Many of you are studying hard for the Common Admission Test scheduled for November 19, 2006. Some of you fear the Quantitative Ability section of this exam, which deals with maths.

ARKS Srinivas and Rahul Reddy of T.I.M.E (a CAT training institute) suggested some strategies during a chat with readers on August 2, on how to ace Quant: "Try to give at least 50 minutes for Quant. Focus for the next two weeks on numbers and plane geometry -- the most important chapters. Every time you take a mock CAT test, check out the Web site for easy questions after going home."

For who missed the chat, here's the transcript:  

arkssrinivas says, Hi i am arkss from T.I.M.E

Rahul says, hi I am Rahul from TIME. So any questions On CAT 2006, pls shoot

aman asked, is cat 06 going to add essays

arkssrinivas answers, It is very unlikely that essays may be inlcuded, assessment of so many essays being the least of the reasons.  

pradeep asked, Typically whats the expected score to do a doctorate in the B schools. Would appreciate if anyone can answer that. Thanks

Rahul answers, The cut-offs for the Fellowship programme are expected to be slightly lower than for the PGP program, however profile is very important for final selection.  

Samik asked, Is Reading Comprehension going to be a separate section or it will be amalgamated with verbal section?

arkssrinivas answers, It is highly unlikely that Reading Comprehension will be separated from Verbal Ability.  

Dharam asked, Hi Rahul plz tell sylabus of CAT06 for Science graduate with PCM..... as i m new and dont have any idea about it

Rahul answers, The syllabus is same for all graduates. English skills, math skills and reasoning skills.

maverick83 asked, hi i am rahul i am scoring around 28-34 in english and 14-20 in di but i am not able to clear the cut off in 3 mocks i have given so far pls suggest something i am in a kind of shell when it comes to quant

Rahul answers, Hi, one check time taken for each section. Try to give at least 50 minutes for Quant. Focus for the next two weeks on Numbers and Plane Geometry the most important Quant chapters. Every mock you take go home and check out the web site for easy questions.

rucha asked, hi, i am working in a top IT firm.i began my CAT prep in march and want to know how can I make the best use of these 3 months.plz tell me how many hours i should study daily n its distributuin among EU/RC , QA and DI

arkssrinivas answers, Three to four hours REGULARLY on a weekday .Try to spend more time on weekends as you  might be off on weekends. Try to spend more time on your weak areas and at the same time please don't forget spending time on you are strong areas.

anjireddy asked, hi arks and rahul, i am from telugu medium background. so i am unable to cope up with english section in all mock cats. how to improve my vocab and how to improve my RC section. suggest some books to improve my vocab and reading speed

Rahul answers, Hi While books do help to certain extent, you might benefit from some proffessional guidance For cocabulary you can try Word Power Made Easy. For Reading Comprehension you need to practise your general reading.  

BLACKI asked,  Would u explain please why IIM's need to increase 54% seats as OBC Quota is 27%. What is the mechinism of seats calculation.?

Rahul answers, Hi. The logic was to give 27 per cent reservation and yet retain the same number of open category seats.

maverick83 asked, hi i am rahul i am scoring around 28-34 in english and 14-20 in di but i am not able to clear the cut off in 3 mocks i have given so far pls suggest something i am in a kind of shell when it comes to quant

arkssrinivas answers, Tackle the Quant questions considering five to six questions at a time choosing the easiest of the lot.

BLACKI asked, Hello Sir. What is the current senario of OBC Quota implementation? Would it be implemented from this year or postponed for next 4 years?

Rahul answers, As per latest news it looks like the IIMs will be given the autonomy to implement the reservation in a phased manner over three to four years.  

sunil panchanathhan asked, hoe many attemps are their in cat

arkssrinivas answers, No fixed number of attempts yet.  

siddhesh asked, hi rahul n arkssrinivas ...my qn :VA is clearly the most crucial section in cat06 ... so for scoring high -how much time to devote for VA ?

