How I Attempted The New Pattern Mock CAT 1

Many students have not been able to handle the new pattern CAT. As expected, time management and selection of questions proved to be the biggest problems in this pattern. While VALR was not really a problem, most of the students were unable to apply the 3 Round strategy in QADI. To explain the process of test taking I attempted the New Pattern Mock CAT 1 and am sharing the process that I followed in attempting the paper.

In a paper without sectional time limits, I always start with English Usage and the Verbal Logic questions, follow it up with RC, then to Reasoning and finally to QA and DI. This ensures that I start with a strong area (Verbal Logic, vocabulary, fill in the blanks etc) and also end with my strong area (QADI), my weak area RC is hence sandwiched in between the strong areas. Also since QADI is my strongest area it is relatively less affected by fatigue that I would encounter in the last part of the paper. The time allocation for the paper is usually biased towards the section that I am stronger since it will help me get a higher overall score. For this paper too I followed a similar pattern as given below:

  • Time Allocation: 80 minutes for VALR and 90 minutes for QADI
  • Section Sequence: VALR followed by QADI
  • VALR:
    • Round1: I went from Q51-100 sequentially and attempted the questions of Verbal Logic and English Usage. While going through these questions I also took a note of the RC passages and LR sets and tried to identify which of these should be attempted. This took me about 35 minutes in which I attempted 14 out of 17 questions.
    • Round 2: Now I moved to RC, in R1 I had identified that I was not comfortable with the first passage (Nietzche) and hence would not attempt it. I also identified that the last three passages (Mind reading, Modern Medicine and Ireland) were subjects that I was comfortable with and would like to attempt these three. I was not sure about the second passages (OEL Manga) and decided that I would look at it only if I had time. I attempted 9 out of 10 questions from the three passages in a little over 20 minutes.
    • Round 3: As in the case of RC, in R1 I evaluated the LR sets also. I felt that the first LR set (Jungles & Animals) may not be worth attempting as it has a large amount of data. The last two LR sets (Exchange of notes and Symptoms & Diseases) appeared to be simple and were my first preference. The second LR set (Phone calls and meetings) also was data intensive but appeared to be less complicated than the first set (Animals). The LR sets of “Exchange of Notes” and “Diseases” were easy and I was able to solve them in about 11-12 minutes. I then moved to the set on “Phone calls & meetings”, I however  made mistakes and was unable solve it in the first go, I solved it in the second attempt but spent around 15-16  minutes for this data set. In the LR part hence I had an attempt of 11 questions.
    • I wasted at least 5 minutes in the above LR set and if this time wastage had not happened then I would have gone back to RC and attempted one of the two remaining RC passages.
    • Total attempt in VALR was 34 questions.
  • Quantitative Aptitude:My sequence of attempts in this sections was:
    • Round 1: I went sequentially from Q1-50 and attempted only those questions that I was sure of solving and that I felt could be attempted in 60-75 seconds. In R1 I also evaluated which questions could be considered for R2 and also which DI sets could be attempted and in which sequence. I also identified that Questions 16, 17 and 23 were not worth attempting. In R1 I attempted 13 questions in about 35 minutes.
    • Round 2: I started this Round with the 5 DS questions and then moved on to the DI sets. Since I felt that the first and the last DI set would be time consuming, I attempted the remaining three that I felt were easy to understand and not calculation intensive. These 14 DI & DS questions took me about 25 minutes.
    • With another 30 minutes at hand, I now shifted my focus to the QA questions that had been identified as R2 questions and attempted 6 more QA questions in approximately 20 minutes. I also wasted 2-3 minutes in solving Q1 but was unsuccessful and left it unanswered.
    • Round 3: In the remaining 10 minutes I attempted the last DI set partially and a QA question that I had missed out.
    • The write up below will help you understand the process of how I attempted the QADI section.

Q1. R2 – TSD – Circular Race, it is lengthy to read and looks confusing.

Q2. R1 – TSD, this can be solved by ratios. After point Karju drove at a speed that is 20% higher or 6/5 times the normal speed

  • Karju should take 5/6 times the normal time for the distance CB
  • Karju saves 1/6 of the normal time for the distance CB
  • Time saved = 30 min (reached early by 15 min + 15 min of stoppage)
  • Normal time for CB = 30 x 6 = 180 min = 3 hr
  • Normal time for AB = 12 – 3 = 9 hr
  • Ratio of distance AB : BC = Ratio of time AB : BC = 9 : 3 = 3 : 1

Correct Answer: Choice (a) 3:1

Q3. R1 – Mensuration, simple question with easy numbers on area of rectangle and circle.

We need to determine the ratio of Area of circular ground to area of rectangular field

Used a SQC technique:

Area of rectangular field = 50m x 40m = 2000 m2

  • second number in the answer choice should be a factor of 2000

Only choice (a) satisfies this condition, hence this is the answer.

If you are not comfortable with this then calculate the area of the circular ground also.

Correct Answer: Choice (a) 77 : 1000

Q4. R1 – Bionomial Expansion, have done this kind of question earlier
Tr+1 = 100Cr (31/5)100-r (71/8)r

For a term to be an integer r should be a multiple of 8 and (100-r) must be multiples of, or to satisfy both the conditions r and (100 – r) must be a multiple of  (5 x 8 = 40)

  • r = 0, 40, 80
  • there are 3 possible values of r or 3 terms of the expansion will be integers.

Correct Answer: Choice (d) 3

Q5. R1 – PLD Used SQC technique –assumed numbers.

Let SP of X and Y be Rs 40 and 30 respectively

Take two cases of profit percentage for X and Y

Case 1: Profit percentage of X and Y are 20% and 10% respective ly

  • Ratio of CP of X to Y = (40/1.2) / (30/1.1)

Case 2: Profit percentage of X and Y are 40% and 20% respective ly

  • Ratio of CP of X to Y = (40/1.4) / (30/1.2)

We get a different ratio in the two cases hence the answer cannot be determined.

Correct Answer: Choice (d) Cannot be determined

Q6. R2 –Numbers. Will need to make cases and hence can be time consuming.

Q7-9. R2 DI set.

Noted on the rough sheet under DI:

Q 7–9 Bank Passbook           Calculations likely to be high            Attemptable

Q10. R1 – Averages

Average weight of the 10 students of Class B who join Class A is 5 kg more than the 10 students of Class A who joined Class B.

  • The increase in to weight of Class A = 5kg x 10 = 50 kg

The increase in average weight of Class A = 0.5 kg

  • The number of students in Class A =  (50 / 0.5) = 100

Correct Answer: Choice (b) 100

Q11. R2 – Geometry

Q12. R1 – Numbers, use SQC technique.

As per the answer choices a + b = 126 or 189 or neither of these. Since a and b are cubes of natural numbers, let us check the cubes of natural numbers that are less than 189.

The cubes are 1, 8, 27, 64 and 125

Now 189 = 125 + 64 and 126 = 125 + 1
Case 1: take a = 125 and b = 64, the equation in the question is satisfied, hence 189 is possible.

Case 1: take a = 125 and b = 1, the equation in the question is satisfied, hence 126 is also possible.

Correct Answer: Choice (d) Either (a) or (b)

Q13. R2 – Coordinate Geometry, likely to be time consuming

Q14. R2 – Coordinate Geometry, likely to be time consuming

Q15. R1 – Coordinate Geometry, used SQC technique
Taking θ = α = 45o , we get

sin (θ + α) = sin 90 = 1 and

a = b and c = a√2

Substituting b and c in the choices in terms of a, we find that while Choice (a) gives a value = 1, the others do not and hence Choice (b), (c) and (d) are incorrect.

Correct
Answer: Choice (a)

Q16. R3 – Algebra, not sure of how to solve,likely to be time consuming

Q17. R3 –Numbers, I have not done this kind of question earlier and not sure of the method to be employed.

