vikki: helo sir, i m now entering 3rd year am an engineering student .. am now studying in time.. i have to take cat 2010.. If i study from now,can i make it?how many hours should i prepare evryday?
sai: Yes you can certainly make it! You need to do regular work and put in around 1-2 hrs per day with a majority of time spent on Reading

stuti: sir,i am fresher how should i divide time for the each subject and i am weak in english esp rc
sai: If you are preparing for CAT09 then budget for around 4-5 hrs per day. Of this spend 2 hrs on Verbal and abt an hour each on QA and DI.

guddu: Now that the CAT is focussing on some real time practical questions in DI section as we saw in last CAT2008, how to proceed with the preparation??
sai: We will be replicating such Qs and situations in the AIMCAT series and the Study material and this should prepare you adequately for this section.

deepak: Hello Sir, Wanted to know what should b my strategy for cracking the Verbal section as i am weak in this area?
kranthi: make a conscious effort to add new words every day to your vocab .read regularly news paper editorials and write summary.read on varied topics.have a one on one session with your english faculty and discuss in detail.

muc9d507: hello sir, i have a problem in solving quant questions fast, so how shld i practise. i do understand the ques but cant solve the reqired no in the stipulated time
kranthi: practice regularly identify your weak areas and address them now.firm grasp of basics good problem selection and aacuracy can make vital difference.

stuti: if i want to get good marks in rc then which topics i have to read suggest related novels
kranthi: read articles on magportal.com.read articles on philosophy history economy polity science technology from news paper supplements.Magazines like frontline provide varied articles of cat level.

muc9d507: i also wanted to ask is it better if i attempt more of rc ques instead of verbal ability? how can i improve my va?
sai: Work on Grammar and Vocabulary to improve your Verbal performance. A strategy which depends on doing more RC Qs means that you are making an assumption that there will be lots of RC Qs. This need not be true this year. Prepare for your weak areas instead of trying to dodge it.

shalky180: hw shud i go abt with va section for cat2009
sai: Answered already. Check the transcripts

ashish: SIR ,I AM GETING SINGLE DIGIT MARKS IN DI AND QA,IN ONLINE MODULE TEST ALSO GETTING 10 ONLY
sai: It shows that your Basics are a problem. Please work on the Basics by working out the SMs 1-10 and then look at taking these tests.

vikki: Sir I'm ok at DI/LI. But I'm weak in verbal and very weak in quants. Suggest me a way to crack both of them. For verbal and quants ,should i refer any books in addition to our time books,sir?
kranthi: time material is sufficient.

exorcist: i have not started preparing for cat2010 .How do i start plzzz guide me
sai: Join a prep program and then attend classes regularly to get your concepts clear.

vikki: Sir,u said that I should spend a majority of time on reading. I don't understand.. Could u kindly tell me a bit more clearly? I mean are u saying that I should read verbal more ??
sai: By reading I meant the following: 1. Read a good quality English newspaper for an hour everyday. Cover all kinds of articles and special emphasis on editorials. 2. Read magazines and articles to improve the range of topics covered by you. 3. Work on Grammar by going through a book like Wren & Martin which will instill the basics 4. Work on Vocab and try to read atleast 20 new words a day till CAT2009 These steps alongwith regular solving of Qs in the Study Material given to you would go a long way in tackling this section

stuti: i have secured 79.50 in 10th, 65 in 12th and 64.70 in BA can i get the admission in top 20 collage
sai: Absolutely if you have a high CAT score

iimaaspirant: sir,is it possible to get admission in IIMA with 100% fee waiver,if so,whats the criteria?..
sai: If you are from an economically weak background with no financial support then it is possible to get fee waiver. Anyways this will come into the picture when you get a final selection. Start working on CAT prep to get the calls

muc9d507: wat shld be the number of attempts per section for a call from iims a,b,c?
sai: Depends on the difficulty level of the paper and the performance of others in 2009. Basically there is no safe attempts that one can fix before taking the exam.

