- Join CAT coaching classes: It is not required to spend a lot of money and join long courses for CAT. However, it is important to take mock tests regularly and meet with other students who are preparing for CAT. From this point of view, joining a student group or a good CAT coaching course will give you the right opportunity to network with other CAT aspirants.
- Allocate sufficient time: Ensure you keep anything more than a minimum of six months to study with dedication for CAT exam. Start taking mock tests from the first week of your preparation regularly. Preferably one mock test per week.
- Strategize to handle pressure and time crunch: CAT is also a lot about mental strength. Sometimes the brightest of students fail to achieve the desired score due to mishaps on the D day. To avoid this, invest time in activities which improve your mental stamina and confidence. This should be a must have feature in your study plan.
- Understand your mistakes: It is very important to analyze every mistake you make in any of the sections. After each mock test, don’t just pay attention to the final score. Analyze your answers to understand where you stand and identify your weak areas and see if the method you applied during the test was optimal. Also see how you can avoid the same mistake next time around. Aim for slow and consistent improvement.
- Learn to identify easier questions: Sometimes CAT questions look complicated but if interpreted correctly, they can be reduced to really simple methods of solving. It is extremely crucial to identify which questions are the easier ones that should be attempted and which are the ones that can be skipped. Reading questions correctly and intense practice is the key for this skill. This helps the candidate in saving a lot of time on the main day.
- Back to basics: Basic concepts in both Math and English should be your core strength. The shortcut methods developed for quicker answers is only effective if basics are perfected. Hence, do not attempt to mug any tips or tricks without mastering the basics.
- Read about MBA and articles which inspire: Read a lot. That goes without saying. But while you are spending a lot of time reading about Politics, Science and Technology, Arts and History, Economics, Current Affairs and so on, do spend some time reading about MBA course. About why you want to ace CAT, inspiring successful stories of candidates. This gives the occasional boost of motivation on a dull day.
- Be dedicated and disciplined: Every year lakhs of students write CAT. Some say they will prepare better for the following year. But CAT can be cracked at the first attempt itself. However, it requires a lot of commitment and discipline to prepare. It requires dedication to attend mock tests regularly, to read and prepare on a daily basis. So, before you start studying make up your mind to crack CAT and only then formulate a study plan. Periodically remind yourself of the goal.
- Develop an overall personality: Find one serious hobby and develop healthy habits. Get enough sleep and exercise well. Evolve a personality that is well rounded and not just restricted to getting a good percentile. This gives you an edge over the other candidates and a retreat for recreation during CAT preparation.
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