Group Discussion Preparation Strategy

Group Discussion (GD): Most widely used Screening methodology for B schools

GDs are conducted to test managerial attributes like interpersonal skills, leadership, analytical and rational thinking, knowledge and personality traits. GD preparation strategy is very important if you are aiming to qualify the admission process of top B schools and thus GD preparation strategy becomes more vital for candidates seeking admission.

Let's start from ground zero. GD preparation can be started among your friends. One should take GD as a meaningful discussion among friends. Each friend has his own opinion on a particular topic. You just need to listen to everyone's point of view and also express yours in a proper manner to enhance you GD preparation. GD preparation strategy must be prepared well in advance of your GD rounds in B schools so as to give you ample time 

Group Discussion Preparation Strategy
First of all, one should try to make sure that the judges are noticing you. You have to be seen by the evaluating panel to have made the meaningful contribution. You must ensure that everyone in the group listens to you. If the group hears you, so will the evaluator. That does not mean that you shout at the top of your voice and be noticed for the wrong reasons.

You have to be assertive. If you are not a very assertive person, you will have to simply learn to be assertive for those 15 minutes. Remember, assertiveness does not mean being arrogant. Arrogant is a totally different thing.

Most importantly, you have to make your chances. Many participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak during Group Discussion round. You have to take your chances and speak up whenever you get a chance. Nobody is going to give you chance or time to speak.

The core mantra for Group Discussion preparation strategy is to participate in as many practice GDs as possible before you attend the actual GD round. Don't miss any chance of being a part of a GD round of any Institute. Try to learn from each experience during your GD preparation.

GD Preparation Strategy: You should have a good knowledge of the topic

• Don’t just make any sort of contribution. Your contribution has to be meaningful. A meaningful contribution suggests that:

You are able to put forward your arguments logically and are a good communicator and also a good listener.

The quality of what you said is more valuable than the quantity. There is this myth among many participants that the way to succeed in a group discussion is by speaking loudly and continuously for a long time. One could not be more wrong. You must have meat in your arguments.

• Everybody will state the obvious. So, highlight some points that are not obvious. Don't try to be a part of the crowd.

On the contrary, try to be unique, if possible. But that would mean taking a risk. The different perspective that you bring to the group will be highly appreciated by the panel. Be careful that the "something unique" you say is still relevant to the topic being discussed in the Group Discussion.

• The last thing is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus.

Gaining support or influencing colleagues is the two methods to gain consensus. This is widely used by successful corporate leaders.

Nobody expects a group of 10 intelligent and assertive people, all with different points of view on a controversial subject, to actually achieve a consensus. What matters is the fact that whether you are able to build any kind of consensus or not? Is the whole group going towards a common point or not?

Building consensus is given importance in most organizations you will have to work with people in a team, accept joint responsibilities and take decisions as a group.

You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to work as part of a team.

• GD Preparation Strategy: Increase your knowledge quotient (KQ)

To do well in GD, one must have a high Knowledge Quotient. Read newspapers and magazines on current issues, especially the year-end issues that capture the highlights of the year gone by. Also watch and listen to news and current affair programmes on news channels. Candidates must keep themselves abreast of all the abstract and contemporary issues. Prepare for as many GD topics as you can to widen your knowledge base.
There are some GD topics of perennial interest. For economy-related topics, read fundamental concepts like FDI, stock markets, liberalization, rupee vs. dollar, inflation, export-import, inflation, globalizations, socialist vs. capitalists, employment scenario etc.

• GD Preparation Strategy: Express yourself

Knowledge itself is not enough. The next step is to improve your ability to express yourself. One should be well versed in expressing his/her feeling, emotions and views in front of a group of strangers. This can be easily done by regular GD preparation among group of friends or classmates or even family members.

You can practice speaking in a GD scenario by forming a discussion group which meets every day and takes up a topic for discussion. Practice ease of expression since clarity, brevity and choice of words are keenly observed by evaluators.

• GD Preparation Strategy: Be Natural

The best mantra is 'to be what you are'. Sailing through GDs successfully is an art too. Don't try to be artificial. Express your own views.

• GD Preparation Strategy: Must Speak 
A key principle of participating in a GD is that you must speak. Always carry a piece of paper and a pen along with you in whenever you go for GD preparation and use them unless it is not allowed to do. Before you start speaking, think through the major issues in the topic in the first two minutes. Start speaking only when you have understood and analyzed the topic.