ashish: IS ONLINE MODULE TEST QUESTION HAVING SAME STADARD AS CAT QUESTION
sai: Very high standard comparable to the CAT of previous years

guddu: Sir, some typical questions in DI section based on games-cricket and rounds etc..I really find it difficult to solve dat fast given the stipulated period of tym u hab got to do the same...i really find it impractical to solve or practice..is it worthy enuf to devote lots of tym to such types of questions wich ur almost sure ur not goin to attempt in the real CAT or even the AIMCATS??
kranthi: practice on these questions even if they are very time consuming because they are good fodder for thought and more importantly if an easy question appears based on those ideas u wont leave out.

stuti: i am arts graduate and i want to beat engg student in maths then how many hours i have to read maths daily and which topics ihave to more strong
sai: Allocate around 2-3 hrs for QA if you are really weak in it. DOnt assume that Engineers do well in QA. Infact most Engg fear QA the most!

iimaaspirant: iam getting 20 to 30 marks out of 60 ..in the online test provided by TIME..is it ok?..even though iam trying to impove my speed..iam unable to attend all questions and maximise score..pls suggest me..iam aiming for 8o% marks with 100% accuracy..is is ok?..pls comment on it..
sai: It is a decent score but there is a lot of scope for improvement. Figure out your weak areas and start working on the basics in those before taking any more Online tests.

muc9d507: how shld i prepare for va section?
sai: Answered already. Please refer to the transcripts.

pranu: i have the study material of previous year of TIME.can i use it to prepare for CAT 09
kranthi: go ahead but take online tests and mocks.

exorcist: How much weightage is given to cgpa in final selection. As my cgpa is not among highs i need to know whether i have a realistic chance of getting into iim's
kranthi: the details are available on our student homepage under selection criteria of various iims.

stuti: i solved the 10 sets DI AND LR daily is it sufficient or not if not then how many
sai: It is a good number provided you are learning and not making the same mistakes in every paper you solve

vikki: Wat r the books that are to be referred for quants and verbal?
sai: TIME Material is the best for this.

sri: How to master vocab sir? pls help
sai: Go through word lists and the root word approach to get meanings of words. In addition reading a lot helps add new words to your vocabulary. It is hard work but then that is the only way to ramp up your vocab by CAT09

pranu: HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY QUANT. WHICH AREAS ARE IMPORTANT FOR EXAM PURPOSE
kranthi: all areas are important focus on getting basics right speed will follow immediately.

dexter: Hello sir , i'm quite poor in vocab .... how to increase my vocab knowledge within november ?
sai: Answered already. Please refer to the transcripts.

anand: i hv passed my engg this year, my dob is 20 jan 86. if i give cat this year, i ll be 24 years till the results are out.will it diminish my chances of iim given i have no experience till this age?
sai: Answered

sudharsan: Sir i have prepared the timetable and working based on the time table.Sometimes i could not follow up with the timttable .Also after i have finished a topic and moving to next topic i am feeling that nothing remains in mind about the topic already studied and again i am strating from first
sai: Constant revision is the key to keep things fresh in memory. Budget for this revision as well in your time table

krish: i am an advanced correspondence course student and do not have all the online support that the regular students have. can you suggest other sources for online prep.
sai: We are working on a scheme by which you can upgrade and get additional online support. Wait for a mail from our end.

viktor: can i enroll for just the TIME test series for CAT?
sai: Yes you can. Please contact your nearest TIME center

ashish: SIR I AM HAVING 3 YEAR GAP BETWEEN 12TH AND BTECH,BECAUSE I HAVE DONE 2 YEAR BSC IN BETWEEN,HOWEVER NOT ABLE TO FINISH BSC BCOZ I JOINED BTECH,SO VL IT B CONSIDERED GAP IN ACADEMIC
kranthi: do well in he written test and give a cogent explanation for gap.

stuti: tell me the good novels related to the philsophy
kranthi: read works of j.krisna murthy eckhart tolle and life positive magazine. deepak chopra is also good.

benign: I am attending TIME coaching (Vashi).To get my doubts clarified by the faculty ,I am considering studying in the T.I.M.E Library.Kindly let me know the duration and days when I can study in the library.
sai: Please contact TIME Mumbai to clarify this

muc9d507: i make a lot of stupid mistakes while solving the ppr and also miss out the easy questions. how would i avoid doing this?
kranthi: do a random recheck of your responses.do the paper in two rounds one for questions which u can respond immediately and other for questions which need thinking.

