Follow these tips to ace your CAT preparations

By: Devyani Solanki

The CAT Preparation requires effective planning, self-motivation and avoiding common mistakes.

Nowadays, the CAT exam is one of the most popular exams in India. Every year thousands of students give this exam to pursue their aim in the MBA course. For the complete preparation of this exam, a time of at least 4 months is required. There are preparation strategies and tips that are important for every student. These are as follows:

1. Know the Exam Syllabus and Pattern

First, you should be completely aware of the syllabus, the pattern of the paper, types of questions that can be asked and the number of questions in the exam.

2. Make a Study Plan

Divide your whole syllabus into parts. Set a time limit for the completion of each part and work on that study plan. One should try to cover the whole syllabus in 3-4 months so that you can have time later for revision and mock tests. Revision is necessary for any exam.

3. Give Mock Tests and Solve Previous Year Question Papers

You should utilize your last month before the exam by giving mock tests and solving previous year question papers. Mock tests help you as they give an idea about your weak and strong points and will help you to develop confidence before the exam. Everyone should give at least 6-7 mock tests to be able to crack the exam with golden marks. One should go through the previous year’s questions to be able to get an idea of questions that are usually asked in the exam.

There are 100 questions with a total of 300 marks that are asked and have 3 sections and 120 minutes for completion. You should try to complete the exams in 105 minutes so that you can revise the whole paper before submission. One should try to solve at least 78 to 80 questions. Also, remember one thing, never try to give answers to those questions about which you are not sure because the paper has a negative marking scheme. Only answer those questions about which you are 100 per cent confident.

The common mistakes that students do are not being thorough with the basics and skipping the topics or sections. Another common mistake is that they don’t revise the concepts periodically. Revision is an important factor. Many students do not do the previous year’s questions, which affects their score because they were not well aware of the type of questions that can be asked.

Those students who do self-preparation need to buy the best books, study material and online mock tests. In addition, the students who go for coaching have to do a self-study, which is an important key in any exam.

Last but the most important factor in your preparation is motivation. High motivation during the course of the study is very important. You have to prepare yourself mentally for the exam. Motivation will help to keep the pressure of the exam away from you.

Therefore, make a plan effectively, follow it and keep yourself motivated to crack the exam.

About the Author:

Devyani Solanki is a student of BSc Physical Science with Chemistry in Deshbandhu College (DU). She has completed her class 12^th from CBSE board and got 90.2%. She also got 9.47 CGPA in her first year of the undergraduate degree. She loves Physics and wanted to become a space research scientist in future. She loves animals and wanted to do something for them. She also loves singing and reading books.