• GD Preparation Strategy: Make free-flowing discussion 
Avoid speaking in turn as it leads to an unnatural discussion. Don't speak in a fixed pattern or number. A GD involves a free-flowing exchange of ideas among participants. Even though there will definitely be chaos in most competitive GDs as all participants will be keen to be heard. Speak up whenever you get a chance to.

Group Discussion Preparation Strategy: DO’s and Don’ts

Don'ts Do
You don’t understand or You are wrong Let me explain 
I think I suggest 
Please listen to me I recommend 
What? What did you say? Pardon me or Could you please repeat 
But However 
'I strongly object' or 'I disagree'. I would like to share my views on...' or 'One difference between your point & mine...' or "I beg to differ with you"

From A Village in Gujarat to a Lab at Harvard: One Indian Boy's Triumph

When a boy from a village in Gujarat was bouncing around the country from hostel to hostel, neither he nor those around him expected that he'd end up at Harvard University working on a project that could revolutionize the way the world detects and treats the HIV virus that causes AIDS.

But the path to achieving your dreams is uneven, strewn with hospital visits, broken chappals, and ATKTs, as was Sultan Khetani's path to make his country proud.

When Sultan was in the first standard of a Gujarati medium school he would spend his after-school hours teaching himself English from a book. His parents knew then that they had to get the boy a better education, because he had in him the yearning to learn.

Not having the funds to go to a better school, he ended up doing stints in hostels around the country, until he ended up in the Fidai hostel in Panchgani, to whom he today attributes a major portion of his success.

But it had had the opposite effect. 'I loved learning. And as soon as I knew what I wanted to study, I realized I would do anything to get there.'

Sultan Khetani With Dr. Hadi Shafiee
Chasing passion through perseverance

What he had wanted to study was something with the human body and technology, but he 'just couldn't articulate what it was at the time.'

In his search for this perfect subject, he unwittingly passed on the possibility of a full scholarship for an education in medicine, and later regretted it. So he enrolled in what he thought was the next best thing: biomedical engineering.

'At first I hated it there.' He felt trapped, like he'd missed the boat and was now being carried off in the wrong direction. He would bunk classes, and almost failed out the first year.

But he wasn't one to give up,

'I'd hang out in the library and read up on the subject I was interested in.'

In his long stretches of reading he learned that biomedical engineering involved..

Sultan Khetani, a postgraduation student of the department of Biomedical Engineering at SRM University, is one of the three finalists competing for the 'BWH Bright Future Research Award' 2014. His research on 'Low Cost Hand held Microchip Device for Rapid HIV Detection and Treatment Monitoring Through Viral Load Measurement on Paper' done as part of the Students Abroad Program (SAP) at Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology has been selected.BWH Bright Future Research Award is a prestigious award with cash price of $100,000 for which more than 200 teams from Harvard and MIT affiliates compete. The wining team is selected based on online voting by people around the world.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has caused more than 39 million deaths and it is still taking lives of more than 1.5 million people per year. Expanding access to HIV therapy in developing countries has already averted more than 5.5 million AIDS-related deaths. However, some of the major challenges in expanding access to effective therapy, especially in low- and middle-income countries, is early diagnosis and regular treatment monitoring.

The research work on 'Low Cost Hand held Microchip Device for Rapid HIV Detection and Treatment Monitoring Through Viral Load Measurement on Paper', by Hadi Shafiee, PhD, Harvard Medical School and Sultan Khetani focuses on a technology that in form of a low-cost, flexible microchip which enables HIV viral load testing. Monitoring HIV levels in a person’s blood, known as viral load testing, is the most accurate and preferred method to see whether treatment is working.The majority of HIV viral load testing options available today are expensive, laboratory-based, time-consuming, and complex. Therefore, these tests cannot be used in low- and middle-income countries, and there is currently no commercially available point-of-care HIV viral load device that meets the requirements for these countries.

Through this research work, Sultan Khetani and Hadi Shafiee have invented a technology that enables HIV viral load testing using a finger prick of blood placed on a disposable paper with flexible electrodes. The microchips can be made using printing technology that is currently available to anyone, even those in low- and middle- income countries. The test is as simple as glucometers and the cost per microchip is very less. The viral load device can potentially transmit the test results to a central laboratory or physician through cell phone communication.

