The importance of a management degree to advance one’s career now being a well- known, and universally accepted, fact, a management study programme is now one of the most sought-after fields of education. There is tough competition for admission into good management institutions; hence, most of them have entrance tests to sift candidates.

The Indian Institutes of Management, or the IIMs, as they are better known, hold a Common Admission Test, or the CAT, for short, to select candidates for their management programmes. Although this test is held by the IIMs, several other well-known management institutes also consider CAT scores as a basis for admission eligibility.

The CAT broadly covers areas like reading comprehension, verbal ability and reasoning, quantitative skills, data interpretation and logical reasoning. Though the pattern of the test may vary from year to year, the candidate is basically evaluated on his presence of mind, logical interpretation of various situations, and ability to perform under pressure.

If you want to crack the CAT, and get into one of the premier management institutions, you have to lay down a systematic study plan. Your preparation should be broad based, covering the various relevant subjects. Laying special stress on mathematics and English can help improve your score. You need to practise answering the test papers correctly in the allotted time. Wrong answers are given negative marking, therefore it is necessary to keep a cool head, and think clearly while solving the test paper. Consulting experts, teachers and especially those who have already successfully given the CAT, can give you valuable advice, and important tips on how to go about preparing for the test.

Good things don’t usually come easy in life, and there is no substitute for hard work, where cracking the CAT is concerned. There are no shortcuts, but with proper preparation, systematic study, and a clear mind, you can crack the CAT successfully!