Can final year students apply for CAT: It is one of the most common questions that every CAT aspirant wants to know. If you check the official CAT Eligibility, you will find that final-year students can also appear for CAT. But there are some rules, that is, they have to submit their educational proof to the respective institute, before the academic session is started.
Since most Business Schools in India do NOT make work experience compulsory; however, the exam conducting body does not release any details about it in the official notification. An individual can appear for the CAT exam for the first time in his/her final year of graduation. To put it simply, a student attending a 4-year graduate program can attempt the exam for the first time in his/her 7th semester. Similarly, a student attending a 3-year program may attempt this exam in his/her 5th semester.
Read the below article to know “Can final year students apply for CAT”. Our experts have also listed some tips that final-year students can use to prepare for the CAT more effectively:
Can Final Year Students Apply for CAT?
The final-year students who are preparing for CAT 2023 and want to apply for it, must check whether they are eligible or not. The official eligibility notification says that the candidates must be graduated from a recognised university to be eligible for CAT. But if you are final year of the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed the degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. In this case, the selected candidates will get the provisional admission status only if they provide a certificate from their university’s principal or registrar attesting that they have met all requirements for a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification as of the certificate’s issue date. The certificate must have been issued on or before the date specified by the specific IIM.
Tips to Prepare for CAT for Final Year Students – Before Your College Exams
- Start Reading Editorials in Newspapers:
This is the biggest advantage you can give to your CAT preparation – mastering your verbal section. The more you will read, the better will be your understanding of the language. If you find editorials monotonous, you can read novels by quality authors. Also, you can download various online applications and read articles of your choice.
- Brush Up Your Quantitative Skills:
Jumping directly into CAT-level questions is not going to help improve your skills. This is the time when you just have to build your base. Try to recollect all the important formulas and concepts. A good option is, to begin with basic level difficulty problems of aptitude books like Arun Sharma, etc.
Tips to Prepare for CAT for Final Year Students – After Your College Exams
- Now Hit the Accelerator:
This is when you need to put your foot on the pedal. Enrol in a good institute/test series for further preparation. Ideally, you should be enrolled in at least 2 all India level test series.
- Give One Mock Per Week:
While you are giving CAT mock tests, make sure you do not forget to analyze your mock. Not giving a mock is more beneficial than giving a mock without analyzing it.
- Increase Mock Tests
As time progresses, increase the mock limit to 2 or 3 mocks per week.
- Do Section-Wise Practise:
Apart from full-length mock tests, give sectional tests as well. Remember, CAT is like 3 sectional tests of one hour each. Writing section-wise tests will make you realize your strengths and weaknesses.
- Be Healthy and Stay Calm:
You will see a lot of ups and downs, good days and bad days, tough mocks and easy mocks. But, the only thing you need to remember is that you can only do well on “the day” if you are at your optimum mentally, physically and most importantly emotionally! The moment you start fretting over a bad mock, you will enter a cycle of negativity and self-doubt which can damage all the good work that you may have done up to that point. Also, having sound health can benefit you to focus properly in your preparation.
Finally, to Summarize:
- Prepare for CAT in three phases :
- The first 50% of your time should be spent building the fundamental concepts and basics.
- The next 25% is in building intensity, practising more questions and fine-tuning your concepts.
- The final 25% of the time should be spent on taking lots of mock tests.
Potential Career Options After MBA
Job titles available for an MBA in Finance include:
- Financial Manager/Analyst
- Credit Analyst
- Accounting Manager
- Risk and Insurance Manager
- Treasurer
Jobs available for MBA in Marketing include:
- Brand Manager
- Sales Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Product Manager
- Market Research Analyst
Jobs available to MBA in Operations include responsibilities related to:
- Supply Chain
- Logistics
- Inventory Management,
- Sales Operations
- Production Management
Most CAT aspirants begin their preparation between May and July which leaves them only with 4-6 months of preparation time. DO NOT make the same mistake. Begin your CAT preparation early and get a head start in your preparation.
