5 Dos for Working Executives to prepare in 100 days for CAT 2014 preparation
Ratio of working professionals who are preparing for CAT 2014 is as high as that of freshers
Ratio of working professionals who are preparing for CAT 2014 is as high as that of freshers. The charm of great learning, being an alumni of top rated B school and getting placed as a high profile management professional attract currently employed graduates as well as students pursuing their graduation alike. IIMs, SPJIMR, MDI, IMT, IMI, JBIMS, FMS, are a few examples of highly ranked B schools that have always been fascinating and inspiring the aspirants to score high to get admission in their flagship PGDM/MBA programmes.
Freshers who are smart enough begin their CAT preparation in the 2nd or 3rd year of graduation, on the other hand working professionals with 1-2 years experience might have forgotten what they had prepared (If they did) for CAT during their graduation and may need to start afresh. Prof S K Agarwal, Mentor and expert on Verbal Ability for CAT preparation, shares the preparation strategy for working executives to prepare and succeed in CAT 2014.
Kill the idea of quitting the job
To begin with, the first idea that comes to working executives mind is to quit the job and go for full time preparation. Well, this could be one way if you get no time for preparation at all but it may prove unproductive also in case you are trying to find excuses for not preparing well. You get bonus marks for your work experience while getting shortlisted and this factor plays an important role in getting your call converted to the desired B school. Leaving the job is easy but dont think you can prepare well if you are idle. A busy person can plan better and can spare a good volume of required time for his CAT 2014 preparation. You need 3 to 4 hours a day for 4 to 5 months to prepare well for CAT. If you have already started your preparation to improve your weak areas, you need to go for planned strategy for next 120 days which will need around 3-4 hours a day.
Its human tendency to find an easy way out and leaving the job is an example of it. Try to remember what you do on a weekend after a few days work. Even if you make up your mind to study, you find excuses for not studying and go on dangling with uncertainties between now and afterwards. It will however be a good idea to take leave for one or two months before the exam to keep you focused and in high spirits to implement your plan to go for vigorous practice of exercises, taking mocks and analyzing them more frequently than earlier. Leaving the job should be the last option not the first one.
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Focus on self study
The working executives cant afford going daily to a coaching centre situated far away nor does any coaching centre keep the doors open late in the night. The best option therefore is the self study. Its better to buy right study material, study it regularly, get the tips and begin your preparation.
A good CAT preparation strategy is to find out the root cause of your weak areas. You may have weak fundamentals but you are able to solve the jumbled paragraphs with certain short-cuts, instincts, elimination method and have the ability to connect the sentences logically. Now the need is to begin with the strengthening of your fundamentals. Learn contextual usage of vocabulary, solve more jumbled paragraphs by finding the linking sentences and then move to higher difficulty level which you may expect in Reading Comprehension passages.
Study material could be in the form of printed books, online available on internet, practice exercises, mock tests of varying levels of difficulty. The right study material whether you are doing self-study or mentor supported study, has to be judiciously picked up.
Introduction to Course Material Quantitative Aptitude
Introduction to Course Material Verbal Ability
A working executive needs better time management
Please note that more working professionals score high percentiles in CAT exam and are able to convert their calls in top B schools. This is because they are better focused towards their preparation in limited time period. While a fresher can spare 8 to 10 hours of study for CAT 2014 exam every day, a working person has to cover the same amount of study in 3-4 hours and surprisingly they are able to do it. You may have fixed working hours; staggering duty hours, day or night duty but most of the time you know it well in advance and accordingly can draw your study plan through the month. There are number of candidates who find spare time during night duty hours and utilise it for CAT preparation. The benefit can be there for those who work in the peaceful study conducive environment of night.
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Balanced division in preparation
Two sections of CAT contain four parts- Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability and logical Reasoning. Since 2011, number of questions have remained fixed i.e. 30 questions for one section. It means Quant with DI will make one section and Verbal Ability with LR will make another section. Total allotted time is 140 minutes. There is as such no dearth of time, if you are able to pick the right answer options for the given questions.
