Gone are days when you can acquire knowledge only through reading books. Today the technology has provided us with access to an online platform that allows us to read anything anywhere. Preparation for MBA entrance exams especially CET can now be done sitting at home. It's true that not all of us can join full-time classroom programs and therefore Online Coaching plays an important role in helping students cracking the CET exam.
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How to solve para jumbles CAT The Verbal section is a difficult nut to crack when it comes to CAT. A lot of students struggle to ace this section and are always looking out for ways or tricks that can help them maximize their marks. For this purpose, it is important to understand the various elements that are asked in CAT's verbal section, and strategically prepare for each one of them. Out of these, para jumbles are a seasonal favorite for in CAT every year. So no doubt, it is very important, and knowing how to solve them correctly can easily get you 9-12 marks in your final exam. So let's get on with this article about it.
Out of the total 34 questions in Verbal Ability, 3-5 questions are expected to be from para jumbles which sum up to 15% of the CAT verbal section. Para jumbles are also referred to as sentence rearrangement questions, where you are asked to rearrange 4-5 sentences in the most logical order possible. In the end, your answer should form a logically coherent paragraph.
Para jumbled can be asked either in the MCQ format or Non-MCQ format (TITA questions). Non-MCQ questions do not have negative marking to them, so definitely attempt them. However, it becomes difficult to form sentences in this style of question, as you cannot apply the elimination rule. We shall discuss that in detail below.
Often you will find your Verbal teacher telling you to focus a lot on para jumbles and you may wonder why. The reason is simple, it is easy to score and if you can solve para jumbles quickly, it means you pretty much have a good grasp over your grammar and English. There are no rules of formulae for it, but you will easily identify a pattern if you have enough practice in solving these questions. This is coaching institutions and past toppers always tell you to keep practicing para jumbled.
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Type of Para jumbles usually asked in Exams:
A great start to know how to solve para jumbles in to know about the types of para jumbles usually asked in CAT> There are four types of Para Jumble that have been asked in the previous CAT exams. In each category, the Jumbled sentences are coded with an alphabet (usually A, B, C, and D)
The first category, also the toughest one among all the four types is where 4/5 sentences are given in random order and the candidates are supposed to unjumble all of them. The difficulty level increases, even more, when the question is TITA type, meaning you don't even have options to identify the possible starts and ends of the given sentences.
The second category consists of the opening sentence + 4/5 sentences are given and the candidates have to rearrange the group of 4/5 sentences, having been given prior knowledge of the thought that starts off the flow of the discussion.
The third category consists of 4/5 sentences + the closing sentence is given and the candidates need to correctly sequence 4/5 sentences so that they flow in the last sentence.
The fourth category is the easiest among all the categories. In this category, the Opening sentence, + 4/5 Sentences + Closing Sentence are given. Candidates know where the story starts and where it ends. They only have to figure out the screenplay in the middle.
Strategies to solve Para jumbles- How to solve para jumbles the right way:
Find the purpose of the sentences/paragraph:
The primary goal of para jumbled if to form a coherent paragraph that gives a message or at least makes sense. In order for this to happen, you need to find the purpose of these sentences. What is the author trying to achieve with these sentences? Is she explaining something? Is she being sarcastic? Is she spreading awareness? Try to get the feel of the purpose first, and this will eventually help you with the formation of the paragraph.
For example; If the author is trying to explain something, there will be a general introductory line, which will be followed by reasoning and inference. If the author is raising an issue or concern, you will notice that they start out by throwing light on the issue and grabs your attention, and then moves ahead by explaining the reason behind the issue.
This is why understanding the basic tone and purpose can be a good start to solving the para jumbles.
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2. Identify the start and closing sentence:
This is by far the easiest and most important step in solving your para jumbles. For most questions, you will be able to identify the opening sentence because of its general nature. Some indicators of opening sentences could be words like 'The' , 'A', 'An', Nowadays'. However, if you are unable to do so, you can look at the options. Scan through the options and see which alphabets are repeated or mentioned. You can then go back read those and get a better idea of which out of these would fit the most. You can read about this is detail below in the smartest approach to solving para jumbles.
