Cat 2023: Advantages For Students In Final Year Of Graduation

By Author: Education Advisor
Total Articles: 686
Comment this article

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. The CAT is an online exam that is given once a year at approximately 450 exam centers in over 150 cities 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 Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension sections of the CAT question paper are all covered.

Although anyone with a graduation degree, whether fresh graduates or working professionals, can take the CAT with the help of best online teachers for CAT preparation, the majority of CAT applicants are students in their final year of their bachelor's degree program. Why so? There are several advantages to taking the CAT exam in your final year of college. To learn more, continue reading.

Overview of CAT Exam Pattern
...
... CAT 2023 will be held on November 27. The CAT exam pattern is the same as it was last year.

Advantages for Students Pursuing Final Year of Graduation
Although the aspirant must decide when he or she is ready for the CAT, taking it while still in the final year of graduation has several advantages. We'll go over a few of them here.

Advantage in CAT preparation:
Preparation for the CAT exam takes at least nine to twelve months. It is an ideal time for a candidate in their final year of graduation to prepare for the CAT alongside their final year. Students in BTech, BSc, and BCom can prepare better because some of their course subjects, such as Math, help them prepare easily for Quantitative Ability.

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

No gap year:
As previously stated, CAT preparation takes at least nine to twelve months, so a candidate who has already graduated will have to devote that much time to it, resulting in a gap between UG and PG education.

No loss of income:
Many working professionals who plan to take the CAT with the help of teachers for MBA Exam must leave their well-paying jobs to study for the exam. Those who study for the exam while working must put in extra effort to prepare well in addition to their regular job. An undergraduate student, on the other hand, is saved from such a situation.

Can earn work experience before joining the course:
Candidates selected for admission may defer their admission for up to two years if they wish to gain work experience before pursuing the PGP course. Approximately 10% of seats are reserved for such candidates. If a final-year graduation candidate is admitted to IIM in a particular year, he or she can even work for a year or two before beginning the program.

CAT Eligibility Criteria
The candidate must hold a bachelor's degree in any field with a minimum of 50% aggregate or equivalent CGPA* (45% for SC, ST, and PWD/DA candidates) 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.

*The percentage obtained in a bachelor's degree would be calculated based on the practice followed by the relevant university/institution. The conversion of grades/CGPA would be based on the process defined by the relevant university/institution. In the absence of a percentage conversion scheme, the candidate's CGPA will be divided by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplied by 100.

Reservation criteria for IIMs and other institutes accepting CAT scores
Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates receive 15% of IIM admission, while Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates receive 7.5%. Other Backward Class candidates from the "non-creamy" layer are given 27% of the seats (NC-OBC). Persons with Benchmark Disabilities are given 5% of the available seats (PwD).

Because the CAT exam is open to candidates from all fields of study, the number of participants is quite large. Every year, over two lakh candidates take the CAT, including graduates, undergraduates in their final year, and working professionals. Given the level of competition and difficulty of the exam, it is critical for an aspirant to plan ahead of time, ideally a year in advance.