Many engineers take the Common Admission Test each year. But they make mistakes. SUMIT SINGH GANDHI shares must-follow dos in order to ace this exam
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level examination conducted by The Indian Institute of Management (IIM). It is a mandatory exam for seeking admission into IIM or other prestigious B-schools. More than half of the candidates appearing for CAT have an engineering background. This makes the competition quite serious. Here are some must-follow tips for engineers.
Work hard for the VARC section: The VARC section is a big hurdle for the Engineering students as they do not focus much on the English language as a subject during their graduation. But, if studied well this section will not trouble you much.
Master the DILR section: The only way to score well in this section is to practice as much as possible. This section can be solved using various tricks which you will know when and how to apply only when you have solved enough problems. This section is quite easy once you know the techniques.
Improve your calculations: Calculations are an extremely important factor in solving both the Quantitative Ability section. Improve your accuracy and try achieving the right answers in the first attempt to save maximum time. Practice solving mentally instead of using a virtual calculator. You will see a difference in your calculations if you practice religiously.
Get a complete idea about the sections: You need to have the maximum idea about all the sections. Make sure you know everything like the number of questions in each section, marks allocated to the sections, topics covered in the sections, the marking scheme, etc. Knowing all of this will make the process ahead easier and less complex.
Avoid rote learning: Mugging up will land you in trouble. One should focus on concepts and understand them thoroughly. It is not at all advisable to choose to mug-up technique. Understanding the whole concept helps one to remember things for a longer period and on the other side mugging up never stays for a longer period.
Practice makes perfect: No matter how good or bad you are at the topics, one thing that can make you score well in CAT is practicing. You need to keep practicing the questions regularly. Buy enough practice material and make sure you solve most of it. Make sure you know most of the concepts. Practicing every day will be of extreme help. Solve all the previous years’ question papers and the available sample papers. Solve mock tests to be even closer to being perfect.
Do not start preparing at the last minute: Start studying well in advance. Starting from the beginning will not pile up all the work. You can study at your own pace and understand concepts properly. This will result in having a lot of time for preparation. If you start preparing at the last moment then you will have a chance of not covering the entire syllabus. You will have to finish the entire syllabus in a few days which may result in creating confusion.
Do not prepare without a plan: You need to have a plan. You need to make a timetable of how you will be studying and how much syllabus you will complete within a day. Also, make sure you decide how much you will practice each day after finishing up with the portion. Make strategies on how you will appear for the paper. Make daily targets and work hard to complete them.