Similarly, sometimes the closing sentence is very easy to identify with words like 'thus', 'hence' 'therefore', 'eventually' 'finally'. In many cases, they also end with a generalized tone. Try to identify if any of these exists and you will find it easier to solve the rest.
3. Look for transition or linking words:
This is linked to the first point, once you have identified the purpose or tone of the sentences, you will know which kind of linking words to look out for. Let's say if the sentences will form an explanation style paragraph; in this case, you might find Linking words like 'Firstly', 'secondly', 'likewise'. If it is contradictory in nature, you will find words like 'on one hand', 'although', 'nevertheless' etc. This will help you to identify the intermediate sentences, where a lot of students struggle. So try to identify such logically linking words and form a paragraph.
CAT mocks
4. Identify mandatory pairs:
Based on the above three points, you should now be able to identify the mandatory pairs of sentences, which means sentences that compulsorily have to come together. A few easy ways in which you can identify these are:
Try to see if a noun is being replaced by a pronoun in any two sentences, this means they are to be written one after the other
Two statements that have the same subject usually form a pair
If the sentences are time-based events, then keep a note of these sequences i.e. past-present-future
Try to identify the adverbs like 'still', 'however', 'also', etc. They can help to identify the previously linked sentences.
Identify conjunctions like 'because', 'in order', 'unless', 'when', 'whenever', 'while', etc. that are an obvious indication of linking two snetences.
5. Scanning through the options -Smartest Approach to Solve Para Jumbles!
Step 1-
This is the best approach if you ask me on how to solve Para Jumbles for CAT. Candidates have to develop high reading speed and scan all 4-5 sentences. This will help the candidate to get the central idea of the passage.
Step 2-
At this point, candidates need to decide whether this particular paragraph is one that he/she is comfortable with or not and if they want to attempt it.
Step 3-
If the candidate decides to go ahead, then scan the answer options. Check if they are of any help to solve the para jumble quickly.
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For Example-
The options are:
a) BDAC b) BCAD c) CABD d) CBDA
When the candidate checks out the option he/she will immediately realize that the paragraph has to start either with B or C. Quick glance at B and C will tell which one looks like a better sentence and already the choices will be halved.
Similarly, with options like:
a) BDCA b) CDBA c) DCAB d) ACDB
Now it's clear that it has to end with either B or A. So go through the sentences A and B and see if any one of them looks like a concluding sentence.
Some Pointers to look out for -
For example, if three out of the five options start with A and the other two with C/B/D there is a good probability that A is the starting sentence.
If, say, a link CB occurs in more than 2 options, then it is something worth paying attention to.
Stepwise broach approach to solving Para jumbles:
Now that you know the strategy to be followed, let's revise the steps to be followed in general while attempting para jumbled.
First, for through all the sentences, read them all at ones to get an idea of the purpose and tone of the paragraph to be formed.
Search for the introductory sentence, and a closing sentence
Go to the options, see what alphabets are mentioned in options as an opening or closing and identify based on that
If options are not given, move ahead to identify the transition words based on the tone of the paragraph.
Look out for mandatory sentences, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, etc.
Make the coherent sentences and analyze with the help of options the most logical sequence of sentences.
These are the basic steps to be followed on how to solve para jumbles in CAT the right way.
Conclusion:
We have covered most of the important points and strategies required to solve para jumbles. Make use of these techniques, along with a combination of recognition of flow of sentences, grammatical logic, and simultaneous evaluation of choices for elimination, any student should get these questions right. Again, practice is the key so try to get as much practice in solving para jumbles as possible. I hope you liked this article on how to solve para jumbles and the strategies for it, helpful. All the best!
