But why GD, PI, and WAT preparation before?
The reason being, many aspirants, believe that attempting CAT is the end of the selection process, but attempting the CAT is just a part of this marathon. Even if you have scored significant enough to get calls from Tier 1 & Tier 2 B-schools, you still can't ensure your conversion in those B-schools as the interviewer will not judge you just on your CAT performance but also on how you perform in GDs, WATs, and PIs. GD and PI are the measuring scales on which interviewers try to judge your personality. Personality is a combination of a person's behavior, attitude, emotions, and cognitive (i.e., thinking) abilities, and you can't change your personality. Post-CAT, you have minimal time to prepare for the next stage, so you try to write answers for hygiene questions that might be asked in an interview in a haphazard manner, the reason being you haven't given a thought about what and who you are. To know and write about yourself, you need some time, and that time you can manage during the pre-CAT stage. If you face any problem to answer hygiene questions, try to do SWOT and personality analysis. This will not only help you find your known areas but also the blind ones.
Just spend an hour daily reading newspapers and articles on diverse topics like politics, philosophy, economics, business, etc. and make a list of all recent happenings. This will add different perspectives and views to your knowledge base. This will not only prepare you for GDs and WATs but also for VARC. Follow InsideIIM for excellent content on recent happenings. In addition, spend an hour on weekly-basis on answering hygiene questions. So you have to prepare parallelly, and you will realize this how much this has helped you during the GD-PI-WAT process.
Dilemma: Which approach to follow while attempting CAT?
Now coming to the aptitude part, many will tell you to follow the X or Y approach only. But one approach to attempt CAT may not do wonders for you, so instead of sticking to one approach, try multiple approaches by attempting mocks and see which one is suitable to you and help you in scoring more on the D-Day. Just start with the basics and then jump on to the mock tests.
Suggestions:
- Attempt at least 25 mocks. Choose any two of IQuanta/ TIME/ IMS/ CL. Mocks of these coaching institutes are very much similar to CAT.
- Attempting 3 hrs mocks is just the half-time of a football match. Analyzing and attempting the wrong and unanswered questions is the other half and is the most important one.
- Don't get demotivated after scoring low marks in mock.
- Don't overspend your time on one concept and question.
- While attempting mocks, try to go through all the questions because you may find easy questions in the last of the section.
- For QA, create a list of formulas as many questions in CAT is just formula based. QA Important topics to look for Algebra, Numbers, Arithmetic, Geometry, P&C, Probability, Set Theory, Mensuration and Trigonometry, Logarithms
- For VARC, make a list of new words or can follow Word Power Made Easy. This will also ease your load for IIFT, SNAP, and XAT preparation. For increasing the reading and comprehensibility speed, try to write summaries of the RC articles. This will also help you in retaining the content too.
- For the LRDI section, practice, practice, and practice.
- There are many CAT preparation groups on Facebook and Telegram. Those groups will help you connect with many CAT aspirants and coaching faculties, and they will help you solve your posted queries.
Now for the post-CAT, go through all your hygiene questions, academics if you are a fresher, General Knowledge, and list of notes on recent happenings. Give practice mock PIs and GDs, this will help you analyze your pain points and work on those.
I believe the above-mentioned points will help you bell the cat and help you in getting into your dream B-school.
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Comments
Vishal Kumar
Quite amazing insights. The way you have put forward the ideas to attempt the different sections, definitely it is one of the best ways to go about the exam.
4 Sep 2020, 04.29 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.53 PM |
Ekta Mourya
Loved the insights! :)
4 Sep 2020, 04.37 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.53 PM |
Jeetesh Varshney
Jeetesh Varshney holds an MBA from the IIM Udaipur and was a member of the InsideIIM Student Team and representative of Placement Preparation Committee of IIMU. He has previously completed his Computer Engineering from Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur and has work experience in software development. He is an avid reader and loves travelling and exploring new places and cultures. He is someone who learned a lot from InsideIIM while preparing for his management entrance exams and now writing stories on InsideIIM to share his experiences for the benefit of the future aspirants.
Good job Dhruv! Quite an informational post... Keep Writing :)
4 Sep 2020, 04.42 PMEdited
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.52 PM |
komal bansal
Great job dhruv, quite informative and helpful post..!!
4 Sep 2020, 05.05 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.52 PM |
Shivam Aggarwal
Perfectly penned down
4 Sep 2020, 05.07 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.52 PM |
Shivam Aggarwal
This article will help multiple aspirants.
4 Sep 2020, 05.08 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.52 PM |
Priyam Juneja
I am a literature graduate from Delhi college of arts and commerce pursuing an MBA from IMT Ghaziabad. I have a strong inclination towards marketing and want to pursue a career in Brand management. I am a curious person who likes to pick up random trivia about anything I find interesting. Photography and writing are a few of my interests and I am always up for new experiences.
Amazing read, Very insightful.
4 Sep 2020, 05.12 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.51 PM |
chant aggarwal
Very insightful! Tips can help students crack cat
4 Sep 2020, 05.15 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.51 PM |
Alokik Kumar
Great work! Nice piece of advice.
4 Sep 2020, 05.18 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.51 PM |
MBA Insiders null
Very helpful, Dhruv! Keep writing. Looking forward to more articles from you!
4 Sep 2020, 05.22 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.50 PM |
Dhruv Aggarwal
Very well written. Looking forward for more articles from you.
4 Sep 2020, 05.27 PMEdited
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.50 PM |
Sunil Aggarwal
Really helpful. Plz share more information on cracking cat and other competitive exams.
4 Sep 2020, 05.32 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words. Yes, I will try to post information asked by you.
4 Sep 2020, 05.50 PM |
Shivam Aggarwal
Very useful for my cat preparation. Amazing ?
4 Sep 2020, 05.35 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 05.49 PM |
Vaibhav Gupta
The insights are very well explained. Exams, the speaker of one's ability and judge of one's capablity is the hardest time for every student. The model that you worked upon focuses upon ground reality where every student young and old shall work upon. Yes utopia never exists but by following simple steps, one can attain good marks, which is no less than uropia. You did an amazing job.
4 Sep 2020, 06.18 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kindful words.
4 Sep 2020, 06.31 PM |
Chhavi Gupta
Very helpful and knowledgeable piece.
4 Sep 2020, 07.33 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your words.
4 Sep 2020, 08.00 PM |
Tanmay Mehra
Great job bhaiya keep it up! ?
4 Sep 2020, 10.16 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kind comments.
4 Sep 2020, 10.29 PM |
karan tyagi
Good Read!
4 Sep 2020, 10.19 PM
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Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank you for your kind comments.
4 Sep 2020, 10.29 PM |
Dhruv Aggarwal
I am currently pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. Did my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering. My hobbies are playing cricket, teaching, and solving puzzles.
Thank You all for your wonderful comments.
4 Sep 2020, 11.35 PM