If you are reading this then it’s but obvious that you are preparing for CAT or planning to prepare for the same. The most obvious questions that student ask are the aim of this article. Let us help you in answering you these questions.
KICK-STARTING YOUR CAT PREPARATION
1) Ok Folks, how to start?
- Give a diagnostic test for CAT. You can give such tests at various places on the Internet but like TestFunda iCAT (It’s totally free). Such tests are also available in preparation books such as Arun Sharma and others.
a) Why should I give a test right now even though I am not prepared?
It will help you assess the parameters that you are required to fulfill. It will tell you the general areas where you are weak at and where you stand. It will help you get a feel of the exam and by the time you are finished with your preparation, you will know the importance of diagnostic test.
Almost all coaching institute give it to their students during their classroom programme to assess the capabilities of the student. However, it is, important that you do not take the results too seriously and get demoralized in the process.
2) Buying Study Material
Now there is a lot of research going on, asking your peers and everything for buying the correct study material. We have made a list of some great books that are very popular amongst students due to their high relevance and quality.
Which books to buy?
- At least one coaching institute package like Career Launcher, TIME, TestFunda or others.
- Arun Sharma Quant + Verbal + DI books.
- Total Gadha Book on Number System.
- Normal Lewis Vocab book (Highly Recommended).
If you were giving CAT again, then how would you buy books?
Hmm…good question if you are asking it in your mind. I personally would keep the 2,3,4th option the same but the first option, I would have changed things a bit because I have referred to the material of many coaching institutes. Every institute material has it’s strengths and though we don’t want to talk about the weakness, we would like to recommend a few must have niche books for CAT 2011.
1) CL Reading Comprehension 2
2) CL Sentence Correction – The book on Grammar
3) TIME – Logical Reasoning Problems Types
4) TIME – LRDI both combined
5) Test Funda books in General.
If you can get on these books in specific, it would be great and complement the package of whichever coaching institute you buy.
STUDY PLAN FOR CAT 2011
Ok, I got the books, now what should be my study plan?
The date of the CAT exam is not out but we will still use relative terms to plan this in general.
- Plan your study schedule such that you finish the entire syllabus or the most part of it at least two months before the date of the exam.
- Try and study all the three subjects every day rather than picking up one subject a day or per week. Divide time between the subjects and then continue your studies on all three fronts.
- Read Novels and articles online for building stamina on the screen.
- Take a break in between and try to stick to your schedule. Remember, CAT is more about diligence than intelligence. There are many average students (academically speaking) who have made it to the IIMs.
- Join the Pagalguy Quant thread if you still have time on your hands.
I finished my preparation much before, what should I do?
Do the books again.
What again..? Yes, it is not a typo, do it again and again and keep on doing it till the time you can recall each question of Arun Sharma (LOD 1 and 2 specifically) by heart. You may not believe but this single sentence differentiates the Quant Gods and the mortals.
Not only people good in Quant are actually good in quant but the fact is that they have done similar questions over and over again, non stop. This makes them the Gods of Quant as they are known on Pagalguy. Try this approach, also recommended by Arun Sharma, an IIM-B Alumni. If you are looking for some tougher questions, get hold of TIME AIMCATs of the previous years.
You are saying that finish the syllabus two months before – Why so??
It’s because of the next aspect – ”Mock Exams. ”
What are mock exams?
These are exams exactly on the pattern of the CAT paper which students around the country give to assess their capabilities and preparation level.
Which all institutes provide these tests?
All most all the major institutes! We recommend that you join two test series of which one should be of TIME.Why TIME ?- because we get money…..LOL .. we don’t get paid for anything we write here but the reason is that maximum number of students join this series and the quality is at par with other institutes, if not better. Since a large number of students are giving their test series with a more even span throughout the country, you get a better picture of your performance.
Why 2 Mock Series then?
Though TIME has a great test series, there is one thing that other institutes are doing better right now in our opinion. What is that you ask? It is “The post exam analysis.”
You can see this for yourself once you give the free iCAT of Test Funda. The post exam analysis with in depth info via charts and interactive mediums is just fantastic which is not the case with TIME. They have analysis tools but IMHO, they are nowhere close to that of TestFunda or for that matter CL.
Why are these post exam analysis important?
Ok…this is where the 2 month early finishing comes in handy. Understand this thus
2 month before – Finished with my syllabus. This is how it follow from here:
1) Monday – You give the exam
2) Tuesday – You get the result and start analysis. Ideally, if the mock takes 2 and a half hour, you should spend 5 hours while analyzing. You start analyzing the questions you did, did not do and which you did but got wrong and see the reasons to it.
3) Wednesday – You start revising the weak areas that the analysis has projected. You may have done all topics but somehow you are not able to solve questions of Geometry and Grammar properly (as per the analysis) so you prepare Geometry again.
4) Thursday – You give smaller tests like skill builder and Total Gadha free test options while revising Geometry and Grammar in specific and other areas that you feel like in general.
5) Friday – You continue to do Geometry and grammar chapter from Arun Sharma and CL book respectively.
6) Saturday – Give more smaller 20 minutes tests of Geometry and grammar and a few others.
7) Sunday - Break !! Now you have revised your weak areas in particular and ready to start the next week with your flaws covered.
Rinse, repeat and follow !! Then again the same routine. This will allow you to prepare for the test in the best possible manner and you can amend the flaws in your preparation. Of course, you can vary the schedule as per your convinience.
The Big Day – Last Lap
You revise the core concepts once again, get a hang in of the questions, get good sleep, have a good mood. We will be running an entire article on the last lap and you can connect with us using Facebook, Twitter, RSS or Email (just enter your email in the box on the right hand side) to stay updated with loads of useful information like exam form updates, cat exam updates and others.
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