A strong team of experts in engineering, microtechnology, nanotechnology, virology, and business were brought together  for this highly interdisciplinary project. Along with Hadi Shafiee,  PI, Project Supervision and Sultan Khetani, Bioengineer Assay Development, the team involved Daniel R. Kuritzkes and Joseph V. Bonventre, the Clinical Advisors, Timothy J. Henrich, HIV Expert, Manoj Kumar, Nanotechnologist Assay Development, Emily Hanhauser Technician Assay Validation with Patient Samples and Ario Arabi, Business Advisor, Business Plan Writing.

 This platform technology is unique with broad applications, and can be adopted to detect multiple infectious diseases such as hepatitis,influenza, and herpes. This invention can potentially revolutionize HIV management globally as it will facilitate rapid, simple, and inexpensive early diagnosis of HIV infection and treatment failure for millions of people in urgent need.

B-School Notifications

B SCHOOL NOTIFICATIONS
Institute Name	Test Name	Program Name	Form Sale		Application Fee
			Starts	Ends	Online
MDI	CAT 2014	PGPM/PGP-HRM/PGP-IM	5th September 2014	14th November 2014	An online application of Rs. 1800/- can be made via Debit/ Credit card/ Net banking. Online registration can be made here: http://www.mdi.ac.in
Great Lakes	CAT/ XAT/ CMAT/ GMAT/ MAT	PGPM/ PGDM	In process	PGPM- cycle one: 30/11/14 & cycle two: 24/1/15. PGDM- cycle one: 31/1/15 & cycle two: 15/3/15	1.) Visit the website www.greatlakes.edu.in and fill in the online application form after making a payment of INR 1,500. Candidates seeking to apply to both Great Lakes, Chennai and Great Lakes, Gurgaon (Delhi NCR) through a common application may do so by selecting the appropriate option in the registration form and paying an application fee of INR 2250/- only. 2.) Make a payment of INR 1,500 at select vendor outlet centers (the list of vendors as well as centers is given in our website) and procure a coded number key for applying online. 3.) Purchase the application form from the Great Lakes Offices in Chennai and Gurgaon. 4.) The eventual application process is online for all candidates. 5.) Candidates have to provide the official email-id of the recommender. The recommendation letter will be collected from the final selected students
IMT Ghaziabad, Nagpur, Dubai and Hyderabad	CAT/ XAT/ CMAT/ GMAT	PGDM	14th September 2014	24th December 2014	1.) Application fee is Rs. 1750/- 2.) payment can be made through credit card/ debit card/ net banking. 3.) The applicant must make a demand draft payable to “Institute of Management Technology” payable at Ghaziabad or Delhi for the amount of Rs 1,750. Applicants are advised to have their demand draft details ready before filling the form.
LIBA	CAT 2014/ XAT 2015	PGDM 2015	15th September 2014	26th January 2015	- Apply to LIBA by registering online at www.liba.edu by giving your CAT/XAT-ID and details of DD / IMS / Net Banking receipt. - 1.) DD for Rs. 1250/- favouring “LIBA” payable at Chennai. 2.) Purchase forms from select IMS center. 3.) Pay cash at the LIBA admissions office. 4.) Pay online through credit card.<
XIMB	XAT/ CAT/ GMAT	MBA	In process	5th December 2014	Applicants have to fill up the online application form separately for XIMB programme at: www.ximb.ac.in. Payment can be made through debit card/ credit card/ net banking/ State Bank Collect.

