The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a prerequisite for admissions in the IIMs and other prestigious B-Schools in the country. The exam is conducted by the IIMs every year and is taken by over a quarter of a million MBA aspirants.
The exam is generally conducted in the last week of November, and registration starts by the first week of August. It is important for CAT aspirants to start preparing for the exam by keeping at least a year in reserve.
However, due to certain circumstances, some candidates fail to dedicate enough time to prepare and get confused at the last minute. In this article, some important tips are given to help the candidates prepare for CAT in 2 days.
The CAT candidates are categorised into three sections, and the tips for the respective sections are discussed below.
- For candidates who are well-prepared
[Key Points: Revision, Time-management, Confidence, Shortcuts]
The candidates who have already prepared well have nothing much to do before the exam. Be well-rested, motivated and stay confident. However, it is also important to keep revising the concepts and browse through previous years’ CAT question papers and sample papers. Check if all the questions are solvable, and it is important to avoid losing confidence in case any question seems difficult.
It should be understood that the CAT includes a few difficult questions every year to confuse the candidates. Those questions are best left for the end, and one should not waste time by solving them in the beginning. The CAT is all about accuracy and not attempting more.
- For candidates who are less-prepared
[Key Points: Revisiting Basics, Practice, Exam-taking Strategy, Confidence, Motivation]
The candidates who did not dedicate enough time for preparation need to understand that the CAT tests their basic aptitude. Candidates who are well-acquainted with basic Maths and English grammar have a good chance of securing a good score in the exam.
At this time, it is important to brush up on the basics of Maths and English and practise a few questions related to them to become confident to apply the concepts in the CAT questions. Also, practise a few variations of questions from the Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation sections.
Besides, practise not less than 5 reading comprehension passages and try completing each passage within 15 minutes. In the CAT exam, start with easy questions and avoid guess attempts. Check for shortcut techniques and be thorough with their applications to be able to solve questions in the exam quickly.
- For candidates who are unprepared
[Key Points: Motivation, Self-analysis, Practice, Exam-Taking Strategy, Confidence]
Obtaining an excellent score in the CAT exam is a difficult task for candidates who are completely not prepared for the exam. However, candidates should not be demotivated and lose their confidence.
Check the CAT 2023 syllabus and analyse the topics that are easy and scorable. Also, check important topics that are repeated almost every year. The exam only includes basic Maths and English grammar questions. So, it is possible to score a decent score by getting acquainted with the basics.
Select the topics which are easy (according to individual preference) and practise a few variations of questions from them. In the exam, attempt all the easy questions first and then go for tough ones (avoid blind guesses).
Some Important Points for the Last Couple of Days:
- Avoid learning anything new at this time.
- Keep revising the important points and keep practising.
- Avoid over-stressing and take periodic breaks.
- Eat healthy food and avoid any distractions.
- Never mug up new concepts at this time.
- Take a few mock tests and devise exam-taking strategies accordingly.
- Stay confident and motivated.
These were some tips to help the candidates prepare for the CAT in two days. It is always important to start preparing for the CAT beforehand, not at the last minute. Also, it must be understood that even if one does not get the desired score, one can always apply the following year with proper preparation.
Check the following articles to get aid in CAT preparation:
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