set to go online this September. The All India Management Association (AIMA), responsible for conducting the exam, has taken this decision as a result of an increase in the number of student appearing for the exam. AIMA conducts the MAT exam four times a year. And over 300 B – schools accept the MAT score. Last year around 3.5 Lakh people took the exam. The online format will be able to attract more candidates both nationally and internationally, informed C S Bijoy, director, Centre for Management Services, AIMA.

CAMPUS EXPRESS: Career Launcher's Campus Interview Training Program

Corporate Selection Process

Corporates visiting campuses for recruitment test candidates on their technical expertise, aptitude, and personality. Technical expertise can be judged through tests and academic questions during the interview. Aptitude is evaluated through written tests that assess analytical and verbal reasoning, as well as quantitative aptitude. In most cases these are brain teasers or puzzles. Personality assessment is done though personal interviews or group discussion, or both. Some companies, such as TCS use specially designed psychometric tests as well.

Know Yourself and Your Goals
As you near the end of your course, your technical acumen would have been perfected by your college. You now need to hone your aptitude and personality. To navigate the hurdles of the various aptitude and personality tests, you must know the process and what is required of you. Campus Express, Career Launcher’s program for interview prep helps you to:

1. Prepare yourself to crack the aptitude tests of companies visiting your campus.
2. Work on your personality profile and communication skills and get ready to face any job interview or group discussion.
3. Build an overall understanding of the professional environment.
4. Develop the necessary skills and gain the required knowledge to help you in your professional life.

Prepare for the Final Test

Campus Express is a specially designed campus interview prep module for pre-final and final year graduate students. The program aims to train, inform and apprise graduates about employment opportunities and selection process at various corporates. The program trains you to crack any placement interview – either on campus or out of it, and grab those coveted job offers from top companies such as Infosys, TCS, McKinsey Knowledge Center and Wipro.

Program Components

Campus Express helps you build the competencies required to crack the aptitude and personality assessment rounds. Through intensive classroom sessions, the mentor will take you through typical questions that are asked in various tests. The pace of the program is flexible and can be customized to your unique requirement.

1. 9 high intensity exercises that cover questions asked in most aptitude tests, as well as questions on quantitative aptitude, analytical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and GD and interview concepts.
2. 4 concept sessions on lateral thinking, introduction to the corporate world and interview and GD concepts.
3. Mock interview sessions simulating the pattern of corporates such as TCS, CTS, etc.
4. Simulated group discussion sessions.

At each step of the process, you will receive comprehensive feedback from the mentor.

Want Campus Express to visit your college? Call us at 9436451619

Past trends hold the key to cracking CAT 2009

At this point, there is not much students know about how CAT 2009 will unfold and aren’t sure what to expect in terms of the structure of the paper. Still a large number of students in popular forums are delivering judgments on mock papers, whether the mocks are like CAT or not.

To provide a little more clarity on what the contours of CAT 2009 could be, here we take a look at what could be expected.

While presenting the possible scenarios, we have kept the following assumptions in mind:

Assumption 1: The IIMs knew they wanted switch to a computer-based test (CBT) format at least two years ago. (We did read about CAT going online immediately after CAT 2007.)

Ampssution 2: The IIMs knew that a CBT can be conducted only by a seasoned testing authority that possesses a huge tested database. This had to be one of the key players in the GRE/GMAT space.

Assumption 3: The IIMs would have desired for the test to not have a huge shift going from paper-based to computer-based format, in order to let students experience seamlessness in the pattern. So, the trends from the previous few years must point to the final outcome in the CBT format.

Armed with these assumptions, we have analyzed at the data interpretation and the verbal ability sections of the CAT in the past three years and have tried to extrapolate it into the future. One may ask why we’ve chosen to look at only these two sections; it is because these are likely to change the most in the new format.

Before I move ahead here is a fact file.

Data Interpretation / Data Sufficiency

• 
  
  Comprehension questions are based on interpretation of data illustration.
• 
  
  Calculation questions check your ability to pick data and calculate fast.
• 
  
  Logical types of question are based on “interpreting” after synthesis of data.
• Analytical reasoning questions are based on “assignment” based on given conditions.