MBA-CET CAP Round Process
Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MAH-CET) is a computer-based management entrance examination. Officially known as MAH-MBA-CET, The exam is conducted by the Maharashtra Directorate of Technical Education for admission to management courses such as MBA / MMS at various Maharashtra state institutes. Candidates seeking admission in MBA/MMS courses in JBIMS, SIMSREE, K J Somaiya, PUMBA and other 300+ MBA colleges will be asked to register and apply for CAP online by making a payment of prescribed registration fee. Admission to management courses such as MBA / MMS / PGDBM / PGDM is a centralised process and is governed by the Centralized Admission Process (CAP) carried out by the competent authority of the State of Maharashtra. Find below the details of MBA-CET CAP Round Process.
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MAH-CET Preparation plan 2021 and complete strategy to crack CET
It’s been just a month since MBA CET 2020, and while results are still not out, a lot of you would be looking for the right prep plan for the next year. Some might be first-timers, while others might be back to give it another shot. No matter what, rest assured, this is the right article for you. Like any competitive exam, it's never too early to start preparing for CET. Do remember that consistency is the key, don’t give up and you are sure to succeed. Keep on reading for the complete preparation plan for MAH CET 2021.
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MAH CET 2021:
For those who are completely new to CET, let’s get a brief idea of what the exam is all about.
MBA CET exam is a state-level entrance test for MBA / MMS, that is organized every year by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), Maharashtra. It’s an online exam that gives you the pass to some of the best AICTE approved management colleges.
CET is conducted only once a year, usually in the month of March (or end of February). The admission process then starts in the month of June. Hence, it becomes very important that candidates prepare very well for this exam, in terms of their knowledge, speed, and accuracy.
Also Read: List of top colleges through CET
MAH CET 2021 Exam pattern:
Now let’s look at the basic paper pattern that CET follows (and have followed over the years) :
Examination mode: Online
Language: English only
Total number of questions: 200 questions
Question type: Multiple choice questions, with 5 options to choose from
Exam duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes)
Marking scheme: 1 mark for each question, so a total of 200 marks; No negative marking for wrong answers.
The sections covered in CET are similar to that of most MBA exams. The three main sections are:
1) Logical and Abstract Reasoning: This section has a total of 75 questions, out of which 50 are for logical reasoning and 25 are allocated for abstract reasoning. The topics included under logical reasoning are series, directions, linear and circular arrangements, coding-decoding, Venn diagram, blood relations, symbol operations, syllogism, data sufficiency. Abstract reasoning is something new. However, practicing multiple questions and understanding a common pattern will help you to score in this section.
2) Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: This section has 50 questions in total. Topics covered are the usual; grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and verbal reasoning.
3) Quantitative Aptitude: There are 50 questions allocated to this section. The main topics include number systems, geometry, algebra, ratio & proportion, profit & loss, allegation & mixtures, averages, percentage, time distance speed, time & work, probability. This is easy to handle if your concepts are clear.
Have a look at this video to understand what the CET 2020 paper was all about.
So what should be your MAH CET 2021 Preparation Plan:
Without further ado, let’s look at the detailed preparation plan for MAH CET 2021 that you need to follow to ensure a smooth sailing towards your final exam:
Also read: Tips to crack MAH-CET
1) Start with the Basics:
For a tree to hold shape and stand strong, its root needs to be robust. This applies to your exams too. With almost 10 months in your hand, make the most of this time by going back to all your basics. Look at the core concepts of all topics under each section and make notes of shortcuts and tricks that can be applied to solving sums. There are 200 questions in your paper that are a mix of easy, moderate, and difficult level questions. So, imagine if you get all those easy ones right, half of your work is done!
2) Sectional analysis:
With three main sections for you to work on, understand where your strengths and weaknesses lie. As you go through the basics, you will identify which topics you find difficult to comprehend than others. Focus on these subjects, you can allocate one extra hour each day to learn their concepts and practice. But don’t forget that you must allocate your hours equally amongst the other subjects as well. We don’t want to invest all our energy on the weakness while neglecting our strengths.
Also read: CET Exam Syllabus
3) Start taking mocks:
It's never too early to take mocks. At this stage, you can take one mock every week. As you progress, increase the number of mocks you take. In the last 4- 5 months, you can take 2 to3 mocks every week; and after that one mock every two days. Mocks are important to get an overall picture of how you have performed and to assess the areas of improvement. But make sure you always do an in-depth analysis of your mocks once you are done, which would include revisiting all the questions you got wrong. If you don’t do this, consider that your entire 150 minutes have gone to waste. Take note of this!