Rahul answers, Hi. No hard and fast rule. 40 to 50 minutes should do. VA should be a little fast and RC a little slower.  

cataspirant asked, Hello sir, CAT brochure, page (C), points 13,14,15 pertain to degree certificate and mark sheet etc. that have to submitted. I have a provisional degree certificate from V.T.U.(Vishveswariah Technological university) which indicates that I have secured above 70%. It also indicates how the university has awarded the final percentage. Is it enough or do I need marksheet(s) also? As such eighth semester marksheet is not available ? Pls clarify

Rahul answers, Hi. A provisional degree is enough if it mentions final percentage.  

arvind asked, greetings Mr.Rahul...in a scale of 10 how much will u rate bharatidasan institue of mangament(BIM)in tamil nadu

arkssrinivas answers, If the best IIM scores 10 then BIM would be around five to six on a non-linear scale.  

kvy asked, I have got interested recently in CAT 06. Is it the right time to take the decision. If I am just an above average student...

Rahul answers, Hi Why give up without trying Any preparation done for CAT 2006 will anyway be useful for 07 in case you don't take it so give it a 100 per cent try.  

mehtajionline asked, what should be done to improve accuracy in grammar/sentence-correction question...i hav been readin newspaper/magazines regularly...is goin bck to a grammar book advisable...???plz reply

Rahul answers, Hi. Lots of reading from good sources. And yes, review from grammar book.

cat asked, APPLYING TO MANY COLLEGES IS COSTLY

arkssrinivas answers, Yes. Depending on your performance in the MOCKCATS, and your preferences choose few.  

cat asked, APPLYING TO MANY COLLEGES IS COSTLY

Rahul answers, Hi. We need to apply to about six to eight colleges at least. Take the help of experts who can tell you:

1. Which colleges are good?

2 Whether you have a chance based on your Mock scores.  

hari asked, hai iam 28 year old i got 4 year industrial exp and mtech degree in power system engg presently i work for bsnl in as jto direct recruted ...will iget any added advantage for admission in iims and iam i eligible for lateral placement or is it mandatory to have exp from core sectors...

Rahul answers, Hi. All experience is valid, including core sector work experience. Lateral is possible depending on the skill sets the companies are looking for and the premium they are willing to pay.  

hari asked, hai iam 28 year old i got 4 year industrial exp and mtech degree in power system engg presently i work for bsnl in as jto direct recruted ...will iget any added advantage for admission in iims and iam i eligible for lateral placement or is it mandatory to have exp from core sectors...

arkssrinivas answers, For a few IIMs you will have an advantage. Yes you are eligible for lateral placements.  

hemant asked, wat u think how many questions wil b there in this year's paper??

arkssrinivas answers, CAT is unpredictable.  

juni asked, Sir i need detailed information about CAT Coaching Centers in Delhi [Images]

Rahul answers, Hi. Please check www.time4education.com for details. TIME has a number of centers in Delhi.  

sunil panchanathhan asked, my q is is their anu -ve marking in CAT 2006

Rahul answers, Hi, one-third of the allotted marks would be the negative marking.  

sayed asked, what is the age limit for cat ?

Rahul answers, None.  

javid asked, i m working in mnc and have total 3 years experience now i want to crack CAT 2007 So i need deatiled information how should i start prepration i am just averange student?

arkssrinivas answers, For detailed information you need to personally appraoch any TIME centre.

kvinayak asked, how many sections will CAT have?

Rahul answers, As mentioned in brochure three.  

sayed asked, what is the age limit for writing CAT and how to register for CAT exam...Can I still register for this year's exam?

Rahul answers, No age limit. Can buy bulletin and form from UTI branches

Prahalad asked, Sir, this is my second attempt at CAT.I have started giving the mock cats and am doing pretty well.Even last year i started well but eventually couldnt keep up the momentum till the D-day.What do u think i must do to continue doing well??

Rahul answers, Don't thank of last year. If you are doing well this year just keep it up.  

Rajes_sh asked, Hello Sir , Is it ok to appear for CAT at 36yrs of age with 13 yrs of corporate experience. Will experience benefit in the selection process ?

arkssrinivas answers, Going by the present trend you will definitely not stand any disadvantage. Depending on your nature of work experience and the organisation, you can have a considerable advantage also.

Munish asked, hello sir what type of paper can we expect this time?? diff and fewer questions or easier quetions in 2.5 hr cat.

