Every year lakhs of students take the Common Admission Test (CAT), arguably the third most-challenging entrance examination in India after the JEE and the UPSC, to secure a seat at one of the prestigious IIMs or other top-tier management institutes. But what are the odds of making it? 1 in 100. It is because most aspirants do not possess one of two things: the tools to develop the immense mental strength that is needed to crack such high-stakes exams or precise strategies to tackle the different challenges the exam throws up. If, however, they possess these two skills, they might miss out on the third part — information. What makes this test different from the JEE or UPSC exams is that selection is not based on the test alone but on the academic and professional profile of the applicants as well. Many aspirants lack this critical information. Most CAT-preparation books are focused on the specific sections of the exam and, therefore, fail to provide a holistic understanding of what the exam really is.

Bell the CAT is one of a kind since, unlike all the other books in the Indian MBA test-prep space, it goes beyond focusing on specific subjects and delves deep into the things that prevent test-takers from making it to an IIM. The book intends to provide aspirants with all the skills beyond math, logic and English–mental conditioning, test-taking strategies, profile-building and interview prep–that are necessary not just to crack CAT and make it to some of the most elite institutions in the country–the IIMs–but also to get recruited by elite employers in different domains.