CAT (Common Admission Test) : Preparation Tips for Aspiring Students in Forthcoming Years !!

Overview: 

CAT is the entrance of the PG courses of management. Many graduate students give this exam to get admission into top management colleges of the country to pursue MBA/PGDM, PGPX, etc. Clearing this exam with self-study can be daunting, but it is possible. If you are preparing for this exam at home, then it demands a solid study plan which is further discussed.

Best Strategies for starting preparation for CAT

MAKE STUDY PLAN

As we advance, I’d like to share some tips for CAT preparation that I used to follow. The first would be to build a concise study plan ensuring adequate time for each section. Depending on your strength, you should give more weight to the areas that need more focus. Next should be to brush up on the basics. Candidates from a non-engineering background should brush up on their mathematics from the syllabus of classes 6 to 10. After revising the formulas from algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and number systems, you should switch to solving problems.

WORK SMARTER

After making a schedule and repeating the mantra daily, I was excited to begin, and the day held such promise. I sat down and started a question. My friend, it took me 3 hours, and I still couldn’t solve it. You probably won’t persevere for as long as I did, which is good. But this tip is for people like me. I realized late and hard that you do not gain any brownie points for solving a question alone. 

Learn Effective Time Management

Time management is more critical than ingenious thinking. This lesson helped me set the bricks and pave my path toward clearing the CAT exam. Don’t allow yourself to feel some false pride at struggling with a question alone. Instead, look at the solution first, and make it your goal to familiarise yourself with the steps to solve the question to such an extent that you can solve it in your sleep.  

If you are preparing for the CAT exam then follow the given instructions 

Know the Exam Pattern and Syllabus

To prepare for CAT, one must be thorough with the syllabus and conducting body. That’s the first step towards preparation. For instance, CAT stands for Common Admission Test and is conducted once a year by IIMs in CBT mode. The exam duration is 120 minutes, and 66 questions are asked. 

The exam is only conducted in the English language throughout the country. Therefore, you must know your syllabus by heart and should solve past papers to fully understand the exam pattern and nature of the exam.

Utilise Best Resources and Practice Papers

After going through the exam pattern, get an idea of the syllabus and collect resources accordingly. Make sure to opt for reliable and certified sources and books to study for the exam. Buy reliable books and revise them repeatedly. It’s better to study one book ten times than to study ten books. 

Next, the vital step in CAT preparation is solving the papers at home. Solve past papers to get an idea of the exam, then solve mock papers or enrol yourself in the test series. You can join any test series that suits you best but make sure to join one. 

Follow CAT exam syllabus

The CAT exam syllabus demands a lot of practice and time management during exams, and the best way to practice is through these mock test series. 

PRACTISE MAKES A MAN PERFECT

The next tip would be to practice as many questions as possible, but as the test date approaches, you should prioritize reviewing the questions you have already done. All through your preparation, you should lay an equal emphasis on reviewing your answers and solving questions. You should set aside some time for studying every day. This would help build a habit, and consistent practice is key to cracking the exam. I would also recommend using some variant of the Pomodoro technique to maximize your productivity during your study sessions. I used to follow the 55-5 method, where I studied for 55 minutes and then relaxed for 5 minutes, but this depends on your attention span. During the CAT exam, speed of calculation is critical. You have an on-screen calculator, but it is very time-consuming to use. It would help if you memorized the multiplication tables, squares, and cubes up to 20. Spend 20 minutes daily doing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The point is that yAou should be able to do 349+217 as quickly as 4+5.

CAT MOCKS

Coming to the most crucial tip, taking CAT exam mocks. You should take CAT exam mocks seriously and strive to improve your scores from one CAT Exam mock to the next. Analyze a CAT mock test for at least 6 to 9 hours. Think of mock exams as the real thing, and always be prepared! Endeavor to live a warrior’s life. You will then find the CAT exam to be a breeze. There is no reason to dread tests. Mock exams will help you identify your weak areas. Depending on the analysis results, you may then concentrate on solving additional questions from your weaker section to ensure that you fully understand each idea before taking the test. Tests with time constraints also aid in increasing problem-solving speed.

ACCURACY

And last but not the least, applicants need to concentrate on accuracy. Since the CAT uses negative marking, it is imperative that you should avoid making any guesswork and focus on answering the questions accurately. Candidates should take time to comprehend each question to prevent incorrect responses.

Conclusions

Analyse your mock test. 

You need to analyse every mock test you solve to avoid repeating the mistakes you’ve made in them. Your test papers are your mirror, so analyse your paper and surpass your weaknesses.  

Adequate Revision

Not revising enough when the syllabus is vast; one tends to forget easily, so ensure you include regular revision sessions in your study routines.

Clear Doubts

Not clearing doubts the same day. If you get any doubts while studying, make sure to get rid of all your doubts and not bottle them up. Not asking for doubts will blur your understanding of topics and cost you marks in the main exam.