Who better to answer these questions than the CAT toppers themselves, who are now studying at top B-school!
India's leading management portal MBAUniverse.com presents its series 'Road to CAT 2008' which will guide and inspire CAT aspirants at every stage. In this series, begin with a chat with students from top B-schools on their journey, and life at B-school. The B-school students that we interviewed for this series are from institutes like IIM-B, IIM-I, IIM-K, JBIMS, FMS Delhi and IIT Bombay's SJMSOM.
MBAUniverse.com presents chat with Nitin Gupta, alumni of MBA-Management of Services of Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi University, where he shares with MBAUniverse.com her experience while into FMS, and campus life.
The initial one and a half months I worked on the fundamentals of English and Quant. This is very important stage of preparation as after working thoroughly on the basics you can move on to the next level confidently. The next one month was devoted to the section tests of various parts of the entrance paper like DI, Quant, Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability. I did these section tests in a timed manner. After the stipulated time one should continue to solve the complete test as it is equally important to be able to solve all types of questions at this stage of preparation.
The next one month was completely devoted to test papers which include solving the Full length tests provided by the coaching institute including the Sunday mock tests. Ideally 3-4 full length test papers a week followed by a thorough analysis of the tests should be done. Analysis of the paper will give you an idea of what your strengths and weaknesses are, which type of questions can be correctly solved in the least possible time in those 2 hours. Develop your own shortcuts. This comes with practice and analysis of the paper.
Now comes the last 15 days of the preparation. Now 2 papers a week with thorough analysis of the same should be done. Also you need to get into the revision mode. Take out all the mock tests that you have given earlier and revise them. You need not completely solve the paper. The idea is to refresh the memory with the various types of questions asked in the mocks and the shortcuts that you may have developed for the same.
Last couple of days prior to the exam, just relax and chill out. Watch a movie or hang out with friends to keep you cool.
For XAT and FMS, you need not do anything different, as the syllabus and types of questions asked are more or less same. The difference is in the pattern of the paper.
For that you just need to solve few full length tests based on XAT and FMS tests pattern provided by the coaching institutes.
Talk to the existing students and if possible to the people who have studied there last year. The no of students enrolled with the institute is also one of the key parameters as the relative ranking of the mock tests gives you the true standing of your preparation level vis-à-vis other aspirants.
You actually need to prioritize your activities according your interest levels. Solving case studies till dawn which needs to be presented to a very demanding professor at 9 AM sharp to having parties till morning, all of these are a part of your B-school life. The pressure cooker situations of working on multiple assignments sometimes gets you in a thinking mode if I can really complete my MBA especially the initial months which I just cant forget. At the same time, the thrill that you get after getting six figure salary in your dream company gives you a really out of the world feeling.
Road to CAT '08 special series will continue on India's leading management portal – MBAUniverse.com. Stay tuned to read more Chats with MBAs, expert admission advice from B-school Directors and from top test-prep experts.
To read our earlier chats with CAT toppers, click on the links below:
http://www.mbauniverse.com/aspirantNews.php?id=1203
http://www.mbauniverse.com/innerPage.php?id=ne&pageId=1226
http://www.mbauniverse.com/newsFortnight.php?id=ne&pageId=1232
http://www.mbauniverse.com/newsFortnight.php?id=ne&pageId=1238
http://www.mbauniverse.com/innerPage.php?id=ne&pageId=1253
http://mbauniverse.com/newsFortnight.php?id=ne&pageId=1266
http://mbauniverse.com/newsFortnight.php?id=ne&pageId=1294
http://www.mbauniverse.com/aspirantNews.php?id=1315
http://www.mbauniverse.com/aspirantNews.php?id=1331