Rahul answers, Hi cutoffs as specified by the IIM A in the brochure are higher than last year. So I expect same level of difficulty or easier with half an hour more.  

satya asked, Hi im satya Working as software Engg. But I dont know wheather my company will provide Experience sertificate for me or not at the time of the INterview. so what would be the remedy for it?

Rahul answers, Hi, hope you have the appointment letter. The appointment letter and the latest pay slip will give prove the duration of work experience.  

Dilip asked, Hi Rahul,please answer my question: My score is not consistent in English section inspite of giving 55 minutes on english section :( but doing very good in quant and DI. I alwyas score more than 99 percentile overall in TIME AIMCAT but sometimes i am not able to cut off the clear in english section which makes me down. Could you please suggest me something so that i can safely clear the cut off in english section in worst sceanaro also.

Rahul answers, Hi, please try to look at accuracy levels. If accuracy is less than 70 per cent try to reduce attempts a little and focus on accuracy. Try to analyse exactly what type of questions that you make max mistakes. Don't try to attempt RC too fast.  

mudgaltarun_1 asked, Sir,there were some rumours that slowly the weightage given to the CAT in the whole selection process will decrease slowly(in IIMS) How much true is that?

arkssrinivas answers, CAT is very reknowned and unique in India and abroad as a premier exam It is unlikely that the weightage for CAT will go down.  

hw asked, i joind in time chennai recently for cat06 1week before.. how much time i should spend to crack the cat iam above avg student working in bsnl

Rahul answers, Hi. The important thing is regularity. Spend at least three hours every day and little more on weekends. Also keep in touch with all the areas of CAT.  

rexanu asked, for number systems problem,which book should i refer.

Rahul answers, Quantitative Aptitiude Author Trishna Knowledge Systems Publisher Pearson education.  

abs asked, wht r the future prospects for consultancy?? if i want to do my mba from IIFT??

arkssrinivas answers, For top three to four consultancy, you need to graduate from IIM-A,B,C only.

Rajes_sh asked, You asked, Hello Sir , Is it ok to appear for CAT at 36yrs of age with 13 yrs of corporate experience. Will experience benefit in the selection process ?

Rahul answers, Hi. Getting into IIMs is possible, but careerwise/placement wise it might be better to look at one year executive management course from ISB or IIM-A, B or C.  

saurabh jain asked, hello sir me time student does my 12th % matters??

Rahul answers, Very little.  

viv asked, do u need to apply to all top colleges(other than IIM'S)now itself

arkssrinivas answers, Every college has its own deadlines. Please refer to their notifications and depending on your performance in Mock CATs, you need to deceide when and where to apply.  

Abhi asked, Hi, I am having 5years work ex in IOCl. I have started my preparation right now for CAT 2006. What shud be the right strategy keeping in mind that my work schedule is very tough???

Rahul answers, Hi. Lots of working guys, all have tight schedules. Understand the fact that the prority is changing your life So somehow find two to three hours everyday.Use leaves, request plead with bosses, load collegues sometimes, anything possible to get time till Nov

BLACKI asked, HeLLO ARKS & RAHUL I am working as software developer (from July-06), but I also have 8 months experience of Family Business. So it will be consider negative that the mixture of both business & service. Should I mention both in CAT Application Form.

Rahul answers, Hi. Variety in experience is good. No need to hide it. Make sure you know the in and outs of the family business for the international stage.  

rohit asked, I did BE in 99 what wud be gud for me 2years MBA or 1 year & what abt placements will age be bar

Rahul answers, Hi. One year might be better.  

kvy asked, I have got interested recently in CAT 06. Is it the right time to take the decision to preapare and write Cat this year?. If I am just an above average student...

arkssrinivas answers, Depending on the time you can spare for you to prepare, you have a chance.  

vipin asked, Ideally what is the time period required to prepare for cat. previouly (about 7 years back ) i cleared the XLRI written

arkssrinivas answers, Seven years is too long a period. However, six months of determined effort should be sufficient in most cases.  

sunny asked, is this time for preparing cat 2006 ok or i look at 2007

arkssrinivas answers, If you are entirly new to CAT and such exams, you should look at CAT 2007.  

shoumik asked, Hi,Do mark sheets need to be submitted along with application or is it only required for verification once you qualify?