Q18-20. R2 DI set.
Noted on the rough sheet under DI:

Q 18–20 Line Chart               Simple numbers, easy calculations likely     Attemptable To be preferred over Q7-9

Q21. R3 – Numbers – Probability, not sure of how to solve,likely to be time consuming

Q22. R2 – Geometry.

Q23. R1 – Function, solved by using SQC technique.

As per the graph, for x = 0, f(x) is (+). Putting x = 0 in the choices we find that f(x) in:

Choice (a) = -2 hence incorrect

Choice (b) = 3 hence could be correct

Choice (c) = 2 hence could be correct

Choice (d) = 7 hence could be correct

As per the graph f(1) > f(0), putting x = 1 in the remaining choices we get:

Choice (b) f(1) = 4 > f(0) hence could be correct

Choice (c) f(1) = 0 < f(0) hence incorrect

Choice (d) f(1) = 5 < f(0) hence incorrect

Correct Answer: Choice (b)

Q24. R1 – Algebra, solved using SQC technique
x, y and z are natural numbers. We need to find the minimum possible value of the expression.

Let x = y = z = 1

  • Value of the expression = 6, thus the minimum value of the expression should be ≤ 6
  • Choice (b) 36 and Choice (d) 256 are incorrect

Let x = y = 1 and z = 2

  • Value of the expression = 42/4 = 10.5

Thus as the value of x, y and z increases the value of the function will increase. Thus the minimum value of the expression is when  x, y and z are minimum or when x = y = z = 1

Correct Answer: Choice (a) 6

Q25. R2 – Probability – P&C. May need to make cases and hence could be time consuming.

Q26. R2 – Geometry.

Q27. R2 – Mensuration.

Q28-30. R2 DI set.

Noted on the rough sheet under DI:

Q 28–30 Pie Chart Value & Volume share  Easy calculations likely         To be attempted

Q31. R2 – Geometry.

Q32. R1 – Time & Work. Sam prepares 48 pizzas in 9 hr

  • Tom prepares 60 pizzas in 13.33% less time.

In festival season both need to prepare 96 pizzas in the same amount of time by increasing their efficiency.  Thus the increase in efficiency of:

Tom: from 60 to 96 pizzas per day è efficiency to be increased by 60%

Sam: from 48 to 96 pizzas per day è efficiency to be increased by 100%

Thus ratio of increase in efficiency of Tom : Sam = 60 : 100 = 3 : 5

Correct Answer: Choice (a) 3 : 5

Q33. R2 – Mensuration.

Q34. R1 – Numbers, solved using SQC technique of checking the choices.

Decided to check 144 and 150 since these two are multiples of 6. The number of days for which Chalk will be available if the initial order is 144 = 144 + 24 + 4 + 4/6 = 172.66

Since the number of days for which chalk is required is 175 hence another 2 chalk sticks should cover us for the additional 2.33 days.

Correct Answer: Choice (d)146

Q35. R2 – P & C

Q36. R2 – Algebra, may need to make cases.

Q37. R2 – Geometry & Trigonometry.

Q38-40. R2 DI set.
Noted on the rough sheet under DI:

Q 38–40 Table Equity shares            Calculations likely     To be attempted

Q41. R1 – Inequality, solved using SQC technique of checking the choices.
x = 0 satisfies the equation

  • Choice that does not contain x = 0 should be incorrect
  • Choice (a), (b) and (c) are incorrect

Correct Answer: Choice (d) x < 0

Q42. R1 – Algebra, solved by using SQC technique of taking values of x and y
Took x = 3 and y = 2 and calculated the values of LHS and RHS of the four choices, this eliminated Choice (a) and (d)
Choice (b) can be written as (xy)x > (xy)y, this will hold if both x and y are greater than 1, but not for x, y between 0 and 1, hence this is incorrect.

Correct Answer: Choice (c) xxyy > xyyx

Q43-47. R2 – Data Sufficiency

Q48-50. R2 DI set.
Noted on the rough sheet under DI:

 Q 48–50 Line charts              High on calculations               Attemptable 

Summary of Round 1:

  • Time taken: approximately 35 minutes
  • Attempted 13 questions – Q 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, 15, 23, 24, 32, 34, 41 & 42.  These are, for me, the easiest QA questions in the paper and will ensure a decent score in the section.
  • Identified that out of the five DI sets I would be more comfortable attempting
    • Q 18-20
    • Q 28-30
    • Q 48-50
  • Identified that Q 16, 17 and 21 should not be attempted.

Round 2:

Started R2 with the 5 DS questions

Q43-47. DS, Marked the answers of the five questions correctly.

Q38-40. DI Set Q38. Revenue generated by divestment of:

BEL = 20% of 75% of (8 cr  x 60) = 15% of 480 cr = 72 cr

BML = 25% of 60% of (3.64 cr x 15) = 15% of 55 cr = 8.25 cr
Calculations:

3.64 x 15 ≈ 3.66 x 15 = 45 + 10 = 55

15% of 55 = 5.5 + 2.75 = 8.25 cr
Total revenue = 72 + 8.25 ≈ 80 cr

Correct Answer: Choice (a) Rs 80.19 cr

Q39. Govt. owns 66.7% of 30 cr shares of BPL = 20 cr

Incremental revenue had the Govt. sold its holding at market price = (175 – 125) x 20 = 1000cr

Correct Answer: Choice (b) Rs 1000.5 cr

Q39. Decline in share price of BCL = 350 – 50 = Rs 50

  • Decline in value = 50/350 = 1/7

Value of shares of Govt. = 80% of (1.515 cr x 350)

  • Decline in the value of shares of Govt = 80% of (1.515 cr x 350)/7

= 80% of (1.515 cr x 50) = 1.515 x 40 ≈ 60 cr

Correct Answer: Choice (c) Rs 60.6 cr

Q28-30. DI Set

Q28. Maximum price will be for the brand which has the highest ratio of Value share to Volume share, check this ratio for the choices:

Choice (a) B = 20/10 = 2

Choice (b) D = 8/13 < 2 hence incorrect

Choice (c) C = 23/17 < 2 hence incorrect

Choice (d) F = 19/7 > 2 hence the answer

Correct Answer: Choice (d) F

Q29. Volume sales of Brand E = 20% of the total sales

Volume sales of half of Brand B = 5%

Thus answer = 20% + 5% = 25%

Correct Answer: Choice (c) 25%

Q30. Ratio of volume sales of the three types of pen

Ink Pen : Ball Point : Thin Nib = 7 :12: 1

  • Share of Ink pens in the total Pen market = 7/20

Share of Chinese Ink Pen in the Ink Pen market = 15%

  • Share of Chinese Ink Pens = 15% of (7/20)
  • Angle subtended by Chinese Ink Pens in the Pie chart of Pens = (15% of 7/20) x 360o = 15% of (7 x 18) = 15% of 126 = 12.6 + 6.3 = 18.9o

Correct Answer: Choice (b) 18.9o

Q18-20. DI Set

Q18. Total sales of Foto E = 26,800

Total Sales of Foto G = 39,700

  • Absolute difference in sales of Foto E and Foto G = 12,900
  • Monthly average of difference in sales of Foto E and Foto G = 12,900 /6 = 2150

Correct Answer: Choice (b) 2150

Q19. Foto X sales in January = 3,600

Foto X sales in June = 6,600

The growth rate of sales from January to June is the same as that of June to December

  • (Sales in December/Sales in June) = (Sales in June /Sales in January)
  • Sales in December/6600 = 6600/3600 = 11/6
  • Sales in December = 6600 x 11 / 6 = 12100

Correct Answer: Choice (a) 12,100

Q20. To determine the maximum growth rate, check the graph for the maximum slope and the lowest base.