ashish: HOW MUCH IT(GAP IN ACADEMIC) AFFECTS MY CHANCES OF GETTING TOP 20 COLLEGES PLZ EXPLAIN
sai: None whatsoever if you get a good %ile in CAT09

pranu: how many hours of study on a daily basis is required to crack CAT
kranthi: at least 3 hrs of quality effort.

iimaaspirant: pls suggest an ideal method in time allocation for attempting AIMCATS..and how much is ideal time to answer a single question if i iam for 100% tile?..
sai: 40 minutes to each section and 30 minutes as buffer towards the end to be allotted to the section where u havent done too well or there is a danger of you missing the cutoffs

viktor: will studying word lists like what people do for GRE help for CAT?
kranthi: yes.

raja: sir.should we enrol for the test series only after the free test on 28th??for concessions??
sai: Thats a good idea but then if you enrol now and get a good score in the free AIMCAT even then you are eligible for the discounts

raja: sir.should we enrol for the test series only after the free test on 28th??for concessions??
kranthi: go ahead and do that.

anand: i hv passed my engg this year, my dob is 20 jan 86. if i give cat this year, i ll be 24 years till the results are out.will it diminish my chances of iim given i have no experience till this age?
sai: No problem at all. There are hundreds like you who have made it to the IIMs with a similar profile. So stop worrying and start studying immediately

pranu: HOW much do i have to pay for the test series
sai: Contact your nearest TIME center for it.

raja: sir.should we enrol for the test series only after the free test on 28th??for concessions??
sai: Answered already. Please refer to the transcripts.

raja: sir.should we enrol for the test series only after the free test on 28th??for concessions??
sai: Answered already. Please refer to the transcripts.

pranu: i had scored 55%ile in CAT.can i improve my score and clear CAT this year
sai: Yes you can with proper effort and by understanding what went wrong last time and correcting it

pritam: how much time we need to crack the CAT exam?
sai: Around 3-4 months of serious effort with around 4-5 hrs a day atleast

krish: as part of the correspondence course i am allowed to write only 12 AIMCATS.will there be a package wherein i can pay an extra amount to avail the remaining AIMCATS.? i have been enquiring at the TIME office with regard to this, but, there hasnt been any definite response from them as yet.
sai: Yes there will be. Wait for a mail from us on this issue. You should get these details in the next day or two.

prasanna: sir i have completed my engg in 2008 and taking cat 09 will this gap matter at the time of admission?
sai: Answered already. Please refer to the transcripts.

vikki: Sir, i referred to the selection criteria of IIM's. It has been said that the top management institutes take the candidates with work experience .. Does that mean currently studying students like me won't get a chance to make it,since we don't have any experience???
sai: Thats not rue. There are many many students who have got in without any work ex. So stop worrying and start preparing for CAT09

rupesh: Hello Sir,Currently i m working as software engineer.will complete 2 years in next july2010, have 10th: 86% and 12th% 76 and engineering cgpa 8.9..but i dont have any extra curriculam certificates. will it affect my chances to get in IIMs?
sai: No it will not affect your chances. As long as you get 99+ you have great chances of an IIM Call

sun: Sir my percentanges are like... in 10th 67 inter 85 and b tech 68, i have 1 year work experince in infosys... do i hav chances to get calls from iims? in this case what should be my percentile?
sai: U require around 99+ %ile and you do have great chances of getting a call

sudharsan: IS there any topic we have to concentrate much in QA.Do we have any books for DI and QA other than time material which will provide the keys short cut method
sai: All topics are important and one should not try to limit the syllabus. Qs which can be worked out by a short cut are seldom given in CAT. CAT tests students on their understanding of the concepts. Work on concepts than short-cuts

pranu: is it nessesary to have a good score in 12th and graduation,to get into IIMor any top B-school
sai: Not really necessary. In case you do not have great scores a great CAT %ile will surely fetch you a call

raja: sir,in the online format since we cant see the whole paper at a time,it will be difficult to scan and find the easier questions.how to overcome that??
sai: Answered already. Please refer to the transcripts.

raja: sir,in the online format since we cant see the whole paper at a time,it will be difficult to scan and find the easier questions.how to overcome that??
sai: hence it becomes imperative that you prepare well in all areas. The format that the IIMs will use this year will determine the strategy. Let us wait for the bulletin before finalizing it.

