CAT 2017: 5 tips from toppers how to prepare & crack CAT; begin your journey to IIM A,B,C in 2018

CAT 2017 is not going to be much different from last two years of Common Admission Tests leading to IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IMI, IMT, TAPMI or many other MBA programmes in 2018. This fact has been confirmed by convener of CAT 2017 exam Prof Neeraj Dwivedi, faculty at IIM Lucknow.

Accordingly, following the key preparation tips shared by past CAT toppers can lead you to score high in the CAT 2017 exam which is going to be held on November 26 in morning and afternoon sessions. Past CAT toppers suggest that it is not the tough study schedule, coaching or 16 hours of daily study and practice but more importantly it is the smart way of preparation that will lead you to crack CAT 2017 with high score.

Important CAT preparation links

• CAT 2017: 5 changes in Exam Syllabus; ensure your preparation on right CAT exam pattern & topics
• How to choose amongst CAT 2017, XAT 2018, NMAT 2017, SNAP 2017, IIFT 2017
• CAT 2017: Exam pattern to benefit second timers more; may get edge in IIMs shortlist

5 success tips by CAT toppers
Swapnil who scored 99.79 in CAT and got IIM Ahmedabad; Amritansh with 99.26 got IIM Kozhikode; Ankit Bansal of IIM Ranchi suggest 5 key tips to succeed and score high in CAT 2017.

Cover CAT syllabus with deadlines set
Plan well and set deadlines for yourself. For MBA entrance exams huge amount of syllabus needs to be covered in small time. To prepare well you have to plan well and setting up deadlines serves as a check for your plan and keeps you motivated.

CAT no doubt has a vast syllabus and now with more questions the test paper has widened its spectrum further. The pressing thought and dilemma can be cleared if the aspirant has a lucid picture before him in regard to the factors that would guide the beginning of his journey.

It is like a big banyan tree with multiple branches, and every branch has got its due importance. One thing is however, clear you have to go up the trunk to reach those branches else will remain unfamiliar with it.

Time bound practice for each question type
Time-bound practice can sure sail you through CAT 2017. The trickiest part of clearing CAT is to get to the right answer in least amount of time. This can be done only if you practice with a check on time whether it is MCQ or Non-MCQ type of question

There is no substitute to hard-work, this specially holds true for CAT. The more you practice the better you will get.

Good peer group- a must
Working with other motivated individuals preparing for CAT 2017 will help you to continue even in tough times. You can also discuss tough questions. It also helps while preparing for GD/PI.

Get an expert opinion
Talking to an expert - mentors at coaching classes or online tutorial, helps you to gauge your performance against others. They can help you in working on your weaknesses and teach you important time-saving tricks

Don’t refer to many books
The suggestion from Swapnil from IIM Ahmedabad is to refer to maximum 2 books on a subject. Too many books create confusion. Some of the books have questions much tougher than those asked in CAT. Preparing from them won’t do any good.

Don’t get stuck on one topic
With a vast syllabus covering so many topics it easy to get stuck on a hard subject. You should remember that everything is relative and spending a lot of time on one subject is not advisable

Enrol for Mock test series
Enrol for a mock test series for CAT 2017 new exam pattern. Be consistent in taking the mock CATs. Perform a thorough analysis after each mock. The analysis will help to figure out the loopholes and your weak areas so that you could improve on them and further fine-tune your strategy. Above all, go about your CAT preparation with a cool head. Your success in CAT 2017 will be attributed to your calm demeanour and the discipline that you show in writing Mock CATs consistently.

Sectional preparation
Ankit Bansal from IIM Ranchi suggests that with practice, one quick glance at a QA/DI question will help you to assess whether the question should be attempted or skipped. Time is a scarce resource and you should make sure that you don’t get stuck at a question you are not able to solve in one go. Accept the might of the question and move on. For DI, sound calculation skills certainly help.

Verbal Ability and LR can be mastered if you are well-read and have a decent, if not rich, vocabulary. RCs can be a cakewalk for you if you could read and comprehend them really fast. Being a bibliophile certainly helps you to steal a march on your competitors, when it comes to verbal ability and RC questions. Develop a logical and analytical bent of mind which will help you ace the LR section.

The preparation for CAT in earlier years was not an easy process but with the changed pattern and surprise elements appearing year after year, CAT 2017 aspirants anticipating yet more changes find it difficult where to begin from, what to study and how to study. While the nature of exam drives the aspirants crazy as they have no fixed syllabus to study and hence all the topics appear very important to them, the difficulty level in CAT 2017 is another big issue to crack the test with high score.

It is still not late and is the right time to begin your journey to success in CAT 2017. The CAT 2017 to be convened by IIM Lucknow may be slightly different in structure and content but the basics to be learned for the exam would not change.

Since there are hardly 3 months left to prepare for CAT 2017, it is very important that you should begin your journey with concerted efforts and making sure every topic is covered. At a later time when you begin taking mocks for CAT 2017, it will be difficult to begin working deeply on new and confusing topics.         

The success in CAT 2017 will award you with the opportunity to enter top B-schools like IIMs/FMS/MDI/SPJIMR/IITs among others. The great learning experience and fat remuneration that you receive after completion of your MBA is much more than offered by any other programme.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2017

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