A test of your smartness
Believe in yourself and give your best. — Photo: K. Ananthan
WITH LESS than a week to go for the Common Admission Test (CAT), here are a few tips from experienced hands to help sharpen your preparation. "First and foremost CAT is a test of your smartness. Expect surprises", says Navin R.D. from IIM Calcutta batch of 2002. "Every CAT is different and being prepared helps. The patterns keep changing and you should approach the test with an open mind". Avoid assumptions and fixed mindsets. "Many students are good at pie charts and bar diagrams and they approach such questions with a presumption that this will be easy but lose hope when these questions turn out to be difficult. Every question should be attempted on its own merit", adds Alok of IMS.
If you attempt a couple of questions and find them tough, remember that the paper is not only tough for you but for everyone. You may at this time glance through the questions and attempt areas where you have an edge.
Simulate the CAT environment. The test time is two hours. The whole week prior to CAT, you should take mock tests everyday during the actual test time, to train yourself to perform at your peak during the test on Sunday, November 21.
Let the mock test be a complete rehearsal. Get dressed as if you are going to take the test, make sure you read the instructions carefully and have your writing arsenal in order. "This helps your mind to get acclimatised to the test environment. Try to finish the test 5 minutes in advance allowing for all the disturbances in the examination centre."
Time is a very precious commodity. "I was very good at analytical ability, so I gave 25-30 minutes for analytical ability, 40 minutes for English and 50 minutes for Maths. The logic is simple. Attempt maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time in strength areas and use the balance time for other sections" adds Navin.
"There should be no ego issues while attempting the paper. By persisting on doing every question correct in the section you are good at, you may not get the required cut-offs in other sections to make it for the next stage".
Your strategy should be to do well in all the sections and hence distribute your time accordingly. This is not a test of your intelligence but smartness.
Carry four to five sharpened pencils with caps. You don't want to be sharpening pencils there. Be careful about shading the right ovals. There is simply no time for rework. Finally for those who have prepared for the test, believe in yourself and do your best.
Puja S Navin
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Education Plus
Karnataka
Chennai
Coimbatore
Hyderabad
Madurai
Tiruchirapalli
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
