How to prepare for CAT?
CAT or Common Admission Test is one of the toughest national level Entrance exams to get into top B schools of India . It is a very comprehensive exam that checks the verbal and analytical skills of the candidate which are extremely necessary skills for a fruitful career in business management.With CAT 2021 to be held on nov 28 here are some tips and tricks to ace the exam.
Understanding the paper pattern It is very essential to understand the structure of the exam before even starting the preparation. According to the new pattern introduced in 2020 the exam duration will be of 120 mins .The paper will comprise of three sections implying 40 minutes for each section.The three sections are- Verbal ability and Reading Comprehensions (VARC) with 26 questions , Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) with 24 questions and Quantitative Aptitude with 26 questions leading to a total of 76 questions.
How to nail CAT 2021:- With CAT 2021 being just one month away, applicants should begin actively preparing for it right away. You'd have to study for six to eight hours a day. Revise all of the ideas and formulas on a frequent basis to keep them fresh in your mind till the test day. Revise them in light of their relevance to various sorts of queries. During the test, you will have to make a split-second decision on which theory to apply to a specific topic. Increase the number of CAT practise exams and mock papers.
It doesn't matter how you prepare for the exam via coaching or through self study but what matters is your patience, hard work and a lot of dedication. Here are some tips for preparation through coaching and self study.
Preparation with the help of coaching:- Be it self study or Coaching one has to keep aside 6 to 7 hours for study. But the perk of coaching is that you will get to meet the teachers who will mentor you and guide you on each step. Also the coaching institute will provide you with all CAT study materials and practise tests, as well as guiding you through difficult subjects and problems. One disadvantage of coaching is that you will have to attend rigourses classes of 5 to 6 hours on a daily basis along with the time you need for self study.
Preparation through self study:- If you are planning to study for CAT on your own don't be scared because each year many students clear it and score a good percentile without the aid of any coaching. You just need to start a little early in terms of your preparation and you need to stay connected with other peers having the same goal. You can join online study groups on telegram, youtube , facebook etc. Buy all the recommended books and start studying . Make a timetable and a monthly plan to keep your targets in check . This will not only help you in your preparation but will also help boost your morale. Solve a lot of past year papers and mocks provided by various institutes and understand what is the objective of the examiner .Practice a lot and choose the right questions to solve keeping in mind the time limit.
How to ace Verbal ability and reading Comprehension(VARC) section ? Reading as much as possible is one of the most significant strategies to prepare for the CAT VARC exam. Apart from the 8 Verbal Ability Question, the candidate is asked to read and answer 4 paragraphs in this portion, therefore reading speed is critical (representing the CAT 2020 Exam Pattern). As a result, raising your reading speed to the point where you can finish the RC part in 40 minutes with the VA section in 20 minutes will enable you to attempt as many questions as possible with respectable accuracy.To improve your CAT preparation, you should set aside one hour each day for the VARC portion.
For vocabulary based questions -To answer these questions, you'll need a combination of vocabulary, reading, and thinking abilities. Knowing what a word means isn't enough; you also need to know what situations the term may be used in. It will be simple if you have a good knowledge of how a term is used in context.Try to decipher a term using etymology, or the study of root meanings.
For the grammar based questions- follow the rules and learn the various parts of speech, their uses, and the rules that apply, or practise the types of questions that are asked and learn the types of errors that lead to questions about error detection or sentence correction. Once you've become familiar with the many sorts of errors, a lot of practise will help you cross the line.
How to prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning? At least 2 hours per week should be set out for DILR. You should strive to complete two sets of Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation problems in the one-hour time limit. The CAT has been trending towards problems that combine Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, blurring the borders between the section's themes. As a result, you might want to try as many DILR Questions as feasible.
The hard thing with DILR is that it isn't math and there isn't a formula. It is logic-based and necessitates some computation and counting. That is, it is a talent to be learned rather than a piece of information to be retained. The key here is mental calculation. Don't use the calculator to improve your grip on DILR; instead, utilise your intellect. The DILR part of the CAT can only be learned with practising; the more you practise, the more accurate you will become.
How to prepare for Quantitative Ability? There is no other way to do well in this part but to go over each and every chapter thoroughly. Memorize the basics and theories with the focus on Numbers, and Algebra . You should emphasise numbers since Algebra will benefit from 40-50 percent of your fundamental number ideas.This does not mean that you should concentrate solely on these areas, as the CAT is known to surprise applicants from time to time. As a result, Geometry and Modern Math should be fully learned so that you can attempt all of the questions on the exam.
Attempting Mock Tests and Sample Papers:- Solving sample problems and taking online mock exams is an important part of CAT exam preparation. Candidates should practise around 50-60 CAT mock exams during their preparation period. While October is the best time to begin full-fledged mock exams, experts recommend that applicants complete topic-by-topic sample questions while studying for greater concept clarity.
Solve each of the topic's questions at least three times while studying it. You will grasp the question and reasoning in the first try, be able to solve it accurately in the second attempt, and be able to solve it with accuracy in less time in the third attempt.
The goal of practising CAT mock exams should be to improve your speed and accuracy when answering the two-hour long question paper. Increase your endurance so that you can sit through the same duration without becoming mentally or physically fatigued. If the results aren't encouraging at first, don't become discouraged; continue to analyze deficiencies and work on them. Only by succeeding on mock exams can you succeed on the CAT or any other MBA admission exam.
Smart work rather than Hard work You will be unstoppable if you understand the importance of smart work in the entrance exams like CAT. For instance it is not at all necessary to attempt all the questions in the paper but it is important to judge and sort out the questions at one glance that can be solved in less time and with accuracy as a wrong answer will lead to negative marking with the wastage of ur time that is already limited, attempting those questions first that you are most confident about and leaving the rest for the later which will give you moral support, keeping calm and trusting yourself and your hard work.
“All the best!!”
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