vikki: Sir, my percentage r like this.. 86% in 10th. 76% in 12th.. 78% in college..I'm an OC community(FC)... Do i hav the chances to get calls from iim's?in this case waht should be my percentile?
sai: Yes you have good chances. For OBC the percentiles required will be around 95+

rakesh: I think I have a goood grip on vocab........But my reading comprehension exercises take a lot of time......Is there any thing I can do to improve it?
sai: Work constantly by reading diverse articles and this should help you improve on your speed as well

krish: i have just completed my engg. i scored 96% in CAT08. as of now , i am at home preparing for CAT09.for some reason i am not able to complete as much material as i would like to in a day.i feel i was more spirited last year inspite of having to attend college.how do i rectify my prep, also, am i being to optimistic about sitting at home and studying throughout the day?
kranthi: spend some time everyday on energizing and motivating urself by playing a sport or taking to yoga.

ankit.: sir my 10th and 12 percentage is 76, 62 resp. i have 2 year gap after 12th. now i am working as a mechanical engg. since 2 year. will this 2 year gap will create problem for me in getting admission? is this possible to get iim call on my profile?
kranthi: not impossible.

akram: hello sir....how u doin!! Sir, reading the vocabs, words from the cue cards is becoming a problem for me....i am doin a regular practice of pickng up some 20-25 new words from various parts of the newspaper(most of them frm the editorial)...Is this exercise good..and wat more can be added to it??
kranthi: it is good. do norman lewis and rosenblum.

iimaaspirant: i have 5 years of work experience with mechanical engineering degree ...i had quit my job to prepare for cat..i will be having 2 years of gap,by next year march..Will this be a hindrance for getting admission in iims,during interviews..?.
sai: Not at all. Work on clearing the written test and we will train you for the GDPI and how to explain the gap.

pritam: can i crack the CAT exam if will start prepration by 2moro?
kranthi: a few have suceeded in the past even after starting late.

raja: sir,in the online format since we cant see the whole paper at a time,it will be difficult to scan and find the easier questions.how to overcome that??
sai: Answered already. Please refer to the transcripts.

vikki: You hav told that if we don hav a good percentage in 12th and gradutaion, we can still get a chance by takin a good cat score... Is the vice versa also true?
sai: Yes it is

pranu: will low score in graduation and 12th pose a problem in getting a good placement
kranthi: u can undo the damage by doing well in the future.

rakesh: please suggest me the method of appraoching TIME Material for quant. Should I keep a tab on time and aim at finishing the exercise in a fixed span of time? Or should I give preference to accuracy first and think of time management later?
kranthi: give impotance to understanding concepts first.

prasanna: what are other exams that are likely to get online?
sai: Lets wait for the notifications to come

krissh: sir, i realise that there is very little time remaining for CAT 2009. besides the cat09 is online... how do i better my reading skills in a cbt ?
sai: Read articles online and try to maximise your speeed while working on your comprehension at the same time. This comes with practice hence there cant be a instant solution to this problem. Start reading and in a month or two you will notice the difference

vishal: is d work experience neccessory 2 get admitted in b-schools or iim's?
kranthi: no.

pranu: is it ok 2 take admission in a B-School or take a gap year and prepare 4 CAT
sai: If you are in a BSchool then it will be very difficult to prepare for CAT as the work load in MBA is very high

vikki: I always think to prepare hard for cat, but i won't execute it due to laziness.. i know its silly to tell u.. But still can u give us an encouraging words? i mean from ur experiences
kranthi: take up some regular activity like swimming sport or yoga that might help a big way to switch over to a positive mindset.

akram: Sir, one more question please.... Does every exam paper has about 8-10 pretty easy qustns in each section...that, with a good concept can be solved? Can we clear the cutoffs if we answer them correctly and thn go for the others..thanku sir!
kranthi: yes u should locate them.

venkat: hai sir i completed engg in2008 i am working in bpo my engg58.62% inter 63.2%,ssc66% will i have a chance get a good college
kranthi: yes do well in written.

pranu: is it nessecary to be good in quant,DIand verbal to crack CAT
kranthi: u should clear the cutoff in all three.

pritam: which TIME center is best in mumbai?
kranthi: go to the nearest centre.

guddu: Sir,will CAT 2009 be orgainsed in the month of December dis yr????
kranthi: yes in all likelihood.