CAT and entrance tests of other top B Schools are a unique breed of entrance exams. They focus on testing some of the basic qualities essential for managers - the grit to work hard, smartness to choose the best alternative, quick thinking and above all perseverance.

Exams like IIT JEE test the depth of your knowledge, while the Civil Services exams test your width of knowledge. CAT evaluates your presence of mind and the ability to perform under pressure. You cannot prepare for CAT during the last 10 days, as one generally does for semester exams. A minimum of 3 to 9 months of regular preparation is essential.

To be honest CAT is not for the faint-hearted. It requires days and hours of rigorous practice, dedication and commitment. And this is not an overstatement. You should realize that if you want to make it, you’ll have to display certain degree of commitment and dedication towards this cause. Also, CAT is not about plain hardwork - it is more about smartwork.

CAT, as popularly believed, is not just the test of Quantitative or Verbal Prowess. The top B-schools are more interested in your ability to handle uncertainty and stress. Numerous studies conducted by psychoanalysts have shown that ’stress’, as opposed to general notion, is not entirely bad; it can have both a positive and a negative effect on us. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us into action; we all thrive under a certain amount of stress. Deadlines, competitions, confrontations, give us a new awareness and perspective. Simply put, stress can be our driving force. Thus, our goal should not be to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it in a way that it works for us rather than against us!

The mind plays a big role in belling the CAT. We need to eat, sleep, breathe CAT. There are no shortcuts here. What is required is total focus, irrespective of what we are doing at a given moment. For example, even when you watch television, you should subconsciously keep thinking about CAT.

CAT is all about our vision, which makes us see the tree and ignore the forest, while preparing for the 19-Nov D-Day. I’ll suggest you - don’t make it a Dreaded Day. CAT is not about selecting the best rocket scientist anyway. Managers need to have good all round skills and planning ability. That’s what you need to crack CAT.

All the best!