150 day strategy for first time CAT takers

Is CAT 2016 your first CAT attempt?

In this third article on 150 day CAT strategy, I would be dealing with the 150 day first time CAT takers strategy. I have divided these CAT aspirants into two brackets:

  • Early Starters: Those who started their CAT preparation at least 3 months ago.
  • Recent Starters: Those who have started their preparation in or after June/July

In this article, I’ll be discussing the first time CAT takers strategy for the Early Starters

  • Early Starters: For the students in this bracket, my basic assumptions are that they would be well aware of the CAT pattern and that they would have covered basics of few topics in each section of CAT.

If you fall into this bracket then my suggestions are as follows:

Focus on Fundamentals: Your main goal should be to build a strong conceptual base within the next 2 months. Below is the strategy which you can follow for each section:

  1. Quant: Solve the fundamental books. Pick one topic at a time, build the concepts of that topic, solve at least 100 good quality questions of ranging levels on the topic, write a few (3 to 4) topic tests, analyse your performance and move to the next topic. Solving all the MCQs at the end of each fundabook is essential.
  2. Verbal: Firstly focus on vocab and reading. Make it a point to read at least 4-5 editorials of English Dailies, also set a target till CAT to read at least one book on different genres. After a month of vocab building and reading, start attempting various types of questions. Make it a point to solve few questions of each variety – RCs, PJs, CR, and Grammar – each week. Take sectional tests. Analyse and Analyse!!
  • LR/DI: Although LR and DI appear in two different sections of CAT but the same remedy can be followed for both. Be thorough with the basic calculations.  These two topics can be tackled by solving a good number of questions. Practise few caselets daily.  Out of all the areas these areas are the easiest to master.

For CL Students, MBA on Demand is a tool which can be used to build on the concepts. Besides, Adaptive Test Gym tool can be used to build efficiency in a topic and sectional test.

Write Mock Tests:

Writing Mock test and analyzing them thoroughly is a key part of your preparation.  Mock Tests are the only way to test your readiness for CAT. Bad selection of questions, improper time management, fatigue, drop in intensity during the 3 hour examination, are some of the common observations which boil from the lack of writing enough tests prior to the actual exam.

REMEMBER: Writing mock tests is a part of your preparation. And so DO NOT DELAY WRITING MOCKS IN THE PURSUIT OF WAITING TO CLEAR FUNDAS FIRST AND TAKING MOCKS LATER.  As a ground rule a minimum of one full length mock and 5-6 sectional/topic tests should be taken per week.

The next step to follow after any test is to analyse your performance.  In an exam like CAT – which requires a mix of speed and knowledge, you need to be categorically aware of your strengths and weaknesses.  Management exams are as much about leaving a particular question as they are about attempting the other, and so knowledge about where to invest your time becomes critical.  In-depth analysis of the test will make you more enlightened about yourself.  As a thumb rule, “N Minutes test should be followed by at least 1.5 N Minutes analysis”

You must also seek the advice from the experts or teachers on how they would have attempted the mock.  Usually, understanding their perspective – and if you can seek advice from multiple sources, nothing like it – will sharpen your own strategy.

To Summarize: Focus on Fundamentals of each subject and simultaneously focus on writing mocks. Analyse your performance in mocks and seek help from experts to further hone your skills.

Enjoy the process, and results will take care of themselves.

All the best
Siddharth Mehta
Career Launcher, Bhilai

About Siddharth:
Siddharth is an avid reader and a fitness freak.  From running a marathon to writing blogs, Siddharth is someone keen to explore his new talents. His passion for teaching can be felt in his positively charged classes and his informal interactions with his students to whom he is a mentor and a motivator.

Siddharth is an XLRI alumnus.

174 Comments

  1. Great article!
    i have been looking for some tips from long time and finally here i have found your article very good and helpful in preparation for CAT exam. Thanks a lot for sharing this article!

  2. Sir, when you are going to write an article for those aspirants who have started preparation in mid of july.?

  3. Hi sir ,
    how good is the JBIMS msc finance ? Is a course to be considered seriously and what is the actual placement scenario and industry reception of the program ?

    • DHS, MSc Finance is the most preferred course from JBIMS after its flagship course MBA. It is worth doing as MSc Finance has decent placement statistics and it will give a boost to your profile.

  4. Hello sir…When is the CAT 2016 notification likely to be out?
    Should we expect some major changes in the pattern?

    • Rohit, CAT 2016 notification is expected to be out by the first week of August. The pattern is likely to remain.

  6. Hi, i know the following ques is off the topic but still i would ask,

    My grad. % are 59.8 , Am I eligible for RBI B-grade?

    • Samkit, a minimum of 60% marks (50% in case of SC/ST/PWD) or an equivalent grade in Bachelor’s degree as well as in 12th and 10th standard examinations. The minimum qualifying percentage or an equivalent grade for the Bachelor’s Degree will be in aggregate for all semesters / years. If you are general then you are not eligible.

  8. Hello Sir,

    I have taken 2 cl-mock (1 & 2), I got scores of 98 and 104 respectively. I solved the mock again I could solve 25-27 questions with the current knowledge. But time was an issue while solving the problems. I got stuck in few places. I left those problems and moved ahead but i don’t understand how to accelerate problem solving especially in QA?

    Sagar.

  9. Hi sir,
    I’m a guy working in a IT MNC company.I started my preparation 2 months back.Done the basics.I’m giving mock tests now but getting very poor percentiles.(45-60).What should be my strategy for rest of the days?I will take a break of 30 days before the CAT for preparation.(x-93%,xii-96.83%,BE-79% belongs to NC-OBC)

    • Anjali, assuming the same level of difficulty as CAT 2014, the estimate for the score required for a 99%ile in CAT 2015 is:

      QA – net score of 70-75
      DILR – net score of 65-70
      VRC – net score of 55-60
      Overall – net score of around 175

  12. I want to pursue my P.G. in through finance or marketing.will it be a worthwhile exercise to join classes for economics since i have liberty of time and my comprehend skill in economics is quite poor.I am preparing for cat -2015 as a cl student.I have completed my graduation this year in civil engg. and preparing for mba leaving everything aside.please suggest..:)

  13. Sir, Can you please help me with the options that may fit my profile. I currently have completed 3 years of work experience in an IT MNC as a Software Engineer this month. My scores are : 90.4 (in 10th) ; 84.6 (in 12th) and 71.98(in graduation). Can you please help me as to what should be my career path from now. Also, is it better to try for GMAT than MBA now?

    Please help me.

    Thanks.

