CAT 2016: A four-month preparation timeline

Ipsita Sarkar | Updated on: 11 February 2017, 7:53 IST

The Common Admission Test 2016 (CAT 2016) notification is out. The exam will be held on 4 December. Candidates can start registering for the exam from 8 August and download their admit cards from 18 October onwards.

With just four months to go for CAT 2016 and other top MBA exams, it's time to put on your study hats. Apart from CAT exam, dates for NMAT, SNAP and IIFT are also out.

"There was a CAT Notification about a lot of speculation in social media about the changes that are expected in the CAT this year. And it proved to be just that - SPECULATION! The CAT, in fact, contrary to speculation will happen in December instead of November - giving you additional time to prepare. There are NO changes in the CAT structure," says Vinayak Kudva (VK), National Product Head and Chief Mentor at IMS Learning Resources Pvt Ltd, in his blog VKpedia.

To help candidates build a preparation time-table, we spoke to Hitesh Devalia, MBA expert and ‎Director and Co-Founder, Endeavor Careers.

"Speed is no more a bottle-neck in CAT exam. Candidates get ample time during the test - 60 minutes for a section, which is 2 minutes per question," says Devalia. He goes on to explain a detailed preparation timeline that MBA aspirants should adopt.

Here's a four-month plan to help candidates prepare for CAT and other MBA exams:

"In the last two months, October and November, one can also practice for two-three exam patterns simultaneously. So, along with CAT, take up mock-NMATs and mock-IIFTs," says Devalia.

Edited by Abha Srivastava

First published: 2 August 2016, 11:41 IST

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Ipsita Sarkar @piercingharmony

Ipsita writes on education with focus on schools, higher education (engineering, B-Schools), HRD ministry, policies, and startup ecosphere. She's previously worked with Hindustan Times and Shiksha.com.