Conducted by the Indian Institute of Managements, the Common Admission Test is one amongst the most competitive exams in the country. The CAT is a computer based test and is a prerequisite for admissions in the IIMs and numerous other B-Schools across the nation.
As lakhs of candidates take the exam every year, the competition has increased exponentially over the past few years. The IIMs, being extremely particular about the student quality, makes sure that the standard of the exam is maintained. So, it is very crucial that candidates must be very well prepared to ace the exam easily. Here are some of the most important tips to help the aspirant know how to crack CAT exam in the first attempt.
Be Well-Versed with the Syllabus Topics
Though the CAT exam has no pre-defined syllabus and pattern, the candidates are required to check the approximate syllabus and get acquainted with the important topics. In general, the CAT exam includes three sections namely, Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal and Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation.
Most of the questions in the exam include elementary concepts to solve them. For example, the quantitative section includes percentages, profit and loss, interests as some of the topics which the candidates have already studied in their schools. So, it is very important to know the CAT important topics before starting the preparation.
Prepare Every Section Equally
It is already mentioned that the CAT exam has three sections of QA, VARC and LRDI. The three sections have equal weightages and are equally difficult to solve. Some may find the numerical section to be tough while some find the verbal difficult. As the sections are equally important, proper preparation in each of the sections is very crucial.
So, giving equal importance to the sections is very crucial and questions from them must be thoroughly practiced. It is suggested to mix the daily schedule with varying topics to prepare the individual sections simultaneously.
Practice CAT Mock Tests and Previous Year Papers
The CAT Previous year Question papers and mock tests are very crucial to acquaint the exam-takers with the pattern and difficulty of the questions in the actual CAT exam. Moreover, as the mock tests are of similar duration, the candidates get acquainted with the timing and improve their time management skills.
So, it is suggested to take several mock tests and solve previous year papers to periodically to effectuate the preparation and be a step ahead of the others for the CAT exam. Also, make sure to analyse the mocks to understand the level of preparation.
Avoid Guessing and Be Accurate
It should be noted that except the Type In The Answer questions, all the other questions have a one-third negative marking. Most of the times, the negative marking becomes the only reason for a candidate to be unable to clear the cut-offs of their preferred B-School.
So, being accurate in the exam is more crucial than attempting more number of questions. Hence, it is suggested to practice several questions to slowly improve the required accuracy while solving the questions during the CAT exam.
Develop Time Management Strategies
Time management strategies are very important for the CAT exam. With 100 questions, the candidates are required to complete the paper in 180 minutes. So, proper time management is required to attempt all the questions strategically and score a decent score.
It is suggested to answer the easy questions first and then move on to the difficult questions. Also, for the verbal section, attempting reading comprehension and other questions alternatively can help to maintain the motivation while solving the questions simultaneously.
With these aforementioned tips, the candidates can easily crack the CAT exam in their first attempt and get admission into their preferred management school. As the exam is extremely competitive, the candidates are required to be extremely dedicated and honest during preparation.
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