Last Minute Guidance For CAT 2024 - Shubinder Takyar

VARC: Although VARC was never my strongest area. However, I can guide you on what not to do during preparation, which might help you avoid my mistakes. In VARC, regularity is crucial. Unlike Quantitative Ability or LRDI, which can be practiced on alternate days, VARC should be done consistently. Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of reading into your daily routine, whether it’s newspapers or articles from domains you enjoy. The key is Reading, Reading, Reading. While I might get backlash for this, I suggest avoiding long articles from Aeon. When attempting mocks or sectionals, you will notice that your mistakes often come from specific genres of essays. Identify these genres and practice more in those areas. Regular sectional practice is important; I found the VARC1000 course particularly helpful in my preparation.

LRDI: I scored 99.5 percentile in my latest attempt, which adds to my credibility. Here’s what to do: Make a habit of solving different sets regularly and focus on your weak areas. While working, I used my lunch breaks to solve sets (the hybrid policy was a lifesaver). Pick a topic, revise the basics, and then attempt questions from online sources such as TIME, IMS, and Cracku. As CAT approaches, analyze all your mistakes and reattempt the questions you got wrong in the mocks you purchased.

Quantitative Ability: I scored a decent 99.6 percentile in Quants; here’s my guidance: Review your last 10 mocks and identify which topics you are weak in. Use your notes and formulas for those topics. Dedicate one day to revising each weak topic and review the wrong answers from your mocks. An important aspect of Quants is learning when to skip questions. There are two scenarios:

1. You were close to the answer but spent too much time and got it wrong.
2. You did not know the answer at all.

The second scenario is acceptable; we’ve all been there. However, in the first scenario, it’s likely that you’re taking the question personally. The examiner sprinkles some "speedbreaker" questions throughout to test students' ability to skip them—identify these and move on.

On D-Day, luck and mindset also matter, so take a deep breath and give it your best shot. You are close; trust in your abilities. Additionally, make sure to include exercise in your daily routine—a healthy mind is very important for optimal performance.

Hope this was useful to you all!

Bye!