Every part and topic is important and in next three and half months you are supposed to divide the study schedule in 4 parts as follows-
Time required: 4 hours a day
First one & half hour: Verbal Ability & RC Following one hour: Quant Remaining one and half hour: DI & LR
Follow this schedule meticulously as under:
Verbal Ability and RC
Begin with grammar, tenses, vocabulary. Solve questions on error corrections every day.
Practice 5 vocabulary based questions and 2 jumbled paragraphs and 1 Last sentence of paragraph. Please note CAT 2014 exam may have some surprising questions on these two.
At least 1 RC passage a day for 20 days and after that 2 RC passages till the exam is over Past CAT questions with analysis are must.
Quant
CAT 2013 had more questions on Geometry and CAT 2014 exam is expected to have more on Algebra and Arithmetic Questions in the four parts- Number systems, Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry are to be practiced regularly and to be analysed daily for further improvement. Find out the weak areas and work upon them to improve. Besides work upon the strong areas to make them stronger. Not less than 10-12 questions are to be solved on varying topics regularly.
DI & LR
They are integral parts of first and second section and add to score a high percentile. A careful and focused understanding can get you good marks in them. They have a share of around 9-10 questions in each section.
Questions on paragraphs, pie chart and other concepts of Data Interpretation are not tough but are a little time consuming. The same case goes with Logical Reasoning. What you forget is that one set of information is followed by 4-5 questions. Even if you devote little more time on one set you can score many times more in the same section than what you could have scored by solving core quant and verbal questions.
In order to achieve good success in CAT 2014, solve 2 sets of questions daily in DI and 2 sets in LR within the given time frame.
Major topics
LR - Blood Relations family tree; Seating Arrangements; Syllogism; Matching puzzles; Constraint based arrangements; Sets; Clocks and calendars; Assumptions; Binary logic; Venn Diagrams; Statements
DI- The data may be in the form of graphs, charts, tables followed by a set of 3-4 questions. Read and understand the data first and find the relevant data to the question. Keep a paper pencil with you to jot down the scattered information. Practice at least 2 sets daily for success in CAT 2014.
Which coaching to join
I am stuck, need some guidance to get through, Coaching also saves my time-how to go for it all these questions are valid ones since a mentor and expert can help you out of this dilemma while you are struggling hard on that question and getting a feeling of depression. A working executive has less time and it is difficult to join a regular coaching for him. There is however a combination of options for him- You may join weekend offline coaching and get your doubts cleared during that period. Next step is to join a good online regular coaching. Online coaching is a new idea which in fact is a boon for the working people who may not go to coaching centres during the day. The classes are conducted late evening, price is low, you may view the recorded version even if you miss the class and on the top of it, you can attend the class at the designated hour from anywhere in the world with a laptop and internet connection.
The suggestion
Better to go for a combination of both. While weekend classes may be attended with off- line coaching centres, on-line coaching must be regular.
Major benefits for online coaching for working professional are
-No commuting required. One can take classes from anywhere in the world. Lot of time saved
- One to one interaction is possible in the class irrespective of batch size.
- Aspirants feeling shy may ask the questions sitting before his/her computer-no one to ridicule at
- Every class may be reviewed any number of times
- Facility to go through the recorded class, if the class is missed
- Absolute punctuality-as class begins on time
- More cost effective-will save money
-Flexibility of time class can be conducted according to convenience
Working executives to attempt more mocks
Although almost all the on line CAT 2014 preparation packages are offered with Mock tests. You may subscribe to mocks from as many sources as possible. The purpose is to solve them, get them analyzed, know the mistakes and improve upon them.
More you practice them well before CAT 2014, more focused and confident you will become. It is advisable to take around 2 months leave from your work place beginning the month of August 2014 since you will need more time then.
CAT Verbal Mock test
CAT Quantitative Mock test
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2014 preparation
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