CAT 2008: IMS Learning offers tips on improving your Test Taking Skills

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
July 24, 2016
Are you ready to bell the CAT on November 16? Do you need some last minute tips and advice on how to do well in this all important exam?

Well, expert guidance is now just a click away. In this CAT series on MBAUniverse.com, expert from Mumbai based IMS Learning offers advice on how to prepare key sections: Quantative, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Test taking skills. After advice on Quantitative section & DI LR sections, this third and final article looks at how to finally do well in CAT by improving your test-taking skills. 

Test Taking Skills – While preparing for the test

By IMS Learning

With just a few weeks to go for November 16, you have entered the "FINAL STAGE OF CAT PREP". So, what is it that is required in the final stage of CAT prep: to bell the CAT?  We will have a look at the various aspects of good test-taking skills that must be adopted by candidates targeting to clear CAT 2008.

 A] Test Taking Skills – While preparing for the test 

      Generic Tips 

           Arrive early for the test (not just CAT, even SimCATs)

Ensure that you bring all the material you will need such as pencils, pens and a watch. This will ensure that you focus on the task at hand, i.e. taking the test rather than worrying about the accessories required to take the test.

           Be comfortable but alert

Choose a spot and ensure that you have enough room to work, maintain a comfortable posture while taking the test, don't "slouch".

           Stay relaxed and confident

Remind yourself that you are well-prepared and are going to do well. If you find that you are anxious, take several slow, deep breaths to relax. Don't talk about the test to other students before the test; remember anxiety is contagious.  

      Content – Subject-Specific Tips 

           Prepare regularly, do not procrastinate

Preparation is a continuous skill building process – learn concepts, solve exercises and take section/topic tests to assess your learning. Avoid the syndrome of focussing on strengths and neglecting weaknesses.

           Simulate test conditions

After the requisite study and assimilation of concepts, practise under test conditions. Solve unsolved problems from the previous test and see if you can finish them within the allotted time.

           Talk to your teacher/mentor

Talk to your teacher – It always helps to discuss problems, raise pertinent queries and hone the art of reasoning. 

           Study Room – Form a study group of 3-4 dedicated students

Not only will others be able to help you with your problems, but by helping others         you will learn better. If you are unable to teach a topic you believe you are strong in, chances are you don't know that topic very well after all. If you can't explain it, you don't know it!

 B] Test Taking Skills – While taking the test 

When you take a test,

You are demonstrating your competency in the areas of assessment and your ability to effectively perform certain tasks. Successful test takers avoid carelessness. The following suggestions help you minimise if not avoid committing careless errors!

      Generic Tips 

           Read the directions carefully:

           This may be obvious, but it will help you avoid costly mistakes

           Answer questions in a strategic order:

           1.  Quickly look through the test for an overview before you start

           2.  Prioritise your attempts – read and understand a question, solve it if it is easy, come back to it later if it is slightly difficult or time-consuming and skip it if it is very difficult.

           3.  With objective tests, especially in the Verbal section, it helps to first eliminate answer options that you know are wrong, or are most likely to be wrong or just don't seem to fit, or where two options are so similar as to be both incorrect

           Review:

Review your test to make sure that you have answered as many questions as possible, not mis-marked the answer sheet, or made some other mistake

           Change answers to questions if you originally misread them:

Or if you have encountered information elsewhere in the test that indicates that your first choice is incorrect

           Decide on and adopt strategies that worked best for you:

For every test, you make various strategies as to which sections to attempt first or which question types to solve first. After every test, identify and reuse the strategies that worked for you and replace the strategies that didn't work well.

          Remember your clear objective is to maximise your score in each section.  So, do not try to increase your score in one section at the cost of your performance in others. Spending more or less and equal time across all sections could be a wise decision.          

           Content – Subject Specific Tips

           Read through the exam/test paper

With reading through the whole exam you can know what is expected of you; prioritize items on the test; pace yourself.

           Read the instructions/questions carefully, always

           Make sure you are answering the question that is being asked!

Often students know how to solve a problem, but they misread or misinterpret the question itself;

          Clearly write the relevant steps of the solution in the space provided for rough work – avoid extremes of doing everything mentally (unless really feasible) or everything on paper (unless really required)

Be neat and don't rush to writing numbers down. Keep checking your solution as you are working. Neatness makes it easier to spot and thereby reduce your errors. Uilise the available space effectively. 

