CAT 2024 Study Plan for Students in Final Year of Graduation

Having a focused and disciplined CAT 2024 study plan for students in final year of graduation is crucial. If you are planning to take the exam this year, start by assessing your strengths and weaknesses across all sections of CAT. Once you get into the process, begin by building your basics and then move on to solving higher difficulty level problems. We understand that managing academic responsibilities and CAT preparation can be tough, but try to incorporate at least 2-3 hours of dedicated study time into your daily routine and gradually increase it as the exam approaches. Since you don't have much free time for preparation, use weekends and holidays to take full-length mock tests and solve previous year question papers. Cracking the CAT exam during college may seem difficult, but it's not impossible. To assist you with that, our MBA experts have prepared a study plan for students in the final year of graduation. Check it out and see how it can make your preparation easier!

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CAT 2024 Preparation Plan for Students in the Final Year of Graduation

The difficulty level of the CAT examination is very high. You should prepare a good preparation plan in order to crack the exam. You are advised to divide the time equally among all the sections of CAT. A detailed CAT preparation plan for final year students is provided below.

Also Read: How to Apply for Category Certificate for CAT 2024

CAT 2024 Preparation Tips for Students in the Final Year of Graduation

Here are some important tips that you can consider while preparing for the CAT entrance exam.

• Check the Syllabus: Before moving ahead, you are advised to go through the complete syllabus of the CAT examination. The syllabus of CAT will help you know what are the important topics for the CAT examination? Besides this, the syllabus will also help you decide how much time you should allot to each topic.
• Work of Shortcuts: Most of the questions in the CAT examination required a good amount of calculation. You can not solve those questions using the traditional method as it is a time-consuming process. You are thus advised to figure out shortcuts so that you can answer questions quickly.
• Previous Years Question Paper and Exam Pattern: The CAT exam pattern and CAT previous years question papers will help you understand the exam structure and exam pattern. Besides this, it will also help you know what type of questions were asked in the entrance exam.
• Newspapers and Magazines: You are advised to read newspapers and magazines daily to improve your communication and grammatical skills. It will also help you to clear the GD/ PI round of MBA admission. 
• Mock Test: Mock test papers are just a replica of the original CAT examination. You are advised to solve the maximum number of mock test papers. IIMs will also release the mock test of CAT 2024 on the official website.
• Best Books: You are advised to choose the best books for CAT preparation wisely. You can select a separate book for some topics mentioned in the syllabus of CAT 2024.

CAT 2024 Preparation Before College Final Year Exams

• Begin by reading newspaper editorials: Start reading newspaper editorials to gain an advantage in your CAT preparation by mastering the verbal component. Your understanding of the language will improve as you read more. You can read novels written by renowned authors if you find editorials boring and uninteresting. Additionally, you can read the articles of your choice and download various online applications.
• Sharpen your quantitative abilities before appearing for the CAT: Attempting CAT-level questions right away won't help you. At this point, all you need to do is strengthen your foundation. Make an effort to remember all the critical formulas and ideas. Starting with solving problems of basic level difficulty from aptitude books, such as those in Arun Sharma, is an excellent idea.

CAT 2024 Preparation Before College Final Year Exams

• Now pick up speed: Enroll in a prestigious institute or test series for effective preparation. You should ideally register for at least two all-India level test series.
• Appear for mock tests: Each week, take at least one mock test. When taking CAT mock tests, be sure to analyze your performance and determine which areas need more revision. Offering a mock without evaluating it is better than not giving one.
• Make sure to increase the number of mock tests: Increase the weekly mock limit to two or three as time goes on.
• Practice section-by-section: In addition to giving full-length mock tests, take sectional tests. Keep in mind that the CAT consists of three one-hour sections. You'll become aware of your strengths and shortcomings after writing examinations divided into sections.

• Build the foundational ideas and basics in the first 50% of your time.
• 25% will be spent increasing the level of difficulty, practising additional questions, and polishing your concepts.
• The final quarter of the time should be used to take significant number of mock exams.

Advantages of Preparing for CAT in Final Year

Preparing for the CAT exam in the final year will offer a lot of advantages to the candidates. Some of the major benefits are provided below.

• Flexibility: Students will be able to manage their time for Self Study, Mocks, Coaching, and Revision very well. Since the average timings of college are 8 to 4, candidates can utilize the rest of the day to prepare for the CAT exam and also for the WAT and Group Discussion rounds. They can prepare their preparation plan table according to their college routine. 
• No Gap Year: Candidates who are preparing for the CAT in the final year of graduation will get a lead over those who have completed their graduation. They do not have to wait until the next year to appear for the CAT 2024 exam. This will save them from a gap between the UG and PG education.
• Advantage in Coaching: Students can easily take out some time for coaching classes as well as live lectures. Since they are not bound to the 9-6 work routine, they can attend the classes anytime. Apart from this, engineering students who are already studying mathematics will be able to understand the concepts of Quantitative Aptitude easily.
• No Loss of Income: Since final-year students are not working, they do not have to worry about their loss of income. Many working professionals have to quit their job to prepare well for the CAT examination. Final-year students do not have to face these kinds of problems. 
• Extra Chance: It is not necessary that the candidates will be able to score a good percentile on the first attempt. They can appear for the exam next year. Next year, they do not have to waste time understanding the CAT exam pattern 2024 and CAT syllabus 2024. They can develop a strategy on how to prepare for CAT 2024 with ease.
• Can Obtain Work Experience Prior to Enrolling in the Programme: The IIMs permit candidates who have been accepted for admission to postpone their admission for up to two years in order to obtain work experience. For such candidates, 10% of the seats are set aside. If a candidate in the last year of graduation successfully makes it to an IIM in a particular year, they may even choose to work for a year or two before beginning the program.

Also Read: Importance of CAT Mock Test During Preparation

CAT 2024 Exam Pattern

The CAT question paper according to the CAT exam pattern 2024 comprises three sections namely Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. 76 questions will be asked in the exam and you will have 120 minutes to complete the exam. The marking scheme will be the same for all the questions i.e. +3 marks for the correct answer and -1 mark for an incorrect answer. 

Eligibility Criteria for CAT 2024

• The candidate must hold a bachelor's degree in any stream from a recognized board or university with at least a 50% aggregate or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST, and PWD/DA category).
• The applicant must have obtained a professional degree (CA, CS, or ICWA) with the minimum required percentage.
• Candidates who are awaiting results or who are enrolled in their last year of a bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification may also apply for the CAT.
• There is no upper age limit to take the CAT 2024 exam.

Reservation Criteria for Institutions Accepting CAT Scores

• Candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are eligible for 15% of the seats available for admission to IIM.
• Candidates from Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC) who fall within the "non-creamy" layer are eligible for 27% of the available seats.
• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD) are guaranteed 5% of the seats.

Students from all academic disciplines are eligible to take the CAT exam, so many people appear for it. Each year, about two lakh individuals—graduates, undergraduates in their final year, and professionals in the workforce—take the CAT. Given the level of complexity and competitiveness of the CAT 2024 exam, it is essential for a candidate to prepare ahead of time.

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