Target a score, and work towards it
Q. In the run up to CAT 2014, what should be the strategy for the aspirants in these few remaining months?
For aspirants, success in the CAT can be defined as the achievement of the percentile required to get into their desired list of B-schools. The first step, therefore, would be to find out the cut-off percentiles of various institutes that you are interested in applying to. Based on past data, we have observed that while a 95+ overall percentile (with equal competence across sections) can get you into the IIMs, you would need at least a 75+ overall percentile to get into some of the top 100 B-schools in the country. It is therefore imperative that you define your success benchmark by first shortlisting the B-schools that you aspire to join.
Once you have defined your success benchmark, you should follow an effective and efficient study plan from here on to ensure that you meet your target CAT percentile. Based on the data collected from past CATs and IMS SimCATs, we have an analysis of the number of questions students must attempt and get correct to achieve certain percentiles:
| %ile | Sectional benchmarks | ||||
| No of questions | No of attempts | No of correct attempts | Minutes per question | ||
| Stage 1 | 75%ile | 30 | 12 | 10 | 5.4 |
| Stage 2 | 85%ile | 30 | 15 | 13 | 4.3 |
| Stage 3 | 95%ile | 30 | 18 | 15 | 3.6 |
| Stage 4 | 99%ile | 30 | 24 | 20 | 2.7 |
Q. Please share a section-wise strategy for CAT.
The CAT has two sections:
- Section 1:Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and
- Section 2: Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning.
For Section 2, attempt the vocabulary and usage questions first. They are the least time consuming, as either you know the answer or you do not. Then devote time to your strength areas from among Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning. Ensure all questions are read by the end of the section in the stipulated time. Read all RC questions, as there might be an easy question alongside an apparently difficult RC passage.
Q. CAT candidates generally belong to one of
two categories — working professionals and students. Should there be a
separate preparation strategy for them?
Ideally, you shouldn’t spend more than four hours a day on studying for the CAT. The manner in which those four hours are utilised depends on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. Some may prefer to spend more time on the verbal portion, while others might prefer the DI portion. Ultimately, you must ensure that your progress in each section is equal. This holds greater relevance if you are aiming only for the IIMs, because at these institutes, sectional cut-offs matter. Organise your day in such a way that the hours spent studying are those when your brain is most alert. Working professionals, for example, shouldn’t study at night after a hard day’s work. Preparing for this test is not like preparing for school and college, where you need to spend long hours memorising.
Q. Candidates who take CAT generally also take other different management entrance exams like XAT, SNAP, CMAT, etc. How should the preparation strategies differ between these exams?
Actually, one of the most repeated queries B-school aspirants is “What is the additional preparation that I need to do to crack tests like the IIFT, XAT, SNAP, etc?”
It is interesting to note that most of the tests such as those mentioned above assess more or less the same concepts that are tested on the CAT. Hence, you will find that there is really not much of a difference when it comes to concept building for any of these tests. However, the various tests differ in terms of the test structure, question types and overall difficulty level of the test. Therefore, we only need to understand the test structure, get acclimatised to the different question types and develop specific strategies to crack these tests. More often than not, if you have prepared well enough for the CAT, then there is a high chance that you will perform well in the other tests.
The XAT, for example, additionally assesses Decision Making and General Awareness types of questions. The preparation for the XAT will, therefore, require the student to get oriented to these question types. Additionally, one should take four to five mock tests for the XAT and analyse the same, similar to what is done for the CAT, to thoroughly get acquainted to the test structure and the types of questions.
Q. Since exams like the CAT are time-bound tests, what is the best way to manage the time given?
Time bound sections check the student’s section-wise strengths. If one has prepared the basics for all concepts and is confident of his application skills, time management should not be a difficult issue. One must follow the basics and strictly follow the section-wise strategies to ensure optimum usage of time and ensuring completion of the section in the allotted time. Do not spend more than 2.5 minutes on a question, solve set-based questions in the middle and always keep an eye on the timer. Do not resort to guessing or answering questions in a hurry, as it may cost heavily due to the negative marking scheme of the test.
Q. Please state the importance of mock tests.
To achieve your target percentile, you should take one mock test per week (or a maximum of two tests per week), especially if you are a working professional. For every test you take, as per the above table, you will attempt only the specified number of questions to ascertain your performance. Now, in the post-test analysis and the process of improvement, work on the questions that you got wrong. This is very important since you had more time per question and still got them wrong. It either means either an error of comprehension or a conceptual issue. Next, pick the questions you did not attempt and solve these questions without a time limit. Once again, this exercise will point out your areas of improvement. Doing this process for each test will definitely improve your performance in the next.
Ideally, you shouldn’t spend more than four hours a day on studying for the CAT. The manner in which those four hours are utilised depends on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. Some may prefer to spend more time on the verbal portion, while others might prefer the DI portion. Ultimately, you must ensure that your progress in each section is equal. This holds greater relevance if you are aiming only for the IIMs, because at these institutes, sectional cut-offs matter. Organise your day in such a way that the hours spent studying are those when your brain is most alert. Working professionals, for example, shouldn’t study at night after a hard day’s work. Preparing for this test is not like preparing for school and college, where you need to spend long hours memorising.
Q. Candidates who take CAT generally also take other different management entrance exams like XAT, SNAP, CMAT, etc. How should the preparation strategies differ between these exams?
Actually, one of the most repeated queries B-school aspirants is “What is the additional preparation that I need to do to crack tests like the IIFT, XAT, SNAP, etc?”
It is interesting to note that most of the tests such as those mentioned above assess more or less the same concepts that are tested on the CAT. Hence, you will find that there is really not much of a difference when it comes to concept building for any of these tests. However, the various tests differ in terms of the test structure, question types and overall difficulty level of the test. Therefore, we only need to understand the test structure, get acclimatised to the different question types and develop specific strategies to crack these tests. More often than not, if you have prepared well enough for the CAT, then there is a high chance that you will perform well in the other tests.
The XAT, for example, additionally assesses Decision Making and General Awareness types of questions. The preparation for the XAT will, therefore, require the student to get oriented to these question types. Additionally, one should take four to five mock tests for the XAT and analyse the same, similar to what is done for the CAT, to thoroughly get acquainted to the test structure and the types of questions.
Q. Since exams like the CAT are time-bound tests, what is the best way to manage the time given?
Time bound sections check the student’s section-wise strengths. If one has prepared the basics for all concepts and is confident of his application skills, time management should not be a difficult issue. One must follow the basics and strictly follow the section-wise strategies to ensure optimum usage of time and ensuring completion of the section in the allotted time. Do not spend more than 2.5 minutes on a question, solve set-based questions in the middle and always keep an eye on the timer. Do not resort to guessing or answering questions in a hurry, as it may cost heavily due to the negative marking scheme of the test.
Q. Please state the importance of mock tests.
To achieve your target percentile, you should take one mock test per week (or a maximum of two tests per week), especially if you are a working professional. For every test you take, as per the above table, you will attempt only the specified number of questions to ascertain your performance. Now, in the post-test analysis and the process of improvement, work on the questions that you got wrong. This is very important since you had more time per question and still got them wrong. It either means either an error of comprehension or a conceptual issue. Next, pick the questions you did not attempt and solve these questions without a time limit. Once again, this exercise will point out your areas of improvement. Doing this process for each test will definitely improve your performance in the next.
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