The official announcement on CAT 2021 is out. With it comes the questions of what happens next, how would the exam be conducted, and more.
The salient features of CAT 2021
- Registration opens: August 04, 2021 (10:00 am)
- Registration closes: September 15, 2021 (5:00 pm)
- Admit card download: October 27 – November 28, 2021
- Test date: November 28, 2021
- Result declaration: Second week of January, 2022(Tentative)
- CAT 2021 will be conducted in 3 sessions
- Most likely, it will be a 2 hours exam
New Info:
The paper is officially 2 hours as per latest info in the website: https://www.iimcat.ac.in/per/g01/pub/756/ASM/WebPortal/17/index.html?756@@1@@1
What next?
This is a good time to ponder how to make the best use the last 120 days of the CAT 2021 preparation. First things first, if you are just starting your preparation now, do not panic. If you are taking CAT for the first time, fret not. The following are the four aspects that ought to remain the same for any CAT aspirant whatsoever.
1. Read a lot
Time and again, we have been reiterating the importance of reading as a habit. You need to read diverse sets of articles, books and novels, and some more of them. Reading should become a habit, if you are to score well in CAT VARC.
The best possible way to include your reading speed or comprehension is to read a lot. The meanings, words, vocabulary are secondary; just keep reading a lot.
2. Learn from First Principles
You simply cannot master this enigma of CAT 2021 without getting the concepts right. Just because it is already August does not mean you do not have time. There is still time.
“Besides, the best way to minimize time spent and maximize productivity is to get the fundamentals in place.
Do not fall into the trap of rushing through the option portions, especially with respect to Quant. That backfires big time.
3. Building speed towards CAT 2021
Speed does not come with the wave of a magic wand. It comes with practice, patience and perseverance. Practice a lot of Quant sums, DILR puzzles of different variants and RC passages.
Similar to the last point though, you still have time. Do not look for an x% increase in speed immediately after you have put in y% extra effort. Change takes time to reflect; give it that time. Your CAT 2021 preparation at this point should have plan for practicing a lot.
“Focus on practice, not on improving speed.
4. Take Mocks
If you are starting in August or October, whether you are preparing for CAT 2021 or CAT 2022, this is the gold standard. Take mocks.Take lots of them.
“Anything in the range of 20+ mocks from now is a reasonable number. The more the merrier.
Have a plan for the mock regime, say, one mock every fortnight. Look to maximize it to one per week in late September to early October. Later, you should be doing two per week or even more in the last lap.
Best wishes for CAT 2021!!
Abhishek works for 2IIM, and is a keen writer.
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