You have to manage not only the time with faster speed but will also have to maintain higher accuracy level to crack CAT 2015 with a high percentile of 99, overall as well as sectional. If you are seriously pursuing the preparation for CAT 2015 and wish to emerge as one of the winners in this greatest show of MBA/PGDM entrance test for the admission year 2016-17, the following key suggestions from Prof S K Agarwal, expert on Verbal Ability for CAT 2015 preparation would be highly instrumental to help you achieve your goal.
With the changed face of CAT 2015, aspirants may not get such high percentile as was possible in earlier CAT exams with the same pace of preparation. There was availability of more time and fewer questions till CAT 2013 and in CAT 2014 there was no sectional time constraint that enabled you to attempt any question from any part.
However, CAT 2015 has not only de-clubbed Data Interpretation and Logical reasoning parts from their respective Quant and Verbal sections and has created new 3rd section of DILR, but has also reintroduced sectional time constraints. Now despite having 10 more minutes in CAT 2015, you have no liberty to move to next section before the lapse of 60 minutes allotted to that section.
Need to balance 4 big changes in CAT 2015
4 big changes in CAT 2015 now call for the modification in preparation strategy
3 sections in CAT 2015 instead of 2
CAT 2015 will have 3 sections instead of 2. These 3 sections have to be solved in 1 hour each. These 3 sections in CAT 2015 will comprise ‘Quantitative Aptitude (QA)’; ‘Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)’ and ‘Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VRC)’.
Earlier the Common Admission Test (CAT) used to have 2 sections comprising questions on Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (Quant & DI) and on Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension & Logical reasoning
The Questions on Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning have been de-clubbed from their earlier sections and will form a new section comprising DILR questions.
While Quant (QA) and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VRC) will have 34 questions each, the DILR section will have 32 questions.
Time constraint reintroduced
Each of the 3 sections has to be solved in 60 minutes. The liberty allowed in CAT 2014 to move to other section without any time constraint has been withdrawn and CAT 2015 takers are not allowed to move to other section before completion of 1 hour allotted to the current section.
So even if you have solved the maximum number of questions in the Quant section and have ample time left, you are supposed to remain within the QA section and are not allowed to move to next DILR section.
10 more minutes for same number of questions
Despite the division of CAT 2015 into 3 sections instead of earlier 2 the time limit to solve the test paper has been increased from 170 minutes to 180 minutes (full 3 hours), the number of questions remains the same 100. The additional 10 minutes to attempt CAT 2015 exam without any addition of questions may prove to be a bonanza, if used judiciously. It is upto the CAT 2015 aspirants how they utilize the additional time of 10 minutes to score more.
These 10 minutes are crucial and may prove to be the game changer for many CAT 2015 test takers. While the 1st and 3rd sections on Quant and VRC will have 34 questions each, the 2nd section on DI-LR will have 32 questions, making the total tally of questions to 100. All the 3 sections will have the separate time limit of 1 hour each to solve.
In view of Prof S K Agarwal expert on Verbal Ability and mentor on CAT 2015 preparation the additionally allotted time could be utilized to score high by observing greater level of accuracy and reviewing the answers instead of making attempts to answer the ambiguous and difficult questions whose answers in all probability could go wrong and would result in loss of more marks instead of gain.
CAT 2015 with No penalty type questions
In each of the 3 sections there will be a few Non-MCQ type questions with no penalty for wrong answers as against the MCQs the wrong answers of which attract penalty of 1/3rd negative marking. These non-MCQs are proposed to be in a range of 4 to 6 questions in CAT 2015.
All the questions in CAT 2015, whether MCQs or Non-MCQs will carry equal weightage of 3 marks each. While incorrect response to each MCQs will result in no-marks for the wrong answer and deduction of 1 mark out of your earned score. It means if you mark 3 correct and 3 incorrect, you will score only 6 marks.
On the other hand, while answering Non-MCQs and typing a wrong answer on computer screen, although you are not entitled for 3 marks assigned for the correct answer, you will not be imposed any penalty of negative marking also. If you mark 3 MCQs correct and 3 non-MCQs incorrect you will score 9 marks without losing any credit for incorrect answers to non-MCQs.
A Non MCQ is partly a descriptive type question without any choice of answers given. Candidates will have to solve and write the correct answer on computer screen in the given space. The scoring scheme for non-MCQs is a great relief to the candidates who prefer solving the questions first and then arrive at the answer instead of jumping straight to the answer options and then going backwards to go through the question.
How to balance
CAT 2015 aspirants now need to improve the pace of preparation keeping in mind the following 3 things that can help them ace the exam.
- Faster speed
- High Accuracy level
- Management of time
Accordingly the preparation strategy at this hour, has to be slightly changed from simply practicing to prepare and then practice within the allotted time and try to achieve the best possible level of accuracy. Following tips will help to modify your preparation strategy leading to success in CAT 2015
Aspirants now have to score high in all the 3 sections. Since you have equal time to solve each of the 3 sections, you have to focus only that section which you are going through and maximize your score in it. Keep a clock with you when you attempt exercises. The topics that are not your strong hold and if you feel that they will create more confusion while preparing may be avoided. Five attempts should be devoted to solve each section. After that you may opt for selective questions in the section. Later on get the incorrect answers analyzed
This will further help you to reduce the time taken to solve and will improve the accuracy. The purpose is to stick to the speed and improve it further that takes you around 100% accuracy level. No aspirant might be able to solve all the 100 questions but whatever you solve, do it with confidence and with the highest level of accuracy.
Improve the reading speed
Improving the pace of reading needs a regular and dedicated practice. Suppose you are reading the Editorial part of the newspaper and someone has framed a few direct/indirect questions on this passage in accordance with CAT 2015. In order to improve your reading speed you are trying to read it fast but the Editorial is of no interest to you and has difficult words in it as well. You are neither able to read it at a faster pace nor are able to understand it. After reading of the same you choose the answer options which are very close and get them all wrong. Entire exercise that you did goes waste and you feel depressed. There is no use of such reading.
Better would be to keep a piece of paper with you, note down the difficult words while reading, mark the important sentences in the passage, read them twice and by the time you finish reading most of the passage will be clear to you. Then try to attempt the questions. You may get most of them right. Besides, contextual usage and meaning of difficult words should be checked in the dictionary.
Now find out how much time you had spent on this exercise. Next day do the same exercise on next article and with this strategy in a period of 6 days you will find that your reading time of the same size of passage on different tones is getting reduced and you are consistently improving.
Begin with passage size of 500 words and go upto passage size of 1500 words to get expertise in faster reading practice. CAT 2015 wouldn’t offer you passages below or above this size, rest assured.
Improve accuracy on all 3 steps of question
Reading, understanding and then solving the question accurately are the 3 steps to improve, synchronize and balance the speed with accuracy to attempt CAT 2015 whether it is MCQ or non-MCQ. Every question you attempt needs to be solved first to arrive at the right answer option or to write the answer on computer screen.
You are supposed to cope with the reduced proportionate time per question and this is only possible by improving the speed to read, understand and attempt the question. If you are able to read the sentences, paragraphs, parajumbles, Reading comprehension passages faster and understand them, you will be able to solve them more quickly.
You need to solve more questions in less time. Improvement in speed and accuracy within the allotted time is the strategic focus of preparation now for CAT 2015 during next 2 months.
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