Crack CAT 2014: Identify your weaknesses and Strengths; utilize best the next 100 days

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
July 17, 2014
CAT is considered the most tricky entrance examination to top Management Institutes in India like IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR
Will the CAT-2014 be going to be the old wine in new bottle? Or it would an entirely modified test with different type of questions?

Combined Admission Test (CAT) is considered the most tricky entrance examination to top Management Institutes in India like IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMT, IMI, TAPMI. On the top of it TCS has taken over from Prometric as new testing agency for CAT 2014. The change may bring something unanticipated.

IIMs have always been the most sought after B-schools due to their great accreditation, the knowledge and Management skill they impart to their students and the excellent pay packages, their students get after completion of the course.

Will CAT 2014 be a different test

Will the CAT-2014 be going to be the old wine in new bottle? Or it would an entirely modified test with different type of questions?

There is no doubt that basic structure of CAT is expected to remain the same with similar number of questions and sections in 2014. Besides, since there is no fixed topic wise prescribed syllabus for CAT, aspirants are supposed to depend on the past published papers and replica tests. Interestingly past CAT questions are also not available in their exact form at least for last 4 years when CAT changed its testing mode from paper pencil to computer based online test.

Time to overcome the weakness

Aspirants usually love to go on working and practicing questions on the topics which are their strongholds and in the process the topics which are no less important and need more improvement are left behind in their preparation journey.

Prof S K Agarwal, expert on Verbal Ability suggests that aspirants should identify their weak topics and should focus on improving them as there are still 100 days to go for CAT 2014. The time if utilized in a disciplined manner can bring the desired results else even 365 days are not sufficient.

Segmentalize the topics and frame study schedule   

Planning your study schedule may not be a difficult task if you are focused and determined to crack CAT 2014. Whether it’s quant, verbal, DI or LR divide the entire course in topics and sub topics. Even if one topic takes a week to cover, a sub topic may be completed in a day or two after devoting an hour a day.

All the aspirants have matured mind and almost all the relevant topics they have already studied at one or other level, so it should not be a problem to refresh the concept and move on to practice sessions on the topics.  Try to come out of your comfort zones and plan a little tough study schedule. After all you will be doing it for your own future.

Focus your studies with the intense desire to get the utmost clarity especially on the topics, you know are the tricky.  For example, aspirants find it difficult to get the tone of the RC passage, fail to catch the dangling modifiers in error correction in the sentences etc. – pick out the topic, if you can do it on your own, else find out the mentor who will help you build the concepts and go for more and more practice.  The key words are speed and accuracy.  Bring out the strength from your reservoir and attempt to hit the goal.

Beware!  Only Quant or Only Verbal won’t do

Aspirants in the new system feel a little relaxed. Nothing to manage neither the flying sheets of paper nor the sharpening of pencil. Number of sections  have been reduced from three to two.  An aspirant may feel a little more comfortable since he/she has to individually qualify in two sections instead of three.  However, the candidate has to individually score a high percentile in each of the two sections, to receive the call for final selection round. . 

Those who come from mathematics/Engineering back ground may have strong Quantitative Ability or may be skilled in Data Interpretation. They may get through this section more easily. This section of quant + DI has 30 questions- 20 on quant and 10 on DI and the entire section has to be attempted in 70 minutes; so more than two minutes per question are available and the time is considered sufficient enough. The past record shows that a candidate who hits 22-24 questions right, would get a percentile as high as 90+. The candidate has the choice to attempt more quant and less DI or vice versa.  There will not be any sub-segmentation of scoring separately in quant and/or DI. The section will be treated as one. Find out the areas where you are still weak and are strong enough. Make all out efforts and begin from now to convert your weak areas into strong ones and further strengthen the strong areas.

The second section - a mix of Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, is agonising for those who do not begin their preparation a little early.  At least a six months’ thorough preparation is required to be well conversant with this section. The section may be divided into three parts instead of two as one of the topics in Verbal Ability has much more weightage i.e. Verbal Ability -10-11 questions; Reading Comprehension – 9-10 questions; logical Reasoning-10 questions. So this section again consists of 30 questions. It is always advisable not to have a biased mind or limit oneself to attempt a limited number of questions.  It may be that you may attempt more than anticipated questions. Be open to have the choice to attempt all the 30 questions, if you can. These 30 questions are to be attempted in 70 minutes-again you have more than 2 minutes per question at your disposal. Unlike the earlier CAT pattern or the paper pencil mode the candidates have more time with lesser number of questions but this relaxation is there at the cost of difficulty level.  The difficulty level has increased and more versatile study is required.

Size and length of questions have been reduced especially in Verbal Ability section there are no more Vocabulary questions with big sets of direct synonyms and antonyms. The pattern has been changed to usage of words in different contexts and this requires more understanding as well as regular practice, else one may forget whatever has been learnt. There are no mixed-up questions now.  They are well defined, placed in proper section

The RC passages, although reduced from 1200/1400 words to 800+ words, are followed by 3 to 4 questions based on each of the passage. One can expect three passages in CAT-2013 followed by 9-10 questions in all.  The difficulty level is moderate to tough. The passages are embedded with phrases/idioms and indirect references. It is necessary to read them between the lines and understand them.  The questions based on them are also not direct one, one has to understand the meaning and the indirect reference before proceeding to answer them.

Other parts in Verbal Ability section will have questions based on Error corrections in grammar usage, contextual usage of vocabulary, jumbled paragraphs, completion of last sentence in a paragraph, using one word in different ways etc. All these questions, taken together will not be more than 11. Where is the catch – the level of difficulty which is good enough to keep you thinking.

The aspirant has to remember a single wrong answer will dip the percentile by 8- and one right answer will improve the same by 6+.  So have the killing instinct to study with appropriate material and with the help of good institute that can provide you good guidance.

CAT has gone for perceptible changes but its charm has increased manifold and the number of CAT aspirants have been increasing every year.  The changes over a period of time in the formation & pattern, number of questions and the system of examination have been adding to the glory of CAT. While these changes might make the aspirant relax to some extent, the difficulty level has improved and need for skill in speed and accuracy has increased- a challenge which is to be met by the examinees. 

Related Link

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Verbal Ability for CAT 2014 exam: Frame the prep strategy according to weightage


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