Test Notification / Admission Calendar

ADMISSION CALENDAR
Test Name	Test Date	Test Time	Form Sale		Application Fee
			Starts	Ends	Online	DD	Cash
CMAT 2015-2016 (First Test)	25-09-14 to 29-09-14	9.30 A.M. to 12.30 P.M.; 2.30 P.M. to 5.30 P.M.	3rd July 2014	25th August 2014	1.) Applicants can make online payment through Net Banking/Credit / Debit Card through website : www.aicte-cmat.in. 2.) Cash Payment can be made through challan generated online and cash deposited in any branch of State Bank of India. 3.) Test Fees: General/OBC : Rs.1400/- + Bank charges as applicable; SC/ST/PD : Rs.700/- + bank charges as applicable.
NMAT 2015	7th October 2014 to 20th December 2014	9.30 A.M. to 12.30 P.M.; 2.30 P.M. to 5.30 P.M.	2nd July 2014	24th September 2014	1.) Demand Draft- Prospectus & Application form can be downloaded from www.nmims.edu, filled in application form along with the demand draft of Rs.2,000/- for  MBA / PGDM Rs. 2,400/- for both MBA & PGDM  drawn in favour of “SVKM’s NMIMS” payable at Mumbai, should reach the institute before 24th September,2012 or the payment can made in any AXIS Bank branches by “Payment Challan”. 2.) Payment can be made through Credit Card. 3.) Payment can be made by Cash at bank mode.
IIFT 2014	23rd November 2014	10.00 A.M. to 12.00 noon	In process	1.) To obtain prospectus through post: 20th Aug 2014 2.) To obtain prospectus across the counter at IIFT: 3rd Sept 2014	1.) The Prospectus and Application Form may be obtained on all working days (Monday to Friday) between 10.00 a.m – 4.30 p.m. on payment  of Rs.1550 (Rs.775/- for SC/ST/PH candidates and Rs.4500/- for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/Children of NRIs) in cash personally from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade  OR 2.) Apply online on IIFT website.
IBSAT 2014	Dec 10, 2014	Dec 31, 2014	July 15, 2014	Dec 1, 2014	IBSAT Bulletin can be purchased through one of the following methods by payment of Rs 1500/- 1) Applicants can make online payment through website :http://ibsat.ibsindia.org/ibsat2014/registration/ 2) Cash Payment- Purchasing Application forms at any of the marketing offices. IBS MARKETING OFFICES- http://www.ibsindia.org/contact_us/
CAT 2014	16th November 2014 (Sunday) and 22nd November 2014 (Saturday)	Not announced	6th August 2014 (Wednesday)	30th September 2014 (Tuesday)	online Registration on www.iimcat.ac.in; Payment can be made by Netbanking, credit card or debit card. Registration fee: Rs 1600 (Rs 800 for SC/ST)  www.iimcat.ac.in will be functional from 1st August 2014. Test Slot: Candidates will be given an option to prefer three test cities in the order of preference. Candidates will be given their first preferred city across the four sessions on random basis as far as possible. Candidates will have no option to prefer the dates a
XAT 2015	4th January 2015	10.30 A.M. to 1.30 P.M.	12th August 2014	22nd November 2014	Candidates can register online on www.xatonline.net.in through online payment using credit card/ debit card/ net banking for an amount of Rs.1000/-. OR Filled in application forms along with a demand draft for Rs. 1000/- drawn in favour of ‘XLRI Jamshedpur A/C XAT’ payable at Jamshedpur should reach the institute on or before 22nd November 2014 OR Take a print out of the XAT Pay-In-Slip visit nearest IDBI bank and make the payment.
SNAP 2014	21st December 2014	2.00 P.M. to 4.00 P.M.	3rd September 2014	26th November 2014	SNAP test fee is Rs.1500/-. The payment can be made by cash, credit card, debit card. For more details, please visit http://snaptest.org/.

MUST READ

Since you’re planning on doing your MBA, you need to be well read, and not just on current affairs. In this section, we offer you some choices of books that will broaden your perspective, and you will find that you will never be at a loss in a discussion!

Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us Author: Daniel H. Pink Publisher: Random House Price: ₹290 Genre: Non-fiction/Psychology

In his book Drive, Daniel H. Pink suggests the way we can achieve high performance and satisfaction for both organisational and individual levels by exposing the mismatch between what science knows and what business does. It turns out that external incentives can limit our ability to think critically and creatively. Today’s world requires intrinsic motivation, consisting of three key elements: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Pink attempts to answer the question of what makes some people perform better than others. In other words — what drives us? The book is a must read if you aim to be a team leader or an entrepreneur.

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One of the most important business books of all time, Barbarians At The Gate shares the story of RJR Nabisco’s fall, one of the largest takeovers in Wall Street history by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). This book, by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, offers a behind-the-scenes look at what was then the largest buyout in history and it centres around one of the kings of the private equity industry, Henry Kravis of KKR, at a major turning point in his career. The book subtly paints a portrait of greed, excess and poor management in the form of F. Ross Johnson, RJR Nabisco’s eccentric CEO and president at the time of the bidding war. This is a central theme in the book — Johnson and his merry band of laid-back executives versus the hard-charging, cost-cutting style of KKR. Read this book to learn about financial operations of the 80s at the highest levels that are valid even today.