  14. Sir, I gave cat 2013 with a preparation for more than 3 months and got 93.54%ile as the score. Due to work pressure and hectic schedule, I could not give the Cat 2014. I want to improve that now. Your blog has been very inspiring and motivating for many aspirants like me. I want to know what should be my future career goal as my work experience till be around 3.5 yr till next year by May/June 2016. Should I go for the MBA at all considering it would be 3+ years at all. If yes, what domain should I target? Consulting?.

    Thanks for all the help.

    • Anchit, you should target executive MBA of some of the top Tier 1 B-schools. Specialisation is totally based on your choice as well as the flagship program of the institute.

  15. Hello Team CL
    The work yall have been doing is phenomenal , keep up!!
    I have a few queries about my preparation for the exam and thus seek your guidance.
    I’ve started giving my mocks since yesterday, am doing various sectional tests too and then trying to strengthen my basics alongside.
    My prep plan for now is a mock or two every week for CAT and 1 for any of NMAT/XAT/SNAP since i am gonna appear for them too.
    A sectional test with high level questions everyday along with a couple hours in doing my basics i..e any 1/2 Chapters of QA DI or VA or LR daily.
    My problem last year was getting struck in a question and geometry and Permutation combination questions in Maths.
    Is the strategy i mentioned about fine for now? Any further improvements i can make to the plan?
    Also, how should i modulate my plan with time to improve my preparation quality and readiness for the upcoming exams ? Thankyou:)

    • Vivek, the strategy seems to be fine. If followed religiously over the next few months, it will surely work wonders.

      Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. Spot the important questions that appeared in the mock. These important questions should be revised once a week.
      The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take.
      You should also start attempting CAT 1990-2008 papers.
      In addition to the above you should be reading the editorial, business and international pages of an e-paper daily (Indian Express or The Hindu).

  16. Hello Sir,
    I joined CL on July 15 for CAT 15. My profile is 81,78,53 in 10th 12th and graduation(Btech Biotechnology ) respectively, sc category.
    sir this will be first and last attempt so i have to get into a top college and i am ready to work hard and smartly.
    i need your guidance on how should i study , how should i plan.
    i scored 55 %ile in mock 8 and it was without any preparation sir.
    i found LRDI easy i can do well in this section but in quant and VA i got 55-60% accuracy.
    i can definitely improve quant as i will keep on practicing but i am worried about VA.
    most of the students in the batch have good reading skills and strong vocab and they have read a lot and i have never ever read a novel just textbooks in school and colleges.
    i have just started reading The Hindu and a novel too.
    sir i am not at all confident when it comes to VA.in class i get 80-90% accuracy but in mocks and TGA i am able to get only 50-60 in VA.
    kindly guide me sir .

    • Rahul, the top IIMs are possible considering your profile. IIM Indore might be out of reach. Please refer to the IIM Profilizer to confirm.

      Since you are enrolled in a classroom program, it is important to always stay ahead of the class. Take a couple of weeks to go through your classroom and coaching material. Go through the concepts to ensure that you are thorough with all the basic formulae & techniques of solving different question types by August end. Practice all the Level-1 and Level-2 MCQs. Avoid the very difficult questions as this year too CAT is expected to be easy-moderate level of difficulty.

      2 weeks into your preparation, start taking 1 Mock CAT per week. Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. Spot the important questions that appeared in the mock. These important questions should be revised once a week.
      The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take.
      Effective mid-September you should move to 2 Mock CATs per week and once you finish your practice material start attempting CAT 1990-2008 papers.
      In addition to the above you should be reading the editorial, business and international pages of an e-paper daily (Indian Express or The Hindu).

  17. Hello sir,
    I have joined cl in the mid of july
    And sir after attending the classes of QA
    I thought that if i do hardwork
    It is not difficult to score good percentile.
    But sir , I am not good in english
    So please help me out and motivate me
    That how i can improve my english as i know i can do QA.
    And I am also having little bit problem in DI
    And what should i do or how can i score good percentile overall.

    • Sumit, the first and the foremost thing you should begin with is reading. Read newspapers, editorials, magazines. Make it a habit to talk to your family and friends in English. Apart from this, it is extremely important for you to go through the basics of Grammar. Going through the CL material would be a good way to go about this.
      Practicing frequently asked question types such as Parajumbles, Paracompletion, Summary, FIB, Critical Reasoning could be done through the Test Gym. It is more than important to go through each and every mock that you’ve given. Mark out the difficult words from the RC, learn their meaning and their usage in the context.
      You must go through the following articles as well:
      7 Rules to Excel in CAT VA
      The Art of Solving RC Passages
      4 Rules to Master Paracompletion
      This should considerably improve your scores.

      For DI, please be thorough with the tables from 1 to 15 and the reciprocals of the first 30 numbers.

  18. hello GP SIR
    I joins the cp cl centr recently for CAT 16 . I blong to a poor family , i want to crack cat 16 with good %ile // because i wiil not have option for cat 17 // but i blongs to a hindi backgroud .i dont have a command on english .
    soo please tell me how can i improve my VA section
    and 1 more question .about how many hours i have to study in a day.
    thnks

    • Nishant, the first and foremost thing you should begin with is reading. Read newspapers, editorials, magazines. Make it a habit to talk to your family and friends in English. Apart from this, it is extremely important for you to go through the basics of Grammar. Going through the CL material would be a good way to go about this.
      Practicing frequently asked question types such as Parajumbles, Paracompletion, Summary, FIB, Critical Reasoning could be done through the Test Gym. It is more than important to go through each and every mock that you’ve given. Mark out the difficult words from the RC, learn their meaning and their usage in the context.
      You must go through the following articles as well:
      7 Rules to Excel in CAT VA
      The Art of Solving RC Passages
      4 Rules to Master Paracompletion
      This should considerably improve your scores.

      If you are working, you should devote 2 hrs daily on a working day and at least 8 hours on the weekend.

  19. Hello sir,
    I am a CL student pursuing my Maths Hons from Delhi university .My CL mocks score is always around 120 with an almost equal score in both sections.What should I do to take it to next level.And also,is 120 a decent score at this time when about 3.5 months are left
    Thanks,
    Sajal

    • Sajal, analyzing each and every mock is very important. Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. During this introspection you will realize which type of questions you are comfortable with. You must immediately begin with taking Sectional Tests. This way you would be dealing with each section more closely. 120 is a decent position to be at at this point of time. With 3.5-4 months left, aim to take it to 160-170+.

  20. Dear Sir,

    I try to solve the mock test and every time i do so, I end up closing the mocks as im not able to understand the questions or process the instructions. But later when I assess the paper with its solutions I find I could have solved most of them. Its building in pressure on me as im not able to make through the Mocks as well.
    Can you please suggest me some way to eradicate this feeling and attempt most of the questions.
    If there’s a problem with my basics, how should I make them strong?

