Beyond CAT #1: Everything about MICAT

Hello folks! Welcome to the first part of my Beyond CAT series, where I discuss stuff beyond CAT (such a creative name, right?)
Today, we will talk about the MICAT- What the exam is about and how to ace it!

No, not “MY CAT”, MICAT.

Basic Info about the MICAT

Admission to MICA consists of 3 phases – CAT/XAT/GMAT performance; Performance in the MICAT and performance in GE and PI. MICAT basically consists of 3 sections-

• Section A: Psychometric Test
• Section B: Descriptive Test
• Section C: (has 4 sub-sections) – Divergent and Convergent Thinking; Verbal ability, Quantitative ability and Data Interpretation and General awareness.

The Psychometric test (Section A) is a qualifier. If you fail here, no other section is checked. After qualifying Section A, your performance in CAT/XAT/GMAT is considered. There’s a minimum cut-off for all three exams, and the best of the three scores is taken.

If your scores are above the cut-off in any of these exams, Section-C is checked. Again, if you qualify through Section C, your performance in Section B is evaluated.
Only after all this you are invited for the GD-PI process.

One of the best things about MICAT is that unlike CAT, MICAT is conducted twice a year. This time, the dates are 7th December 2024 and 25th January 2025. The best of two scores are considered. Good thing is MICAT-2 registrations are still open.

How to ace the MICAT exam?

Now let’s get to why you’re actually on this page- how to prepare for the MICAT? We will break this down section-wise.

Section A: Psychometric Test

This section consists of 150 questions. 
DO NOT skip any questions. If you do, the rest of the paper will not be checked. 
Its best to stay honest and ethical while answering these, because after a while, the paper starts to ask you the original questions but with a twist (eg. By changing the perspective).

Section B: Descriptive Test

One of the most crucial parts of the MICAT. There are again two parts to this section. You will be given a general topic and be tasked with presenting arguments; 3 arguments for the topic, 3 against the topic, and a conclusion. A reading habit will come in handy here as well; reading editorials will help you present your points in a clear, concise manner.
Remember to pick a side (For or Against) the topic in the conclusion.

The second part is story writing. You will be given a set of 4 images, and will have to write a story based on that. You can use the images in any order, but make sure to write the order in which you are using the images, on the top.
I would advise you to write the story part first and then move to the general question, as you will not have a lot of time.

Section C: Divergent and Convergent Thinking; Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and General Awareness

This part is pretty similar to CAT, except the addition of two new sub-sections. The difficulty level lingers on the higher side, but as a bonus, the cutoffs become lower. Provided you’ve prepared well for CAT, this section will not pose much of a problem, as you’ve already developed a mastery over the tools of this trade! 
The General Awareness part tends to be more business related. The Divergent and Convergent Thinking sub-section might be a curveball,

so I recommend going through these sample questions from the MICAT website.

Best Of Luck!

MICA is a solid B-school, and one of the best in the game for marketing. MICAT 2 registrations are now open, Click Here to register. 

That brings an end to this particular blog. Now, like a bear in the winter months, I will also go and hibernate in my cave, and work on bringing more useful blogs to you folks!

All the best!