4) Prepare a timetable and monthly target:
For any plan to work, you need to have a timeline of all the tasks that you are going to cover over a period of time. After getting a fair estimate of your problem areas and areas that need attention, make a comprehensive timetable that distributes time optimally to all areas. These timetables are different for all, hence make one that best suits your capability. Don’t overdo yourself, bite off only as much as you can chew. Here, you can also set a monthly target with respect to your score. If you scored 100 in your first mock test, aim for 115 in the next, 125 in the one after that. Only when u target a particular score, you would be able to put your energy in the right direction.
Also read: MBA-CET: A Mini encyclopedia
5) Increase your speed:
CET is all about the speed with which you attempt these 200 questions in those 150 minutes. This becomes a differentiating factor from CAT, where your focus is primarily on choosing the right question to solve, and not on the speed with which you solve each question. Hence, you need to build up your speed at all costs, and this can only be done through PRACTISE. Only then would you be able to identify the concepts required to solve a question within seconds. No negative marking is definitely a blessing in CET, but it doesn’t help unless you maintain your speed and solve as many questions (correctly) as possible.
CMAT vs CET
6) Learn time management:
One thing to keep in mind is that since there is no sectional time limit in CET, you have to learn to distribute and manage time efficiently. Use this to your advantage and know where to allocate time reasonably. Again, this can only be mastered through practice. You would then understand which ones to target and how to invest your time in the right place, and thus effortlessly move across sections.
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What is the MAH-CET Exam? How to prepare for CET in one month?
Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MAH-CET), a computer-based management entrance examination. It includes the sections, quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, data sufficiency, logical reasoning, visual reasoning, verbal ability and reasoning, and reading comprehension. The MBA CET exam is conducted mostly within the month of March, by the Directorate of Technical Education(DTE), Maharashtra. This exam grants admission within the MBA/MMS programs in various B-schools everywhere Maharashtra. The admission to the management courses is a centralized process and is roofed under the MBA CET CAP round process also referred centralized Admission Process (CAP). This exam is competitive and requires proper strategy and tips to crack MAH-CET. during this article, you'll find out how to prepare for CET in one month.
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How to prepare for CET in one month?
MBA-CET exam is a 150 minutes exam where you get to solve 200 questions each of one mark without any negative markings. There are many top colleges that one came aim for by giving MBA-CET. For cracking JBIMS one should always aim for 140 marks out of 200. This preparation strategy is made keeping in mind aiming for JBIMS.
1.Divide sections
First and the foremost thing is to know your MAH-CET syllabus. Learn all the important topics that cover most of the questions in the CET exam. Divide the paper into 8 sections probably:
1. Quantitative ability:
25 questions come from this section. If you are an engineer you should definitely aim for these 25 marks. Otherwise, try achieving 15 questions correct i.e 15 marks from this section should be your aim. Focus more on your strong topics and cover all the basics. Also focus more on Arithmetic, geometry, and algebra.
2. Data interpretation:
25 questions come from this section as well. There are different types of charts that are asked in this section like a pie chart, line chart, bar chart, etc. One should aim for 15 questions correct i.e 15 marks in this section as well. Focus on the chart in which you feel easy and can be solved quickly.
3. Reading comprehension:
There are three to four reading comprehension asked with 6-8 questions each. Therefore, in total there are 25 questions asked in reading comprehension. One should aim for 15 questions correct by solving two sets or three sets depending on time as well as a strategy to solve reading comprehension.
4. Critical reasoning
This is a section that comes in logical reasoning. In total there are 15 questions of critical reasoning asked. Yet, a person should aim for 10 questions correctly answered. However this section is difficult to handle, the strategy shown in the video below will help in scoring high in this section.