Foto E from February to March increases from 3200 to 6000

  • Growth rate 2800 on 3200 = 7/8 = 87.5%

Correct Answer: Choice (a) 87.5%

At this stage I have attempted a total of 27 questions – 13 questions in R1 and in R2 I have attempted 5 DS questions and 9 questions of DI. My estimate was that the remaining 2 DI sets would be time consuming hence I moved on to the QA questions that I had not attempted earlier.

Q1. Tried solving the question but get confused regarding the position of A. Could not interpret the line “…meeting B for the first time at a point 30 m behind the starting point of A”. Wasted 2-3 minutes on this question and then left it.

Q11.  Applied SQC technique to get the answer

Drew the figure to scale, Angle EPB appears to be ≥ 60o
Cos 60o = ½ = 0.5 and Cos 90o = 0,

thus the value of the x in cos-1 x should be slightly less than 0.5
Sin 60o = √3 / 2 = 0.85 and Sin 90o = 1,

thus the value of the x in Sin-1 x should be slightly more than 0.85
Now, check the choices

Choice (a) ≈ cos-1 0.45, could be correct.

Choice (b) ≈ sin-1 0.67, incorrect

Choice (c) ≈ cos-1 0.90 incorrect

Choice (d) ≈ cos-1 0.67, incorrect

Correct Answer: Choice (a)

Q22. Drew a triangle ABC,

, assumed P and Q to be mid points of AB and AC

  • PQ is half and parallel of BC

R is a point on BC, area of triangle PQR =

Altitude of triangle PQR = perpendicular distance between PQ and BC which is will be the same irrespective of where R is on BC.

Correct Answer: Choice (d)

Q25. I took some time to solve this question since I had to make cases.

The number to be formed uses the digits from 1 to 8 without repetition, for this number to be a multiple of 11 the sum of its even and odd placed digits should be the same.

Digit sum of this number = 36

  • Sum of digits in the even place = sum of digits in the odd place = 18

Possible combinations of the digits that add to 18 are:

(1, 4, 5, 8) and (2, 3, 6, 7)

(1, 4, 6, 7) and (2, 3, 5, 8)

(2, 4, 5, 7) and (1, 3, 6, 8)

(3, 4, 5, 6) and (1, 2, 7, 8)

When (1, 4, 5, 8) are in the even places then (2, 3, 6, 7) will be in the odd place and vice-a-versa, thus there are 2 ways of arranging the groups of the digits,

Also the digits (1, 4, 5, 8) and (2, 3, 6, 7) each can be arranged in 4! ways,

  • thus the total number of arrangements =

Total number of ways in which 8 digits can be arranged =

Probability =  = 4/35

Correct Answer: Choice (c) 4/35

Q33. I applied SQC technique to get the answer.

Choice (a) 6 cm is incorrect. Since the rectangle itself is of 6 cm x 12 cm so the radius of the circle should be greater than 12 cm.

In the question APQR is a 6cm x 12cm rectangle, assumed it to be a square of the same perimeter or the side of the square APQR will be 9cm.

Now the diagonal of APQR will lie on diagonal of square ABCD
Diagonal of square APQR = 9√2

Diameter of the circle = Side of square = 2r, thus radius of circle = r

Now applying Pythagoras theorem we can say,

or 

Substitute choices to verify:

Choice (b) 42cm        LHS = 3528           RHS = 54.72 ≈ 3000 hence incorrect.

Choice (c) 30cm        LHS = 1800            RHS = 42.72 ≈ 1800 hence correct.

Correct Answer: Choice (c) 30cm

Q35. In the five digit number the even places have to be occupied by 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8

A digit can appear up to two times, thus the even places can be occupied in 5 x 5 = 25 ways
The odd digits have to occupy the three odd places and the various possibilities are:

All three different = 5 x 4 x 3 = 60 ways

Two digits are same = 5 x 1 x 4 ways = 20 ways, but these are three such possibilities, 1st & 3rd same, 1st & 5th same and 3rd & 5th same, thus the total number of arrangements = 20 x 3 = 60

Total number of ways of arranging the odd placed digits = 60 + 60 = 120
Total number of 5 digit numbers that can be formed = 25 x 120 = 3000

Correct Answer: Choice (c) 3000

Q36. To find the maximum value of (p – q), p should be maximum and q should be minimum

Maximum value of p occurs when x =, y = 2 and z = 1 thus p = 18

Minimum value of q occurs when x = -3, y = 2 and z = 1 thus q = -12

  • Maximum value of (p – q) = 30

Correct answer: Choice (d) 30  

Q37. ABCD is a rectangle, hence applying Pythagoras Theorem we find that AP = 14

In triangle APB applying Sine Rule we can say:

  • sin α = 15k,      sin β = 14k       and sin γ = 13k

As θ increase from 0o to 90o, sin θ increase from 0 to 1, since sin α > sin β > sin γ

  • α > β > γ

Correct answer: Choice (d) α > β > γ

This ends my R2 and I have attempted a total of 34 questions as given below:

Round 1 – 13 questions

Round 2 – 5 DS, 9 DI and 7 more QA questions = 21 Round 3:

In the remaining 9-10 minutes I decided to check the last DI set Q48-50

Q48-50. Checked the three questions, realized that Q48 will be lengthy to solve while Q49 and Q 50 have simple calculations and decided to leave Q 48 and solve the remaining two.

Q49. Yield of wheat in 1969 = = 100

Yield of what in 1965 =

Percentage increase in yield of wheat =  > 40% but < 50%

Correct answer: Choice (b) 42.85%

Q50. Yield of paddy in 1970 =

Yield of what in 1971 =

Thus Percentage increase in yield of paddy =

Calculation – 169 x 1.05 = 169 + 5% of 169 = 169 + (16.9/2) ≈ 177.5

Correct answer: Choice (c) 1.21% less

With less than five minutes left, I went through the unattempted questions and realized that I had missed Q27, a question that I knew how to solve. Attempted the question and closed the test.

Summary of Performance

Q. No. Question Type Attempted Not Attempted and Remarks
Correct Incorrect Wasted Time
1 TSD R2 Confusing but can be solved – Revise
2 TSD R1
3 Mensuration R1 SQC: 2nd number factor of 2000
4 Bionomial R1
5 PLD R1
6 Numbers Well left, good method – Revise
7 DI  – Line Chart Well left – Tried afterwards, can be solved but is the most time consuming DI set in the paper – Revise
8
9
10 Averages R1
11 Trigonometry

R2

 SQC: found the range of answer
12 Algebra R1 SQC: checked choices
13 Coordinate Geometry Solveable, but okay to leave. Revise
14 Coordinate Geometry Solveable, but okay to leave. Revise
15 Trigonometry R1 SQC: took θ = α = 45o
16 Algebra Well left, not to be attempted future
17 Numbers – HCF Solveable, but okay to leave. Revise
18 DI

R2
19

R2
20

R2
21 Numbers – Prob. Solveable, but okay to leave. Revise
22 Geometry

R2

 SQC: took P & Q  as midpoints
23 Functions/Graph R1 SQC: took x= 0 & 1
24 Algebra R1 SQC: took values of x, y & z
25 Probability – P&C

R2

 Revise
26 Geometry Missed in R2, To be attempted in future
27 Mensuration

R3

 Almost missed this question, need to be careful.
28 DI – Pie Chart

R2
29

R2
30

R2
31 Geometry Should have attempted, bad miss.
32 T & W R1
33 Mensuration

R2

 Could have been solved without SQC. Revise
34 Numbers R1 SQC: Checked choices
35 Probability – P&C

R2

 Revise
36 Algebra

R2

 Should have attempted in R1
37 Trigonometry

R2

 Sine rule – Revise
38 DI – Table

R2
39

R2
40

R2
41 Inequality R1 SQC: checked choices
42 Algebra R1 SQC: took values
43 DataSufficiency

