Having been a trainer for CAT and having trained several thousands of students, every year I am bombarded with all kinds of questions related to CAT. This year, i.e., 2015, the common question, after the CAT advertisement, has been - " what does the pattern changes mean for the CAT aspirants?"
Here are my views on CAT exam and the pattern changes made in 2015:
First and foremost, lets look at how has the pattern changed ?
1. The number of sections has been increased from 2 to 3. Verbal Ability and Quantitative Aptitude sections will have 34 questions each, while the Data Interpretation and Reasoning section has 32 questions.
2. Students have to attempt each section for 60 minutes . There will be sectional time limit for each section.
3. The total time has been increased to 180 minutes.
4. Some questions in each section may not be multiple choice.
Most of these changes are cosmetic - the core of CAT still remains the same.
Time has increased by 10 minutes - but speed is still critical. Interpretation and mental processing.
Calculators are allowed - but that does not mean that one can relax for calculations. On screen calculators are not so convenient; typing digits on the calculator is slower than mental calculations; This should only serve to provide a feel good to applicants who are not good at Quants.
Sectional timelimits - advantage of completing English in 45 minutes and giving the balance 15 minutes to QA or LR is gone; Also means that one must be proficient in all the three sections in order to survive in CAT and stand a good chance for a selection.
Some questions which are not MCQ's - importance of clearing basic concepts rather than relying on purely gimmicky shortcuts. I have always been a proponent of clearing basics for clearing CAT....
What did CAT test traditionally - what does it test now ?
Conceptual clarity
Logical comprehension of written language
Reasoning
Speed
Ability to deal with Uncertainty
Ability to withstand pressure
