Top 5 Myths About CAT Debunked

Top 5 Myths About CAT Debunked

CAT aspirants often hear a variety of rumors about the exam. A lot of them are misleading, while some are downright terrifying. Everyone has their own ‘expert’ opinion, and you can get lost in the sea of rumors from the internet or your friends or your long-distance cousins. But how much of what your bhaiya and didi are telling you is actually true?  

Probably not a lot because an expert opinion has to come through an expert.We are breaking down some of the most popular myths surrounding the CAT exam so that you stop getting misguided by random rumors. So, get your tub of popcorn because we are debunking these myths so that you can go back and study with peace. 

Ready? Let’s go!

Myth 1: CAT is insanely difficult
“CAT is crazy tough!” is one of the common refrains associated with the CAT exam. We can guarantee that almost every student preparing for their exams has heard it at least once.

Is it true? Well, only partially. Well, no one is saying that CAT is super easy and you can just walk in and ace the exam. Indeed, the CAT is a highly prestigious exam that can serve as a gateway to top-tier B schools. However, it's really not exceptionally tough, not something that will haunt you in your dreams. In fact, the CAT conducting body has reduced the difficulty level a lot in the last few years to enhance the scope for diversity of students and make it less of an exclusively engineering student-friendly exam. All you need is to prepare hard and have the correct strategy and a proper daily routine.

Myth 2: You need to be a pro at maths
Arey, CAT ki maths tough hoti hai yar jane de! Has math been part of your nightmares while growing up? Don't worry; you can still crack the CAT exam. Students worried about their math skills are mostly afraid of the Quantitative Aptitude section.Believe this or not, scoring well on this paper is less about your last math percentage and more about your basics. Students with average scores in their boards have done it and you can too. Just remember you don't have to be a math prodigy. This is more about understanding the fundamentals. The topics covered are mostly the concepts you studied in your 9th and 10th. Here, the key is to thoroughly grasp the concepts and master their application in various scenarios. After all, the essence of management is to test how well you can solve problems and CAT tests your ability to test your ability to think critically under pressure. Just keep practicing till you have it at your fingertips.

Myth 3: CAT is easier for Engineering students

This is another popular and unfounded myth. While it is true that CAT requires very strong analytical skills, it does not exclusively favor people who are from an engineering background.
If you can think logically, break down problems, and apply what you have learned, you can crack the CAT 2025 exam if you practice and study hard enough, irrespective of your educational stream.

In fact, one could say that the VARC section of the CAT is tough for engineering students. This is because, as many of them generally have confessed, their grasp of the English language was quite weak.

Myth 4: Female candidates don't do well in CAT

This sexist myth is based on the perception that engineering students are mostly male and, of course, math. However, the fact is that the number of female students appearing for an MBA is far less than males.Thus, the participation of women in CAT is less compared to men. That does not mean that women score less than men on exams. It also stems from the myth that women are weaker in mathematics, which has no scientific basis. We could really go on debating over this forever. In the past few years, the number of female candidates performing well has steadily gone up. The socio-economic factor heavily affects girls, yet they are growing. CAT 2024 results saw just 1 female candidate scoring 100 percentile, but who knows, you might be the next female topper.

Myth 5: CAT scores guarantee a seat in the IIM

There is this popular perception that the CAT exam is chiefly associated with the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs).

But that isn’t quite true. Not only do the IIMs take CAT scores, but over 1200 business schools in India do as well. Colleges like FMS-Delhi, MDI-Gurgaon, IMT-Ghaziabad, and another hundred take admission through CAT.

Additionally, it is important to remember that scoring well here does not guarantee that you will be accepted into an IIM. Although it is a VIP pass, even if the journey is longer.

Now that we have debunked all these myths for you, you can stop overthinking if you can't make it! So many students like you have done it before and you can too. All you need is the right mentorship, a foolproof strategy, and hard work.
Study hard and shine in life!

Sambhavi Prakash, SEO Content Writer, Rodha