5. Visual Reasoning:
There are at most 25 questions asked in this section. This section is a little different from other sections as it is only included in the CET exam. One needs a lot of practice to master and succeed in this type of question. Thus, it is recommended about 15-17 questions to be correctly answered in this section. Practice in such a way that it should take not more than 20 minutes to solve this section.
6. Logical reasoning:
This is the easiest section. Around 30 questions are asked. One should aim for all 30 marks in this section in 25 minutes. Different types of questions that are asked in this section are syllogism, blood relation,coding-decoding, etc.
7. Puzzle:
There are about 6 puzzles asked in this section each of 5 questions. One should aim for solving at least 4 puzzles correctly. Therefore it is necessary to solve and practice CET level puzzles daily for scoring fast.
8. Verbal Ability:
In this section also 25 questions are asked. There are different types of questions asked including vocabulary, sentence correction etc. One should practice these types if questions daily to 15-20 correct. You can watch the below video to learn vocabulary that are always asked in CET.
2. CET Mocks
After dividing the sections give a mock and see your score in each section. During your preparation for MAH-CET, do try to give 2 CET Mocks every week if your score is not coming according to your aim. Thus, focus on basics for those scoring less. This will help you to give you a realistic feel for the exams. It will help you to manage time which will help you to crack the exam. Mocks help you to check your preparation levels and where you stand when compared to other people who will be competing with you during this exam season. Mocks also help you to improve your speed and accuracy and helps you to work on your weak areas.
Practice with CET Mocks
3. Learn some shortcuts or some quick methods
Due to the difficulty level as well as the time factor of this exam, it is important to get some tricks up your sleeves. This will help you to solve questions quickly and easily. Squares, cubes, tables for ease of mental calculation as well as some shortcuts can help to solve questions in the Quantitative Aptitude section.
After giving multiple mocks, you will be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Work on turning your weaknesses into strengths by practicing more and giving more mocks. Refine your strengths further to succeed. Get a strategic approach while preparing can help you ace the exam. Make a strategy according to your aim and strengths.
5. CET Mocks Analysis
Analysis of mock is one of the important things. This will help you know your strengths and weaknesses. Thus it will help you form your strategy. Do a proper mock analysis of each paper. Also, look at the time you took for each section as MAH-CET is all about speed. You can see the video below to know how to do mock analysis and thus form a strategy.
Check-out more about MAH-CET
6. Increase Your Speed:
After focusing on all strengths and making a mock strategy and after analyzing it, still not able to reach your aim because of time. MBA MAH-CET is all about this time. Try to save time in different sections. Increase speed in your strengths section. This becomes a differentiating factor from CAT, where your focus is primarily on choosing the right question to solve, and not on the speed with which you solve each question. Hence, you need to build up your speed at all costs, and this can only be done through PRACTISE.
7. Final Lap
After completing all the above things, in the last 10 days, it is important to revise your basics and stay focused on strengths and strategies. Thus remain confident in your preparation and give your best on the exam day. Learn from your mistakes and thus improve them. Revise all the shortcuts tricks and succeed.
Here are some tips to crack the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MAH-CET):
Be aware of the CET Syllabus:
Students should be aware of the entire CET Syllabus. The CET Syllabus features a mix of the usual MBA exam contents – Logical and Abstract Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and Verbal Ability. The questions on the above different topics are scattered randomly. The syllabus includes the following:
Logical and Abstract Reasoning:
Venn Diagrams, Directions, Coding-Decoding, Series, Input & Output, Directions, Symbol based Series Completion, Conditional Coding, Selection Criteria, Deductions, Linear, and Circular Arrangements.
