Last-Mile CAT Preparation For CAT 2024 Preparation - Ratnil Shah, 99.05%ile

I started my CAT preparation in May 2023 and secured an overall 99.05 percentile in CAT 2023, with sectionals as follows:

• VARC: 85.05 percentile

• DILR: 99.69 percentile

• Quant: 98.79 percentile

My academic background reads 8/8/7, with a B.Com degree from a tier-2/3 university.

Now, let’s dive straight into my D-day journey—a mix of chaos, nerves, and, ultimately, triumph!

My D-Day Experience

Arrival at the Center:

I had the Slot-2 exam, and as I approached the center, I was greeted by a rather unusual scene—a wedding celebration happening downstairs, complete with a full band playing loud music. It was hard to miss the worried faces of fellow aspirants. "Will the band keep playing during the exam?" whispered many, including me.

At 12:30 PM, the exam started, and so did the real challenge—the band was still playing!

VARC – A Noisy Start

For me, VARC has always been the least comfortable section. My strategy was clear: start with the Verbal Ability (VA) questions first, then tackle the Reading Comprehensions (RCs). Why? Because I had consistently observed better accuracy in VA during mocks.

That day, I wrapped up the VA questions within 12–13 minutes and moved on to the RCs. But the loud music played havoc with my focus. I found myself rereading passages and second-guessing my answers. By the end of the 40-minute window, I knew this section hadn’t gone as planned, and I had to make up for it in the upcoming sections.

DILR – Turning the Tables

As the DILR section started, I took a deep breath. The noise had stopped, and I told myself, This is my chance to turn the tide. Instead of diving straight into the sets, I paused to scan all of them, ranking them based on how comfortable I felt.

The first set I attempted took 20 minutes—longer than I had planned—but I didn’t let that shake me. I tackled the second set with renewed focus, finishing it in just 10 minutes. Now, with only 5 minutes left on the clock, I faced a dilemma.

Two sets were left, and both seemed tough. I had a choice: sit back and prepare myself for Quant or find a way to squeeze a few more marks out of this section. My instincts told me to go for it. I quickly analyzed one of the sets, spotted two TITA questions, and made educated guesses.

When the results came, I found that both guesses were correct—a moment of pure relief and validation! That decision to stay proactive gave me a crucial edge.

Quant – A Test of Patience and Strategy

As Quant began, I felt ready to capitalize on my momentum from DILR. But the first ten questions threw me off—I could solve only one. It was frustrating, but I reminded myself of my plan to focus on Arithmetic, where I had consistently performed well.

Soon enough, Arithmetic questions started appearing, and I tackled them confidently. I kept my cool, chose questions wisely, and avoided wasting time on overly tricky ones. By the end, I attempted 10 questions, with 8 correct—7 of them from Arithmetic.

It wasn’t perfect, but sticking to my strategy helped me recover from a rough start and finish on a solid note.

 

Tips and Tricks

General Advice:

1. No New Concepts: Focus on revising what you’ve already learned.

2. Learn from Mocks: Identify common mistakes and avoid repeating them.

3. TITA Questions: Never leave them unanswered since they carry no negative marking.

VARC Tips:

• Identify your stronger area (VA or RC) and tackle it first.

• Avoid abstract RCs unless you’re comfortable with them. Skim the first line of each paragraph to decide.

• Don’t pick an RC solely based on its easy looking questions.

DILR Tips:

• Spend time ranking sets before solving.

• Select sets you understand and can strategize for—don’t go solely by perceived difficulty.

Quant Tips:

• Analyze past mocks to pinpoint your strong areas.

• Revise formulas and key concepts thoroughly. If you haven’t created a formula book yet, jot one down now!

 

A Final Word of Motivation

Let me share a snapshot of my mock scores. While my initial attempts were dismal, consistent effort and learning from mistakes helped me turn the tide. (My scores started to climb above 50 only after mid-October)

Lastly, don’t forget to:

• Seek blessings from your parents, mentors, and elders.

• Pray to the deity you believe in for added confidence.

Believe in yourself—you’ve got this!

All the best, and may you rock your CAT exam.

Thank you,

Ratnil Shah