R2
44

R2
45

R2
46

R2
47

R2
48 DI – MultipleLine Charts Could have been answered
49

R3
50

R3
Total 13+21+3 1 14

Wishing you the very best.
GP

174 Comments

  1. Dear GP Sir,
    After watching the video of your approach towards attempting a paper, I got a greatest benefits of my life, coz I’ve done lot of practises but never performed well in any CAT exams before. But now my performance has been gaining momentum day by day. Plus the SQC technique that I’m working on, has been giving me awesome results. Sir in today’s test I got 93 marks, which will increase tomorrow for sure.
    Sir I need to know, how much should I attempt correctly so that I can get calls from secondary IIMs, MDI and SPJain?? I am desperate about IIMs and I hv to get there any how…

    • Manish, The target scores, for general category candidates, should be:
      1. 99.5%ile (my estimate 150+) for top IIMs
      2. 99%ile (my estimate 140+) for other old IIMs, FMS, IIT Mumbai
      3. 97.5%ile (my estimate 130+)for new IIMs, MDI, NITIE, other IITs and SP Jain.

  2. Sir, in the initial tests I used to get atleast 95% in VA section but during that time I had not started my preparation for QA section and used to around 70% in that section. Now for last 2 months, I had been preparing for QA section and have become little confident in that. As a result I have started scoring well in QA in last few tests but my performance in VA section has taken a dip. I barely manage to get 80%. The same thing happened to me in CMAT where I was able to attempt almost all questions in LR and QA section but had no confidence in my VA section. With a lot of effort put up throughout the year, I fear that I might make silly mistakes in exam. Please guide me what I should I do? I have planned to revise Word power made easy & Verbal ability book by Arun Sharma but I doubt that it will waste this crucial time.

    • Gourav, is it because you are not practising VA or is it because you are not giving it sufficient time in the paper? Suggest that you go through the VALR section of the last three mocks and and then take another test. Please call me at 9811155160 to discuss.

  3. Sir, my average score in Quant section is 85 in mocks ,but in case of verbal ability i have an average of less than 50 and overall average 132 nearby. what should be my strategy from now.
    my percentile is fair overall but in verbal section its not clear cutoff 85 percentile.. and and that 50 nearby score in verbal section is all due to LR .. so suggest me only those 12-15 ques in verbal on which i have to work

    • Mohan, I will need more information to advice but given your strength in QADI and LR you should consider attempting Verbal Logic questions also (Para Jumbles, Para Completion, Critical Reasoning etc.). Additionally you can consider attempting one RC passage.
      Please call me at 9811155160 to discuss.

  4. Sir,

    10th marks:87.2%
    12th marks:90.8%
    B.tech :70.2%
    avg. score in mocks until now:100
    avg. percentile in mocks until now: 90
    Work experience : 1 year

    What percentile do i need to get into top 3 IIMs? Would my graduation marks adversely affect my chances? How much more do i need to score for the above percentile?

    looking forward to hearing from you
    Thanks

    • Rahul, for a call from the top three IIMs you should have a score of over 99.5%ile, for other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai you will need over 99%ile and for new IIMs, MDI, NITIE, other IITs and SP Jian a 97.5%ile should be sufficient. In terms of marks you should target at least 140 marks.
      You graduation marks may be an issue in IIMB but will not be a problem in other institutes.

  5. Dear Sir,
    I am a working personnel and have started preparing for CAT three months back and joined the test series of CL. I am getting marks in the range of 60 to70 in first four Proctored mocks. Is there any hope for me to get any of the top 10 B-schools.

    Also clarify that approximately how many questions and with what accuracy should I attempt in CAT to get above 98 percentile.

    Also confirm that are the DI questions in CL mocks are more tough than original CAT DIs.

  6. Hi Sir
    I have been practicing from last 1 year but not able to convert my 75-80 %ile into 95+ %ile.
    Its getting more and more demotivating for me now.
    Its been more than 20+ mocks now but got only 81 %ile till now.
    I am really confused 🙁

  7. Hi sir
    I could not attend your workshop of Ted fundamental book.it is my earnest request to please conduct that session again by end of September as that topic has really troubled a lot.It would be very much of help by your session.

      • hi sir.
        Thank you so much.
        Sir I recently scored 65 scores.i am still very far for the target.i am dine with quant as in I am tired of doing fundamental books.this was my third revision.because hardly we got any doubt classes during July and August. I did di and lr ke both books.can you please suggest the next strategy for me keeping in regards my scores.
        I was thorough with vocabulary also during these months.i have done grammar ka fundamental. ..will start practicing test gym also

  8. Hi Sir,

    Please explain Q 23 of this Mock1. When we put x=1 , f(x) will be 5 in options (b) and (d) both which is > 0 . What will be the correct ans.

    Thanks.

  9. Hello GP sir,
    I live in Mysore , so can not SQC in Delhi or Kolkata.
    So can you please arrange an SQC workshop in Banglore, that will be very helpful for this region’s student.
    Please arrange it in Banglore.
    Thanks in Advance.

  10. sir,
    I have been attempting section 1 first followed by section 2. My strategy has been:
    1. 40 minutes- R1 of QADI
    2. 30 minutes- R2 of QADI
    3. 40 minutes- R1 of VALR where i try to attempt EU & VL and also try out 1 each of RC and LR
    4. 30 mintues- R2 of VALR where i look at the RC and LR which i had earmarked when in R1.
    5. Last 30 minutes- Flexible time to be devoted to the section which has less no. of attempts( keeping in mind sectional cut-offs), which is mostly devoted on QA.
    I have been attempting 45-50 questions in the mocks but the accuracy is around 70-75%. Section 1 attempts constitute around 40% of my total attempts. Silly mistakes is an issue in section 1. Also LR is weak as i get confused in the data.
    Sir please review mt strategy and suggest changes and ways to enhance my performance.

  11. Sir

    I have been scoring an average of 90-95 percentile in mocks , and I want to score above 99 in all the possibilities , I have a major problem , when I start with QA , if I am unable to attempt the first few questions ,I start worrying a lot about time ,about the time wasted and hence I am not able to concentrate on other questions too . However , when I analyse the mock , I figure out that out of 50 questions , at least 25 questions were too easy for me to solve ,Its not like I don’t know the solution , its just that when there is a timer on the screen , and if I have wasted some time , I lose focus .

    I have a good academic record , 10th – 95.2 , 12th – 89.8 grad – 81.20 , And I really want to make it up to IIIM.

    Please help to advise what strategy should I follow .

    Thanks in advance .

    • Dear Surbhi,

      A good strategy for you would be to not attempt any questions during the first 10 mins of your test. Use this time to quickly go through the entire QA-DI section. This will ensure that you are able to identify the questions that you should attempt. With this, you will no longer miss any question that you could have attempted easily. Try this approach in your next 2 mocks and see what results you get with this approach.

  12. Sir, my vocab section is very poor . i practice a lot of adaptive test but not able to score well in mocks due to vocab . please help me out

    • Dear Saurabh,

      Go through the word list available with you and learn the meanings of all of the words in that list. Read as much as you can and learn the meanings of all new words that you come across. You may also use a book like Word Power Made Easy.

  13. Hello Sir,
    In mocks my percentile is lying between 70-80, which is not good as only 2 months are left for the CAT.My accuracy is not bad but my speed is very low as most of the time I end up attempting 37-45 questions.I am also taking adaptive tests on regular basis and except 2-3 sections I have reached in advanced level.I am in expert level in only 2 sections.At this point of time, I am facing problems in pushing my level up.Please guide me so that I can utilize remaining time very well and which will help me to get a percentile above 99.5. Since, my acad are not so good (10th-90.6 ;12th – 80.4 ;B.E – 7.03 cgpa) so I have to score very high to get into IIMs.