Rahul answers, Hi. This time you need marksheet to rpove that you have above 50 per cent. 

satya asked, Hello sir Pls answer my Question: Am i should compulsary produce the Experiance certificate? If i unable to produce any evidence for my job will they consider my Experiance by asking Questions about the Job?

arkssrinivas answers, Yes and questions will be asked on your expectations.  

abhay asked, Hi, I am doctor by profession with PG in medicine.I want to persue my career in management now .What would be the better choice ISB or IIM? How long it will take to prepare for GMAT?

Rahul answers, Hi. ISB might be a little better in terms of global opportunities. GMAT would take about three months of solid preparation.

pinubakshi asked, hi sir, i hav scored 85% in ssc, hsc as well as tybcom.. does this brighten my chances 4 admsn?

Rahul answers, Hi. Not much. CAT is the key factor.  

rexanu asked,  sir,i am working and i have started preparing for cat from july ..how many hours should i devote now for studies.also whatever i have studied most of them are haphazard.pleaz help

arkssrinivas answers, About four hours per day and on weekends try tp spend more time.

ram asked, i am a b.sc candidate ,which institutes are good enough to apply?

arkssrinivas answers, Depending on your performance in mock CAT tests? You need to select the intitutes.  

shan asked, Hi Rahul,. I am asking this question thrice in a row without being answered :( i have 2 1/2 yrs of exp in software, want to pursue mba to switch my field . question is will companies from other field consider my exp while extending the offer letter..?

Rahul answers, Hi. Your work experience would give you lateral placment in IT or maybe consulting. But, if you are keen on finance or marketing, go ahead and do it. So what if you don't get lateral placement. Even the regular placements are very good and the key is to do what you want in life.  

hyc67402 asked, hi sir how can i improve english to clear the cuttoff pls respond me

Rahul answers, Hi. Read a lot, extensive reading on different articles, philosophy economics, etc. Check out words, roots and usage. Review basic grammar.  

saurabh jain asked, sir can u suggest sme book DI i am very weak in DI part

Rahul answers, Hi. No good books are available which track recent trends in DI. Write mock CAT tests.

BLACKI asked, In the article of Times of India as dated on 31-July-2006(Monday) on Pg no. 11. there is a in formation that 6 IIMS goning to increase 163 seats for 2007-09 batch ,is it for OBC's or for General or For all All categories?

arkssrinivas answers, For all categories.  

harsh asked, Is Trishna's quantitative ability book available at all TIME centres?

Rahul answers, Hi. I can't be sure, please e-mail a centre or call before going to buy.  

Saquib asked, Any specific area/sections to concentrate for FPM program of IIM A

Rahul answers, Hi, first do well in CAT. Then plan carefully for interviews. Focus on why you want to do an FPM programme and what career plan you have.  

Aps asked, hi, i am in baroda..i want to apply for times test series..as you dont have any centers in baroda and i cannot go on sundays as sunday is a working day...so how can i apply for coresspondence test series

Rahul answers, Hi try to take a correspondance course but do give the AIMCATs say at Ahmedabad [Images]. The giving of AIMCATs at test venue is very different from taking it at home. You also get an all India analysis and comparision.  

kalyan asked, sir ,i haven't joined any classes but am attending time's mockcats. my DI scores are very low. i just don't know how to improve them . i mean those with logic nvolved along with graphs... pl advice me...

Rahul answers, Hi, solve all Data Interpretation questions after you reach home. Try to spend time understanding the question before solving.  

satya asked, As many persons said we will get more time in the Exam(150 min) but the number of Question are increased from 90 to 150(i think so) so Whats the change in CAT, ?

arkssrinivas answers, The IIMs which set the time for the exam have increased the duration from 120 to 150 minutes. However, it's not mentioned anywhere that that the questions have increased. To know more about the changes, read What's new in CAT 2006.

ram asked, i am now with infosys. i am in training period .can i use it as work experience for CAT?

Rahul answers, Yes.