MBA/CAT SPECIAL...‘Appearing for CAT is just the first step’

‘Appearing for CAT is just the first step’  

    

Says Shashank Prabhu, CAT 2011 topper and second year MBA student at FMS, Delhi,while sharing a few tips on how to crack the test with Ruchi Chopda

What should students focus on now that the exam is hardly three weeks away?
By now, students would have appeared for quite a few mock tests. This is the time to consolidate all that you have done till date—the things you need to focus areas, as well as the mistakes you have made and go in with a fixed strategy. It is not the time to learn new things now. While you can learn a vedic math shortcut now, to be confident that you can apply it during the test is difficult. You will invariably end up cross checking your answer by using your conventional method and waste more time.
    You should know how you will attempt the paper in case it is easy, moderately difficult or very difficult after analysing your strengths and weaknesses. You need to know which question you would find easy and difficult to attempt.
Could you share a few tips on successfully solving the quantitative analysis (QA) and data interpretation (DI) section?
Preparing for CAT requires a lot of practice. For QA and DI, mock tests would be the best source. I come from a non-engineering background and so I had been out of touch with math. But basic knowledge of the subject helped me. Knowing your class X and XII math and the application of concepts learnt then is good enough preparation for the exam. For this, you can practice mock test papers. Solving these papers will help you understand the kind of questions you can expect in CAT. As soon as you get to know what kind of questions to expect, you will be able to identify certain areas that need attention. You can brush up on your concepts and solve the kind of problems you need to work on.
    You can jot down the topics you need to better yourself at and formulate a way to solve them. A ready reckenor on how to solve particular kinds of questions would help.
How can students maximise their performance in the verbal ability (VA) and logical reasoning (LR) section?
Now that LR has been combined with VA, it is a good thing for people who are not very good with VA. Because now you can focus on LR. For VA, there would be a vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension. Questions related to vocabulary are generally based on usage. So, it is not as important a section as in other exams like GMAT or GRE. A good vocabulary will help you sail through. For problems pertaining to grammar, you need to know all the rules as they form the crux of the entire section. Inculcating a reading habit, will help you solve grammatical questions. In reading comprehension, there can be passages on a variety of topics, so here again a reading habit will go a long way in successfully attempting the comprehension.
    The strategy I adopted was to read the questions first and get an overall idea of what the passage is about, its flow, and tone (positive or negative) and then read the passage to confirm whether my judgement had been right. Also, you can try to spot the answers while reading the passage. You need to identify the approach that works for you through practice.
    LR is more of a puzzle based sub-section so there is no real strategy you can adopt. But you are likely to be more successful here if you like solving puzzles. You can formulate the information given in an organised format to be able to attempt LR easily. Though a number of test takers find LR difficult, once you crack an LR caselet and arrange the data in a tabular format, you can easily get three to four correct answers.
Apart from accuracy and speed, what should one focus on to clear the exam?
For CAT, there is no uniform strategy that can be implemented. The test is more or less like an IQ test, an aptitude test. So not limiting yourself to a particular strategy or curriculum would help. Appearing for the exam should be an enjoyable experience not a compulsion.
    Next, do not stress. People make a very big deal of CAT; the key is to not give it too much importance. When I appeared for the CAT last year, I was not under any stress as I was not exactly a stakeholder in it. This led to a better performance than my previous attempts at the exam.
    Also, keep in mind that appearing for the test is just the first step. There are plenty of things after CAT and the process becomes more difficult as you progress further. Life at an IIM or for that matter most Bschools is grueling. The key is to understand that CAT is not the destination, it’s just a means.

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