5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in CAT

Ankur Agarwal

By Ankur Agarwal

Preparing for CAT, you must have taken care to gather all possible tips on what to do to prepare well, but you must also know about what not to do to make the cut. Here are some typical mistakes that you must avoid.

1. Probability game: Graduates come from education backgrounds wherein they are given an option of attempting 5 to 6 questions out of around 7 to 8 in their college exams. Hence, they have a habit of leaving a topic assuming that they can play the probability game, assuming that even if one question comes from a certain topic it can be comfortably avoided. This is the biggest mistake you can make in preparing for CAT where the syllabus is broad but you might just get 3-4 questions from geometry or log or any of the other topics. So you can’t afford to take the risk in a competitive test like CAT, if you are aiming for a good score.
2. Sectional hangover and information overload: Finishing topic by topic, it is very important to demonstrate competency across the two sections of CAT.  But within the section there is no demarcation, hence, timing yourself well to switch between Verbal Ability (VA) and Logical Reasoning (LR) within the allotted 70 minutes is important in order to avoid hangover as well as information overload in any one area. Same holds true for Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Data Interpretation (DI).
3. The speed breakers: Avoid sticking to solve a problem before moving ahead. There are 30 questions to be attempted in 70 minutes, so it gives sufficient time to solve a problem. But we need to avoid the speed breakers which have been seen in this year’s CAT, which were not present earlier. Get into the habit of solving as many easy problems earlier, in order to maximise your score. This can be further enhanced by using the mark and review function made available to candidates in the paper. Marking the questions helps you identify those questions that you wish to attempt and review later.
4. Reading Comprehension phobia: The topics covered in this year’s CAT are purely targeted at differentiating between the well read and the beginners. Hence, avoiding it will get you nowhere, as nine questions could spoil your chances of making the cut-offs for top institutes. Rather start reading difficult topics to get used to dense passages of a variety of topics.
5. The panic button: The brain performs the best when it is calm and composed. This works most in exam time, hence no matter what comes your way in terms of situations, system issues, paper difficulty or four questions from uncovered topics, keep yourself calm and do not panic. The moment you panic it is over. Hence, you need to put things in the right perspective. Nothing is over and things can still be made good from wherever you stand. Remember – a manager needs to perform in all circumstances, hence be prepared for it.

All the best!

About the author:

Ankur Agarwal heads the IT and Publishing verticals of Endeavor Careers and Catgurus - a leading online Testing portal for CAT Aspirants.

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