More quant questions in CAT
With about 35 quant in CAT 2014, candidates will have to work on speed and accuracy, along with developing a test strategy by solving more mock tests
WITH
MORE QUESTIONS, THE NEW FORMAT CALLS FOR QUICK DECISIONMAKING, IN
TERMS OF CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOPICS AND QUESTIONS
MBA
aspirants need to devise a new strategy to deal with t he
quantitative analysis section as they could expect 34 to 36
questions as compared t o 21 questions last year.
With
40% less time to attempt each question, candidates will have to find
smarter ways to solve problems.
The
Indian Institutes of Management ( IIMs ) h ave announced changes in
t he structure and the test environment of the upcoming Common
Admission Test (CAT). There are four significant changes in the test
to be conducted in November. First, the number of questions has been
increased to 100 from 60. Second, the duration of the test will now
be 170 minutes. There will be no sectional time limits. Lastly,
candidates will get more time for preparation and fewer slots of
testing.
These
changes will mean that you have to make appropriate shifts in your
preparation to ace this edition of CAT. Needless to say, it would
vary across the different sections of the test - quant, data
interpretation and logical reasoning and verbal ability. Though
structurally the test has only two sections, it may be useful to
view it as three sections — each having a character of its own.
In
this article, we look at the likely implications of the revised
structure on the quant section. Historically, the CAT quant
comprised about one third of the paper. It is not going to be any
different this year. So, you could expect 34 to 36 questions.
Comparing this with the 21 questions of CAT 2013, this is a
significant jump. It has many implications. Let us look at them.
Speed:
Speed would be of essence here. You have 40% less time to attempt
each question now. This would mean that you have to focus on smart
ways to solve questions. As a part of your preparation, it becomes
imperative that you consciously focus on ‘going fast’ and ‘doing
more.’ You got to look at every question that you solve and see if
there are smarter ways to solve the same. Choice: When there were
just 21 questions, there were fewer questions that you were most
comfortable with. That would now increase substantially. So you have
got to identify topics that you are comfortable with. You have to
master a few topics so that you can afford to focus a little less on
the others. Chances are that the average level of difficulty of the
section is bound to drop, if not remain the same. Make a list of
topics in the descending order of your comfort. This must not be
just intuitive, but backed with statistics. This is where intensive
practice in topics comes in. This is like going to a test gym and
getting a feel of your capability. Test strategy: Having got used to
‘regimented’ sectional time limits, it would need a mental shift
to move to a ‘no sectional time limits’ scenario. This needs
quick decision making. You can do that only if you have seen
sufficient number of questions to be able to quickly decide whether
you ‘can’ or ‘cannot’ do the question. There are three types
of responses that you get when you read a question – ‘I know’,
‘I am not sure’, ‘I do not know.’ This would imply two to
three rounds of attempts to maximise your score. And all the while
you have got to keep your eyes on the clock.
To
get to a state of proficiency, you have got to take at least 20 mock
tests that are comprehensive and at least as many sectional tests.
You may choose to skip a few topics that look out of your reach. Now
that the test dates have shifted by a month, it gives you a great
opportunity to make up for any lost time.
Last,
but not the least, you should not get into the CAT without having
solved the CAT questions of the past. They would give you a sense of
familiarity with the CAT that is expected. Remember, they are the
best tools for revision.
Compiled
by HT Education and Career Launcher
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