After our previous post on Numbers System and the importance of covering the fundamentals of every topic, this article focuses on how to prepare for the Quantitative Aptitude section in the next 4 months leading up to CAT 2024.
Quantitative Aptitude generally becomes a trickier section for people with non-maths backgrounds. It is also the last section of the CAT exam which means your VARC and DILR attempts and mental fatigue can also impact your Quantitative Aptitude performance.
- Understanding the Importance of Key Topics
One of the foremost questions CAT aspirants often ask is whether focusing on certain topics can guarantee high scores. Arithmetic and Algebra form about 77 % of the QA section. Out of the 16-17 questions from these topics, even if you can solve 12 questions with 75% accuracy you have 9 correct answers totaling a score of 24. This could fetch you around 97-98%tile according to CAT 2023 Score Vs Percentile.
But this does not imply that you focus only on these topics ignoring other chapters entirely. Practice these thoroughly and clear your fundamentals for others. Try to strategize by finding what you can solve quickly and correctly. If you struggle with certain topics from Algebra and Arithmetic try to compensate them with Geometry. The quants section sees 3-4 geometry questions with moderate difficulty.
Mocks, sectionals, and topic-wise tests are your go-to for building accuracy and speed.
Set a target to take tests along with your preparation. Please do not keep them hanging for your last days of preparation or when you complete your syllabus. Mock tests help identify strengths and weaknesses, simulate exam conditions, and provide opportunities to practice your exam strategies.
Analyze your wrong attempts whether you made a calculation mistake or it was a question type you didn’t know about. Most mocks have video solutions. To get the right answers, you should also go through the solution. It can give insights on solving the question in a better/quicker way.
- Make Attempt Strategies for Your Exam Day
While attempting mocks, try out sectional strategies of how you will attempt the paper on the exam day. After some initial mocks, you can try out these strategies suggested by CAT toppers:
- The 80-80 Rule: Maintain an 80 % attempt rate with 80 % accuracy. But do not play with guesswork and try only for genuine answers you know.
- A-B-C Method: Skim your paper with abhi karo (attempt now), baadme karo (flag for review) and chod do (leave/eliminate). Attempt all quick-solving questions in the first go. If a question requires more than 1.5- 2 minutes of solving, flag it and visit again when you have read the entire question paper. Eliminate those questions you are not confident with. Do not waste your time by getting stuck on a question.
Multiple CAT mentors and test takers recommend these strategies, but they may not be effective for everyone. You can start with these and formulate your own as you analyze your mocks.
Quick Links:
Preparation Strategies and Time Table for CAT 2024
List of Books for CAT Exam 2024
Free online cat exam coaching by ARKSS
- Preparing for the Unexpected
Versatility in preparation ensures that the candidates can adapt to whatever the exam presents. While past trends provide valuable insights, the CAT 2024 exam can still throw surprises. To mitigate this, try questions from a variety of sources. Many free resources are available online. There are communities on Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp that share questions every day.
In conclusion, mastering the QA section of the CAT exam requires a balanced approach, strategic preparation, and a willingness to adapt. On an ending note, I would recommend you maintain a formula book to revise concepts easily. It saves you time when you have all your formulas written in your style.