With CAT exams just set to start, students must have started preparing vigorously to sharpen the edges, as they know how difficult it is to score high in CAT exam. A high score is the key to enter the finest MBA colleges in India. Many candidates take the CAT exam multiple times only to get admission in a prestigious MBA college and leave with a handsome pay package at the end of the curriculum. According to a report, among the total number of CAT takers, about 29 percent appears at least twice for CAT exam before being admitted to an MBA college.

CAT aspirants need to have perseverance and patience as more than 2 Lakh students show up for CAT exams every year and only 840 students get into the top IIMs. CAT takers, of course, now have more options as there are many reputed non-IIM MBA colleges that provide strong faculty and facilities with quality education.

CAT takers keep wondering why despite studying hard for years, how are they not being able to get into good MBA colleges. Here are some tips following which CAT takers might get benefitted and can crack the best MBA colleges:

• Staying calm before CAT exam

Students must remember that starting any new topic at last minute will not be of much help. It is advised to revise notes, concepts, formulae, solve mock test series and improvise upon them. It is time to memorize short cuts and tricks to solve lengthy questions in minimum time and understand all the CAT exam rules and regulations, to avoid making any mistake on the exam day.

For a competitive exam like CAT, it is important that you stay stress-free before the exam and prepare well throughout the year and not in the last few days or hours. The key is the overall and well-structured planning for the exam beforehand. So make sure you took a few mock tests before going for exam (many options are available for online mock-test papers).

• Don’t miss out on important college admission information

Students often get lost in the ocean of loads of information. With more than 4000 MBA colleges in India, students need to know the shortlisting requirements, their admission process, submission dates, etc. before applying. Lack of proper knowledge of colleges and necessary information where they might get a call from might deprive a student from getting into a good MBA college.

• Get prepared for Expected Colleges

Nowadays, there are online education platforms that allow CAT takers to anticipate their expected percentile before the result comes out on basis of which they can check the list of colleges from where they can expect calls. This helps a student to shortlist colleges they may choose to track before the results are out.

• Get prepared with your list of colleges with accurate result

With the advancement of technology, MBA aspirants can easily get list of colleges with other relevant information like college fees, eligibility criteria, rankings, reviews based on their accurate ranks/scores. Using tools like IIM and Non-IIM call predictor,candidates can predict colleges from where they can expect calls for admission. This way, it will help candidates from missing out any possibility of getting into a prestigious MBA college.

• Get well prepared for the interview

Many times, it happens that even if the candidate clears the first step and get a call from a reputed institution, they lose the chance of getting admitted into the next step. Most reputed MBA colleges hold discussions even if a student scores a 99-percentile in the CAT exam. The interview may make or break the deal. Candidates with higher CAT scores may also fall behind their peers due to factors such as-experience in their previous job, the college from which they graduated, or the responses they gave during the interview.

Mostly all top B-schools choose students with good communication skills, aware of current affairs, have a good understanding of why they want to do an MBA, a positive all-round personality, exceeding or taking part in extra-curricular activities, and have a good academic record.

Like an entrance exam, a lot depends on how well prepared a student is for an interview.

• Take help of Friends for Mock Interviews

Mock interviews will help prepare a student for circumstances they might not expect otherwise. If a candidate can get help from a mentor, friend or relative who has preferably completed an MBA to perform the mock interview, it helps in managing the stress associated with the interview process.

• Choosing the right college

Once the interviews are over and admission offers are out, making the right choice of college and course is critical. Many institutions offer tailored MBA programs focusing on specific sectors and even fields such as Analytics. But the important question is whether they are the right choice for an individual student. It is important for students to weigh the pros and cons of each course to reach a conclusion.

With the CAT exam scheduled to take place on November 24, students must concentrate on the last-minute tips to help them crack the CAT exam and ultimately the best MBA colleges. Wishing good luck to all CAT takers for their exam.