Barbarians At The Gate Author: John Helyar, Bryan Burrough Price: ₹439 Publisher: Random House Genre: : Non-fiction

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Talent Is Overrated: What really separates world class performers from everybody elseAuthor: Geoff Colvin Price: ₹787 Publisher: Portfolio Trade Genre: Business/Management

Why are some people great and others not? The answer to this ever-debated question is provided in this book, which tells us — quite simply — that talent is overrated. World-class talent isn’t something you are born with. It must be developed over many years of unflagging dedication, education, and deliberate practice of a key skill, which requires consistent repetition and immediate feedback.   Colvin points out what we do not realise: Knowing the basics of your profession will help, no matter what. Based on scientific research, Talent is Overrated shares the secrets of extraordinary performance and shows how to apply these principles. It features the stories of people who achieved world-class greatness through deliberate practice, including Benjamin Franklin, comedian Chris Rock, football star Jerry Rice, and top CEOs Jeffrey Immelt and Steven Ballmer.

- See more at: http://www.advancedge.com/articles/must_reads_august2014_1.php#sthash.3D2bNdVJ.dpuf

QUANT MATTERS: HOW TO TACKLE CAT'EMATICS

With just a few months left for the CAT, we wanted to give you some pointers on how to approach the Quant section of the test. Collated and written in collaboration with our experts, this article gives you information for a last minute preparation. In the next month, we shall provide you with a similar write up on the English section.

Advanc'edge Team (with inputs from IMS Acads)
They say Mathematics is the language of nature, of everything around us, of the Universe itself. In the days of polymaths, who were scholars not just learned but full-fledged experts in several fields, mathematics was the subject that everyone knew and studied. The great philosophers of old, like Ptolemy, Aristotle and Plato, were all great mathematicians in their own right. Even now, almost every branch of science has mathematics at its core, in varying degrees of course. And since you’re preparing to study the science of management, you will need to know your math.
In the CAT, it all boils down to the cut-off score you can get. Sometimes, clearing the cut-off can be a matter of just one question here and there. Let us look at a few things in the QA-DI section that you should watch out for, so that you can optimise your performance to clear the cut-offs.
Look beyond the formula 
While tackling any question, keep your eyes and ears open. Knowing the formulae to crack a question is, of course, imperative, but often, just by being aware of exactly what the question is, you needn’t even have to apply the formula.
For instance, consider the problem below.
Q. Two barrels A and C contain alcohol and water in the ratio 1:a and 1:c respectively. Equal quantities of the mixtures from A and C are mixed to get a mixture with alcohol and water in the ratio 1:b, where b is the arithmetic mean of a and c. What can be a possible value of a + b+ c, if a, b and c are integers?
      1] 14                2] 10              3] 15                4] 8
This appears to be a straightforward problem, where you work in autopilot mode and fit the formula for mixtures into the question to arrive at the answer. However, consider this.
If b is the arithmetic mean of a and c, then 2b = a + c. This means that a +b + c = a + c + b = 2b + b = 3b. Hence, a + b + c has to be a multiple of  3. Select the answer that is a multiple of 3 from the given options, and Bob’s your uncle!
In this example, simply keeping your mind, eyes and ears open will lead you to  the solution fairly easily.
Consider another question.
Q. A dishonest shopkeeper sells at cost price but makes a profit of 25% by using faulty weights. If he wants to make a profit of 12% how much discount should he offer?
      1] 15.2%          2] 12.5%       3] 10.4%         4] 13%
By now all of you should be in the habit of using 100 instead of ‘x’ as the cost price to solve most Profit and Loss problems. So if 100 is the C.P, then 125 is the S.P since he is making a profit of 25%. A profit of 12% means an S.P of 112 and a discount of 13; 13 will be just over 10% of 125 (10% is 12.5, moving one decimal to the left). The answer will be the option closest to this figure, between 10 and 11%.
Work till the end to get the answer 
It is vital that in most questions, you follow your working towards the answer to the very end. If, midway through your calculations, you find that you can make what appears to be an “educated guess”, don’t pounce on it. Work till the end to find out what the answer is.

Consider the following problem.
Mark [1], if the question can be answered by one of the statements alone but not by the other.
Mark [2], if the question can be answered by using either of the statements alone.
Mark [3], if the question can be answered by using both statements together but not by either statement alone.
Mark [4], if the question cannot be answered, even by using both statements together

Q. The following data is available about a class:

Statement I: The ratio of the number of girls who liked Maths to number of girls who disliked Physics, is same as the ratio of the number of boys who liked Maths to the number of boys who liked Physics.

Statement II: There were 195 students in the class.

How many students liked Maths?

From Statement I, we can see that Maths/girls disliked Physics = 54/45 = 6/5. If the total number of boys is b, then:

Since the total number of students is the same, the total of Maths and Physics should be the same.

Hence, b + 6x + 40 = b+5x + 50. Therefore, x = 10, and the question can now be answered.