    • Dear Sushant,

      Your number of attempts are okay. But you need to improve your accuracy. Analyse your mocks thoroughly and identify which areas you can improve in. You should focus on identifying those questions which you could have attempted easily but which you did not choose while taking the test. Also, try to identify whether you are regularly making the same kind of mistakes. Work harder in these areas so that you do not repeat the same mistakes. By the end of September, you should be attempting around 50 questions in your mocks consistently (around 25 in each section, with at least 80% accuracy). Your academic scores are okay. Do not worry about your acads scores.

    • Mohit, trigonometry has come in CAT’12 & 13 hence I am ruling it out but it is unlikely to be more that 1-2 questions so if you are not comfortable with it you can ignore the topic.

  16. Hello sir,
    I regularly follow your blog.
    My acads are not so gr8
    10th – 93.6%
    12th – 74.2%
    graduation (engg) – 6.7 CGPA
    n iv been scoring in the range of 85-97%ile in the mocks..
    do i stand a chance to get calls from the iims n FMS MDI?
    wat should b my strategy from now on???

    n if u could please give your views n some guidance for ISB HYD early entry option?
    thank you

    • Dear Anurag,

      85-97%ile is a large range. Try to practise more problems and ensure that you consistently score around the 97%ile mark. Your acads are quite decent. You certainly have a good chance of getting calls from all top b-schools. ISB Hyderabad early entry option will require you to defer your MBA and will also tie you down to one institute. If you choose to pursue MBA after gaining at least two years of work-experience, then it is advisable to wait for one more year (get 3 years of work-ex) and then try for top b-schools across the world.

  17. sir,
    I have an accuracy of approximately 70% as far as quant section is concerned but the number of attempts in quant section go as low as 20. However, percentile in VALR is usually 90+. How many questions should I aim to attempt to elevate my score?

    • Dear Snigdha,

      At this stage, 20 attempts in Section I is ok. But you should work on your accuracy level in this section. Revise your basics and practise more problems. Use Test Gym Adaptive thoroughly. This will help you build up your speed as well as accuracy. By the end of September, you should be attempting at least 25 questions in this section consistently (with over 80% accuracy). Your performance in VA-LR is good. Keep it up and try to move towards 95 percentile in this section. Overall, you appear to be a good student. If you work hard, you have the potential to get into the very best b-schools.

    • Narendra, CAT provides with a booklet of 8 sides which is more than enough for the paper but if you need more they will provide the additional sheets.

  19. Hello Sir, in the earlier mocks, there was a table in the analysis section which showed my %ile, if 1,2 or 3 more questions were correct. I don’t find it anymore. Can it be made available, coz it was very productive for me?

    • Dear Siddhartha,

      We now provide a graph where you can move the pointer and get your percentile for every possible score. This provides far more information than the earlier version.

  20. Sir,
    I have some doubts in following questions of mock 1:
    Q.10-
    I am not understanding the relation between 5 kg & 0.5 average weight increases, please explain me in some more wider way.
    Q.23-
    How we came to know that by the graph that,at x=0, f(x) is always positive?
    Q.34-
    The SQC method which is applied here for this kind of question, is particularly new to me, that just dividing the multiple of 6 like zero power factorial of number system. Though I find it more quicker than the method, which I applied that just find the number of terms of A.P of day of making new chalk & then subtract the no. of terms from 175. Is it handy to use my approach here or not
    Q.20-
    I am unable to getting the exact meaning of ‘lowest base’, Does it mean that from the maximum slopes of the graph, which value have lowest initial value?
    Q.33-
    Sir, how the side of the square APQR is assumed to be 9cm. The previous rectangle APQR have area 72 sq. cm, then it should be 18 cm per side, by making at 9cm, its area is just 36 sq.cm. Please explain.
    Kindly give reply, as I am eagerly waiting for your response.

    Regards.

    • Abhilesh, apologise for the delay, I was travelling.

      Q10. The ten students who joined class A weigh on an average 5 kg more than the students who moved to class B hence the total increase in weight of class A = 5 kg x 10 = 50 kg. These 50 kg will be equally distributed among all the students in class A due to which the average weight of Class A increases by 0.5 kg hence the number of students in class A = 50/0.5 = 100

      Q23. Check the graph, at x = 0 it has a positive value of y.

      Q34. You do not have to apply SQC to every question, if the other method works better for you then go ahead with it.

      Q20. Maximum slope with the lowest initial (or base) value.

      Q.33. this question actually did not need any SQC hence I approximated.
      Since APRQ is a 6 x 12 cm rectangle it has a perimeter of 36 and I wanted to make a square so I assumed the side to be 36/4 = 9 cm. The advantage of the square is that A, Q and the centre of the circle will be along the diagonal of the square.

  21. Hello sir,
    I’m a student of TIME but regularly follow your blog.
    My acads are not so gr8
    10th – 93.6%
    12th – 74.2%
    graduation (engg) – 6.7 CGPA
    n iv been scoring in the range of 85-97%ile in the aimcats..
    do i stand a chance to get calls from the iims n FMS MDI?
    wat should b my strategy here onwards???

    n if u could please give your views n some guidance for ISB HYD early entry option?
    thank you

    • Dear Anurag,

      85-97%ile is a large range. Try to practise more problems and ensure that you consistently score around the 97%ile mark. Your acads are quite decent. You certainly have a good chance of getting calls from all top b-schools. ISB Hyderabad early entry option will require you to defer your MBA and will also tie you down to one institute. If you choose to pursue MBA after gaining at least two years of work-experience, then it is advisable to wait for one more year (get 3 years of work-ex) and then try for top b-schools across the world.

  22. This is slightly off topic.
    I have 93.6% in my 10th, 89% in my 12th and I’m currently doing my B.Tech from Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology with an average of 75.1%.
    Do I have a chance of getting an admission into IIM A, B or C?
    And what CAT percentile will I need to get into FMS?

    • Also, what score will give me that percentile? I have been averaging about a 100 in my CL mocks with about 52-53 attempts. What needs to be my strategy now?

      • Akanksha, at this stage of your preparation you have a decent score but I am not very happy with your accuracy. 52-53 attempts with a net score of 100 indicates around 15 incorrect answers or an accuracy of around 75%. Hope you are revising regularly as it will help improve your speed and accuracy. By end Oct you should be attempting around 65 questions with a net score of around 150.

    • Akanksha, for FMS you should have over 99%ile to have a good chance of getting a final call. Regarding the IIMs you can get call from the top three i.e. A, B and C. IIM A has relaxed its academic criteria, IIMB has a normalisation process and hence your 75% in graduation will not matter and IIMC considers only X and XII marks. However as a general category candidae you will need over 99.5%ile to get an interview call from these three.

  23. Hello sir please suggest me the study schedule for Sept month
    Mock 2 proc. i scored 70%ile with 90 in Section 2 and 40 precentile in section 1 resp.
    As per the months left suggest me a study plan, i have taken leave from compan and now in home so i have 24 hours in hand.

    Suggest me no. of attempts to do and accuracy till sept end.

    My profile NC Obc
    manufacturing sector
    nit raipur
    30 months work ex
    8.4 CGPA
    X 77 Xii 70

    How much%ile to score for old iims?

      • Dear Himanshu,

        The cutoffs vary for different IIMs. Typically, 85 percentile+ should get you calls from at least some of the old IIMs. For your study plan, revise your basic concepts and ensure that you are equally adept across sections. Practise as many problems as possible. Use Test Gym Adaptive thoroughly. This will ensure that your accuracy and speed are high. By September-end, you should aim for 50 attempts in your Mocks (with 80% accuracy).

