CAT 2017: Read these 5 in-depth Expert Tips on mastering new CAT syllabus for VARC, DILR, Quant

CAT 2017 preparation for each CAT exam section in view of the changed CAT exam pattern and CAT syllabus has been well guided by CAT preparation experts like Arun Sharma, Nishit Sinha, Prof S K Agarwal in the series of articles ‘CAT 2017 expert tips’ published by MBAUniverse.com in last few days.

5 Key points in CAT preparation: Expert tips
Experts on CAT 2017 preparation have advised and emphasized how to crack CAT 2017 with high score in each section. Each article in the series of CAT preparation with expert tips on how to prepare for CAT 2017 in each section guides the CAT 2017 aspirants on following key preparation components paving the way to IIMs:

• Key topics you need to prepare in changed CAT syllabus and exam pattern
• Composition of CAT questions on different topics
• Expected type of questions in CAT 2017 with examples
• Role and importance of Mocks especially the official Mock test released by IIMs for CAT 2017 exam
• The necessity of conceptual clarity and application of fundamentals to crack the CAT 2017 exam with high sectional and overall percentile score to win the race for IIMs, FMS and other top B-schools.

Take official CAT Mock here

CAT 2017: Complete sectional preparation guide from Experts
A detailed summary of CAT preparation strategy shared by experts on CAT preparation on each CAT section is shared as the last minute guide for CAT 2017 aspirants:

Expert tip-1: Changed CAT Syllabus and Exam pattern: Know well

You may find a different CAT 2017 exam on November 26. It may have a changed pattern based on revamped CAT syllabus as regards to type of questions and their scoring pattern. It appears that CAT 2017 exam will be held on 2015 exam pattern instead of 2016 pattern. This fact is revealed in official CAT Mock test.   

IIM Lucknow the CAT 2017 convener has changed substantially the CAT syllabus and CAT 2017 exam pattern  by adding and deleting many topics, number of questions in one part or on certain topics, question types calling for the change in the last 10 days CAT preparation strategy.

CAT 2017 must-read expert Tips-1: 5 things to note in new syllabus, changed exam pattern

Expert tip-2:  How to prepare Data Interpretation and add 40 percentile

CAT 2017 official Mock test released by IIMs on October 30, has brought more impact on Data Interpretation (DI) part of DILR section in CAT 2017 exam than on any other section. Not only the weightage on Data Interpretation questions in CAT 2017 has increased but also there is an increase in number of questions on Data Interpretation part of DILR section. The increased role of DI questions in CAT 2017 exam can help you improve your sectional percentile score by 40 points or so, if the answers marked by you go correct.

To add more percentile in CAT 2017 score through DI part of questions in CAT 2017 with tips from experts how to prepare and quickly solve the CAT questions in revised new CAT syllabus and exam pattern for the Data Interpretation questions in CAT 2017, Prof  S K Agarwal-expert on CAT preparation and Prof. Nishit Sinha, IIM Lucknow alumnus and author of titles on QA, LRDI and VARC, published by Pearson share insights on how to prepare, approach and quickly crack the questions on DI in CAT 2017.

CAT 2017 Must read Expert Tips: 2- How to prepare Data Interpretation & add 40 percentile in new CAT syllabus, exam pattern

Expert tip-3: VARC remains a high scoring section in CAT 2017

VARC section, if taken care of without any laxity during the last few days left for CAT 2017 exam day, could prove to be a high scoring section in changed CAT pattern. You need a proper study pattern and smart preparation strategy to crack VARC with high score.

Although it will not suddenly take you from 70 to 99 percentile in CAT 2017, experts are of the opinion that with the right strategy you can boost your percentile score in CAT 2017 at least by 30 to 40 points.  