Don't Dilly Dally

           If you get stuck on a problem move on and come back to it later.

           When you are finished, re-check all your work. 

             Have a good attitude. Think positive! 

C] Test Taking Skills – Analysis after the test 

The CAT broadly tests you on Math and English. What about questions on reasoning? The answer is simple – the English section has reasoning questions included in it and so is the case with the Math section. 

The tests other than CAT may vary in structure or in the level of difficulty and some even have an additional section or an essay, which the CAT does not test you on. However, all these tests would definitely test you on Math and English skills. So first things first, we need to have a firm grip on Math and English.

Furthermore, the most crucial time would be the last 30 days before the CAT, which must be utilised effectively so that you can peak by November 16th.

Getting down to brass-tacks, there are certain aspects, which we should follow meticulously. 

The Process of Analyzing the Comprehensive Tests 

1.   Check your performance in the test. Detail the following:

      a.  Total questions you have attempted per section.

      b.  Total correct and incorrect answers.

2.   Analysis – First Phase

      a. Attempt all the questions that you had solved incorrectly during the test.

      b. Answer them on your own – without seeking the assistance of faculty, BRMs or the Explanatory Answers.

      c. Try to identify where and why you went wrong.

      d. This will help you to identify the nature of mistakes. They can be silly mistakes, erroneous calculations, guesses or conceptual errors.

      e. Having identified them, ensure that you do not commit the same mistakes again. Practice with concepts is the best stratagem to overcome such mistakes.

      f.  For the Conceptual mistakes, refer to the BRMs, take the section tests and learn to apply the concepts correctly. For silly mistakes make a conscious effort to avoid them while solving such questions in future.

4.   Analysis – Second Phase

      a. Answer all the questions that you either skipped or did not attempt during the test.

      b. You will find that you are able to attempt some of the questions after the test while there would be others that you may not be able to attempt.

      c. This will help you realise that there are many questions which you could have attempted and chose not to do so either because you did not get time during the test or you did not reach or did not understand what was required..

      d. For those questions which you cannot attempt even now, first take the help of the BRMs and the explanatory answers, thereafter solve them.

      e. If you need improvement in any section then spend more time on it. Before you set out to solve more tests identify the skill that needs to be developed. For e.g. if your scores in DI are not satisfactory, identify the source of the problem. For instance, "do I need to work on approximations or do I need to work on percentages/averages etc."

f.    Ensure that you attempt all the questions in the test on your own, before moving ahead. 

5.   Analysis – Third Phase

      a.  List the questions which you got correct when you took the test.

      b.  Solve each of these questions again.

      c.  The objective of this exercise is – "Hey I got it correct the first time, can I do it faster?"

      d.  These would be the questions which will help you develop your very own                      shortcuts or tricks.

      e.  Remember that tricks and shortcuts are best developed by you and you alone.     There is no alternative to this. 

6.   Analysis – Fourth Phase

      a.  You have completed analyzing all the questions.

      b.  Take a new test.

      c.  Repeat the first 3 phases. 

7.   Additional Inputs

      a.  No Biases

           i.   You have to be good in all the sections. Therefore you cannot say that I am good in English or I am good in DI.

           ii.  Try to overcome such biases.

      b.  No Mindsets

           i.   The CAT is a test of your aptitude and not a test of intelligence.

           ii.  We are not in the game of out-guessing the CAT.

           iii. There is no foolproof strategy

      c.  Therefore, you need to appreciate the following

           i.   Always read the instructions.

           ii.  Plan for each section – this is possible only after the test starts.

           iii. The objective of this planning is to help you pace yourself in that section.

·              Go to the next section and do a similar exercise.

·              This will help you to be in control during those 2 ½ hours. 

This article concludes the three-part series by IMS Learning on specific aspects of CAT 2008 preparations.  

Watch out for more articles on CAT 2008 on MBAUniverse.com Aspirant Zone. Aspirant Zone on MBAUniverse.com is the dedicated platform for MBA aspirants. MBAUniverse.com Aspirants Zone includes MBA primer, Mastering Written Tests, Mastering GD and Interview and news for MBA-aspirants.