Preparing for CAT within a short span of time can be a challenge unless the right strategies are applied. Many renowned coaching centers fail to provide students with right resources to ace the examination. Here are the few strategies that I followed which helped me sail through the challenging phase and enter the coveted B-school.
45 days Preparation Strategy
Initially, for the first ten days, I prepared through HitBullsEye, where we can get the concepts clarified and get exposed to various kinds of questions in Quant, Logical Reasoning, and Verbal. The level of difficulty in this website is on par with or just above the actual CAT. Doing these problems not only helped me in understanding the concepts clearly but also boosted my confidence as I could secure more marks in the exams.
A positive outset is quite crucial at the start of the new journey. You don't want to get demotivated when you start your preparation. One has to take time to gain momentum and take the leap forward in solving difficult and challenging questions. I worked extensively on the topic-wise tests and analyzed where I was missing on things. After completing the topic-wise tests, I moved ahead to take the challenging mock tests. I used to score around 130 and was content and confident to secure more.
After finishing around 10 Mocks of various levels of difficulty, I moved to AIMCATs and also worked on problems from T.I.M.E study material. I worked religiously for 8 hours with a routine of writing two sectional tests in Verbal and Logical and a Mock Test.
AIMCAT is relatively much tougher compared to the actual CAT, one should not get demotivated even if you are not securing your target percentile. Time is a critical factor in a competitive exam like CAT. No best fit strategy suits all the exams. So, mocks are where we test different strategies and identify the best one capitalizing on our strengths. Not every strategy is a fit for every test. Writing many AIMCATs will keep you exposed to a variety of questions and help you understand the right strategy to go with.
Verbal:
I solved Reading comprehension from the sectional tests, at least two RCs a day. I have improved my reading speed while simultaneously working on my vocabulary. For RC, I tried to pick diverse topics like history, science, politics, literature, and philosophy.
The vocabulary asked in CATs is fairly the same every year. Regularly working on mocks should improve your vocab and put you in a comfort zone. In RC, solve the topics that interest you like history and then move to the other. Para jumbled is a bounty once you know the key joining words. As I was not doing good in VARC, I have put most of my preparation time into it. My scores improved from 65 to 85 by the end of 40 mock tests. Don't stress out, just keep working on it.
P.S. since most of my preparation was on AIMCATs, which are tougher. I strategized to attempt only 25-28 questions in Verbal, which backfired as the Verbal section was quite easier, and one can push himself to attempt all the questions.
Quant:
I solved the TIME study material for Quant. I also solved the sectional tests from TIME to get concepts right. Working through the AIMCAT series would bring you myriad questions, and I understood which question needs to be solved first and how to move through the questions and solve the easy ones.
Time is the key in Quant. I challenged myself in sectional tests with 20 questions in 30 minutes. I had to learn new concepts and push my boundaries farther to attempt all the questions in the mocks.
LR/DI:
In LR/DI, we have different types of questions like sitting next to you, number logic, Linking person with shirt color and city. Get exposed to the various questions. I went through all the different kinds of questions. I revisited all the questions in the Mock even if I was not able to read any of those questions in the exam. Get acquainted with various models to ace LR/DI.
LR/DI has been the toughest in the actual CAT from the past few years. You can expect LR/DI in actual CAT to be, in fact, tougher than AIMCAT. If the paper is tough, choosing the right questions is the key. Once you are stuck with a difficult question, it is a never-ending process. Leave it and move on. Identify your strong areas in LR and DI, and you can expect at least one easy question in both LR and DI. Try to finish each one in 8-12 minutes. Attempt at least 5 out of 8 perfectly. LR/DI section can be a game-changer for many.
Study Material:
· HitBullsEye concept-wise (Identify your weak areas and work on these topics)
· HitBullsEye Test Series (To boost your confidence)
· TIME Sectional Tests and Study Material (Conceptual understanding)
· AIMCAT Test Series (Builds the ability to tackle questions and manage time)
I got into
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management(SJMSOM), IIT Bombay, and a roller coaster journey of preparation has come to a successful end for me. Thanks to everyone that supported me in achieving my endeavor.
Words of Wisdom for all the Aspirants:
Persistence is the key to success. Maintain your composure and learn from the mistakes you commit in every exam. Love your Goal. Enjoy the whole journey.
If you want something with your full heart, the whole Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Hence, Give the best & Leave the rest.