120 days left to CAT 2014 should inspire your preparation strategy and infuse a burning desire to get into the top rated B schools like IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, NITIE, MDI, IMT, IMI in 2015. What you need is the properly directed and meticulously planned preparation schedule which can get you though the Verbal Ability section of this most sought after and difficult management entrance test.
MBAUniverse.com brings a round of expert tips from Prof S K Agarwal, expert on Verbal Ability on Expected pattern and type of questions that you might be missing in your strategic preparation schedule. The guidelines are meant to further strengthen your focus on CAT Verbal Ability.
When you prepare for CAT 2014, the gateway to IIMs and other top rated B schools, the dilemma of what to prepare, how to prepare hovers your mind. This shadow needs to be cleared else you may not be able to decide the strategy of preparation process
Diffuse the apprehensions
The very first thing a CAT aspirant has to do is to make up the mind that he is going to enjoy the CAT preparation. You get hurt while playing football, hockey or cricket but you never give up playing and practicing. If you can learn various activities after facing number of problems and small accidents, why can’t you prepare for CAT which is your career dream?
Apprehensions are bound to be there when you begin your CAT 2014 preparation. You don’t find any repetitive question in CAT year after year as you find in your University examination and sometimes even in the civil services examination. CAT doesn’t question your understanding of English language nor does it aim to bring the toughest questions to perplex you. On the other hand CAT is designed to take out the best out of you.
If you are able to prepare in accordance with following guidelines, you will definitely win the race.
CAT Verbal Ability: combination of 4 segments
Your preparation strategy has to be combined with clear concepts and acquaintance of the 4 segments in Verbal Ability section in CAT. Although CAT moves around these 4 segments, it can throw surprises in each segment.
First segment is Error correction part; second is Vocabulary; third is jumbled paragraphs, last sentence of paragraph; fourth is Reading comprehension. All are important and you are not supposed to leave any of them.
Expected pattern of verbal ability questions for CAT
There are supposed to be 30 questions and the expected pattern of verbal Ability section in CAT 2014 could be as follows
Number of questions on Error correction in Grammar/Punctuation: 2
Number of questions on use of similar/confused words:1
Number of questions on missing vocabulary words: 2
Number of questions on one word put to different usage: 2
Number of questions on last/first sentence of paragraph: 1
Number of questions on jumbled paragraphs: 2
Number of questions on out of context sentence in a jumbled paragraph: 1
Number of questions based on RC passages: 10
Number of LR questions: 9
Every year CAT convenors assure the CAT aspirants in regard to continuance of similar pattern of examination. Dr Rohit Kapoor who was CAT 2013 convenor and who has been designated again as CAT 2014 convenor had categorically stated that CAT 2013 wouldn’t bring any surprises with it. But the first session on the first day in CAT 2013 had the repetition of CAT 2012 surprise element of picking the out of context sentence from a jumbled paragraph.
The tip is not to leave anything on chance even if it has not made appearance during past few years in CAT.
Strong Fundamentals is the key
Begin your preparation with fundamentals of Grammar and time zones (Tenses). Usually in our fast pace of preparation we skip small and petty concepts like use of Articles, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, punctuation, probably considering them of less importance. In fact the Parts of speech and clarity on subject verb agreement form the base of your sentence formation, jumbled paragraphs, and Vocabulary and Reading comprehension passages.
How to prepare CAT 2014
The questions in error correction over the past many years in CAT have been in paragraph form. These questions are based on core grammar concepts. What we forget in our preparation journey is that there could be two other type of questions may spring up in any CAT session. The first one is a long sentence with an underlined part which may or may not be correct and the second one could be an entire long sentence which may or may not be correct. Test takers may be asked to find out the correct part of the sentence for the former and re-write the entire sentence for the latter.
Those who prepared for Bank PO or for other similar examination might find somewhat similar sentences divided in 4-5 parts, although not underlined. You are supposed to prepare for these questions on the same lines. Understand well the concept behind the each question and then solve it. This will give you an edge as you will be able to solve them quickly.
Learn Contextual usage
There could be 3 questions at least on contextual usage of vocabulary words in CAT 2014. CAT is different from other MBA entrance tests. Tests like MAT/CMAT and sometimes even XAT put up questions on synonyms and antonyms of the given words. This is not followed in CAT. The questions are based on contextual usage of words. For example there may be a sentence with blank – She is a ___________ woman. (handsome/pretty). Both the words are synonyms and if you don’t know the correct use of them, you may make a mistake by using the wrong one. While handsome should be used for male, pretty should be used for female and the wrong use will make the reader interpret the sentence in a different way.
