CAT 2014 exam has given more time to prepare than any of the earlier CAT tests and is getting more popularity with its tag that it is going be more aspirant friendly. So is it the additional one month granted to aspirants for preparation as the CAT 2014 will be held on November 16 & 22 instead of beginning at some middle date in the month of October 2014 or it is the increase in number of questions from 60 to 100 coming with an increase of 30 minutes in time to solve all the CAT questions that is going to make it more aspirant friendly or it is the benign reassurance from CAT saying ‘not to worry’ in an indirect and polite form.
Should you expect a moderate CAT 2014!
Prof S K Agarwal, expert on CAT preparation shares that whatever might be the cause of being happy about late conduct of CAT 2014, all will again depend on your high level of preparation. The only difference is that you will have to face 100 questions to be solved in 170 minutes instead of 60 questions in 140 minutes. Proportionate time has also been reduced, do remember.
Does it mean that CAT aspirants had more time earlier to solve fewer highly difficult questions or CAT 2014 will place less difficult questions in 2014 or IIM Indore and TCS have planned to drain out the brain of the CAT 2014 test takers with the same difficulty level in less time as the time per question will be less now.
CAT convening IIM Indore has assured that there wouldn’t be any change in Syllabus for CAT 2014. But the problem is that CAT syllabus is never well defined. Any question based on any topic under the Sun appears with some twist leaving the test taker flummoxed and gasping for more air in the testing room.
The suggestion is not to go by such advice that calls for a relaxed preparation strategy which is driven with the thought of some moderate structure of questions expected in CAT 2014 exam. Remain focused and continue improving in your preparation with speed and accuracy.
One extra month is a great opportunity
You are not aware what twist and changes in question pattern, CAT 2014 would bring in the testing room. Besides the number of questions which could be anticipated in earlier CAT exams is bound to change apart from this, their structure, scoring pattern is also not yet known.
There could be more questions on basics of English language and fewer other type of questions or you can anticipate more twisted questions on RC passages. By the time TCS or IIM Indore think it proper to share it with you, you will be left with lesser time to prepare. So why to wait! Better strategy is to learn and practice the fundamentals of English, go with the determined preparation strategy without any break.
You may however wait a while before going to take the series of Mock tests at least for a month since taking revised mocks based on new pattern will be more beneficial than focusing on the past pattern.
Gather your energy and practice more
But you can’t deny the facts. So how to bell the CAT 2014 with 100 questions requires strategic planning. The very first thing is to go for a set of 100 questions at least once in a week. You might think it funny or not so practical but think how much energy you will require to solve the real CAT 2014 questions in the testing room. Why shouldn’t you begin now?
So where do you get the questions from? Is this so difficult? You might be having hundreds of questions with you although they might not be in the form of a comprehensive mock test. You can arrange sets of 100 questions each from your stock and form your own mocks. Besides you may club past CAT papers and prepare mock test papers with high LOD. Now try to solve these sets and see how you perform.
Once you like solving these questions, this exercise will not only increase your speed and accuracy but will also keep you away from restlessness that you could have otherwise felt in the testing room. Brain exercises are more tiring than the physical workouts, please remember. So begin building up your level of study and practice stamina and energy for CAT 2014.
Target Preparation to score high balanced percentile
Work on your weak areas, prepare well, practice more and make it a rule whenever you go for a mock or a combination of practice questions, the result should be very good in both the sections. Although a marginal difference wouldn’t matter, a huge difference in sectional percentile may not get you shortlisted by an IIM for second phase of admission round.
Time, the most important factor
CAT 2014 has permitted the aspirants to switch from one section to another during the currency of the exam and surely aspirants find it a point of celebration. Have you ever thought what the risk fraught with this liberty is? CAT has the system of short listing the candidates as per the sectional percentile as well as overall percentile. Now out of the 170 minutes, if you spend 100 minutes on one section and later on are unable to solve many questions in other section due to paucity of time and that too, despite knowing the topics well, you may be left with low sectional percentile and may not get shortlisted by the IIMs or any other top rated B schools.
So please do not misuse the bounty of liberty of switching from one section to other by spending too much time only on one section. Make a plan to remain cool but focused to both the sections. The deceiving liberty may be aspirant friendly but the luxury of no restraints may do more harm also, if not used cautiously.
Have a broad idea of CAT syllabus
Although there is no fixed CAT 2014 syllabus for the test takers. Questions on following important topics appear in CAT year after year. Find out whether you have gone through them all or plan to study them now as you have one additional month to prepare
Topics on Quant
Permutation Combination, Number Systems, Trigonometry, Geometry including solid Geometry, Probability, Algebra, Mensuration, Averages, Time and Work, Time & speed, Percentages, Quadratic, Profit And Loss, Questions based on theorems, Linear Equations
Topics on Verbal
Error corrections in sentences and paragraphs-need clarity on usage of parts of speech and tenses; Questions based on Reading comprehension passages-a few common questions like tone of the passage may be practiced well; Syllogisms; critical reasoning; phrasal verbs; Analogies; Fill in the blanks; one word different usage; jumbled paragraphs
Topics on logical reasoning
Data Interpretation
DI in fact is a set of data followed by number of questions. The data can be of running type, in bar diagram form, pie chart form, tabular form or could be in some other form. Questions could be on comparisons, growth, basic facts but one has to understand the data very well before answering these questions. So prepare well and score high
Always remember that the success in CAT 2014 will depend on you level of preparation. Utilize the available time in the best possible manner.
To know all about the changes in CAT 2014 exam, Click on our below updated stories:
CAT 2014 exam updates: 10 Big changes in this year CAT 2014 exam
Impact of changes in CAT 2014 Registration process; how to register for CAT 2014 exam
Normalization issue was not behind CAT 2014 changes: Dr. Rohit Kapoor, CAT 2014 Convener
100 questions in 170 minutes in CAT 2014 exam: Implications on preparation strategy
CAT 2014 exam: No change in CAT Registration Process; 99 Exam cities announced
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