The Common Admission Test will be held on November 19 this year, and CAT aspirants are busy preparing for a good score and admission to a good B-school. 

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Rahul Reddy, Director of T.I.M.E., Kolkata, tackled queries during a recent chat dedicated to CAT preparation strategies. For those of you who missed it, here's the transcript:

Rahul says, Hi Everybody. This is Rahul Reddy, Director of TIME, Kolkata. So queries on cracking CAT and on MBA. Shoot. 

Jyoti asked, Hello sir..Im preparing for CAT 2006..i'm not doing well in quant..i'm strong in english..what strategy wud u suggest right now...

Rahul answers, Hi. Look at 20 minutes for 1-mark questions and try to attempt about 8-9 questions. In 25 minutes try to attempt about four to six 2-mark questions. Do not over attempt. At home practise numbers and geometry, permutations and combinations thoroughly. 

rolston asked, i have 20 months of executive experience at the India's Best equity Broking House. What are my chances for IIMs even if my CAT score is less?

Rahul answers, Hi. The best of work experience can only help you if you get an interview call. Before CAT, the IIMs have about two lakh applicants, no chance of studying your entire profile. So got to get at least 98 percentile for open category. 

harsh asked, Hi, I have 2+ yrs experience and aim to make it to the IIM's this year.My mock cat results presently are in the range 83-93 percentile.Quant and to a lesser extent DI are my weaknesses.Your advise to me.Thanks.

Rahul answers, Hi, for IIMs you need overall to be up to at 97 percentile + for TIME AIMCATs and similar for IMS. Also need to cross cutoffs.

prishi asked, Even I want to do my MBA can anyone tell me is it better Full time or correspondence . I am currently working and hav 1,5 yrs of Exp

Rahul answers, Hi, full-time is better because a one year full-time MBA involves complete MBA experience of group projects, a one on one with faculty, students etc. Secondly, getting into full-time at top B-schools is very tough so companies at recruitment know that you are the best of the best.

sanju asked, what will be the cut off scores for IIM-C`s PGDCM program???

Rahul answers, Hi, almost the same as PGDM, so nothing short of 98 percentile. 

Anthony asked, Hi Rahul, I have a question more on the admin side of the process. When will the final results be out and what is the window within which students need to pay their fees?

Rahul answers, Hi, as far as IIMs go, the details of final results are mentioned in the bulletin as also fee details. 

sat asked, hello sir..while attempting paper, whether always we should start with our strongest area or we should first scan paper& then decide to attempt any section..plzz suggest

Rahul answers, Hi, you anyway need to attempt all sections. So don't waste time. Start with the strongest section to settle your nerves. 

shownin asked, hi rahul i m clearing the cut off for VA nad di but in quants i havent crossed even 10 mks suggest some strategy

Rahul answers, Hi, as I have already said focus on numbers, geometry and permutations and combinations. Also, look for questions where you can substitute answer choices or substitute simple numbers and check the answers. Two to three such questions come every year.

Gaurav asked, Hi Rahul, this is Gaurav here. I am currently working in Australia [Images] for an IT company in the sales and relationshop mgt role. which of the IIMs is good to pursue MBA in strategy

Rahul answers,  IIM A, C and B are almost the same. Do consider ISB Hyderabad

ranjit asked, How important is past acads in getting into IIM -A . I think i can manage above 98 percentile in CAT. But my Engineering marks are about 68 % .pls advise.

Rahul answers, Hi, not very important. I had 61 per cent when I got in and every year we send lots of students with low CAT scores

sdad asked, Hi Rahul, going by past data, has there been a upper limit on experience? I have 5 years in IT. If CAT scores are good, do I stand a chance?

Rahul answers, Hi, no upper limit. But, recruitment options post MBA become a little limited. Do look at executive MBA, one-year full time at ISB as well as IIMs

hondacivic asked, A very good afternoon Rahul sir, English was tough last year arising out of surprise qns. is there any particular course in TIME handling this. I request you to answer my question as it wasn't answered in my previous chat.

Rahul answers, Hi, as far as T.I.M.E. is concerned course, the course is designed for complete CAT. We do not offer any specific course only for English. 

prishi asked, Hello Sir...i have compleated my B.E(ENC) RIGHT NOW I AM DOING working as a software Tester. I WANT TO DO MBA .IS THIS RIGHT STEP FOR ME OR NO? HOW MBA WILL HELP ME ? COULD GIVE ME SOME NAME OF BEST COLLEAGE and the subject that I need to opt for

Rahul answers, Hi Definitely. Do you know that over 80 per cent of all students at IIMs are from engineering?

ram asked, HI RAHUL Could you tell me what will be the cut off for the respective sections and at what percentile i will get call from IIMs

Rahul answers, Hi, last year approximate cutoffs were as follows: QA: 10, DI: 10, RC/VA: 13, Overall: 47

gung asked, how many papers must be solved atleast from today

Rahul answers, Hi, I assume you mean full length Mock CATs. Two per week is enough. One on Sunday and one mid week. Spend time analysing and improving weak areas

umesh asked, Hello Rahul, Umesh here CAT is very unpredictable what type of approch is required for clearing the sectional cut off of ones weakest section???

