I have written CAT thrice:
CAT 2020-94.65
CAT 2021-96.36
CAT 2022-99.08
It has been a long journey with a lot of mistakes and ignorance. Honestly, you don’t need three attempts to get a great CAT score. In a competitive exam such as CAT, it is crucial to have a strong foundation and maintain confidence in yourself.
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Here I have listed down some of the key factors that play a crucial role in your CAT journey:
1. Preparation Time- This is slightly subjective. It depends on your strengths and weaknesses. Some people have aced CAT with a very short preparation stint. On the other hand, some people start their preparation around one and a half years before the actual exam. On average 6-9 months are more than enough, even for beginners with no prior understanding of an exam like the CAT.
2. Resources- Candidates often spend a lot of time deciding which coaching institute to join. I went through the same, analyzing the quality of faculty, study material, performance, reviews, and many other factors. It is necessary to use the right resources, but most of the top institutes offer similar resources and are good enough to prepare you for the exam.
Regardless of the coaching institute you opt for, it is recommended to get test series from an additional institute. This gives you a better variety of questions and a higher number of mocks. But a candidate should have a good amount of time in hand to execute this. There are also free online resources that can help you practice if you have exhausted other materials.
Don’t worry about resources, there’s an ocean of resources available out there, including previous year's CAT papers.
3. Profile and Target- It is good to have a set of target Business Schools but do not invest a lot of time in this exercise. Some candidates do an in-depth analysis of the composite score required for a particular business school too early. Since you cannot change your past academics and other profile elements, it is better to not get demotivated and give your best shot at CAT.
CAT is followed by a rigorous second phase of the admission process. Don’t worry about that part before the exam. It does play a significant role in the admission process. But once you are done with CAT you will have enough time and guidance to prepare for it. Since general knowledge and communication skills cannot be aced in a very short duration, it is better to follow current affairs consistently. Newspaper reading helps a candidate to remain updated and also helps in VARC preparation.
Note-Avoid spending a lot of time in newspaper reading, it is not a substitute for a full-length RC passage with questions and analysis.
Please do not be under the impression that a great CAT score is the only requirement for securing admission to top business schools. There are a lot of factors that play a role in this process. An aggregate of this is the Final Admission Offer.
4. Work Experience- Candidates who have graduated often face this dilemma. Should I prepare with or without a job? I believe having a good job in hand reduces pressure and anxiety. But it is better to have a job profile that is not hectic so that you get enough time to prepare. Also, it adds to the work experience points.
A break before the actual CAT or leaving the job sometime before CAT provides some flexibility. It is better to have a good work environment as you might need some leaves in this entire journey.
This is a personal choice and depends on the candidate’s ability to deal with all these variables.
5. Mocks- This is the most important part of this journey. This is the most consistent advice you will get from your faculty members and mentors. Even I made the same mistake. Please appear for mocks at regular intervals. Even if you are not prepared or the syllabus is pending, do not ignore mock tests. Analyzing mock tests is equally important. Also, do not get demoralized by low mock scores. It is absolutely fine to get an extremely low mock score. Identifying and addressing your mistakes to improve performance is more important.
6. D-Day- It is often advised to disconnect from studies a few days before CAT and relax. Some candidates get anxious about not studying, but it is better to plan your preparation in a way that you are done with everything a few days before CAT.
It is extremely important to stay calm on the D-Day. A lot of well-prepared candidates don’t perform well just because of excess stress and anxiety. CAT tests your ability to handle pressure along with your aptitude. It is preferable to have a couple of Other Management Entrance Exams (OMETs) as a backup. Sometimes actual CAT day may not be your day. Thus, OMETs help you stay calm and they offer some really good business schools.
7. Believe in Yourself- A lot of times in your preparation journey, you will feel that you are not cut out for it. But acing CAT is not rocket science, you just need to get all the basics right and believe in yourself. Don’t worry you are just one leap of faith away from your dream business school.
Last but not least, if you haven’t watched The Pursuit of Happyness, do watch it. It is a great movie to cheer you up when you are feeling low.
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