To maximize your chances of landing a call from your target college, you'll want to aim for a high percentile in the Common Admission Test (CAT). Here's a breakdown of what you need to know:
To maximize your chances of landing a call from your target college, you'll want to aim for a high percentile in the Common Admission Test (CAT). Here's a breakdown of what you need to know:
CAT Score and Percentile
CAT Score: The actual marks you score in the exam.
CAT Percentile: A relative measure that indicates how well you performed compared to other test-takers.
Sectional and Overall Cutoffs
- Sectional Cutoffs: Minimum percentiles required in each section (VARC, DILR, and QA) to qualify for the next round.
- Overall Cutoff: Minimum overall percentile required to qualify for the next round
CAT Score Normalization Process
- CAT score normalization: A process that adjusts scores to account for differences in difficulty across test sessions.
- Scaled score: The normalized score that reflects your performance relative to others
Calculating CAT Percentile
- Percentile calculation: Based on the number of test-takers who scored below you.
- Formula: (Number of test-takers who scored below you / Total number of test-takers) x 100
Good CAT Score
- Good CAT score: Typically above 95 percentile.
- Top IIMs: Often require scores above 99 percentile.
Comparison with Peers
- Peer comparison: Understand how your score stacks up against others.
- Benchmarking: Compare your performance with top scorers and average performers.
To determine the exact score required for your target college, research the specific cutoff percentiles and scores for that institution. This will give you a better idea of what you need to aim for.
CAT VARC Syllabus 2025
The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section is crucial for CAT aspirants targeting India's top B-schools. To crack CAT 2025, understanding the VARC syllabus and its components is key. Mastering this section can boost your performance and enhance your chances of getting into your desired college.
Overview of CAT VARC Syllabus
Total Questions: 24
Sectional Duration: 40 minutes
Marking Scheme:
Correct Answer: +3 marks
Incorrect Answer (MCQs): -1 mark
No Negative Marking for Non-MCQs (TITA)
VARC Section Breakdown:
The VARC section consists of:
1. Reading Comprehension (RC): ~66% of the section
2. Verbal Ability (VA): ~34% of the section
___________________________________________________________________________
Reading Comprehension (RC)
Structure:
Passages: 4 passages, approximately 600 words each
Questions: 4 questions per passage, totaling 16 questions
Passage Types:
Argumentative (most frequent)
Analytical
Descriptive
Narrative
Abstract (less frequent)
Common Topics:
Economics and Business
Science and Technology
Philosophy and Sociology
History and Politics
Literature and Art
Reading Comprehension (RC) Question Types:
Main Idea: Identifying the passage's central theme
Inference-Based: Drawing conclusions from implicit information
Specific Details: Answering questions about explicit information
Tone and Style: Understanding the author's attitude and writing style
Application: Applying passage information to new contexts
Logical Structure: Analyzing the organization and flow of ideas
___________________________________________________________________________
Verbal Ability (VA)
Structure:
Comprises 8 questions
Includes both MCQs and Non-MCQs (TITA)
Question Types:
Jumbled Paragraphs: Rearrange sentences to create a coherent paragraph.
Paragraph Summary: Condense a paragraph into its core message.
Odd Sentence Out: Identify the sentence that disrupts the paragraph's logical flow.
Weightage:
Para Jumbles: Approximately 3 questions
Para Summary: Approximately 3 questions
Odd Sentence Out: Approximately 2 questions
CAT Score vs Percentile 2024:
Get insights into the section-wise analysis of marks required to score 99%+ in CAT 2024. Understand the correlation between scores and percentiles to target your goals.
The CAT score vs percentile ratio varies annually, influenced by the exam's difficulty level and the number of test-takers. Notably, CAT 2024 had a lower difficulty level, resulting in a higher score vs percentile ratio.
Sectional Analysis 2024:
1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): Estimated score vs percentile breakdown.
Sectional Analysis 2024:
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: Estimated score vs percentile breakdown.
Sectional Analysis 2024:
3. Quantitative Aptitude: Estimated score vs percentile breakdown.