    • Dear Himanshu,

      The cutoffs vary for different IIMs. Typically, 85 percentile+ should get you calls from at least some of the old IIMs. For your study plan, revise your basic concepts and ensure that you are equally adept across sections. Practise as many problems as possible. Use Test Gym Adaptive thoroughly. This will ensure that your accuracy and speed are high. By September-end, you should aim for 50 attempts in your Mocks (with 80% accuracy).

  24. Hi sir.
    I attended your sec last week.It was immense help.Thank you so much.
    I ALSO I need to ask you.
    I gave my mock today and fortunately got 87 percentile in quant section but a poor 37 in verbal section.2 months are left and I completely did just quant last month.I lack in rc le and some tough di.How to go about them now.Please suggest.

    • Hanisha, you should do both as in the next 2 months you can improve your score in VALR also. The only way to improve in RC, LR and DI is the proces of practice, analysis and revision. First go through all the RC, LR and DI sets form the Mocks that you have taken so far and identify the ones that you need to revise regularly. Additionally practice 20 questions (4 passages or sets) from each of these areas every day. The revision of all important questions should happen at least once every week.

      • thank you sir.
        i gave my mock yesterday and scored a very poor percentile of 38.This is so much of discouraging as i revised quant previous month thoroughly and still scoring such.
        please suggest me how to handle both sections for the coming months.

        • Dear Hanisha,

          Please give more details regarding your number of attempts, accuracy percentage, etc. Also share details of your performance in previous mocks.

  25. Sir,
    thanks a lot for the detailed analysis of the mock . It was very helpful.
    I wanted to ask about the expected cutoffs for NMIMS. Specifically HR.

    • Dear Vaibhav,

      NMAT cutoffs in the last two years have hovered around 209-208 (for their most sought after courses, including HR).

  26. Sir,
    The next time you come to kolkata for SQC,will we be sloving another set of questios or will it be the same set as the one we solved on 30th August ?

  27. Hi Sir,
    I am really worried about my career marks. I am preparing for CAT for the past 6 months.
    10th- 84.14%
    12th-72.17%
    Btech(Civil)- 79%

    Is there any possibility of getting calls from IIMs,XLRI,XIMB??
    If yes then what percentile will get me a call??
    Please kindly respond.

    • Dear Lavanya,

      Your acads scores are quite decent. You should not be concerned about your acads scores at all. You stand a good chance of getting calls from all top b-schools. A score of 99 percentile + in CAT will ensure calls from most of the IIMs (99.5 percentile + is considered safe in order to get calls from A, B, C, L).

  28. Dear GP,

    I would want to request you to present before us your take on the New CL Mock – 3 (i.e the 2nd Proc mock on new pattern).

    Your analysis has been very helpful since 2012 (i.e the 1st year of this blog when you yourself used to take the mocks and present before us your modus-operandi).

    Kindly look into my request.

    – Sachin
    An aspirant since 2012!

    • Dear Atisha,

      If you are looking for more practice problems then yes, these mocks can be useful for you. Ideally, you should use Test Gym Adaptive thoroughly. That will give you the most relevant set of problems for you.

  30. Hi Sir

    I have set a target to achieve a score of atleast 120 in upcoming mocks with 20-20 questions correct in both the section. while a score of 97 and 107 fetched me a 90+ percentile in mock 1 and mock 3. a score of 112 fetch only 80 percentile in mock 4. I am quite consfused as in what should be my target score in main cat 14 . is 120 less and should i aim for more

    • Dear Siddhartha,

      The different mocks are of different difficulty levels in order to ensure that you have experience of tests of varying difficulty levels. Accordingly, your percentiles may change across mocks even if your scores remain fairly consistent. Ensure that your section-wise time allocation is balanced. Also ensure that you are able to look at all of the questions in each section and then choose the best questions to attempt. These two things will ensure that you do not miss out on any easy questions and that your percentiles will remain consistent across mocks.

  31. Sir, can we also plan a Vocabgiri session/ webinar….these sessions are held at very few places… a webinar can serve the students of all India

  32. Respected Sir,
    I couldnt attend SQC Delhi because of Issue, when will SQC video will be available on our SIS. I’m student of CL DELHI.
    Please Sir upload SQC video on SIS

  33. Dear Sir,
    I’ve a concern regarding my mock scores….In the new pattern mocks that I’ve attempted, my scores are fluctuating over a wide range….In some MOCK I’ve secured 97%ile and in the other a meagre 74%ile…..It’s happening a lot….I’ve strategized myself in line of your strategy, but still….I’m unable to get consistency….I do practise a lot also……Although I’m working…but still whatever time I get I devote to CAT Prep…….I’m a repeater in CAT….Last yr also I secured a pathetic 88%ile in main CAT…..Going by this yr’s mock…..the magical figure looks quite distant…..Sir, please suggest…..I’m attempting 55+ questions in Mocks……sometimes a few are wrong and sometimes a bunch of things go wrong….The inconsistency in scores is not good…Sir please…

    • Dear Pardita,

      Reduce your number of attempts. Set a target of attempting just 50 questions (25 from each section) at this stage. Use the extra time to ensure that you do not answer questions incorrectly. If you have some spare time left at the end of the test, revise those questions where you were not completely sure of the answers that you had marked. These steps would ensure consistency in your test performance. Meanwhile, revise the basic concepts and practice as many problems as possible. Use Test Gym Adaptive rigorously. This would ensure that your accuracy and problem-solving speed improve.

  34. Sir
    I want to ask you about adapting the strategies for new pattern.
    I generally do QA first and then the Verbal. I do English usage question utmost correct along with the level 1 and 2 logical Reasoning questions in verbal but Reading comprehension seems very confusing for me at the time of mocks. So i have set strategics following way for mock 5 :

    take 1: (20 minutes) :Verbal Logic+Para-jumble+completion
    Take 2: (30 minutes) : Logical Reasoning
    Take 3: (30 minutes) :Reading Comprehension
    Take 4: (30 minutes) : Data Interpretation
    Take 5: (60 minutes) : Quantitative Aptitude

    Please add on your inputs.

    • Dear Subhankar,

      This looks like a good, balanced break-up. While you solve the Verbal Logic, Para-jumble, paracompletion and Logical Reasoning questions, also try to read the first two to three sentences of each RC passage that you come across. This will help you evaluate which of the RC passages you ought to attempt and which to skip. In section I, you may think about giving a bit less time to DI and more to QA.

  35. In the earlier mocks based on previous pattern. My percentile varied from 86(my first mock), to 97(my last). But after the pattern has changed I am getting dismal scores, 56 & 44. What could be your explanation for such drastic change in the scores.? 😐

    • Dear Ashish,

      It would appear that you are not able to manage your time accordingly. Divide your 170 mins into two groups of 85 mins each. Pick which section you wish to attempt first (and which later) and allocate equal amounts of time to each section. Within each section, set a target of at least 20 attempts. Plan (before starting your mock) which areas/topics you would get these 20 questions from. Prepare a comprehensive test taking strategy and that should solve your problems.

  36. GOOD DAY SIR

    SIR PLEASE CHECK THE QUESTION NUMBER 50 OF VALR PORTION IN MOCK 3*. I AM NOT BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE MISTAKE THAT IS EXPLAINED BY VIDEO ANALYSIS AND THE PDF ANALYSIS.
    ACCORDING TO ME THERE IS NO AS SUCH MISTAKE IN THAT QUESTION THAT IS BEING FIGURED OUT.
    SO PLEASE CHECK IT.
    AND ONE MORE REQUEST PLEASE PROVIDE THE PDF OF MOCKS QUESTION AND ANSWERS SEPARATELY THAT WOULD HELP US IN ANALYZING THE PAPER AGAIN AND AGAIN EASILY.