5 points to know on VARC in CAT 2017

• 24 questions out of 34 will be in MCQ format and will be based only on 5 RC passages.
• Type of questions are – In view of author…, contextual reference to a word, line, para. You will also find questions based on true/false statements on RC passages.
• Questions on RC passages have become more direct now. If you have gone through the RC passage thoroughly, it will not be much difficult to answer such questions.
• 10 questions on Verbal Ability will be in Non-MCQ format without any penalty of negative marking
• All the 10 questions on Verbal Ability will only on 2 topics – Para summary and Para jumbles

CAT 2017 New Pattern – Expert Tips #3: Verbal, RC; grab this high scoring opportunity

Expert tip-4: Logical Reasoning is game changer
Logical Reasoning (LR) in CAT 2017 can prove to be the game changer in the revised CAT syllabus and CAT exam pattern to boost or doom your percentile score. Despite scoring 97 or 99 percentile in CAT 2017, you may not get shortlisted by any IIM, in case your Logical Reasoning remains weak.

Questions on Logical Reasoning could be either 12 or 16 as revealed by official CAT Mock test released by IIMs on October 30. If you can crack 7-8 questions in LR section correct, you may score a high sectional percentile of 90+ in CAT 2017.

The 16 questions on Logical Reasoning in CAT 2017 with a maximum score of 48 will consist of 4 Non-MCQs also without any penalty of negative marking. It may take your CAT percentile up to a very high level or can slide it down below the qualifying level of 70 or 80 required by IIMs, depending upon your attempting the question sets.

CAT 2017 New Pattern – Expert Tips #4: LOGICAL REASONING; don’t ignore it for IIM Call

Expert tip-5: Be fully prepared with Quantitative Ability
The revised and changed CAT syllabus and CAT exam pattern for CAT 2017 does not award any higher weightage to Quant section, still your score in Quantitative Ability will be turning point to get shortlisted by IIMs.

Although IIM Ahmedabad has reduced the minimum CAT 2017 qualifying percentile score in Quant to 70, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta have distanced themselves from lowering of percentile cut offs and have kept it to 80 percentile. Quant section needs conceptual clarity as more formulae based questions would be there. Your knowledge and skill to apply the fundamentals to solve the Quant questions in CAT 2017 will help you score high in this section.

Key Changes in Quantitative Ability (QA) in CAT 2017
Some of the important changes in CAT 2017 exam syllabus and CAT exam pattern for Quantitative Ability (QA) section, as per CAT preparation experts are:

1. The emphasis on Arithmetic based questions is expected to reduce in actual CAT 2017 exam and other topics on Geometry, Algebra, Number system, P&C may get prominence
2. Quant section in CAT 2017 will have 34 questions
3. 10 questions are proposed as no penalty questions instead of last year 7 now, as per the updated CAT exam pattern revealed in CAT Mock test available on the site

CAT 2017 New Pattern - Expert Tips #5: Quant will still make difference despite losing dominance

CAT: Exam is non-repetitive
It is must to know what and how to prepare and attempt CAT 2017 exam in new CAT syllabus and exam pattern as CAT would not repeat itself and at one or other point there would be some changes in each section in the exam. This fact is not revealed by IIMs in their notification, registration, exam format or any other release but if you could go deep into the CAT Mock test released by IIMs before the actual CAT exam, everything would be clear before you. 

The CAT 2017 Mock Test released by IIM Lucknow can be taken as the official document that determines the exact nature of exam pattern. More you attempt and advance in each of the 3 sections of CAT 2017 Mock test, more will be understood what is lying in stock for you on CAT 2017 exam day which falls on November 26, 2017.

Experts are of the view that the official CAT 2017 Mock test can offer you the right approach to analyse your areas of errors as per the correct CAT exam pattern. The right approach to know what has changed in CAT 2017 exam pattern and what could get you higher score is to analyse each of the 3 sections in the official CAT mock test.

Learn the art of skipping the questions
It is not important how many questions you attempt in CAT 2017. What is more important is the fact that you know the art of skipping the questions which you are doubtful about. A wrong answer pulls down your percentile score substantially and makes your chances to IIMs dismal in comparison to your peers, if you are tempted to attempt more questions with end result in very low scores due to more wrong answers.

In next 4 days to CAT 2017, it is not advisable to do something new or start mugging up vocabulary as it would not be of much use now. So the need is to practice on various types of questions through Mocks and exercises relevant to CAT 2017 exam.

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

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