    Thank you in advance Sir.
    (i’m fresh to CAT and started my preps in June)
    Regards.

    • Atul, persistence is the key. You must immediately begin with taking Sectional Tests. This way you would be dealing with each section more closely.

      Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. During this introspection you will realize which type of questions you are comfortable with. The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take. Next mock onwards always go for these questions first. Please follow the R1, R2, R3 strategy.

      To clear your basics, solve more and more Test Gym questions from the topics that trouble you.

  21. Sir,I weak in english. so, please tell me that how to prepare for english for the cat exam 2015

    • Rahul, the first and the foremost thing you should begin with is reading. Read newspapers, editorials, magazines. Make it a habit to talk to your family and friends in English. Apart from this, it is extremely important for you to go through the basics of Grammar.

      Practicing frequently asked question types such as Parajumbles, Paracompletion, Summary, FIB, Critical Reasoning could be done through the Test Gym. It is more than important to go through each and every mock that you’ve given. Mark out the difficult words from the RC, learn their meaning and their usage in the context.

      You must go through the following articles as well:
      7 Rules to Excel in CAT VA
      The Art of Solving RC Passages
      4 Rules to Master Paracompletion

  22. Hello GP Sir,

    I gave CAT 2014.. scored 93 % le. I am a working professional so I am preparing on my own. Job hours are a bit hectic. Should I be optimistic about my previous result ans take it as a boost to prepare better. Because I feel that 93 was a bit low and can U tell me if 93 to 100 is possible in 4 months?

    • Ravish, with 4 month to CAT’15 you have a good chance of moving up to 99%ile. Try ensuring a couple of hours daily on working days and 7-8 hours on holidays for your preparation and hopefully things will work out fine.

      • Thank you sir for the encouragement.
        One thing i wanted to ask sir is about increasing my mocks scores. I have been giving mocks of 2-3 institutes and I have been scoring consistently around 90-95 percentile in them. Unable to go beyond 95 -96 range sir.

      • Also sir Im unable to increase my mock percentiles over 90-95 range. I am facing issues in selection of questions and sometimes i spend time on difficult questions without marking the answer as well.

        • Ravish, each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. During this introspection you will realize which type of questions you are comfortable with and in which questions you commit a mistake every time. The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take

          Once you spot the questions which you find difficult, you must revise those concepts again and take a few Test Gym tests.

  23. Hello Sir,
    I am currently working in a company, so i am not able to give much time to preparation. 3hrs everyday is the maximum i can give. After giving 2 mocks, i have analysed that i am weak in Quant, especially Geometry and Numbers. Now with only 3 months to cat and the pattern changed, its really getting me nervous. As i am never able to attempt more than 12-15 questions in Quant.
    I used to utilize my leftover time in Verbal, but now that cannot be done.
    Could you please suggest a way to overcome this blocker??

    • Ankita you have 4 months (not 3 months) which is sufficient to improve in QA. To do well in QA you need to be good in any 3 out of Arithmetic, Algebra, Number system and Geometry.
      The current pattern could be beneficial for you as it will force you to spend time in QA. In the earlier patterns papers, most probably, in your rush to move to VALR you would not have spent sufficient time in QADI and that would have resulted in low attempts.

  24. Sir I joined CL in september 2014..most of the topics are covered but my score in CL mock test remains in 50ies and is not improving, I am not very good at quant , I have solved fundamental books till level 2 but find great difficulty in solving level 3 questions. I take 4 topic wise 20 minute test in a week. Should I practice fundamental books again? please guide me sir

    • Kabya, ignore the level 3 questions. Go through the basics of all topics of QA again and also solve the MCQs upto level 2 after which you can move to Test Gym Adaptive and here too focus on the Beginer and Intermediate levels. Once you are comfortable with these two levels then look at Advanced level of Test Gym and Level 3 questions in the Fundabooks.

  26. hello gp sir, first of all i want to thank you, your analysis and insight helped me to get 90+ in cat 2013 without any formal classes that to within 1 month.
    This year will be my second attempt of cat i have few query’s.
    what should i plan for PGP or PGDX?
    I am 2012 pass out in civil engineering worked for 6 month in L&T and than join family business last year.
    Will family business(its not related to civil engineering) experience be consider as work exp. in top colleges?

    • Jagjit,with work experience of not more than 3 years you should be planning to get into the PGP programme.
      You should certainly mention it as work experience. Though during the interview, work experience in family business is taken with a pinch of salt. Moreover, mentioning your work experience will give you a lot of substance to talk about in the interview. You must be prepared with solid answers about almost everything regarding your family business.

  27. Dear Sir,

    How come you are not uploading any articles on “How I attempted MOCK CAT XX”. Those are very helpful in understanding certain Concepts.

    Also, If possible please write an article on choosing the correct answer for “summary model questions” as many options look similar.

    Thanks in advance.

  28. Hello GP sir,
    My last cat score was 80%ile in quant and 40%ile in verbal.I cannot join regular classes.
    want to improve verbal and over all score would CL SCC 3 month course useful me?
    My profile is btech 75%ile (2012 pass out) 6 month experience in MNC after that joined family business.
    12th 76 %
    10th 74%
    tried iim profiler need 99+ for old and 93+ for new iim’s.

    • Karan, since you cannot join regular classes Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive is your best bet. Go for the 6 month access to ensure that you are covered till XAT.

  29. Hello Sir,

    I am a CAT15 aspirant. I’m not very good at attempting DIs (infact I’m terrible at them). Most of the times it’s just one or two attempts (maximum). I started practicing the TestGym Adaptive DI section but there’s a problem in that. Most of the times I find around 5 different sets of data with one question from each set to be done in 15 minutes. i’m barely able to solve 2-3 questions in every test.
    Is it even a legit way of practicing DIs? Shouldn’t there be like 4-5 questions from a single data set per test. Please help me in this regard. i shall be very thankful to you.

    • Milind, thanks for the feedback will have this changed. Till then for DI practice go for Test Gym Classic.

  30. Dear Sir, I have recently started my prep for CAT. This will be my first attempt. Please let me know how should I plan next 3.5-4 months effectively?

    • Ibad, if you are enrolled in a classroom program, it is important to stay ahead of the class. Take a couple of weeks to go through your classroom and coaching material. Go through the concepts to ensure that you are thorough with all the basic formulae & techniques of solving different question types. Practice all the Level-1 and Level-2 MCQs. Avoid the very difficult questions as this year too CAT is expected to be easy-moderate level of difficulty.