    THANX IN ADVANCE.

    • Dear Pardeep,

      Thank you for pointing this out. We will look into the question and will also consider providing separate pdfs for analysis.

  37. Sir
    Today I am going to fill up the CAT form, and I have some doubt regarding work experience. I have done engineering but could not find a job in my in field of education so I joined my father’s trading business. So should I mention it in the form as my work experience. Will it be counted as work-ex?

  38. Please provide “how GP attempted this mock” for all the mock tests in the new format.
    These are very helpful.
    Please doo the needful.

  39. hello sir,
    i am facing difficulty in Quant section. i have been practicing a lot but i am not able to increase my score.My verbal has improved a lot where as quant is same. My numbers , algebera and probability questions are always incorrect. what should i do to increase my quant score. How much time should i give to quants to increase my score.The main problem is sir if i have seen the question before almost 100% i solve it correctly but new questions i am unable to crack . LRDI and geometry is good. but normal quant questions i always do some or the other mistake. suggest me some tips

    • Mansi, hope you are revising also and not just practicing. Please refer to the post —- for guidance on the same. Revision helps in improving your speed as well as accuracy.

  40. Sir,
    I scored 94.5 percentile last year with 84 and 97 percentile in section 1 & 2 respectively. This year my performance in the mocks was around 85-95. However, the new pattern is getting difficult to cope up with and my percentile has reduced to somewhere in 70s. I need help with section-wise time allocation.
    My quant is poor, DI is average.
    LR is average, RC is good, Vocab is good, para jumbles is poor (accuracy is bad), grammar is average.
    I basically need advice regarding what to attempt when so that i can optimize my score.
    My last mock was a fiasco. It is getting disheartening with the final exam just 2 months away.
    I am aiming for ABC.

    • Dear Shreya,

      In the first 85 mins (of your mocks), attempt Section II. Start with the English Usage, Vocab, Verbal Logic questions. As you go through this section, also identify those RC passages that you would attempt. After completing the English Usage, Vocab, Verbal Logic questions, proceed with RC. After this, you can go to LR and Parajumbles, etc. Once you finish this 85 mins, go to Section I. Start with DI. As you move through this section, you may also try to identify some of the QA questions that you would attempt. Overall, set a target of at least around 40 attempts (20 in each section). Try to attempt at least 10 DI questions (may be as many as 15 even) and 10 questions from QA. Selecting 10 questions (from the 30 to 35 that will be present in the test) should not be too difficult. Similarly, set a target for Section II. Also, revise your basic concepts as much as you can. Use Test Gym Adaptive rigorously and practice as many problems as possible.

  42. Hello GP sir,

    I have opted for CL’s Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive plus. It is helping me a lot. The video sessions are amazing. I just wanted to know whether we will be given access to SQC sessions on our SIS account. If not, is there any SQC session planned in Ahmedabad? Please reply

    • Dear Pankti,

      As of now, there are no plans to provide SQC questions on SIS. Please contact the CL Ahmedabad center in order to find out about the SQC timings.

  43. Hello sir,

    Can you please organise one SQC workshop at vizag CL centre.it will be very beneficial to many aspirants like me!

  44. Sir ,
    i am not a CL student. I have joined test series of CL.
    I want to ask is there any way to join only SQC classes in Pune.
    Also tell me is there any hope for me to join IIM A,B,C,L,K with 82%in 10th , 87%in 12th and 69% in B.tech ???
    I scored 80 percentile in proctored 3 .

    • Dear Devvrat,

      Yes, you may register for the SQC workshop only. That option is certainly available. Your academic profile is good. You do have a decent chance of making it to the top IIMs. Aim for 99.5 percentile+ in CAT in order to maximise your chances of making it to the top IIMs.

    • Dear Abhishek,

      You should aim for 65 attempts (30-32 in each section) with about 90% accuracy in order to get 99 percentile + in CAT.

  46. Dear Sir,
    I am quite a regular follower of your blog. I have tried following the way of preperation that you suggested and undoubtedly it has helped. In one of the new pattern mock i scored 88 percentile. But just in the next mock my percentile went down to 43. This was seriously heart breaking. After mock i analyse them try to solve them on my own and almost regularly revise the questions i feel require one. But even after doing so much i can’t understand where am i lacking. Last mock has disappointed me alot. Sir please help.

    • Dear Shreya,

      Revise your basics once again. See that you are very thorough with the basic concepts across areas/topics. After this, practice as many problems as you can. Use the Test Gym Adaptive to the fullest extent possible. These things should ensure that you are able to consistently perform well in your mocks.

  47. Sir,

    I’m in my final year of Bachelor Degree and going to take the CAT for the first time. I ‘m very much weak in Modern Maths Section and in mah school days also I neglected Perm – Com and Probablity. Is it worth preparing and attempting this section for which I find really humilating and dejected off ???

    I’m securing averagely 40%tile in each mock I attempted so far..
    Does is it possible for me to make it 90%tile in the CAT???
    Is there plenty of time for me to do it if I practice Test GYM rigoursely???

    • Dear Vishal,

      At this stage, it would be too early to decide to not prepare for certain sections of CAT. You have enough time to improve in these areas. Further, these sections may give you some easy questions in your actual exam. Do not let go of this possible opportunity.Yes, it is possible for you to improve your percentile. But you will need to work hard for this. Start with your basic concepts across areas and revise these once more. Try some simple problems again (across areas) so that you can be sure that you have fully grasped the basic concepts. After this, do use Test Gym Adaptive as much as you can. For your next mock, try a very simple strategy. Aim for just 30 attempts (15 in each section). In Section 1, try to attempt around 7 to 8 (maybe up to 10) questions from DI and attempt another 5 (or up to 7-8) questions from your favourite areas of QA. Similarly, in Section 2, identify which areas you are comfortable with and just attempt 15 questions from those areas. At this rate, you will have nearly 6 minutes per question that you attempt. Do this in your next mock and see what results you get. After this, gradually increase your number of attempts in the mocks. By the end of September, you should be attempting around 50 questions per mock.

  49. Sir,
    A question states that a number n has 9 factors above its square root.The number is a perfect square.How many factors will n^5 have? Could u plz explain the way of solving this…

    • Ankita, the number “n” will have 19 factors – 9 above its square root, 9 below the square root and its square root. Since 19 is a prime number so n = a^18 where “a” is a prime number.
      Thus n^5 = (a^18)^5 = a^90 or n^5 will have 91 factors.

  51. Sir,
    I scored 99 in the first section and 65 in the second, resulting in a total score of 164. Do you think this score would be enough to get calls from all iim’s or do i need to get the score close to 200? I have been given a CAT percentile predictor score of 99.99,but this being the first mock in the new format i feel others would be improving in the subsequent ones.
    My academic results are decent.

    • Pratik, this is a very good score and while others will improve in the next couple of months you too will improve your performance.

  52. Sir,
    My academic score is as follows:
    10th – 79%
    12th – 69%
    B.Tech – 78%
    Which colleges i should target for?

  53. Sir. mu graduation year in 2011(Btech). I’m working at an MNC currently and am attempting CAT for the first time.Do you think it will be a disadvantage for me in PI rounds ,as I will be having more than 3 years of experience by then?

  55. Hi sir, this SQC technique of yours is awsome, i wanna master it.i heard there were online SQC conducted in 2012,are there were still anything of that sort? As i stay in a distant place to the city where SQC is subjected to be happen, i cant attend it even though iam very intrested in it,thank you sir.
    Waiting for your reply

  57. hello sir..
    I am a Cl student. I came to understand some of the logic behind the SQC technique by seeing your solutions of mock. And indeed it is miraculously awesome. I would love to know more about this n implement this. I searched for the workshop venues.But coudn,t find any close to my city Raipur, CG.
    hence, I request you to conduct an online session of it like you did in some erstwhile year.
    In this year when CAT has changes… this technique can give an edge and prove to Life changing for 1000s of ambitious CLians like me, who are unable to attend the workshops.
    Hoping for a positive reply sir.. 🙂
    thanks in advance 🙂

      • eagerly waiting for it sir… please do it as soon as possible so that we can practise more 🙂
        thankyou sir 🙂

        • Shubham, SQC session is not planned for Raipur but a webinar is planned in mid Sept which should take care of your requirements.

