Where can I get the previous year’s CAT question paper? What are the benefits of attempting a CAT question paper?

CAT exam is a prerequisite for admission into different management courses of the IIMs. It is considered one of the toughest and most competitive exams as most of the MBA aspirants across the nation appear for the exam every year. 

The most significant aspect of Common Admission Test (CAT) exam preparations is solving the previous year’s CAT question papers. These question papers are set by IIM every year on a rational basis. CAT exam papers can be best used when there is not much time left for appearing in exams. One or two months prior is considered good. The best thing to gain confidence in to appear for the final examination is practicing from these past year’s papers. 

Solving and practicing from past year papers and mock tests before exams will help you get familiar with the exam patterns. They also help students figure out their strengths and weaknesses and boost confidence, which is undoubtedly the most important quality needed to qualify for CAT exams. The examinations are going to be held on November 28, 2021, in online mode. 

Read the full article to know about the source of the previous year’s papers and the benefits of attempting the CAT examination question paper.

From where can I get the previous year’s CAT question papers?

BYJU’S Exam Prep provides CAT’s previous year papers for 2018, 2019, and 2020 along with solutions. The experts have compiled the previous exam papers that help students prepare effectively for the CAT 2021 exam. It gets imperative to have a basic idea about the exam and its pattern. CAT 2021 saw some changes in the exam pattern. The number of questions was 76 instead of 100, making the total marks 228 instead of 300.

The online CAT exam contains three sections:

• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
• Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
• Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

The candidates are given 120 minutes to solve the paper, which is conducted in online mode. The exam has section-wise timings, and candidates are required to clear the minimum cut-offs to be eligible for further rounds of selection.  

Benefits of attempting the CAT question paper

Solving past year papers helps you get acquainted with the types, the pattern of questions asked, and the difficulty level through which you can further set a timetable accordingly by analyzing the present status of your preparation. There are numerous advantages for those who are solving past year CAT exam papers before the final examination. It not only helps in boosting your confidence but also gives you an extra edge over other students. A few of the benefits of solving past year papers for CAT are as follows:

• Helps to understand frequent and most important concepts
• Helps you with time management.
• Practicing CAT exam papers helps determine the best way of solving the paper, including minimum and maximum marks.
• Helps in understanding the trends followed by the institute.
• Helps devise problem-solving techniques.
• It helps in determining the strengths and weaknesses before an exam.

When to start practicing the previous year’s papers?

Candidates must start solving the previous year’s papers only once they have completed the whole syllabus for any one section. Suppose a candidate is new to it and does not possess much information about the pattern. 

In that case, it is recommended to look at the CAT question papers to get a good idea of the exam and get familiar with the exam pattern and the type of questions. But one should not start solving them as this will not be fruitful in any way. Thus, you must make sure that you have completed the syllabus of CAT examinations before solving them and know the formulas and theorems well. 

The perfect time to solve them is three months before the examination.   

CAT mentors and toppers recommend solving 30 to 40 papers before attempting the CAT 2021 examinations. However, it is subjective and varies from candidate to candidate. 

To know more about the CAT examinations, eligibility criteria, test series, preparation tips, quizzes, free videos, and many more, do visit BYJU’s Exam Prep.