Shashank Heda

For the benefit of MBA aspirants, MBAUniverse.com asked Shashank Heda about his preparation strategy and advice to do well in MBA entrance exams. Details follow

What was your preparation strategy for CAT 2015?
I began CAT preparation in July 2015. In my case, apart from the test material, analysis of mock test results was a key source of learning throughout the four months before the exam

How did you prepare for each section QA, VARC & DILR? What study materials and books did you use? 
I referred the material that I received from my coaching centre for sectional preparation. A few mistakes many people do is referring to multiple books/material for a topic but the strategy should be comprehensive and not exhaustive.

Also, one must not spend too much time on a single topic. Joining a test series helps a lot in analysing the areas that need more focus. Major resources for the exam include coaching centre material (to learn the theory), mock tests (to analyse section-wise performance and to improve time management) and chapter-wise mock tests.

For interview preparation, reading newspaper, forming a rational opinion on important global/national events/policies, complete knowledge of recent happenings in the areas of your personal liking (for example, hobbies) etc. is helpful.

Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
In my case, the scope of improvement in VARC was more when compared to other sections. Thus, I spent more time in solving passages and did detailed analysis of that section’s result in each mock test.

How can candidates use Mock tests better? What is your advice?
The mock tests make it very easy for a person to find his/her areas of improvement. Advice from my experience:

-CAT pattern changed in 2015 and the total time available for each section was restricted to 60 minutes. Formulate the strategy as per the CAT format for the year. In my case, the focus was to reach the last question of the section by the time 60 minutes allotted to it were over. It involved attempting/skipping a question (and coming back to it later if time permitted) after estimating the time the question would probably take.

-Analyse the mistakes in each section. Identify the gaps. Go back to the test material if you are not able to solve questions from a particular chapter (conceptual issues are seen mostly in QA and sometimes in VARC).

-Check if all ‘Easy’ and ‘Medium’ difficulty questions were attempted. There might be something wrong with time management/question selection if most of the questions that were attempted belong to ‘Difficult’ or ‘Very difficult’ section. This would imply that the time spent in solving two ‘Very Difficult’ questions could have been better utilized in solving three ‘Medium/Easy’ nature questions.

-Concentrate more on weaker areas. Look for the problems that were of ‘Easy’ nature and took more to solve time than usual. Learn the approach to solve them. This is because arriving at the answer in minimum possible time is more important than just finding the answer.

Did you go to offline coaching centre? What role does a coaching centre play?

I received test material from my coaching centre and joined its test series as well but did not join the regular classes. Personally, I feel that the most important aspect of a coaching centre is its faculty and peer group. For any doubt/problem, try resolving it with peers, if any to save time. Otherwise, make a list of your doubts and interact with the faculty. Concentrate more on learning the approach than arriving at the answer.

Other than CAT, which exam did you appear?

None

Which institutes did you apply for admission?
I applied to IIM A, B, C, K and L.

Please share your strategy for the CAT Day. What was your last-minute preparation? How did you plan your CAT test taking?
Last minute preparation involved revision of complex QA formulae. I feel that no preparation is needed for DILR and VARC on the CAT day as there is not much that can be done for those sections in short-term.

Test taking plan developed over the time through analysis of mock test results. The focus was not to cover each question of the section in the specified order but to reach the last question of the section by the time the duration for the section ended. For a few candidates, the exam centre may not be the first preference that was filled in CAT form. Plan the travel in advance to avoid last minute anxiety about reaching the centre.

Which B-school you decided upon and why?
I chose IIM Bangalore among the final converts (B, C and K). To decide a B-school, I would suggest participating in city meets held by each B-school after the final results are released. Also, interact with seniors/alumni to find the best fit.

Any message you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT. 
For CAT exam, do not focus on a particular subject/topic. Be ready for surprises related to change in CAT format and most importantly, keep calm and believe in yourself.