Questions with different accent, different topics and different composition in more sections fixing sectional time limit would appear in CAT 2015. The full length practice test on CAT 2015 contains variety of questions divided in 3 sections. The hidden guideline is that the aspirants should not stick to the type of questions that appear in the practice test but should prepare and practice variety of questions on different topics and give their best shot in the exam on November 29, 2015.
Inspiring with his last minute tip to improve percentile in CAT 2015, Prof Tathagata Bandyopadhyay, faculty at IIM Ahmedabad and convener CAT 2015 advises the aspirants “Try to maximize the number of correct answers and avoid guessing too much”
You are not left with time to begin something new or go for variety of mock tests at this hour. But you can make sure that whatever you have prepared and practiced is utilized to its best and you are able to extract maximum out of it in CAT 2015.
With number of changes in the CAT 2015 exam pattern, after getting well familiarized with the number and order of sections, composition of questions, number of questions in each section, sectional time limit, it must be understood that more options in all the 3 sections that include no penalty questions are offered in CAT 2015 wherefrom you can expect a high score. The need is to move judiciously and with a calculated strategy.
Avoid Guess Work
The very first thing which CAT 2015 takers have to remember is that it is no use going to depend much on the guess work as it may reduce your percentile especially for MCQs which carry one third negative marking pattern for every wrong answer.
No doubt the guess work to some extent can be used while answering for Non-MCQs as they do not carry negative marking for wrong answers and your score will remain unaffected.
Begin with easy ones
Maximising your score is the means to crack CAT 2015 with high percentile. The need is to know the strategy how to begin.
Which one would you go for first? The difficult ones that consume more of your time and later leave you gasping for time to attempt easy ones, or would begin with easy ones to secure your score and then move to difficult ones! Sure, you would like to follow the latter path.
3 Sections with more options to choose from
The 100 questions on different topics and types in CAT 2015 are divided in 3 sections beginning with VARC-34 questions; DILR-32 questions and Quant with 34 questions. The time limit has also been increased from 170 minutes to 180 minutes in CAT 2015. Re-introduction of sectional time limit will spare you from managing your time for each section.
Apart from the pattern suggested in CAT 2015 practice test the actual exam might contain questions on other pattern also.
Candidates who can attempt 20-22 questions in each section with accuracy may find their names among high percentilers. In view of Prof S K Agarwal, Verbal ability expert and mentor on CAT preparation if you are able to solve 20 questions in each section with accuracy you can expect a very high percentile. The possibility is more since more number of questions on varying topics are available to attempt.
Smartly use the options
CAT 2015 has 2 types of questions in each of the 3 sections – the questions carrying penalty of negative marking and the questions without any penalty of negative marking.
Next question type is the questions in sets. The very first section on VARC proposes to have 5 RC passages followed by 24 questions in 5 sets. There would be 2 RC passages followed by 3 questions each and 3 RC passages followed by 6 questions each.
Similarly the DILR section will also have questions in sets of 3 or 4. One problem set of RC usually consumes around 12-15 minutes that includes reading and answering the questions. It is not necessary that you should answer all the questions and lose the score. But even if you answer a few out of many, it is a success. It will be a good bet if out of 34 questions in a section you can exercise the best option and answer well around 20 to 22 questions.
No penalty questions: Attempt them all
The scope of improving score in CAT 2015 is more than in earlier CAT exams. In each section of CAT 2015 exam there are 30% Non-MCQ type questions which would not impose penalty of negative marking on test takers.
If you can crack half of them correct and half of them wrong, you lose no marks but gain a fairly good score. And in case it so happens, that you crack few more correct even accidentally, it will be a bonus for you and will add to your score. These type of questions have been introduced in CAT 2015 for the first time and would play an important role in bringing diversity in IIM class rooms.
Don’t gamble with MCQs
The multiple choice questions in CAT 2015 will attract negative marking. Penalty of one third negative marking for every wrong answer is a big loss. While attempting an MCQ make sure that you know the concept, process and are confident to solve it. In case there is a doubt among the answer options, it is better to skip the question and move ahead to another question.
Although there is no fixed syllabus for CAT 2015, still the past trend reflects the source topics on which questions are framed in CAT. So if you have gone through them, pick your strong ones and strengthen them as quickly as you can.
No Grammar, Vocab in VARC
There may not be questions on error correction, fill in the blanks with vocabulary words, synonyms-antonyms in CAT 2015 in VARC section. You may not need to continue practicing them. Focus on other important areas on VARC, DILR and Quant in 2 days, says Prof S K Agarwal, expert on Verbal Ability.
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