Quantitative Aptitude:
Time and Distance, Geometry, Mensuration, Ratio and Proportion, Simple Interest and Compound Interest, Time and Work, Indices and Surds, Profit ad Loss, Permutations and Combinations, Data Interpretation - Graphs, Charts, Tables, Probability
Verbal Ability:
Reading Comprehension, Jumbled paragraphs, Sentence completion, Synonyms - Antonyms, Vocabulary, Idioms and Phrases, phrasal verbs, synonyms and antonyms, Similar words used in different contexts, Reading Comprehension, completion of paragraphs, One-word substitutions, Error corrections in sentences
(more…)
The NMIMS Management Aptitude Test (NMAT) by GMAC is the entrance exam for Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. The main campus of NMIMS is in Mumbai. Other campuses of NMIMS providing a Master’s degree in Management are NMIMS Bengaluru campus, Hyderabad campus, Indore campus, and Navi Mumbai campus. SVKM’s NMIMS is a leader in management education. Its vision is to be an internationally recognized business school of academic and research excellence. The goal is to develop socially responsible managers with a global perspective. We will discuss in detail about the new exam pattern for NMAT exam prescribed by GMAC in this post.
The NMAT exam, some say, is very tough to crack. To ace an exam, one must know exactly what is the NMAT exam pattern. The NMIMS exam is two hours long. It is a computer-based exam. It is split into 3 sections, namely:
• Language Skills,
• Quantitative Skills, and
• Logical Reasoning
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And it is evident that you have very well understood this theory and taken the first step of dreaming with open eyes. Dreams do come true if you have the courage to work for it. Your dream of studying in the best institute is not far away and your genuine goal of how to score 320 in GRE exam in 6-months in GRE exam makes it half done through this path. The mind work done correctly makes the results huge. Kudos to you!
You have come here at the right that how to score 320 in GRE exam in 6-months and the of 6 months is enough time to top the exams. If you follow a consistent schedule and pattern. The more days you have, the more you can learn and prepare.
SUBJECT DIVISION
Before proceeding with the tips and techniques, it is better to revise the exam pattern and its subject division:
Graduate record examination (GRE) exam is an official test taken for admissions across the globe. And especially for countries with English as the primary language. The idea is to test the student’s basic knowledge about mathematics and English as an overall language. The aim is to check if the student will be comfortable with the language and will be able to survive the coursework in an alien land. If you are reading this, you surely would have passed your 10th-grade examinations. All you have to do is revise your 10th-grade mathematics and English grammar and comprehension part. This is all you need to get admitted to your dream college.
Now the question for you is that did you ever skip any chapters in your 10th grade to leave it out as an option in the examination? If yes, you are screwed. It doesn’t apply here. You cannot skip a single chapter. Also, if you were weak in grammar and never paid attention to taking command over the English language. You are lagging behind some of your potential peers.
However, it is never too late. You can bridge the gap between the two by either taking up a GRE crash course or bring out your old textbooks and revise! Each way works, and you will solve the doubt of how to score 320 in GRE exam in 6-months.
We will let you decide.
Beneath, is the structure of the GRE exam that will help you understand it better:
Following is the segregation of the subjects as per the GRE exam rules and guidelines:
VERBAL REASONING
This is entirely based on your English language skill and command as it requires you to read and complete the sentences.
READING EXERCISE
This is the major and most important part of the verbal section as it consists of the highest amount of questions as well as the highest weightage while deciding your college admission.
READING COMPREHENSION
Around 8 -9 questions are based on reading comprehension. Most students end up taking 80% time in this section and leave out the rest. Your main aim should be to focus on this area and try to score the maximum out of it by reading the paragraph as fast as possible or trying to skim through the paragraph by going through the questions. One cannot become an expert in this overnight even if he or she is studied through English medium school all his life. The only reason is that this is a time-based test and in school we were given ample time to read and understand the paragraph unlike here. Here, speed is the only thing that will take you high and safe.
CRITICAL REASONING
The second part is critical reasoning which involves the questions based on your critical thinking. This does not require special preparation and thus you can save some preparation time here.
PURE VOCABULARY
Words, words, and words! And these are the words that you don't use in daily life. You have neither used these words in school nor your college life. This is a tricky part as well as ultra-time consuming. The sole reason is your brain. It has a defined capacity. You can calculate 100 mathematics sums in a day but you cannot remember 100 words in a day without forgetting it the next day. And if you can, you are a miracle by god.
However, here the good part is that all your 20 questions will be answered by just practicing or learning a single thing. It's like a Buy 1 Get 2 offer. By building a strong vocabulary you can answer both the parts happily:
Text completion
Sentence Equivalence.
