'I Saw CAT Actually As A Mock Test Where You Should Reach Your Peak' - Sutanu Chattopadhyay 99.04%ile In CAT 2015 - IIM Kozhikode

Sutana Chattopadhyay is an electrical engineer from Techno India University. He has worked with TCS for 2.5 years. Sutanu scored 99.04 percentile in CAT.  

How did you feel on the last week of CAT?
I would be anything but honest if I say I was relaxed and ready in my last week of CAT. I was tensed and I feel that if you are tensed before such an important exam, it’s perfectly normal. I had my senses alert and all my focus was towards the D-Day. But I always felt that it is just an exam at the end of the day and of course not the end of the life. I thought it as another mock test, one in which I had to be in the best condition of my mind and body.

 

What did you do to keep yourself calm?
Since I was a working professional when I took my CAT exams, I took a 3-day leave to have an extended weekend. I kept mostly indoors and cut down on socialising a bit. Most of the time, I read stuff (it was an intentional thing as well as I wanted to maintain my reading speed or may be to improve it.). And I played Sudoku. This is something I took up in the year before I took CAT. The LR skills actually become better if you are good at Sudoku. So what I did in the last week was mostly stuff that is not stressful. Another thing I would suggest is to create a memory map of every topic that is in the syllabus. These memory maps helped me to identify those areas where I am not good at, and I would glance through the problems based on those concepts. I did not watch any movie but listened to soft music. I know it sounds a bit cliché but we should try to be a bit boring in the last week and have less of any action.

 

What kind of preparation were you taking on last week?
Like I said I would mostly revisit those areas which I was not strong at. I made sure I remember formulas, tricks and concepts associated with every chapter. I made a chart on this basis previously and worked on a memory map in the last week. I think the way you prepare all these months before CAT has to be very structured so that in the last lap you remember all the concepts and formulas.

Apart from the memory map, I had marked a few topics based on the suggestion of my mentors like Probability and Numbers to name some. I tried to solve some hard problems based on these topics, which gave me confidence. As already mentioned before, I read a lot and played Sudoku and made sure I practised a few modules of Speed math. I state all these because I believe in the last week we become a bit relaxed when it comes to preparation and we generally don’t start something new. So, it’s important that we hone the basic skills. I saw CAT actually as a mock test where you should reach your peak. Most of us actually underperform because of the stress, so I had some different ideas how to go about it. Like every other exam, CAT also has some easy questions which is to be done in minimum possible time. This was mostly my strategy in all three sections. So, I took exactly 3 mock tests in the last week (the last one on Friday). I would not suggest these to others, but the reason was that I wanted to be conditioned during this run-up to the D-day.  

Advice for the aspirants this year.
IF you have worked on a strategy and that has given you results till now, stick to it. Don’t try out something new. Brush up the concepts, and other skills but make sure you don’t spend much time on the ones you are good at. I would suggest less socialising in this week and try a bit meditation if possible. Go through the previous years’ questions (solving them gave me confidence). Do have a proper diet and avoid snacks and meals which make you fatigued. Keep in mind you have to be at the best of your senses and energy on Sunday.

On the exam day, make sure you have enough time in your hand and don’t get into gossips or chit chat before the exam. Try to think about the concepts learnt and the problems solved. During the three-hour period, try to be alert and don’t make yourself too relaxed. If you can’t solve a problem, do not move to the next problem (as that might be tougher) but the one you can surely solve. For the Verbal ability section, you generally have some time at the end so make sure you use them judiciously.
Well, that’s all from my end and I hope this helps.

    ------------ About the Interviewer: I am a free and outgoing individual. I find pleasure in making new acquaintances. I started reading from an early age, and even now, I make it a point to read even if at infrequent intervals. I love surprising people and it feels great when people around me are happy.