      2 weeks into your preparation, start taking 1 Mock CAT per week. Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. Spot the important questions that appeared in the mock. These important questions should be revised once a week.
      The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take.
      Effective mid-September you should move to 2 Mock CATs per week and once you finish your practice material start attempting CAT 1990-2008 papers.
      In addition to the above you should be reading the editorial, business and international pages of an e-paper daily (Indian Express or The Hindu).

  31. GP , The CAT CL Mocks are getting progressively difficult with every stage. Where should we practice from to get more familiar questions. Suggest ways and improvements .
    Thank You.

    • Rounak, the best way to go about it is to analyze each and every practice test and Mock CAT that you take. During this introspection you will realize which type of questions you are comfortable with.
      You could practice Level-2 questions from the CL Fundabooks or from the study material that you refer to. Test Gym Adaptive would give you the right amount of practice at this stage. You can attempt questions of different levels of difficulty. The questions of the Expert level in the Test Gym can be avoided.

  32. hello GP sir…i m a CL student..sir i have enrolled for the smart cat cracker…sir i have some questions regarding it that i need to clear out with you…sir could you please tell me as to how can i do it???

  33. Hello sir,
    I had 10th 76%
    12 77%(non medical)
    Btech 75%(cse) 2012 batch
    Got 6 month exp in top it mnc(campus placement) had to leave to join family business due to some problem.
    In my last cat attempt had 81%ile in quant (all thanks to you video on youtube) and verbal 40%ile.
    acc. to IIm profilizer need 99%ile + for old iim and 96+ for new one.
    Cannot join regular class.
    Will CL SCC help ?
    Main problem in quant is DI and verbal is Rc (long detail intense Rc ex your last year mock of rc related to dream caused by the flight of a bee around pomegranate Paintg or di vinci type ) and para completion question.
    Appeared for all india mock had 82%ile in quant and 74%ile in verbal.
    kindly suggest a way out.
    aiming for iim,iit and fms.
    And will joining my father business consider as work exp. it related to retail of iron steel goods and i m btech in cse but did some free moocs of marketing ??
    Please help!!!

    • Karan, family business is considered as work experience. It might be taken with a pinch of salt in the interview, you need to be prepared to explain the business and your role in it.

      Smart CAT Cracker is meant for students like you who can not join the classroom program due to any reason. SCC is the best substitute to the classroom program through which you can learn the smarter ways of prolem solving through GP, Gejo, Shivku, Satya and Neeraj.

      For the trouble in RC and DI, Test Gym Adaptive is the best tool to tackle it.

  34. Hello Sir,

    Well I am a CL student. My focus is more on XAT rather than CAT. I want to get through XLRI. I have started my preparation from June 2015. Can you provide any tips or ways to score a high percentile in XAT 2016.

    Regards
    Shruti Bose

    • Shruti, in my opinion XAT is one level above CAT in terms of difficulty. Make sure that you learn all the new concepts and anything new that is left to be learnt by the end of August. Appear for 1 CAT mock per week from today onwards. In September, increase the frequency to 2 mocks per week. Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. Spot the important questions in these mocks. These important questions should be revised once a week.
      The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take.

      October onwards start solving previous year XAT papers and take a few XAT mocks. Immediately after CAT, increase the frequency of appearing for the XAT mocks. Also, as XAT has a seperate section of Decision Making, make sure that you solve all the DM questions from the past year papers and develop a ‘thinking process’ to solve such questions.

  35. hello sir, i am preparing for cat15, I am doing my work in architectural designing work as a self employed. I am working from one & half year, & I have degree in civil engineering. Is this is accepted as a work experience in top institute for good profile ? if not please help me what should i do ?

  36. Sir,
    I have started preparing for CAT from july, I am using Smart CAT cracker.
    Though I have started solving course material and solving questions from TGA, i am little baffled about my study plan.
    Please, guide me how should I move ahead with my preparation till CAT?
    I am in final year.

    • Aman, make sure that you appear for 1 mock per week. It is important to analyze each and every practice test and Mock CAT that you take. During this introspection you will realize which type of questions you are comfortable with.

      Practice Level-2 questions from the CL Fundabooks or from the study material that you refer to. Test Gym Adaptive would give you the right amount of practice at this stage. The questions of the Expert level in the Test Gym can be avoided. Finish learning any new concept (through SCC) and revision by the end of August. September onwards increase the frequency of the mocks to 2 per week.

      Do not ignore your engineering classes, low marks in graduation could make you in-eligible for some of the IIMs, also in the interview your knowledge of engineering will be tested. Your summer internship and B.Tech projects and/or terms papers etc will all be important in the interview.

  37. Hello Sir,
    I had 82% in 10th and 78% in 12th and 73% in graduation. Is this any problem in getting admission to top iims? suggest me.

  38. Dear GP Sir,

    I have a problem in LR. I am unable to identify the sets which can or cannot be solved within a reasonable time frame. It happens that I tend to commit to a set for 10-12 mins, only to find that I am unable to crack it, thus wasting precious time. Please suggest a way to identify the easy/moderate sets from the difficult ones.

    • Sumit, this judgement will come with more and more practice. As you will analyze your previous mocks you’ll get an understanding of which type of sets you are comfortable with and which ones trouble you. Also, it is advisable that you attempt more and more LR Test Gym tests. This will give you exposure to different types of LR sets. Gradually, your problem solving techniques and the judgement would improve.

    • Ashish, needless to mention it but you must know that analyzing each and every mock is very important.

      Each practice test and Mock CAT should be analyzed in detail to ascertain what worked or did not work for you. During this introspection you will realize which type of questions you are comfortable with. The analysis process is explained in my blogpost Things you must-do after every mock you take. Next mock onwards always go for these questions first. Please follow the R1, R2, R3 strategy.

      You must immediately begin with taking Sectional Tests. This way you would be dealing with each section more closely. If you realize that there is a problem with your basics, solve more and more Test Gym questions from the topics that trouble you.

  40. Respected Sir, my 10th % was 62 and 12th % was 58 and now i am in my last year of college pursing engineering and till now my aggregate % is 69.5.. So my question is that should i look forward to fight for CAT. As my academic background result is not that great so will it be safe enough to invest such a huge amount of money on MBA studies. And will any company recruit me in campus if i pursue MBA from any of the college. I neither belong to SC nor ST. So plz suggest me.. Looking forward for your reply.

  41. Hello sir,
    Sir, I have started the CAT prep this June because of my interest in aptitude mainly, with my 10th and 12th class %ge above 90 and B. Tech above 80, I am able to also secure 95+% in aptitude in the mocks but RC never suits me.
    This was the main reason I joined CL but I am founding it out to be all of a self-initiative. While eclectic reading is widely advised, it is endless. So, could you please mark some specific reading areas recently important for the RC section?