Many of you will probably stop midway through using the information in Statement I, and assume that using both the statements, the answer can easily be arrived at.

DI is really not that tough 
DI questions are more or less freebies, especially the ones that do not involve any deduction (like filling up empty tables, etc.) and are based purely on understanding the set and calculating precisely. At their toughest, they involve interpreting the meaning of the data given. But even then they offer a good value for time spent, since there is a very high chance of getting them correct.

For instance, in problems involving DI sets, the key to getting good at solving the sets is to understand that DI does not just mean painful number crunching. That would mean going at the problem with a hammer. You need to develop the ability to determine when to calculate and when to approximate. You also need to be able to do a fair amount of calculation without having to put pen to paper.

A few things that are a must-know for fast calculation:
1. Powers of 2 till 12.
2. Squares of numbers from 2 to 30
3. Cubes of numbers from 2 to 12

These fast calculations are helpful not just for the DI portion but for the entire QA-DI section.

It’s only logical 
Quite often, you will come across a problem that looks quite tough, and appears to need a great deal of formula laying and solving. However, more often than not, it actually is just a matter of logical reasoning!

Consider the following example.

Q. N is a natural number with a sum its digits as 3. If 10¹³ < N < 10¹⁴, then how many values can N have?
If the number is a 2-digit number, it will be either 21, 12 or 30. If it is 3-digit number, it will be 201,210, 102, 120, 300 or 111.

So, the number of values N can take depends on the number of digits. 10¹ has 2 digits, 10² has 3 digits and so on, until 10¹³ will have 14 digits. Hence, N will have 14 digits.

Now, N can either be a number

with three 1s: start with 1 and have the remaining two 1s in any of the remaining 13 places; two places out of 13 can be chosen in ¹³C₂ = 13*12/2 = 78 numbers

with a 2 & 1: start with 2 and have the 1 in any of the 13 remaining places = 13 numbers ; start with 1 and have the 2 in any of the 13 remaining places = 13 numbers;

or a number starting with 3 followed by 13 zeroes.

Therefore, the total number of values N can assume are 78 +13+13+1 = 105.

Don’t write if you don’t have to 
It is an ingrained feeling in most of us that writing means that we’re really trying to solve the problem. However, read and understand the question fully before rushing to write.

You are not saving any time by writing down anything before you have read the question. In fact, because you do not read properly you end up solving questions twice.

Secondly, write only when required. If you can solve a question mentally, why write and make equations like kids. By writing you are under-utilizing your mental ability and spending more time than required to solve questions.

Consider the following example.

Q. Kidsplay, a multinational toy manufacturing company decides to set up a plant in India. To set up a plant, the company has an initial fixed investment of Rs.10,00,000. The manufacturing cost per toy (which is variable and exclusive of the fixed investment) is Rs.60. The company decides to fix the selling price of each toy at Rs.80. Assume there is no other cost or investment incurred by the company for selling or manfacturing the toys.
Using cost optimization measures, Kidsplay reduced the manufacturing cost per toy by 25%. As a result of this, on a production and sale of 1 lakh units of toys, the profit of the company increased by:

      1] 100%           2] 120%        3] 125%          4] 150%

One lakh units’ selling price is 80 lakhs. If cost price per unit is `60, then total production cost is 60 lakhs plus 10 lakhs; profit = 10 lakhs. If cost price per unit falls by 25%, or 60/4 = `15, then on 1 lakh units, profit increases by 15 lakhs or 150%. Think about it — this whole solution can be verbalised without putting pen to paper!

Solving problems mentally and putting pen on paper only when required is a way of sharpening your mind to the tip of an arrow. It is not easy to make a full turnaround from a habit that is so ingrained. But it will definitely be worth the effort.

Look at the problem differently 
How do you know that there might be an alternative method? Which problems do you choose to solve by the non-standard method?

Typically, it is either the most standard looking or the most unconventional looking problem that can have a short solution. By most standards, these are the questions that have some sort of symmetrical situation about them. Consider the problem below.

Q. On a 120-km racing track, if P and Q start driving in the same direction from the same point and at the same time, then P wins the race by 25 minutes. If they drive towards each other from the opposite ends on the same track starting at the same time, the distances that P and Q cover when they meet are in the ratio 3 : 2. Find the speed of P’s car.
It is obvious that the lesser time in the first case, is related to the extra distance in the second case. You have to understand that there has to be a short method to solve this type of question. You cannot solve the question using equations.

