Tuesday, October 19, 2010

CAT 2010: 10 tips to prepare in remaining months

With less than 3 months to go for CAT 2010, you should take your preparations seriously. Conducted on October 27th, it is time to start taking practice tests and master your weak areas. Here are tips compiled by experts, IIM alumni on how to bell the CAT-:


1) Increase your knowledge in each section of the test: You should work hard to increase your knowledge and to clear your basic concepts in all sections- Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning, quant, data interpretation and Logic.

2) Build your speed: Take as many model test papers and see how much time you're taking to answer questions in all sections. This will tell you in which sections you need to work on your speed.

3) Allocate your time per section: For some aspirants, solving the section in which you are strongest in works the best to ace the test.

4) Measure your performance with others: To benchmark yourself and understand your relative strengths and weaknesses versus other CAT aspirants, it is important that you join a test series which is written by a number of students to know where you stand.

5) Know which questions to attempt: The CAT papers have so far been designed in such a way that it is almost impossible to correctly attempt all the questions. You must be 100% sure which questions you will leave as they are as important as questions you attempt.

6) Read regularly: You must read newspapers and reading material to improve your knowledge in economics, world affairs and sociology.

7) Improve your vocabulary: Make a conscious effort to improve your vocabulary.

8) Identify the time of day when you study the best: The sooner you start preparing for the CAT, the better will be your preparation strategy and better will be execution.

9) Read the paper carefully: Be it actual CAT or mock test paper, you should take your time and read both the questions and data set carefully. Understand what you are being asked to do before you begin figuring out the information.

10) Set goals: While preparing for the CAT, make sure you have set realistic goals and strive hard to achieve them.