    • Pankaj, please go through the must read books section in the Vocab zone of your SIS.
      We have highlighted the genres as well as the books of specific genres that you must go through.

  42. Sir I have just started preparing for CAT. I appeared for the All India Open Mock Test held on 5th July 2015. My overall cat percentile was 55.68. I am very poor in QA-DI. In the mock test I hardly attempted questions from the QA-DI section which led to a downfall in my overall percentile. I concentrated on the VA-LR section and scored 94.4% in that. Sir please guide me how to go about QA-LR at the beginner’s level. I believe that if I put in the effort and improve my QA-DI, I can improve my overall percentile. Please give some tips Sir as to how to go about it

    • Arsheya, you must immediately begin with taking QA Sectional Tests. We are coming up with 24 sectional tests based on the new pattern of CAT. Analyze all the mocks that you have appeared for. Notice the type of questions that are consistently getting wrong. Go back to the basics in each of these topics and practice the Test Gym questions. This will help you solve a certain number of questions in a given time limit.

      Mark all the questions that you find difficult and revise them at least once a week. Try to apply the SQC techniques wherever possible. This will considerably increase your QA score.

  43. Hello Sir,
    My name is Anupam.I am CAT 2015 aspirant.My marks are 63% in 10th,63% in 12th and 58% in graduation.I have a work experience for more than six years in a government organisation.I know my academics have been far from good but by any means do I stand a chance in IIMs if I does well in CAT or should I just focus on other equivalent bschools.Kindly guide me what should I do.
    Also please tell me what could be the probable no. of questions (and with what accuracy) that I should attempt so as to maximise the chances of scoring 100 %tile.

    Thanks

    • Anupam, with a 6 year work experience it is advisable that you go for the 1 year MBA program of IIMs (PGPX) rather than a 2 year MBA program for which you will need to take GMAT.
      A 100%ile in CAT’14 was around a score of 240 marks and is likely to be the same this year also.

  44. Helo Sir,
    I am a working proffesional in an auto ancillary company who has enrolled in your smart cat cracker class. I have started following your 240 video sessions and its helpful, but somehow my performance in the 3 mocks that i have taken does not replicate so. After a days tiring work in office i am not able to give more than 3 hours to studies, i will surely work on that but my mock scores have been 21 , 28 and 34 respectively. even though i belong to the sc community , still IIM,s are seeming to be a distant dream at the moment. Please suggest something.

    • Swarup, you need to put in the work to reap the benefits.
      You have to put in the hours and work on your basics to score. Work smart and identify topics where you can score and which you are comfortable with.
      Planning and Strategising is as, if not more, important as practicing.

  45. Hello Gautam Sir,

    I have started my preparation around 2 months back and is in good pace with it. My major concern is the VA section as I make more negatives than positives.
    Please suggest ways to boost my score in the VA section.
    Please update me with the information regarding the number of attempts and accuracy for 99%ile for CAT 2015.
    My academic performance:
    10th- 88.5%
    12th- 94.5%
    Graduation- BBA Hons. Currently in 3rd year. St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. Average 83.5%

    Awaiting your reply.
    Thanks a lot sir.

    • Harshita, your academic score is good and based upon CAT 2014 a scaled score of around 192 would have fetched a 99%ile, this would mean 64 net correct questions.
      When it comes to verbal you need to realize the topics you are strong in. Verbal Logic, Grammar, Verbal Usage or RC. Try to practice and become very good at at least 2 of the above.
      This would mean that at least 50% of your Verbal section would be bankable (in terms of scoring). Work on the other sections so that you can attempt them with at least 50% accuracy.
      My personal suggestion would be that you try and maximize Verbal Logic for sure since this only requires practice and no technical knowledge of English.

  46. Dear GP,
    I am preparing for CAT 2015. I am scoring around 75 to 80 percentile in CL mocks now. I want to know whether this process of preparation is correct or not OR if any changes are needed?

    1. I m solving CL Test Gym as follows – 2 exams each on DI, LR, RC, Quant(2 topics/day) and one exam each on VA,VR,vocab – This will take me nearly 3.5 hours along with knowing my errors.

    2. I want to make my strong areas as DI, LR and my descent area as Quant and I want to be OK with verbal. So, In addition to above process, I am solving three sets of DI and LR each from mock exams and also doing some 30 to 40 sums in quant from Arun Sharma and CL Mocks everyday which would take another 2 hours.

    I am not giving specific time for vocab and just reading new words from RC I am solving and I read online magazines on diverse topic for 20 to 30 mins each day..

    Will this suffice or do i need to make any changes in my prep strategy?
    thanks in advance 🙂

    • Sharma, this is fine for 5 out of 7 days of the week.
      You have not provided for revision, on the 6th day you should revise all important MCQs from the Mocks, Test Gym and other sources.
      You should also be taking Mock CATs regularly, at present one test per week (7th day) is sufficient. It should be analysed as suggested in the post Things you mist-do after every mock you take.

  47. Hello sir , I am student of cl cp center , and while giving the mock I could not concentrate over the “RC” which keeps adding negative marks . my quant section is good but i m really sick in “RC” and grammar section . please help me in term of preparation strategy for verbal section .
    thanks

    • Ashish, everyone has their own strategy to tackle CAT. If RC is not a bankable topic for you then you need to maximize your score in the other 84 questions. However, that doesn’t mean you do not attempt any RC. When I talk about RC, it’s all about practice. Tackle the different kinds of questions and keep practicing. Do keep in mind that at least 2 RCs need to be attempted with about 60% accuracy to get a good percentile.

  48. hello sir,
    i m preparing for CAT-15. i had given mock test recently in this month but my result was very very bad. only able to attempt 45 questions overall. My quants and “RC”is very weak. mostly attempted questions were wrong. please help me sir to come out with this problem.
    how do I prepare for the exam and what should be the strategy for the next 4 months?

    Thank You so much.

    • Gaurav, every test should be followed by a thorough analysis, please refer to the article Things you must-do after every mock you take for the details.
      While RC is primarily a matter of practice, in case of QA you will have to look at getting your fundamentals in place, practising regularly and revising all important questions. Please call me at 9811155160 any day in the evening to discuss the issues.

    • Aisha, CAT’14 required an attempt of 75-80 and a score of 205-210 led to 99.5%ile , with CAT’15 expected to be marginally difficult I expect that a score of 190-195 should lead to 99.5%ile. At present you should look at 55-60 attempts which should go up to 70-75 attempts by the time you hit CAT.
      Refer to the IIM Profilizer for the IIMs that you can get a call from and the target CAT score.