  58. Dear sir, for now getting into top 3 iim mean everything to me in thid world, pls sir i have alredy mentioned my problems which is still unanswered, i really need your help, just tell me is it possible for me to get into top 3 iim when it is just two n a halh months away, can i excel if i start practicing from scratch..pls sir read my situation and give your advice..

  59. Hi Sir,
    Please also put up a post on how you attempted VA/LR section. It will surely be useful for many of us

  60. A bit off topic….Dear Sir, I have 86 in 10th, 81 in 12th and 60.10 in BE. How much score would I need in SNAP to get SIBM Pune and SCMHRD Pune calls?

  61. sir, i scored 86% in class x, 87% in class xii (commerce) & 80.25 % in b.com, i feel i am a gud student, when i appeared for the fist tym in cat i scored as low as a humiliating score of 45 %ile, cat 2014 is my second attempt, i really wnt it to make through iim ahmedabad, truly speaking i didn’t prepare well last year, but now with jst two and a half months in hand, is there any possibility of making it through iim a, i m ready for the hard work sir please help me, i feel hopeless, i am afraid of maths n the VA section sometime seems greek to me, but i know i am not a dumb student and hard work may take me to my dreampalce, but still this may be my fantasy which in reality may not be possible, pls sir pls tell me can i make it through? pls sir..

    • Sir I am waiting for ur rply, um really disheartened, with my last year score, pls help me sir..can i?

      • Dear Vaishnavi,

        You have a decent academic profile. You certainly come across as a student who has the potential to get selected to the very best b-schools. Prepare well and you will certainly achieve your goals.

    • Dear Vaishnavi,

      You have a decent academic profile. You certainly come across as a student who has the potential to get selected to the very best b-schools. Prepare well and you will certainly achieve your goals.

      • Thanks sir for ur motivation, but i dont want to get into any one of the best b-schools, i have aspired for top top three IIMs only, sir pls tell with such academic performance, and a humiliating last year’s score is it prossible to be a part of such reputed institutions….waiting fo ur positive rply sir..

        • Dear Vaishnavi,

          As already stated, you have a good academic profile. It is definitely possible for you to get selected to the top 3 IIMs. Do not think too much about the mistakes that you made last year. Focus on preparing well for this year.

  62. Sir!!
    will you be conducting SQC in Mumbai also?? Because in dat website , Mumbai is not ter in the upcoming sessions!!!

    Please keep in mumbai also sir!!!

  63. Dear Sir,
    I did my graduation in 2013 after that i am teaching in a school near my location this year i will give cat. sir 1 question my teaching experience will count by iims or not??

  64. Sir,
    While doing the analysis I am finding out that for each mock I can get 30-35 marks more just for those questions that I answered incorrectly.I mean,90% out of those questions that I got wrong in the mocks can be solved by me comfortably during the analysis.
    Please suggest something that I should do to prevent myself from throwing away these marks.

    • Dear Soumak,

      It appears that your issue is related to problem-solving speed. First of all, set a target (in terms of time allocation across sections and number of attempts in each section) for yourself before starting your mock. This will ensure that you utilize your time more efficiently and therefore, will help improve your accuracy. Also, practice more timed problems. Our sectional tests would be of great help to you.

  65. sir,
    Where can I practice the the different types of LR and DI questions , because after doing funda book , there is a tad difference in the type of questions that appear in the mocks like the Tournament questions , and many more where the logics , I feel unless have done earlier ,cud not be attempted in cat .

    so kindly suggest , where Can i Practice those type of questions.

    thank You sir

  66. Hello sir,
    I usually take 12-13 minutes for an RC to solve.Can you share how do you solve it in 7-8 minutes without compromising with the accuracy.Any tip will be helpful.

    • Dear Shashwat,

      First of all, try to read the first two or three lines of each of the passages. This will help you identify what topic each passage deals with. Select those three (or maybe two) passages with which you are comfortable. Try to attempt about 90 percent of the questions from these three passages. This will ensure that you are able to pick the best questions for you. This method will lead to higher accuracy for you and will also consume less time. At the end of your test, if you have extra time on hand, you can then attempt some of the remaining questions.

  67. Greetings,
    I have attempted Proc Mock 1. Got 78 percentile in section 1 but a disappointing 28 percentile in Section 1. I have realized that I have spent 2 hours on Section 1. I am not that good also in quant. And LR is a demon for me. Fortunately RC is ok. Verbal logic is average. DI is good. I m taking more time for every small question in quant and i am not able to solve new questions in exam which are not in material .. how to improve my thought process and is this time enough for that?

    • Dear Santosh,

      Revise your basic concepts and practice more problems. Test Gym Adaptive and sectional tests will be very helpful for you. Before attempting any mock, decide how you would allocate your time across sections and stick to this time limit. These things will help you perform much better. You still have a little less than 3 months before CAT. That is sufficient time to improve your performance if you utilize this time wisely.

  68. Very helpful sir, thnks

    Sir, i am facing problem in english grammar. i never studied grammar in my life so i have started with basics from wren and martin but this is taking too much time, less then 3 months are left now for cat, is it worth doing grammar at this stage(given i am poor in grammar). as ques are increased to 50 this could also lead to more ques from grammar as in other exams conducted by tcs like sbi,…
    How should i work on this??plz help

    • Dear Himanshu,

      The grammar fundabooks and MBA on Demand will be very useful for you. Also, Test Gym Adaptive will provide you comprehensive practice of solving grammar questions. Do utilize these tools as much as possible. At this stage, do not think of ignoring any area as you have enough time to improve even in your weaker sections.

      • Sir , I need advice .
        How should i prepare for Verbal. I practiced parajumbles and grammer for a week and i am able to solve them but my RC are now weak . How should i prepare both?

        • Dear Anmol,

          Use Test Gym Adaptive as much as you can. Try to take at least one RC test daily for the next one month. Also ensure that you divide your daily study time equally across sections/areas/topics. Do not ignore any area at this point of time.

    • Arindham, SQC techniques refer to the method of solving questions by using common sense and logic and not by mugging up complicated formulas and theorems. Smart Quant Cracker (SQC) sessions are conducted in various cities it is free for CL students and a nominal fee is charged from non-CL students. Please click here for the details.

      • Hi sir, this SQC technique of yours is awsome, i wanna master it.i heard there were online SQC conducted in 2012,are there were still anything of that sort? As i stay in a distant place to the city where SQC is subjected to be happen, i cant attend it even though iam very intrested in it,thank you sir.
        Waiting for your reply

  70. Hello sir,
    Is there any link,any part of the cl website or any other place where I can find all the sqc tricks.I find them really handy..
    Thanks

    • Dear Akshat,

      As of now, you need to attend the SQC workshop in order to access the SQC techniques. These techniques are not available anywhere else.

      • Respected Sir,
        Sir I’m aware of face these are not available on our SIS, I coulodnt attend SQC bcz of Typhoid fever…I live in delhi cant go to Calcutta etc. Please upload it on SIS.

  71. GP sir,

    Please increase the full length sectional tests of 85 minutes in Test Gym Classic. Currently, there are only 3 tests of 85 minutes and the rest are of 40 minutes. So that we can practice more on full length sectional tests.
    Thanks, for you invaluable suggestions here.

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