GUIDANCE PLUS
The styles of CAT
B.S. WARRIER
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A glimpse into CAT and what makes it a tough nut to crack.
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"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it."
Last week we mentioned the advantages of going for the Common Admission Test for selection to the IIMs and many other business schools. Now we shall focus on the content and style of the test. Questions on general knowledge or awareness are not asked. The main areas tested are
Quantitative Aptitude
Data Interpretation and logical reasoning
Reading Comprehension
Verbal Ability
The unpredictability of the test style often adds to the tension and anxiety of the candidates, despite the best preparation. The candidate has to prove his proficiency at a minimum level in all the sections, since there would be cutoff marks for each section. Further, there is negative marking that penalises wrong answers; this acts as a deterrent to guesswork or speculation. The quantum of negative marks may be 25 per cent of the marks awarded for the right answer. In CAT 2006 it was four marks for a correct answer and minus one for an incorrect response.
Questions on quantitative aptitude normally focus on talent for reasoning rather than on computational skills. Comprehending the content of the questions with precision is vital, since further logic would otherwise go off the mark. School level mathematics including arithmetic, algebra, plane / co-ordinate geometry, mensuration and trigonometry may find a place in the questions. Indices, time and distance, progressions, series, permutations, and Venn diagrams are some among the various possibilities.
The role of analysis
Managers have to analyse data for properly discharging their functions. This aspect of analysing a given set of data is subjected to scrutiny in the data interpretation segment of the test. Data may be provided not only through descriptions, but with the use of graphs, bar charts, pie diagrams, etc. There would be questions asking you to check data sufficiency, calling for the application of quantitative or mathematical skills.
Language proficiency is judged using certain particular types of questions that are not common in usual academic examinations in schools or colleges. For assessing reading comprehension six or more long passages would be given. Objective questions based on these will have to be answered under time constraint. Our knowledge of the nuances and finer points of language will have to be summoned for appreciating the true contents of the passages.
Ability to read fast and comprehend the essentials quickly are important. We do not have to provide answers from our knowledge database. We have to draw from whatever is given in the passage. It is wise to choose first those passages that deal with topics familiar to us. So also, short passages may be given preference. If you find that there are more questions from a short passage, that passage naturally should attract you.
Remember that this kind of prioritisation becomes necessary, since it may not be possible for us to find time to answer all the questions in the paper. The questions may call for not only direct answers, but also those of an interpretative or inferential nature.
The right method is to read the passage first and then try to answer the questions. Attempts to read the questions first and then look for their answers in the passage may result in wastage of time. It may also lead to errors caused by the partial appreciation of the passage or missing the wood for the trees.
However, reading the questions first may be of help when you have very limited time at your disposal, or when there are many names and numbers in the passage. Even then, it is better to have a quick look at the entire passage. Some candidates gainfully adopt the style of reading the passages paragraph by paragraph and then answering related questions. In this style also getting an overall picture of the whole passage drawn by glancing over it initially is desirable.
The verbal Ability part may test vocabulary, grammar, verbal reasoning, and usage. It may touch areas such as synonyms, antonyms, sentence correction, sequencing of sentences, or other skills in expression. In CAT 2006 questions based on vocabulary or grammar, and those for sequencing of sentences in a paragraph were absent. But such questions can reappear in the future.
In tests in which the questions carry equal marks, one has to apply wisdom in selecting questions that are easy, requiring less time to answer. No question may be inherently easy or difficult. But they appear so to individual candidates depending on their aptitude and the extent of their practice. It is prudent not to attempt initially those questions that appear to be in an unfamiliar style.
A test of comparison
The working out of percentile scores by the IIMs obviously shows that the test attempts to compare the relative competence of the competing candidates and not judge the absolute skills or knowledge as in usual academic examinations.
We know that any manager should have qualities such as problem solving ability, fine communication skills and managerial aptitude. The trend of fewer questions in the test calls for an intense effort to solve them with accuracy and precision, applying our best skills.
Quick thinking is essential for success, and the preparation should necessarily emphasise this aspect. Basically CAT assesses our problem solving ability under the severe pressure of time constraint. Remember that 1.91 lakh students appeared in the CAT held on 19th November 2006.
There were five options for each question instead of the usual four. Each of the three sections of Quantitative aptitude, Verbal Ability, and Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation had 25 questions, the distribution being even.
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