  50. Sir my profile category SC 10th 67% 12th 60% ,btech 63%,mba 63%(did from uptu coz got 100%scholrship by gov(sc category and to avoids gap after btech ) age 25 cl student 2015 I want to get into IIMs and iit any of them how much percentile I needed and I belong to poor family sir please guide my for 2015 will be grateful
    Your student

    • Sunny, 85%ile in CAT can get you calls from some of the IIMs but since you have an average academic record it will be safer to target a 92-93%ile to ensure calls from all institutes that have reservation. A 95%ile will almost confirm a final call from FMS.
      All IIMs have scholarship for reserved category and financially week students. FMS and JBIMS being university run programs have the lowest fee and are at par with the top IIMs. Your other options would be IITs and NITIE.

  51. Sir,

    I have been taking mock CATs and my overall percentile is hovering between 95-97. Although I am scoring decently in verbal, my quant percentile is not crossing the lower 90s. What should I do to overcome this barrier? Please help.

  52. Dear GP Sir,

    First of all thanks for answering to my query before, it was really helpful.

    I am a CAT’15 aspirant and i have started my prep a month earlier.

    Academic Profile
    X-80%
    XII-70%
    Grad-54% in B.com(H) under CU.

    Sir, i know my acads are not very impressive, hence keeping in mind the same which top B-Schools should i target for?? are IIMs an option??

    I have also been thinking of doing M.com to make up for my grads, which will also add 2yrs to my work-ex.

    I have been working since 2012 along with my grad and as per your suggestion before you told me that practically i cannot show this work-ex on paper but this will help me in PIs.

    So do you think doing Mcom & increasing my work-ex will be better for applying in a top B-School??

    Kindly advise.

    Awaiting your kind reply.

    Regards,
    Umang

    • Umang, as discussed over the phone, focus on your CAT preparation. M.Com will not add to your profile and a job will be a better option as work experience will be helpful in getting a call and also in the interview.

  54. Hi Sir, is it better to apply to Great Lakes,Chennai with CAT or MAT score? My MAT score is 97.16 percentile and I am taking CAT later this year.Please advice.

    • Arvindh, Great Lakes PGPM accepts CAT/XAT/GMAT/CMAT only so your MAT score will not be of help but for PGDM your MAT score is fine.

  55. Hey sir,
    Myself Achal jain I recently join carrer Launcher. I facing lots of problem like what to study what not, which questions should be attempt or which questions should leave. I saw people who study 10-12hr in day but I am not able to get that what they study in 10-12hr? Please provide me proper guidelines about what to study or not and how I crack CAT exam.

  56. Hi Sir,

    I have given an attempt for CAT lat year my percentile is 48 !!! I know the reson because of Lack of prep in last three months. But this time I started preparing from march and have completed almost all Fundas(probability , permutation combination and set theory remaining) . I find it difficult in mixtures and solutions. can you suggest me some link for a better understanding of this topic. Also guide on how to proceed further after completing the fundas.

    Thanks

    • Karthik, comfort in ratios is the basis for understanding mixtures and solutions hence you need to focus on ratios. Go to advanced level problems in rations and hopefully mixtures will be taken care of.
      Now that you are through with your fundas, focus on regular practice, testing and revision. Depending upon the time available, you could look at practising 2-3 tests from all areas (QA, DI, LR, RC and VL) from Test Gym Adaptive, each 12 minute test would need another 12-15 minutes for analysis and 1 test of each will take about 2.5 hours cumulatively. You should also do a section test once in 3 days and a Mock CAT every week. All tests should be analysed, important questions identified, lessons learnt and corrective action decided before moving to the next one. The important questions should be revised at least once a week. September onwards you can do 2 Mock CATs a week and if you want then in the last 4 weeks you can consider 3 Mock CATs per week.

    • Sonakshi, SIMC Pune is decent option and can be considered as a back up.
      Look at MICAT after you are done with CAT/XAT etc as a good score in these tests will be helpful in admission to MCIA.

  58. Hi Sir,

    I have finished the Intermediate Level of test gym and now started “Advanced” level of it. I am finding the advanced level too difficult to handle. Should I still work on it or just leave it ?

    Also, Does CAT question is equivalent to advanced level of test gym ?

    • Puneet, in CAT’14 QA and RC except for a few questions most of the questions were of beginer and intermediate level, a few were of advanced level and none were from expert level. In case of LR and DI most of the sets were of intermediate and advanced levels. Based on this you should not leave the advanced level questions for DI & LR.

      • Thank you’ sir !!

        Also your said strategy is working for me in case of geometry(revision of questions of test gym).

      • Sir,

        I have attempted the DI “Advanced Level” and was able to solve only one question as I think difficulty level was too high in comparison to intermediate level.

        Can I expect improvement if I follow this step ?
        1) Attempt DI set every day (advanced)
        2) Attempt Leftover questions again and if possible, set time limit.
        3) Revise them every week.

        Thanks

  59. Sir,
    What is the score required in cat for getting a 99.5 + percentile..?
    what score should be my aim as of now in mock cats(assuming it will increase in 150 days) for targetting a 99.5 + percentile??

    • Krishna, a score of 205-210 in CAT 14 was required for a 99.5%ile and at present a score of 150+ should be good enough.

  60. sir,
    i am a student of cl at cp center , i want to ask that i have not given any mocks yet due to my office and i am getting problem in quant section DI section other section going good, i am giving 6 hrs/day still tooo nervous now .. what to do … plzzzz suggest
    your suggestion means a lot for me…
    plz reply

    • saksham, not taking mocks is not a solution to your problems. Only on taking mocks will you realize where you are really lacking and how to improve in those areas. Test taking is an art and you will improve in this aspect only by taking test, analysing them, identifying errors, identifying important questions and revising them regularly. Regarding the specific issues in QA and DI please connect with a faculty to have the problems resolved.

  61. Sir,
    I have started with QA on my own since the classes have not begun the respective coaching centre for QA. I am able to solve about 70% of the questions. Also I do 3 passages daily with about 80% accuracy. I am okay with LR as I am doing daily one chapter of LR from the books. But I have a problem with DI,the tough questions get to me.
    Please analyze if my preparation is in the right direction.Daily, I am giving around 10 hours. Thanks

    • Snigdha, this is more than enough, possibly a bit more that what is required. In addition to all this you should also look a adding revision to your preparation plan. Weekly revision of all difficult or important questions (of DI and other areas also) will help you improve in all areas.

  62. sir, i have been getting around 70-75% ile in the last few mocks. my main problem is very low attempts. how do i improve? is it possible for me to get a 99+% ile in such a short time?

