As CAT 2015 Exam centre has released sample test on yesterday, Quant which used to be the starting section in earlier CAT exams has been placed as the last section in CAT 2015 exam. It is not without a rich and serious thought from experts responsible for devising CAT 2015 new exam pattern. It is a big game plan to distract you from scoring high in Quant section by placing Verbal & RC section as the first section in CAT 2015. Prof S K Agarwal expert on Verbal Ability and mentor on CAT 2015 preparation shares deep insight and need for changed preparation and practice strategy to score high in Quant despite its location as last section.
Factors affecting your testing room approach
There are numerous factors that would affect you adversely by placing Quant as last of the 3 sections. A few of them are
-- Re-introduction of sectional time limit in CAT 2015
-- To and fro switching between the sections withdrawn
-- Can’t view all the questions of all the sections at one go, although sectional viewing is available
-- Quant questions to come to you after spending 120 minutes
-- Imagine your depleting energy level by the time you reach the last section. Need to devise strategy to score 100 percentile in Quant
-- Between VARC and Quant lies DILR, a tricky section that can drain your brain out in 60 minutes. How to manage
-- Introduction of high number of Non-MCQs in every section
Know the game plan
Attempting Quant as the first section in earlier CAT exams was considered easier as a Fresh mind could attempt more formula and calculation intensive questions, says Prof S K Agarwal, mentor on CAT 2015 preparation. With an aim to encourage more non-engineers and reduce the ratio of engineers who used to score upto 100 percentile in Quantitative Ability (Quant), IIM Ahmedabad has not only increased the number of sections in CAT 2015 from 2 to 3 but has also reshuffled the order of sections. Now instead of Quant, Verbal Ability will be the first section in CAT 2015 and you will need full 120 minutes to reach the Quant section.
After spending 2 hours in a little bit weak areas of Reading Comprehension, Para summary, Jumbled sentences followed by question sets on Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, how many questions with accuracy you could attempt in Quant in 1 hour is a big issue.
Quant needs more Speed & Accuracy
Those who are expert on Quant might agree that the speed and accuracy would go down by the time we reach this section. The number of questions that could have other been attempted with 100% accuracy might also decline. This is the crux of the problem which has to be hit on the head.
Know how to win
According to Prof S K Agarwal, the need is to change your strategy in preparation as well as in your practice mock tests that you are taking for CAT 2015.
-- Develop longer & continuous sitting habits with concentration as you have to remain cool and calm till the last section of Quant is duly taken care of.
-- Make sure you take the published CAT 2015 sample test every alternate day without any break during the exam. No matter that you are repeating the questions every time.
-- Analyse your answers every time after taking the sample test.
-- Note down how many questions you are able to solve accurately in each section especially in the last section
-- Please see whether the Mocks that you are taking from various sources are on the similar lines as the CAT 2015 sample test published by IIM Ahmedabad on CAT site.
-- Are you able to control your temptation to attempt more and more questions in the mock test, despite the fact that you are not well versed with their concepts and can lose marks it go on question attempting spree without making good choice of pick and choose.
-- A question is easy or difficult according to your perception and skill available with you to solve it. If you know how to solve one, it becomes easy for you but remains difficult for others who are not aware about the strategy and vice-versa. So learn the art of skipping and choosing the questions.
10 Non-MCQs: Your percentiler booster
10 Non-MCQs without any negative marking for wrong answer, are proposed in Quant section and if you mark even a few of them correct without getting confused, you can score high.
These non-MCQs in Quant section could be on any topic and at most of the time will be in single question format. The answer options for Quant non-MCQs also follow the questions as in the case of MCQs with the only difference that you will have to key in the right answer option number in the space provided on the computer screen instead of clicking on the answer option.
The biggest benefit of attempting non-MCQs is that even if your answer goes wrong, there will not be any negative marking. So if you attempt all 10 Non-MCQs in Quant, you will not get any penalty for any wrong answer on the contrary credit of 3 marks per right answer will be awarded for the correct answers marked by you.
With the probable type of topics and the questions based on them in Quant section, made live by CAT Centre 2015, it is advisable to prepare and practice on the same pattern and without getting panicky. Keep your cool and during the process, you have to remember that longer good sitting habit would be necessary to score high in Quant section in CAT 2015.
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