If you start reading 10 words a day, you can actually have 1800+ words in your pocket, which is quite higher compared to your peers who haven't had the opportunity to start this early. And it's a win-win situation for you!
Tip: As you have time, it is advisable to read as many books as possible of different authors along with newspaper articles. This will help you increase your reading speed and you will learn the technique of skimming without much effort.
QUANTITATIVE REASONING
This is the easiest part as this is the repetition of the material which you have already studied. It’s a revision. It majorly includes:
Arithmetic
Algebra
Geometry
Data analysis
The geometry and data analysis part can be a little tricky for you as it has always been a part of the list of difficult topics.
The tip here is to focus maximum on Geometry as this is time-consuming as well as a little heavy to understand.
A strong dedication of 1 hour a day for the next how to score 320 in GRE exam in 6-months will solve and you can start to see your dream college in front of your eyes.
All the best!
" It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." Stress management is life management. If you take control of your stress, your life will thank you for it. Before starting preparation itself, a lot of CAT Aspirants tend to make the assumption that CAT is impossible to crack, or is not their cup of tea. Especially first time CAT takers listen to what others say about CAT (which is usually with a negative way undertone) and tend to get nervous from the start. However, we are here to bust that myth, and help you overcome your phobia of CAT exam!
Learn how to strategically prepare for CAT and make your IIM dream come true
What leads to this Phobia amongst aspirants?
While the reality remains that the difficulty level of CAT is high, and more than some of the other MBA exams, it is definitely not impossible to crack. The questions in the exam are set to be moderate-high difficulty level so that only those who have prepared well can crack it. You are not expected to attempt every question in CAT, it is also about strategy and decision making. Which questions you choose to attempt, and which you choose to leave also has a huge weightage on how you score in CAT. Hence, the assumption that only the geniuses can crack CAT is not true.
If you feel you are an average student, don't fret! With the right preparation, you can definitely pave your way towards to dream MBA college. But for that, it is important you start your preparations from the start and dedicate your full time and energy to it. All success stories from previous toppers and IIM converts have this in common, they were completely focused on their goal and gave their 100 percent dedication to it. So as long as you do this, believe me, nothing is impossible and definitely not CAT!!
Watch this video on how this CATKing student got an IIM call at 85 percentile!
What are the major tips to avoid CAT exam phobia
1. CAT is no rocket science:
The first and foremost task before studying for the “toughest exam” is to improve your perspective towards it. The syllabus for the exam is not rocket science. It’s something that everyone has already studied in school. You only need training about how to use your thinking, reasoning and analytic skills to crack it. This, along with the right amount of confidence is enough to get an awesome score. You can also speak to past CAT students and experts about their experience of writing CAT. Most of them will tell you this exact same thing. Don't go about reading random blogs and listening to people who haven't even attempted CAT. Try to get motivation in the right direction.
2. Start your preparations early:
To complete the syllabus and have enough revision before the actual exam, one needs to start early. CAT syllabus includes the following:
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
Quantitative Aptitude
You should ideally begin CAT preparation when you are 12 months away from the actual exam. Study each and every topic from basics and then go for higher difficulty levels. Work on your vocabulary and reasoning abilities as well. You should complete your syllabus at least 6 months before and spend these months for revision, previous 10 year CAT papers and take mock CAT exams. In case this plan does not work out for you then remember a disciplined routine along with self-study is the key to success.
3. Focus on your strengths and weaknesses both
Know your strengths and weaknesses by taking chapter-wise tests. Pay attention to which section you need to work on. Since sectional cutoffs apply, you need to be equally good in all sections. Let's say you find it difficult to manage Verbal RCs, then try to solve at least two Reading Comprehension daily. Analyze where you went wrong, what sort of questions are you not able to solve. There must be a pattern, identify it, and work on it. However, at the same time, do not lose focus on your strengths. Spend time in revising your strong areas at least twice a week. A lot of students go wrong here, and invest all their time in their weaker sections, completely ignoring the rest. This can cost you in the final exam, soo try to keep an all-round approach from the start.
