CAT 2014: Time management is the key to success
The biggest surprise of CAT 2014 is the time challenge – attempting 100 questions in 170 minutes. Time management, apart from high levels of accuracy, has become a crucial point of focus. How do CAT 2014 test-takers tackle such a lengthy paper in a relatively short amount of time?
The question has two simple answers: High accuracy and optimisation of time.
“Hundred questions in 170 minutes comes down to 1.7 minutes per question,” says Ankur Agarwal from catgurus.com, an online testing portal. “Remember, there’s no sectional time limit. You can shift between sections as per your wish. So the trick is to spend time wisely, identify speed breakers and try to avoid them,” he adds.
So how does one identify the speed-breakers?
Know your weak areas. If maths is your strong point, attempt the corresponding section first. Do not get carried away while attempting questions in any section and end up spend more than half the time. Maintain a tempo. Be wise with time in each section.
Also, reading comprehension requires spending a considering amount of time reading (sometimes re-reading too) and figuring out details. So how does one save time here? “The art is to have a pre-planned strategy for quant and verbal sections. Strengths should be properly exploited for a balanced percentile. Hence, give more time to weakness and practice different approaches. That will lead to better use of extra time at the end for balancing sections,” says Agarwal.
Using shortcut techniques such as skimming and scanning for RCs or using tricks and formulas in DI/Quant section is handy. Balancing time between sections – LR, VA, QA and DI – is also crucial.
At the end of the day, a student needs to know their own strengths and weakness to develop their own strategy and maximise score. Deciding on how much time to spend on each section will require considerable practice during preparation time. Take enough mock tests to know your level.
A plan B must also be in place. If for some reason, your favourite section ends up with more difficult lot of questions, some quick thinking will be required for time management. In such cases, the trick is not to waste your precious time on a single question. Set a certain time limit for every question, such as two minutes for one question in quant section. If you can’t make heads or tails of the question, move on to the next one. Don’t waste time.