    • Sohini, 99%ile is possible in the time available, please refer to the article From 85 to 99.88 percentile in 45 days by Niel Merchanct who managed to do this in CAT 2014.
      What is the reason for low attempts – is it lack of knowledge or lack of speed or time wastage? Please call me art 9811155160 on any day after 7pm to discuss.

  63. sir,
    i had written to u earlier about my enquiries regarding preparation strategy, but since i didnt get any reply from your side , i am again writing to u.

    sir ,
    i am a student of CP centre of CL in Delhi.i have joined the batch for CAT 2015 in the month of june. the tentative date staff told me for my course completion is mid september 2015.

    i need help regarding how to go about in terms of preparation as the course is still pending & when it comes to giving mocks ,in few areas i am having no clue at all.i am a general cadre student ,also i am aiming at a high percentile.

    please get back to me soon sir.

    thank you so much.

    • Hrikshesh, apologies for the delay in responding to your query.
      Since you have a late start you should always be ahead of the class and should not wait for a topic to be covered in the class.
      For maximum effectiveness in the class you should go through the fundabook of the topic a day before it is taken up in class this will ensure better understanding. After the class you should go through the same stuff again and then solve the MCQs. The important/difficult MCQs should be marked for revision. Additionally you should take mocks as per the schedule, analyse each test in detail and identify important questions for weekly revision. From TGA you should attempts 1 data set each of DI & LR and 1 passage of RC every day and questions from these too should be identified for revision.

      • sir its absolutely fine.thank you so much for your due concern sir. i have been doing the same as advised by faculty at cl and i am noticing the positive changes.
        i have reached intermediate and advanced levels in the topics that have been covered in class.

        sir i wanted to know about the test gym classic.as there are sectional tests available there,i was thinking to go for them after i have completed my syllabus,both in class and also at a personal level..especially in quant.

        is that a good strategy or should i opt for sectional tests..?

          • yes sir i know that. i was asking you about the priority between test gym adaptive and test gym classic.

            should i leave TEST GYM CLASSIC for the end,as there are sectional tests available there and course is still pending.
            or i should take them too ?

            thank you for your valuable time,sir!

          • Hrishikesh, TG Adaptive should be the top most on your priority list. TG Classic tests should also be taken side by side by side.
            At least 2 TG Classic tests per week and at least 2-3 TG Adaptive tests per day should be your goal.
            Also take Mocks side by side. The key is practicing.

  64. Sir, I m a business background guy who havnt touched books for 2 years now but want to give CAT exams this year. Is it possible for me to acheive 90+ percentile within these 4 months.

    • Ankit, it is possible but a function of the amount of effort that you are willing to put. 90%ile is usually not a problem for an above average student but if you are willing to spend about 35 hours per week then a score of over 97%ile will also be possible.

  65. Hello GP Sir,
    I attempted CAT 2014 and failed due to reason whatsoever. I am done with my B.tech now and want to go for the CAT 2015. I am well aware about the pattern.
    I am looking for the CL CAT-2015 but in chaos whether to go for the classroom program or distance learning as almost 4 months is all I’ve got. So, I need your suggestions in particular to go for the classroom or distance learning.
    Will the current running classes will cover the topics because after joining into any of these I should not be thinking about all this, then I have to execute only.

    I contacted CL via phone, unfortunately was not a positive feedback. What’s your call on this? Waiting for your suggestions.

    Thank You.

      • Sumit Ghugharwal, will need more information to suggest the program (classroom vs SCC) that you should go for. Please call me at 9811155160 to discuss.

  66. Dear sir,
    I am a graduate of mechanical engineering from IITD. I started preparation for CAT last year and gave CAT 2014. My score of CAT 2014 is 81 (QA-92 & VA-50). Obviously I performed below expectation in English section. I was not confident in english section . In mocks last year I was continuously making mistakes (accuracy about 60%). So in paper I attempted very less question in VA (only 15). This led to my dismal performance in CAT 2014.

    Last year I had taken online CL CAT preparation program, but I was not having any mentor. I am working in GAIL India Limited for nearly 20 months at Pata petrochemical complex (100 km from Kanpur). I belong to Kanpur so once I met Niraj sir regarding whether join the coaching while continuing job, but he advised me to join online video program. So I proceeded with program.

    But I need some assistance for improvement in english section, may be in classroom form or some personal effort from my side.

    Kindly guide me and mentor me in this beautiful journey.

    Academic profile
    Xth CBSE: 93
    XII CBSE: 90
    Graduation :8.2/10

    Regards
    Ankit

  67. Hi sir, I am a 21 yr old BA Psychology graduate with 79.07% in ssc, 61% in HSC & 74% in TYBA Psych. I have been giving exams for the last 2 yrs. I scored 50 percentile in my 1st & 80 percentile in my 2nd attempt. Likewise in XAT. In NMAT I scored 200 and scored 63 in TISSnet. I have been working as a Front Office Executive for 4 months and am going to start work as an Executive Assistant. Should I give these competitive exams another year or should i opt for an MA in psychology? What are my chances of getting a good B school with my current profile?

    • SFM, 80%ile in CAT 2014 is not a bad performance and at 85%ile you would start getting calls from good MBA institutes hence suggest that you prepare hard and give these test one last shot, if you are still unsuccessful then look at other options.
      In addition to CAT you should definitely take SNAP as it is an easier papers and has lesser competition but has at least 5 good institutes. It appears that you are from Maharashtra hence Maharashtra CET should also be in your agenda. Which city are you from and how did you prepare last time?

      • Sir, i’m from Mumbai. For the 1st attempt i attended CL classroom coaching. While for the 2nd attempt i studied from CL notes on my own…

        • SFM, do take Mah CET as being a Maharashtra you would have a good chance of making it to good institutes in Bombay.

  68. Sir
    I have 70% in 10th and 58% in 12th and 60% in grad.can i get admission in any IIMs and top 20 B schools with a good CAT score.
    Please reply….

    • Sahil, most IIMs will be difficult because of your marks in X/XII/Graduation however most of the other B schools (top 20) have no/low weight for past academics and a good CAT score can get you admitted to them.
      Please check out the IIM Profilizer for your chances in all the IIMs.

  70. Sir. I have given around 5-6 Bullmocks (found them to be very tough). My average score is as follows
    QA/DI (91-92%ile) VA/LR(87-88%ile)
    I am only able to attempt 40-44 questions overall. My speed in QA is very slow. Overall accuracy is around (75to80%).
    I am yet to finish the Quant syllabus(permutation,probabilty,set theory,stocks/logs are left) Please Guide me as to how to maximise my score. Will i be able to get into a top institute this year!?

