It is less than 60 days to CAT 2010 now. It is high time that you strategize your preparation. The best way to figure out the right strategy is by taking mock tests. If one doesn't work out well, try another strategy and in this way, finalize it. This article of MBAUniverse.com will discuss some strategies which you must follow in these 60 days to CAT 2010.
Last year, CAT exam had 60 questions. According to Prof. Himanshu Rai, CAT Convener, CAT 2010 is expected to have 60 to 70 questions in total. Gautam Puri, Vice Chairman, Career Launcher mentions that you should attempt 45 to 48 questions divided equally among the three sections. "Please remember you do not have to attempt all 60 questions in the paper. In CAT 2009 an attempt around 45 - 48 with an equal split in the three sections resulted in interview calls," he says.
You must scan through the questions before starting the paper, be it the mock tests or the actual CAT exam. Attempt only those questions which you are confident in and sure of scoring. Make sure that you do not commit any silly mistake in them.
Attempt stronger section first
It is always advisable to start your exam with your strongest section. For example, if you are good at Quantitative Ability more than Verbal Ability or Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, then you should start your paper with that section only. This creates your confidence.
You can judge the strength and weakness and which section to attempt first by taking regular mock tests. "You need to fine tune your CAT taking strategies like which section to attempt first, how many questions to attempt in total at this stage," says Vivek Gupta, CAT expert, author and IIM Bangalore alumnus.
Avoid weak areas
At this stage, when it's just two months left for the exam, it is advisable not to spend time in preparing the weaker sections. It is the time to leave them out and intensify your preparation for the strong areas. "You should now become selective and intensive - i.e. leave the question-types that you are not comfortable with and make sure that you know everything in rest of the topics," says Puri.
Voicing similar opinion, Gupta says, "As the time left is only 60 days, you should start choosing your strength areas. If you cannot tackle a topic, you can decide to leave that topic for good and concentrate your energies in mastering all other topics."
Practice
Now, it is expected that you are done with the basic preparation for CAT exam. Now is the time to hone your skill with more and more practice. According to Puri, the sections like Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and the grammar portion of the Verbal Ability needs practice. He gives an idea on how to practice in these sections. "The verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning sections are more conceptual and require continuous practice everyday. Students must make it a habit to read for at least 1 hour everyday for the Verbal section. For the Data Interpretation section, acclimatizing yourself with data and graphs, and solving puzzles in newspapers and magazines should be very effective. The key to cracking any of the sections is practice," he states.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more on CAT 2010 preparation.