Rahul answers, Hi, practise on the AIMCATs. The cutoffs given are very close to the real thing. Try to aim at one or two marks higher for safety. Look at accuracy rates as well as attempts. That will tell you which one is the problem

Anish asked, Hi Rahul.. What are the chances of a non-eco arts graduate @ getting into IIMs - in particular IIM-C?

Rahul answers, Hi, IIMs are actively seeking diversity in student background. So if you do well in CAT, very good chance. 

Tarun asked, Most of the CAT crackers say that the key is to gauge the cut-offs of the paper as well as the sections within the first 10 mins or so. Thats whats the difference between a CAT cracker and otherwise. Wats the key for doing the same.?

Rahul answers, Cutoffs are based on actual student performance of 1.5 to 2 lakh students. Experts like us who have taken many CATs still take about four hours to estimate cutoffs. Look at giving adequate time for each section. If a section is easy, scores will automatically rise

shownin asked, but rahul P&C always has some new problems is there ne book which caters to three dimensional geometry and P&C or isit sufficient to restrict urself to coaching class materials

Rahul answers, Hi, new problems will always be there in CAT. Very rarely you get exact question that you have solved before. But once you are strong in the area, you solve variations also. Trishna knowledge Systems from Pearson education is very good book for CAT QA. 

Anthony asked, Hi Rahul, I was working at the back end of Citigroup's Inv Bankg Div, and recently quit to focus on academics. What are my chances of getting into any investment bank after my MBA? Thanks

Rahul answers, Hi, the investment bank campus depends on loads of factors. Work experience is only a small factor You need to have high rank at the IIMs, take the right subjects, boost up extra curriculum with term papers, contests etc

rajnish asked, hi sir i scored 99.2%ile in cat 05 got call from iimk but couldnot convert it where should i apply this year i am a time mumbai student and in the last 8 aimcats that i took i scored in the ranmge of 90-95%ile

Rahul answers, Hi, 99.2 per cent last year and only 90 to 95 per cent this year. You need to buck up. Apply to IIMs, XL, FMS andMDI. If engineering, then NITIE and maybe JMET. 

Andreww asked, Hi Rahul. I have 72 months of experience and have done a masters in Fisheries. I worked in a NGO and then quit it. Now I am into management.u think I should go for the IIMs? I know I can make it to the IIMs but will it add value to me at teh age of 30?? I am not particularly interested in placements but if I require them in IIMs wud my age and experience be a problem?

Rahul answers, Hi, to be frank yes, some problems would result in placement. Do look at executive MBA programme where average experience is higher. 

Amau asked, Rahul, I was going through some data of the IIMs of last year admissions and find that increasingly the number of students with working experience is going up in a huge %. Do freshers like me have a chance at all?

Rahul answers, Hi, figures can be misleading. A good 10-15 percentage is of students with around a year experience. The data only reflects a trend of increasing number of work experience guys read IT professionals writing CAT The key is still CAT. If you get a 99 percentile plus with ccutoffs, you will get calls

rrahul asked, is 80+ percentile enough for wellingkar or dalmia ?

Rahul answers, Hi, should be enough to get a call. 

adit asked, hi rahul. i purchased Trishna's quants book from TIME. Is it sufficient alone for preparing the quants section for CAT ?

Rahul answers, Hi Trishna is designed to be an add on to the course material and class room programme. However Trishna + mock CATs would be good.

SKB asked, Dear Rahul,I am told that an IPS officer at the age of 45 had joined IIM Bangalore in 2004 and he got a placement of 35 lakhs per annum. It appears that age is not that big a factor as you are making it out to be. Your Comments.

Rahul answers, Hi, there are consulting companies etc who do look at people with higher work experience. But do understand that the majority of companies are coming there with a clear idea of the batch profile.

Hiren asked, Are you giving training for GMAT? DO you have Branch in Navi Mumbai? May I have the contact no. of NM branch?

Rahul answers, Hi, there is a branch in Vashi. Please check www.time4education.com 

BLACKI asked, Not able to retain the words which was learned 3 months ago, it really make dent on confidence to learn new one

Rahul answers, Hi, have to revise. Do look at grouping words of similar type together as well as using words in sentences.

Tomorrow: Part II of transcript

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