Best Books, Reading List, Last Minute Tips & More: All Resources You Need To Ace CAT 2023

5 mins read

CAT i.e. the Common Admission Test 2023 will be conducted on November 26, 2023. Registration for the exam began on August 2, 2023, and ended on September 21, 2023. CAT is one of the most popular but difficult management entrance exams conducted in India. It’s conducted every year by one of the IIMs. IIM Lucknow is conducting CAT 2023. 

Every year lakhs of aspirants take the CAT exam with the hope of securing admission into one of the elite Indian management colleges. Currently, 100+ colleges in India accept the CAT score. In fact, for the first time ever, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has joined the list of colleges in India accepting the CAT score. 

With just two months left to go, CAT exam prep is largely focused on attempting mock exams, brushing up on important topics, and revising the study material. If you too are in this boat, then we’ve got a comprehensive list of resources that can help improve your level of preparation. 

CAT Exam 2023: Crafting The Overall Strategy

Here are a few resources that you can refer to when devising an overall strategy for the D-Day: 

i) The 3-Day Exam Prep 

It can be difficult to balance regular college work or office tasks with CAT exam prep. However, the two upcoming long weekends in 2023 are an ideal time to focus on the exam. You can refer to this detailed guide on what to cover in three-day exam prep and make the most of this time. 

Go through these tips to make the most of the long weekend when preparing for CAT. 

ii) Managing CAT Preparation Stress

Considering the level of competition and difficulty of the exam, many aspirants experience stress when preparing for the CAT. However, here are 15 ways in which you can manage your CAT preparation stress. 

Find the magical solution to managing CAT preparation stress here. 

iii) Preparing for CAT with Low Academics

You’ve spent hours prepping for the dreaded CAT exam but are worried that low academics will ruin your chances of securing admission into a top B-school. If you found yourself nodding along to this statement, then we’ve got you covered. 

Find out if it’s worth preparing for CAT with low academics in this comprehensive piece. The short answer is yes, it is! 

iv) Last-Minute CAT Exam Preparation Tips

Irrespective of the number of months you spent preparing for the exam, the last-minute preparation sessions have an altogether different impact. This is why we have this handy guide on important tips to keep in mind for last-minute CAT exam preparation. 

Bookmark this one for when the CAT 2023 countdown begins. 

CAT Exam 2023: Section-Wise Resources

The CAT exam is divided into the following three sections: 

• VARC: Verbal and Reading Comprehension: 
• DILR: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
• QA: Quantitative Ability

Each section has a time duration of 40 minutes and includes two types of questions, MCQ and TITA. Here are some section-wise resources that you can refer to: 

• Reading Comprehension for CAT
• How to prepare for QA for CAT
• Tips to score well in LRDI

You can also refer to the following resources to improve your skills: 

• Best Books for CAT: Take a look at the best books that you can look to when preparing for the different sections of the CAT exam.  
• Logical Reasoning: This course provides self-paced video lectures on topics such as Number Series, Analogy, Syllogism, etc that can help improve your understanding of important logical reasoning concepts. The course is available for free. 

MBA Entrance Exam: Learn from Experience

The best person to give advice on taking the CAT exam is a former aspirant. Take a look at how these successful MBA students prepared for the CAT exam: 

i) Cracking CAT in a Month

Shivansh Girotra secured a spot at IMT Ghaziabad with a 94.39 percentile after just a month’s prep. He shares tips and resources that helped him race ahead of the competition. 

Read his story here. 

ii) Scoring 99+ Percentile In CAT

Aishwarya Nair secured a 99.82 percentile and landed a spot at IIM Bangalore. She shares her strategy and the resources that helped her excel in the exam. 

Read her story here.

iii) Scoring 98.99 Percentile in XAT

Divya Shah attempted both CAT and XAT and ultimately secured admission into XLRI, Jamshedpur. She talks about the key areas of focus that helped her ace the exam, while also sharing important tips for cracking the MBA admission interview. 

Read her story here.

iv) CAT Study Plan For Working Professionals

Modi Singla was working full-time with the State Bank of India when he decided to appear for the CAT exam. Singla, who secured admission into IIM Lucknow with a 99.25 Percentile, shares trips for balancing exam prep with office deliverables. 

Read his story here. 

Ultimately, hard work and strategic planning are keys to cracking the CAT exam. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that there are several other entrance exams that you can take if you wish to secure admission into a top B-school in India. 

You may also like to read: 

• CAT Exam Preparation 2023: Long-Weekend Guide To Scale Up Your Prep Level By 2x!
• When I cleared the CAT exam without leaving my job -By Karanveer Singh from FSM Delhi
• MBA Entrance Exams In India- CAT Exam Alternatives To Get Into Top B-Schools
• CAT Preparation Guide: 5 Podcasts For Every MBA Aspirant (Ft. CAT Toppers)