    • Ynagi, I have not seen the Bullmocks and hence will not be able to comment on your percentile scores. However an accuracy of 75-80% is on the lower side and suggests that either you are not revision or you are not choosing the right questions to attempt. A detailed analysis, as suggested in the article Things you must-do after every mock you take will help you identify the problem.
      On a separate note do consider enrolling for the CL Mock CAT test series as in my opinion Bull Mocks are usually not close to actual CAT.

  71. Sir,
    I got 97.7%le last year without any sorts of preparation. So I’m retaking CAT this year and also working very hard towards it. But one problem I’m facing is my issue with accuracy and especially the QA section. Despite practicing a lot from fundabooks and being quite precise there, the result is not being converted in the Mocks (although I’ve given just 2 of them yet and got a decent score too this time). Please suggest some solution for this.

    • Mayank, practising will not help you need to analyse a couple of papers to identify the reason for the errors – it could be because of wrong choice of questions or silly mistake because you did not read the question carefully or some other reason. Based on your analysis you will have to take corrective action.

  72. Please suggest me one book each (of 150 to 200 pages light book) considering that my level is intermediate in RC solving according to test gym adaptive. The areas are – 1. Fiction 2. Non-fiction 3. Motivational/Inspirational & Self help, 4. Biography/Auto-biography, 5. Philosophy 6. Psycology 7. History 8. Economics & Business 9. Biology/Science. Is there any website for finding all these types of articles?? Pls give some better sources as i wish to read all variety. thank u 🙂

    • CAT aspirant, please go through the Book list given in the Vocab section of SIS. That should be helpful for you.

  73. Sir
    With an attempt of 60,questions,80%accuracy and average percentile-91.xx as of now, how do you rate my chances for an IIM at least new IIM?

    • Ayush, with about 4 months to CAT 2015 I feel that you have a good chance of making it to top institutes (including the IIMs). Look at improving your accuracy to 90% and attempts to 70-75.

  74. This was really helpful Sir . Can you please write an article on how to deal with question related to Fact,Inference and Judgement . It is a very intimidating topic. It would be of great help if you can enlighten us on how to deal with these questions.

    • Prashant, FIJ have come only once in CAT since 1995 because they are highly subjective and hence can be ignored.

  75. sir can u suggest some books to read for vocab building??? like u have mentioned to read books of different genres..

  76. Sir , Is it advisable to read the editorial columns from online websites for example theHindu.com etc?? I am asking this question because I live in a suburb of Kolkata where newspapers like the Hindu are not available.

    • Anirban, “Indian Express” and “The Hindu” are the recommended newspapers and given that CAT is a computer based test you should preferably read the papers online. downloading the mobile app of these papers will be useful.

  78. Hi Sir,

    Hope you’re doing well.

    I started my preps in Mid-Late April. I have been doing roughly the same things, but not all, of course. I’m a working professional as I wanted work ex before resorting to MBA. My main constraint is time. I do give tests from TGA as and when possible, in fact, I try find out time for that. I’ve covered basic from most topics and also completed exercises at the end of it (SCC User). In fundabooks, I nearly do all exercises from Level 1 to Level 2.

    I just want to know how do I manage my time better as a working professional? I do give 1+ hr dialy before leaving for office since I work in evening shifts and I get time in the day. Also, I give 4+ hrs on Weekends. How do I be more effective in channelising my time? I have also given only 1 mock till now (Unproc).

    Plus, overall my Verbal is good. RC gets a wee bit tricky nearly all the times.

    Many Thanks for your answer,
    Shivam Kapoor

    • Shivam, apologies for the delay, please call me a 9811155160 any day in the evening to discuss the issue.

  79. Hello sir! I secured 85% in 10 and 76 in 12 and 66.75% in graduation. And I am obc-nc. Will I have any problem in getting admission to top iims? And plz suggest me, which colleges shall I focus on.

  80. Hi Gp Sir
    I have completed the entire syllabus and giving mocks . The only worry for me as of now is Time , speed and distance. I am unable to relate the given data. I can solve the easy questions, but as soon as the question becomes tricky and complicated, I get confused. I guess my basics of TSD are not strong. Hence I would like to take your advice on how to go about it. Please guide me. Thanks

    • Ayush, practice these difficult question types and revise them regularly, try using the choices to get the answer. Else sit with a faculty and try to get the concept in place. If none of these work then your only option is to leave these difficult TSD questions un-attempted.

  81. hello GP sir, this is my first ever message to you.i am a student of CL CP centre,new delhi. i have joined the batch which started from 29th of june. i am a student of bcom 3rd year and i wish to appear for CAT 2015. as not much days are now left,i want to push my limits harder in a positive direction.
    please help me from your experience in terms of what my preparation strategy should be & how to go about it.

    thanks.

    • Hrikshesh, apologies for the delay in responding to your query.
      Since you have a late start you should always be ahead of the class and should not wait for a topic to be covered in the class.
      For maximum effectiveness in the class you should go through the fundabook of the topic a day before it is taken up in class this will ensure better understanding. After the class you should go through the same stuff again and then solve the MCQs. The important/difficult MCQs should be marked for revision. Additionally you should take mocks as per the schedule, analyse each test in detail and identify important questions for weekly revision. From TGA you should attempts 1 data set each of DI & LR and 1 passage of RC every day and questions from these too should be identified for revision.

      • Dear Sir,
        I am a student of Thane Cl center and I am a working professional. I started my preparations in mid may but that too in patches. I have started studying regularly only from last week of June( 2-3 hrs per day). I have given 4 mocks and my score in Quant is usually above 80 %tile. However my VALR is around 20 %tile from the last two mocks and I believe that I can reach atleast 50%tile( in VALR) in the next mock after the efforts I have put in analyzing the previous mocks. Kindly suggest me strategies to maximize my VALR score.Also, I have heard rumors that CAT will be conducted in October and this has seriously demoralized me. This is the last time I am giving CAT and I want to crack it anyhow this time. Waiting keenly for your reply! (PS:I am a GEM)

        • Pawan, it is more than important to go through each and every mock that you’ve given. Practicing the frequently asked question types such as Parajumbles, Paracompletion, Summary, FIB, Critical Reasoning could be done through the Test Gym. Mark out the difficult words from the RC, learn their meaning and their usage in the context. Since you are working, 2 hrs should be devoted each day on working days. On the weekends try and devote 6-8 hours.
          You must go through the following articles as well:
          7 Rules to Excel in CAT VA
          The Art of Solving RC Passages
          4 Rules to Master Paracompletion
          This should considerably improve your scores.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *