This is very high time for CAT 2017 aspirants, as CAT for which they have prepared very hard is just 9 days away. But it is crucial that you stay calm during this imperative period and devise a strategy that keeps you focused and on track till you finished your CAT 2017 exam on November 26, 2017. Make a proper strategy to take the fruit of your hard work. Pre-planning and a systematic approach for any exam will help you to optimise your performance.
The CAT experts mentioned the importance of time management, accuracy, and revision during the three hour CAT 2017 exam time along with the techniques to select questions, and the number of questions to attempt in order to achieve high percentile.
We’re assuming that by now you have covered all the major topics of the three sections of the exam and this is primarily the time to practice and revise for the final showdown. AfterGraduation brings 9 preparation strategy for CAT aspirants to crack CAT 2017 which need follow in order to crack CAT 2017 exam.
Mock Tests
The CAT Mock tests help CAT aspirants to have a better understanding of the test and the technique required to be followed at the time of the test. At this point, taking a CAT Mock test every day won’t help much. Instead, take two mock tests, one at the beginning of the week and one at the end of the week. Now, its time to focus on the areas that you’ve already covered, and revise all the MOCKs that you have taken so far, and learn from them. Ensure that you stick to the timeline that you’ve practiced on stand-alone questions during this week.
Study Pattern
Continuously focusing on a particular topic or a single subject for a long time will frustrate your mind. Try an intermittent study schedule to avoid this fatigue. For example, take a short break from your subject/topic and then switch to another. In this last minute preparation strategy for CAT 2017, try not to learn any new topic and focus more on revision and analyzing the recurring errors and rectifying them.
Avoid Last Minute Discussions
you should be focussed and determined on the exam day, that would be your key for the day. Before the start of the test, a lot of candidates tend to discuss with peers or indulge in last minute preparation. Do not let yourself or anybody else distract you from taking the test in a confident state of mind. This hampers the concentration and focus of the test takers. Hence, before taking the test just be relaxed and focus on your test-taking strategy.
Time Management
Time is the most precious resource for all the tests. As the sections are time bound in CAT, you need to manage your time for three sections. Your time management strategy would be separate for the sections depending on your hold for the section. You are the best judge on how to manage the time per section. Ensure that you do not spend more than two minutes per question and leave some buffer time for the recheck.
Defined your time limit to solve each question. If you could not solve it within the designated duration, skip the question and would go back later if there was time left.
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Speed & Accuracy
Performance in the CAT 2017 is highly dependent on your level of preparation and your command is over the topics you consider to be your strengths.
Owing to the negative marking scheme, be very careful while marking the answers. For each correct answer three marks would be awarded but for each wrong answer, one mark would be deducted. However, for the subjective type questions, there is no negative marking scheme.
If you have an accuracy level of 100 percent for your answers in the exam, then there are chances to secure a very good percentile, 99+ even you have not attempted all questions. You don’t just need to solve the questions but to solve them extremely fast!. Speed matters a lot. So, you need a lot of techniques, like rounding up fractions to estimate the answer faster etc to write tests at such a speed, that you can complete the tests within the stipulated time.
You need to solve quantitative and logical questions in secs or a min. Here is a clear pacing strategy that will help you time the test better.
- DI: six to eight minutes for a set of four questions.
- QA: two minutes per question
- LR: Six to eight minutes for a set of four questions
- VARC: Maximum eight minutes for reading a passage and 90 seconds to answer each question based on that passage
In order to ensure accuracy, attempt only those questions which you are confident about. If the questions are calculation intensive, crosscheck the calculation and recheck the answer twice. Also, as non-MCQs do not carry negative marking, try to attempt all.
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Selecting the Right Questions
Selection of the right questions at the start of the exam is utmost importance. This will build your confidence in attempting the complete exam. While starting with a section, scan through the questions carefully to mark those which you would be attempting first. Select some buffer questions also, in case you find that your selected set of questions are tricky or time-consuming.
Ensure Sectional Cutoffs
Ensure yourself for the selection criteria of IIMs and top B Schools, as they have both overall and sectional cutoff shortlisting criteria. For this, you need to put equal priority in all three sections, Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR). AfterGraduation suggests CAT aspirants to improve the overall percentile by attempting more questions from their strong sections and minimal attempts from weak sections without compromising on accuracy.
The most important areas of each section
- DI: Logic and calculation based DI sets
- LR: Arrangement based puzzles, Investment Betting, and Tournaments
- QA: Focus on Geometry, Modern Mathematics and Arithmetic problems
- VARC: Practice Reading Comprehension as much as you possibly can with a slight focus on Jumble and Completion type questions.
Start with Your Comfortable Areas
It is always better to start the test from your strong area within a confident state of mind. After selecting the section, start attempting the most comfortable questions first. This will make you comfortable with the test and boost your confidence and it will eventually help you to tackle the tricky questions as well. After you solve the easier questions within the minimum duration, you will be left with the tougher questions and rest of the allotted time to solve with full concentration and focus.
Cross Check Answers
Revision of the answers filled should be done before final submission. There are chances that you would commit some unwarranted errors like forget to mark the correct option, a question left unanswered. Cross-checking the answer comes to rescue in such situations. Ensure that you keep some buffer time for each section for revising the questions before the sectional duration ends. This strategy of keeping buffer time helps in cracking all management and other entrance exams.
!! AfterGraduation wishes Common Admission Test 2017 Aspirants a very Best Luck !!
Determination paves the way to success. Willpower that cannot be wobbled can make you crack any test. Think of your mind as a fertile garden. Fill your mind with positive, uplifting and motivating thoughts and you will have an abundant crop of success.
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Never be dishearten by failure, that is the closing lines I would like to add. CAT is an important Exam but there are many other exams like IBPS, FMS, XAT that you can clear with your CAT preparation. IBPS PO Exam is little bit different but the field is management so it would be fine to appear in the exam if you want job and career both.
Fantastic article !! I have been searching for this type information on CAT preparation because in future i would like to get in a good B-school and this article has been a great source of information for me and very helpful for those candidates who are willing to prepare for CAT examination.Thank You. Going to bookmark this for sure.