Looking at this fact sheet, a few things are obvious. These are also the things that I recommend students to master while preparing for CAT 2009.

For Verbal Ability the key thrust areas are:

• 
  
  Build your vocabulary before you take CAT.

• 
  
  Don’t waste your time solving long RC passages. Focus on passages that are short which test your comprehension and not speed.

• 
  
  Grammar is making a strong comeback. Do sufficient practice of questions that are based on Grammar.

• 
  
  Para Jumbles, FIJs and similar types of questions have a very slim probability of making an appearance in CAT. Even if they do, they would constitute a very small part of the paper.

• Critical Reasoning is closer to Para Completion. Do sufficient practice in this area.

All the above in fact, point to one thing. Areas that are checked in GMAT / GRE could become a very key component of this CAT.

Data Interpretation has been one area of concern for many students. The period between 2003 and 2006 saw a major shift from calculation-based DI sets to Logic-based sets.

But over the past two years we have seen a comeback of calculation-based sets. So if you do not want to be caught on the wrong foot, it becomes imperative that you have had sufficient practice in calculation-based sets. Do not get intimidated by the logic sets.

All this would mean a lot of practice. These recommendations are meant to help you manage your time more efficiently in the next 90 days. Let us hope that like GRE / GMAT organizing bodies, we get sufficient cues on the pattern when the IIMs come out with the notification on August 30.

The author is director (Academics and R&D), Career Launcher India.

R Shiva Kumar

CAT 2009 Registration Process Video Tutorial

Video Tutorial for CAT 2009 registration – from the IIMs and Prometric

You can view the tutorial at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQzvSq15RLQ

Preparation plan for last three months till CAT2009

Beginners:

If you have just begun your preparation for the CAT, I would suggest that the first step should be to take a diagnostic test. This would help you determine where you stand today, which in turn will help you understand the extent of effort you need to put in for success at the CAT. Also, you would get a fair idea of your weaknesses and strengths.

Next, you must chalk out a study plan. Allocate 45 days to get all fundamentals of Quant, Verbal and DI/Logic in place. Slot one hour per area, i.e., 3 hours of study every day. Every week, take one full length test and keep fine tuning yourself. Post first 45 days, start taking full-length tests every 3 days. You must ensure that you learn from the feedback of each test.

Advanced:

If you have already been preparing for the CAT, you must take a mock-CAT to see where you have reached vis-a-vis the IIM call score. Identify your weak areas and focus on them in the first phase. Remember, every mock-test that you take from now on will give you additional areas to focus on. Keep fine-tuning yourself accordingly.

A rough study plan would be:

• September end till October 1st week – Work on your weak areas so that you can clear the cut-offs. Also, take 3 to 5 mocks.

• October 1st week till November 1st week : Take about 9 to 10 mocks along with several small practice tests. Focus on maximizing your score in your areas of strength.

• November 1st week till the CAT : Take one test every 2 days and build your test game plan.

Gejo Sreenivasan Principal Consultant

CAT 2009 News Nuggets: Must Watch Websites

• A must watch: Video Demo of CAT by Prometric and IIM at http://tiny.cc/6j2NU
• CAT 2009 Notification is out. To download it, view a summary and access other useful links, visithttp://bit.ly/8uoKd
• 1st issue of CL's MBA Scope Newsletter starting from 1st September. Make sure you sign up here:http://tiny.cc/3WDHl

CAT 2009 Notification

CAT 2009 Notification has been released by the IIMs. It can be downloaded fromhttp://content.catiim.in/pdf/CAT_Advertisement.pdf

A quick summary is given below

Eligibility

Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA. 45% in case of candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Differently Abled Categories

Sale of CAT 2009 Vouchers

Will commence on Sep 9, 2009 till Oct 1, 2009 at Axis Bank branches across the country. Registration fee is Rs 1400 (Rs 700 for SC/ST candidates)

Important Dates and Registration Information

Sale of CAT Vouchers at Axis Bank branches: Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009

Registration for CAT 2009: Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009. You will also be able to reschedule date, time and location of your test during this period at no extra cost. There are two time slots to choose from: 10AM-12.30PM and 3.30PM-6 PM. Please note that you can only book your slot AFTER purchasing the voucher.