When they are running in the opposite direction the distance covered is 3:2. Even when they are running in the same direction, the distances covered when P reaches the end will be in the ratio 3:2 (since their speeds are the same). Therefore, when P is at 120, Q is at 80 and to cover 40, Q needs 25 minutes. So, Q’s speed is 40/(25/60) and P’s speed is 3/2 of Q’s speed.

This is how you squeeze every mark and every second out of a  paper!

Some points to remember 
Let us take a detailed look at the most important test-taking strategy as far the CAT is concerned: You shall not have unread questions at the end of a section.

If there has to be one golden rule that you are not supposed to break, this is the one. The CAT is not about answering tough questions, it is about selecting and answering the relatively easier questions.

So how do you ensure that you do not have an unread question at the end?

Standalone questions first, sets later
Sets, be it DI or LR, take time to solve. In case you get stuck, chances are that you will not realise how much time you have lost till you have come out of them. So in both sections start with the standalone questions and then move on to the sets.

First pick, and only then solve
Based on your competence, you will have a fair idea by now as to how easy or difficult a standalone question is after reading it. So while going through the standalone questions, don’t start solving straightaway. First decide whether you can solve it in two and a half minutes or less, only then proceed to solve it.

Use the MARK option to navigate smartly
As you navigate the standalone questions, you will definitely find questions that are solvable but might take about 3 to 4 minutes. Some of these might take time just because they are lengthy. Single out these questions to solve later. Use the MARK button to single out these questions so that you can use the REVIEW MARKED questions option to quickly reach these questions later.

Do not throw good money after bad money
The biggest mistake test-takers are guilty of is wasting time on questions on which they have already exceeded the average time of 2.5 minutes. If you have taken more than 2 minutes for a question, do not spend any more time on it unless you are dead sure that you will get the answer within the next minute. Every extra two minutes that you spend on a question is letting go of an easy question somewhere; MARK the question and move on.

Do SET-based questions in the middle
Be it DI or LR, it is best that you do not start solving a set in the last 10 minutes of the test. The best thing to do is to take up the sets in the middle. Even so, choosing the right sets as well as the easier questions within a set is important.

You need not do all the questions in a set.
Even sets that are easy overall might have a question which is a speed-breaker. Just because you spent time reading a set does not mean that you have to answer all questions; avoid the speedbreakers and move on

Test Notifications 2014-15 for MBA Aspirants

TEST NOTIFICATIONS

ADMISSION CALENDAR
Test Name	Test Date	Test Time	Form Sale		Application Fee
			Starts	Ends	Online	DD	Cash
NMAT - 2015	7th October 2014 to 20th December 2014	-	2nd July 2014	24th September 2014	1) Demand Draft- Prospectus & Application form can be downloaded from www.nmims.edu, filled in application form along with the demand draft of Rs.2,000/- for  MBA / PGDM Rs. 2,400/- for both MBA & PGDM  drawn in favour of “SVKM’s NMIMS” payable at Mumbai, should reach the institute before 24th September,2012 or the payment can made in any AXIS Bank branches by “Payment Challan”. 2) Payment can be made through Credit Card. 3) Payment can be made by Cash at bank mode.
CMAT 2015-2016 (First Test)	25-09-14 to 29-09-14	9.30 A.M. to 12.30 P.M.; 2.30 P.M. to 5.30 P.M.	3rd July 2014	2nd August 2014	1) Applicants can make online payment through Net Banking/Credit / Debit Card through website : www.aicte-cmat.in. 2) Cash Payment can be made through challan generated online and cash deposited in any branch of State Bank of India. 3) Test Fees: General/OBC : Rs.1 1) Demand Draft- Prospectus & Application form can be downloaded from www.nmims.edu, filled in application form along with the demand draft of Rs.2,000/- for  MBA / PGDM Rs. 2,400/- for both MBA & PGDM  drawn in favour of “SVKM’s NMIMS” payable at Mumbai, should reach the institute before 24th September,2012 or the payment can made in any AXIS Bank branches by “Payment Challan”. 2) Payment can be made through Credit Card. 3) Payment can be made by Cash at bank mode.
IIFT 2014	23rd November 2014	10.00 A.M. to 12.00 noon	In process	1.) To obtain prospectus through post: 20th Aug 2014 2.) To obtain prospectus across the counter at IIFT: 3rd Sept 2014	1.) The Prospectus and Application Form may be obtained on all working days (Monday to Friday) between 10.00 a.m – 4.30 p.m. on payment  of Rs.1550 (Rs.775/- for SC/ST/PH candidates and Rs.4500/- for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/Children of NRIs) in cash personally from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade  OR 2.) Apply online on IIFT website.
IBSAT 2014	Dec 10, 2014	Dec 31, 2014	July 15, 2014	Dec 1, 2014	IBSAT Bulletin can be purchased through one of the following methods by payment of Rs 1500/- 1) Applicants can make online payment through website : http://ibsat.ibsindia.org/ibsat2014/registration/ 2) Cash Payment- Purchasing Application forms at any of the marketing offices. IBS MARKETING OFFICES- http://www.ibsindia.org/contact_us/
CAT 2014	16th November 2014 (Sunday) and 22nd November 2014 (Saturday)	Not announced	6th August 2014 (Wednesday)	30th September 2014 (Tuesday)	online Registration on www.iimcat.ac.in; Payment can be made by Netbanking, credit card or debit card. Registration fee: Rs 1600 (Rs 800 for SC/ST)  www.iimcat.ac.in will be functional from 1st August 2014. Test Slot: Candidates will be given an option to prefer three test cities in the order of preference. Candidates will be given their first preferred city across the four sessions on random basis as far as possible. Candidates will have no option to prefer the dates a