How to prepare CAT 2014
It’s therefore no good going for parrot fashion learning. It will be better to understand the word and know its correct contextual usage. You can do it by using the word in your daily writing, conversation and feel proud when you use it. Check for the other usage of the same word in a good dictionary. Reading News paper editorials and articles in periodicals will further clarify the contextual usage.
Focus on phrasal verbs
CAT 2014 is expected to have 2 questions based on simple every day words. These words could be as simple as ‘find’; stand’; ‘beat’; ‘look’ and are used in everyday life. Still they might create a great confusion. The reason is that any clubbing of preposition or adverb would entirely change the meaning of the word. There could be 4 sentences using the word in different ways. You are supposed to know well the usage of the word with prefixes and suffixes. For example- ‘Look out’; ‘Look outside’; ‘Look up’; ‘Look after’; ‘Look for’; ‘Look down upon’- all have different meaning and different usage and are not supposed to substitute one another.
How to prepare
The best way to learn such usage is to pick a few words every day, look up their different usage, practice them and then use them in your writing and conversation. Go on revising them.
This vocabulary part cannot be prepared overnight nor would anybody suggest you to do so. It’s better to begin now. Go for daily learning and daily practice, if you are serious enough to crack CAT 2014 with a high percentile.
RC & Jumbled paragraphs- know the sequence of sentences
CAT 2014 is expected to have 12 to 14 questions on the above two sub sections. We usually miss the connections between the 2 sentences when we try to place jumbled sentences in a coherent paragraph. Similarly while reading the RC passages we miss the important links to other paragraphs. The phrases used in RC are of utmost importance and should be understood well in accordance with their usage in the passage. It means the literal meaning of the phrase could be different to that one as used figuratively in the passage. There could be questions like Purpose and tone of the passage.
How to prepare
All this requires regular reading and practice. You are supposed to find the connectors like pronouns, used in place of nouns in jumbled sentences and place the sentences according to such references. For example use of ‘this’; ‘it’ means that the word has been used in place of some other noun or word. If you can find the already referred word, the job will be easier. There is a simple concept of ‘Sequence of sentences’ in English language, go through it. It will help you a lot.
For Reading comprehension one must go for versatile reading especially the editorials, expert articles in news papers and periodicals, books on philosophy, literature. There are questions like tone and purpose of the passage and to prepare for such questions you should know the key words which indicate humour, sarcasm, irony. Books like “Apple cart”; “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”; “Animal farm” will help in understanding and knowing such key words. However regular practice is the key.
Prepare to overcome the surprises
CAT 2014 may have surprises in any form. There may be new type of questions or there may be forgotten type of questions. Both will have almost similar impact. It is better to prepare to overcome such expected surprise elements right from the beginning.
So far CAT has been asking the questions on last sentence of paragraph and you are supposed to pick out the most appropriate option out of the given ones to complete the paragraph. There were 2 questions on this topic almost in every session of CAT 2013. What if there is a question to pick out the first sentence of paragraph in CAT 2014. This type of question could very well form a surprise element.
There used to be questions on jumbled paragraphs where opening, closing or both the opening and closing sentences were given and aspirants had to rearrange the sentences which should follow or lead to the opening or closing sentence.
Number of RC passages could be increased with lesser words followed by fewer questions, although overall questions tally could remain the same.
While the line of preparation should remain the same, more practice to solve different type of questions will be required.
Appropriate study material and guidance for Verbal Ability
Self study is the best study. The help and guidance is required to take you out of the area where you are stuck. For this purpose you may find lot of good study material off line or online. The purpose is to avoid wasting time and money in commuting. If you are able to find a good mentor near your place, better to be in touch with him. You may also get study material in distance learning mode and get your solved exercises checked regularly with appropriate explanation. A system of on line classes for CAT 2014 is going on. In case you feel class guidance by a mentor you may also get it at quite affordable price and attend late evening classes right from your home, work place or anywhere in the world.
Options are immense. Will to prepare is the need. 120 days is not a long time to prepare. If you have not yet begun, begin your preparation for Verbal now. It’s a long way to go to crack CAT 2014. Please remember during your long preparation journey, remain relaxed but focused on different types and pattern of Verbal Ability questions.
Related Links
IIM Indore will host CAT exam 2014 with Rohit Kapoor as CAT Convenor, expect surprises
CAT Topper 2013 Sneha Mittal shares her success story to Crack CAT 2014 exam
CAT 2014 exam; An overview; Make the best use of remaining 180 days
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