CAT Test Dates : Saturday, 28 November 2009 – Monday, 7 December 2009

CAT Result: Friday, 22 January 2010 onwards

CAT Candidate Care Support

Phone support: From Sep 9 till Oct 1 between 9 AM to 6 PM – Monday to Saturday. The number is 1-800-103-9293

Email support. From Sep 9 till candidates receive their scores. You can send your queries from this URL: http://www.prometric.com/IIM-CAT/contactus

Useful links and other information

Online Registration Instructions: http://content.catiim.in/pdf/registration_inst.pdf

Official demo test for CAT 2009 from the IIMs is available athttp://content.catiim.in/catdemo/index.htm

The demo version has these features

a. Questions appear one at a time. A student cannot see all the questions just by scrolling up and down.

b. There are 4 options instead of the 5, that we have been witness to since CAT 2006. Prometric has taken pains to convert questions which had 5 options from CAT 2006, CAT 2007 into ones with 4 options while creating the demo version.

c. You can move to the NEXT / PREVIOUS question. If you want to access any question randomly you can do it by clicking the REVIEW button.

d. The length of the Passage in the demo version is very similar to what we have been giving in our Proctored Mocks.

FAQs: http://www.catiim.in/faq.html

The test duration is 2 hr 15 min. There is a 15 min tutorial at the start of your time slot. There would be no breaks. This is a 15 min reduction in the testing time from the past CAT few papers.

There would be 3 sections: Quant, LRDI and Verbal

There would be 60 to 70 Questions

Official CAT website: http://www.catiim.in

How is CL responding to this information?

The Proc Mock 5, would have the same interface of the test as the demo version. We have planned the rest of the tests – 4 Proctored and 7 Unproctored to reflect the variations.Be rest assured that as and when we get more information we shall respond to it as soon as possible.

Career Launcher’s Test Series for CAT 2009:http://www.careerlauncher.com/mba/online_cat/Test_series.html

CAT 2009: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: I hear that CAT will be held online. Is that correct?
A1: CAT is going to be a computer based test (CBT) and not internet based test (IBT). I.e. Candidate does not take the test on an internet site. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on the answer-sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on the correct option.

Q2: I hear that CAT will be a computer adaptive test. Is that correct?
A2: No, CAT is not going to be a computer adaptive test.

Q3: Will the format of the test change?
A3: The format of the test will remain more or less the same except that a candidate reads question on a computer terminal and clicks on the correct answer.

Q4: Can I take the test from any computer?
A4: No. A candidate will take the test only at designated test venues in about 25 cities across India. Detailed information will be provided in the CAT 2009 advertisement.

Q5: But how do I do rough-work and calculations while arriving at the answers?
A5: At the test venue, each candidate will be seated at a desk with a computer terminal and he/she will be provided with a writing pad with numbered pages for calculations. After the test, candidate must leave the pad including all the pages in it at the desk. Rough-work cannot be done on any other paper/sheet as nothing will be allowed to be taken inside the test hall.

Q6: Can you give more details on taking test in a CBT format?
A6: We will be giving more details at a later stage.

Q7: But when is the CAT 2009 advertisement going to appear in newspapers?
A7: Advertisement for CAT 2009 will appear during the later part of August 2009.

Q8: How much is the test fee for CAT 2009 and how do I pay?
A8: Candidate Testing Fee is Rs. 1400 (Rs. 700 for SC/ST candidates). A prospective candidate buys a CAT 2009 Voucher from designated locations/bank branches after advertisement appears in newspapers. Sufficient time will be given for purchasing the voucher. More details will be available on our websites after the advertisement appears in newspapers.

Q9: How do I register for CAT 2009?
A9. The Voucher bought by the candidate gives instructions on how to register for CAT 2009. At this time, it would suffice to say that candidates are expected visit CAT website to register for CAT 2009. Sufficient amount of time will be given to register online. More details will be given in the advertisement and the voucher.

Q10: How do I get my admit card for the test?
A10: After you fill-in, review, and submit the registration information during online registration, you will receive an email containing your Admit Card.

Q11. Does that mean I need to have an E-mail account?
A11. Yes, you must have a valid E-mail account throughout the selection process.

