Why to Prepare for CAT Exam in Final Year?

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) administers the Common Admission Test (CAT) at the national level for admission to its 20 campuses. Over 1,200 B-schools in the country accept CAT exam scores for admission to their MBA/PGDM programs. CAT Exam is an online exam that is given once a year at over 450 exam centers in over 150 locations across the country.

The CAT exam assesses a candidate’s general aptitude, analytical abilities, and problem-solving abilities, all of which are necessary for a manager. The CAT test paper covers the Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension sections.

Although anyone with a graduation degree, whether new graduates or working professionals, can take the CAT, the majority of CAT applicants are students in their last year of their bachelor’s degree program. Why so? There are various advantages to taking the CAT exam in your final year of college. To learn more, continue reading.

Also read: CAT Syllabus

CAT Exam Benefits for Students in Their Final Year of Graduation

Although the aspirant must select whether he or she is ready for the CAT, taking it while still in the final year of graduation has various advantages. We’ll go over a couple of them here.

Advantage in CAT preparation:

Preparing for the CAT exam takes at least nine to twelve months. It is a good opportunity for a candidate in their final year of graduation to prepare for the CAT alongside their last year. Students in BTech, BSc, and BCom can prepare better because their courses, such as Math, enable them to prepare easily for Quantitative Ability.

Also read: How To Prepare For CAT Within Two Months?

Advantage in CAT coaching:

Candidates in their final year of graduation, unlike working professionals, may easily make time to attend CAT coaching programs. Such candidates are not constrained by a nine-to-five work schedule. Any working individual who has passed the CAT will tell you that he or she did not attend coaching programs owing to a lack of time. Coaching sessions for CAT preparation may not be necessary for all candidates. But it does aid in dedicated and streamlined preparation.

No gap year:

CAT Exam preparation takes at least nine to twelve months. And so a candidate who has already graduated will have to devote that much time to it. It can result in a gap between UG and PG studies.

No income loss:

Many working professionals who wish to take the CAT must leave their well-paying employment to study for the exam. Those who study for the exam while working must put in the extra effort. So that they can prepare effectively in addition to their regular job. An undergraduate student, on the other hand, is rescued from such a predicament.

Can gain work experience before starting the course:

The IIMs allow selected candidates to defer their admission for up to two years in order to gain job experience before beginning the PGP program. Approximately 10% of seats are reserved for such applicants. If a final-year graduating applicant is admitted to IIM in a given year, he or she can even work for a year or two before beginning the program.

Criteria for CAT Eligibility

• The candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree in any field with a minimum of 50% aggregate or comparable CGPA* (45% for SC, ST, and PWD/DA categories) from a recognized board or university.
• The candidate must have earned the required percentage of a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA).
• Candidates who are in their final year of a bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification or who are awaiting their results are also eligible to apply for the CAT.
• There is no upper age limit for taking the CAT exam.

Because the CAT exam is open to students from all fields of study, the number of participants is relatively large. Every year, approximately two lakh people take the CAT, including graduates, undergraduates in their final year, and working professionals. Given the degree of competitiveness and difficulty of the exam, it is critical for a candidate to plan ahead of time.