Test Q&As : Are you a Brainiac?

In this section, we shall explore several different types of questions from the various areas of entrance exams like the CAT, CET, GMAT, etc, and how to best solve them.

Quant

DIRECTIONS for questions 1: Choose the correct alternative.
1.  A lecturer uses a microphone while teaching. The 4.8 m x 7.2 m classroom has speakers mounted at the four corners. Whenever the lecturer ventures within 3 m distance of the corners, there is a disturbance on the speakers. What is the maximum distance that he can walk in a single direction, parallel to the longer sides of the room, without any disturbance?
1] 6 m                2] 4.2 m                3] 3.6 m                4] 1.2 m
     
AP = AB = 2.4 m. OA = 3 m. So, OP² = (3)² – (2.4)².
So, OP = 1.8 m. So the maximum distance he can walk in the same direction = OQ = 7.2 – 2 (OP) = 3.6 m.
Hence, [3].


2.  Ankit and Arpit started a cycle race from A to reach B. Arpit cycled at th of Ankit’s speed. Ankit broke some rules of the race and as a penalty had to go back to A after covering half the distance and then resumed the race. How long did Arpit take to finish the race if he won by 10 minutes?
1] 20 minutes                2] 25 minutes                3] 45 minutes                4] 80 minutes
Let time taken by Ankit to travel from A to B be ‘t’ minutes. Since, he travelled twice the distance from A to B, he took ‘2t’ minutes. Since Arpit travels at   times Ankit’s speed, he took minutes to travel from A to B.
2t – = 10                 t = 15
= 20 minutes.
Time taken by Arpit to finish the race = 20 minutes.      Hence, [1].

3.   The minimum value that the polynomial p(x) = x2 – 7x + c can take is:
1] always                                          2] , only when c > 0

3] , when c > 13                               4] always
p(x) = x² – 7x + c
p(x)   =      +  
(on completing the square)
=     +  
Now, 0 and attains the minimum value ‘0’ at x =
Minimum value of p(x) is always ,            Hence, [4].

Verbal

DIRECTIONS: The sentences given below, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labelled with a letter. Choose the most logical order of the sentences, from among the given choices, to construct a coherent paragraph.

1. Chronic worriers operate under the misperception that their over-thinking and attempts at controlling every situation allow them to problem-solve and plan for the future.
   
   
2. Psychologists believe that worry, defined as a person’s negative thoughts about a future event, evolved as a constructive problem-solving behaviour.
   
   
3. The hyper-vigilance that is the result can lead to cardiovascular problems, ultimately rendering the body unable to cope properly with stress.
   
   
4. Instead their thought pattern hinders cognitive processing and also causes overstimulation of emotion- and fearprocessing areas in the brain.
   
   
5. But excessive fretting does more harm than good.
   
   1] ADBEC
   2] AEDBC
   3] BEADC
   4] BAEDC

Explanation
The paragraph is about the fallout of chronic worrying. B starts the paragraph since it defines worry and its use. Since it introduces the idea about how excessive worrying is not good, E has to immediately follow B. A elaborates on what chronic worriers do; D extends the argument and C outlines the health problems it can cause. Thus, BEADC is the correct sequence.
Hence, [3].