Q12: What do I need to bring at the time of test?
A12: You must bring the printed copy of the admit card, one picture ID, and any other ID not necessarily with a picture. Do not bring any other material and personal belongings with you, for no personal belongings and materials will be allowed in test-hall. More details will be provided later.
Q13: Can you please tell me when will the CAT 2009 be conducted?
A13: CAT 2009 will be conducted during a ten-day window starting at the end of November 2009. Exact dates will be mentioned in the advertisement.

Q14: Can I take CAT more than once during the testing window?
A14: No, a candidate can register to take test only once during the CAT 2009 testing window. Admit cards and picture ids of the candidates will be checked, and candidate pictures and biometric information will also be captured at the test venue.

Q15: When are CAT 2009 result expected to be declared?
A15: CAT 2009 results are expected to be declared by the end of January 2010. Exact date of result declaration will be informed at a later stage.

Q16: When will we get more updates?
A16: Any important developments may be posted on IIM sites and CAT website about a month later.

Source: IIM A website

CAT: The what and how of a computer-based test

The stripes of CAT 2009 are now getting a little clearer. It has been some time since the IIMs made the announcement of making CAT a computer-based test (CBT) and here is an attempt to make meaning out of the various issues and put them in the correct perspective.

A few facts first:
1) CAT – CBT is going to be conducted over a period of 10 days. This would mean that students appearing in different slots will get different papers. So Prometric, which has been awarded the contract to conduct the test, will have to create as many papers as the number of slots in the 10-day period of equal levels of difficulty. These tests must be “standardised” statistically so that the percentile performance of any students does not change, irrespective of the paper s/he gets.

• More CAT coverage

2) The CBT is not an adaptive test like GRE and GMAT. The student can make a choice of the questions he/she wants to attempt, unlike an adaptive test where attempting every question is mandatory.

Implications
The implications of moving from a paper format to a computer-based format are manifold:

Environment change impacting performance
The first impact is the change in the testing environment affecting the performance in the test. The familiarity with the online medium is likely to enhance or hinder performance to a significant extent. Research has shown that ‘reading speed’ drops by as much as 20-30 per cent when shifting from reading from print to that from the computer screens.

Moreover, comprehension and manipulation of data become a lot more challenging in the new medium. So, sections that are likely to see the maximum impact are Reading Comprehension and Data Interpretation. The rest of the CAT sections are not going to be significantly impacted.

Test-taking strategy
The ability to choose questions to attempt could be “limited” by the format of the paper. For instance, if the test format allows one to scroll across the paper from the first question to the last, the ability to choose would be similar to the paper pattern. On the other hand, if questions can be seen one at a time, it completely changes the “paper scanning” process.

This format is definitely not the friendliest to a student, but most aptitude exams conducted on the computer are in this form.
There are many other formats that could be enforced. A third one that could completely shake the strategy of a student is the “sectional time” limits. Most competitive exams have time limits for their various sections, this becomes difficult to administer because of the “logistical” problems in invigilation. With a CBT this might not pose much of a problem .

Access to computers for “practice”
Access to computers becomes key to gaining an edge in test taking. It is likely to play a big role given the nature of the student community that appears for CAT.

Content change
Finally, though the conceptual learning does not change, the types of questions could. This is in keeping with the new environment.

Preparation
All these converge into one question: how should a student prepare for CAT with so many ‘uncertainties’?

Essentially, a student should do the following:

1. Get adequate practice on computers. Some of the tests taken should be outside the comfortable confines of one’s home. The performance in a computer lab outside home could be at least 15 per cent poorer than at home. Hence, it is important to test oneself in a simulated environment.

2. Focus on the basics. The subject does not change because the medium has. However, the types of questions could alter a bit. There is likely to be a flavour of GMAT, GRE this year. So stay away from very difficult DI sets and very long RC passages. Make sure that you do not ignore your vocabulary books.

3. To take care of the eventuality of section-wise timing, it is important that you do not completely skip any section. For instance, do not decide, “I shall not do RC at all”.

None of the above would be possible without sufficient time spent in practising the questions on the new medium. So, make sure that you spend enough time practicing before you appear for CAT 2009. Best of luck!

The author is Director (R&D and Academics), Career Launcher India Ltd.