Also read: How to crack Verbal for CAT
4. Make a proper study plan
Very often last-moment study plan makes the aspirants unsure about their preparation and in the end, they have no clue about how to handle the stress of CAT preparation. For this, make a proper study plan for the CAT exam that includes a sufficient amount of practice sessions for various sections of CAT syllabus. But planning alone will not be sufficient. One needs to follow that plan religiously. You should start your preparation in your own time slot and fit your plans into it. You should ideally split up your CAT preparation plan into four goal slots.
DAILY TARGET: Study 2-3 hours daily. You should try to solve enough questions so that you finish your syllabus on time.
SHORT TERM GOAL: You can divide the study time such that you give equal attention to each and every section of the CAT syllabus.
LONG TERM GOAL: Finish CAT Syllabus by end August and then start mock tests.
ULTIMATE GOAL: To crack CAT with excellent results
5. Talk to Experts
A personal mentor plays an important role in one's CAT preparation so that the aspirant can know how to manage stress or tension regarding their doubts. In your due course of CAT preparation, you will come across some topics or problems that you find difficult to understand or solve. Get your doubts solved by the experts. Holding your doubts will land you up nowhere and in the end, you will find that chapter difficult to master.
If you have doubts about how to get s good strategy for CAT 2020, you can get free mentorship with our experts from IIMs, SP Jain, and NMIMS. Book your slot online now to get the Free mentorship online to crack CAT 2020.
Moreover, use your gadgets especially mobile phones effectively. A wide variety of applications are available nowadays which help you get used to CAT preparation. But remember these apps just vet your appetite and help you get used to the preparation during spare time. This strategy works wonders with aspirants who travel for work. But no way should these compensate for dedicated preparation time.
6. Solve lots and lots of mocks
Time and again we have emphasized the importance of solving mocks for CAT and even other MBA exams. Mocks are a full proof strategy, they don't just give you a feel of how the real exam is going to be like, but also familiarize with the common questions that you can expect in the exam. This will help reduce your anxiety and stress to a huge level. At the same time, mock solutions give you certain tips and tricks to solve questions that otherwise would take up a lot of time. This way you can optimize your attempts as well. This is why solving mocks routinely is very important. Do not skip on this ever. If you are looking for the right set of mocks to solve for your CAT preparations, you can enroll in our mocks online. Get our mock course online that is curated by IIM alumniand prepare for CAT in the right manner.
Importance of Stree management for CAT:
While preparing for exams like CAT, stress management plays a very important role. The preparation journey can be overwhelming, but don't let the pressure get to you. Often CAT aspirants tend to lose their interest because they succumb under the stress to score higher. Remember that if you start early, it can be a gradual process and over time you will see a remarkable improvement in your score and performance.
Try to make stress management a part of your preparation plan. Invest a fixed amount of time every day for each topic and mocks. Don't overdo yourself, and try to fit everything in one day itself. Take time out of the routine for yourself and do something you love, it could be watching a movie, watching a series, or reading a good book. Do whatever you like, but in moderation. Don't let the leisure activities overpower your preparations either. You can also resort to meditation that can help you calm your mind and increase your concentration. Also, if you are into sports, do that! It's great for your physical and mental health. If you like playing mobile games, try to include some logical games like Sudoku or 2048 also, soo that you have fun and gain some skills at the same time.
Balance is the key here. In the end, you are a human and there is a limit to how much you can do. All you need is to be consistent in your efforts, and definitely you will not have to worry about the rest. Also, if you can overcome your stress, your CAT (or any other exam) preparation will be smooth enough and then you will not see CAT as “a tough paper”, instead, you will start enjoying it. This way your efficiency and productivity will definitely multiply.
I hope you liked this article on how to avoid CAT exam phobia. Stay calm, stay motivated, and strive on! All the best.
Also read: Analyzing mocks - Things you missed out
NMAT 2021 is one exam that is one of the most coveted MBA exams that opens the gates to the prestigious NMIMS institute and partner institutes. There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of students appearing for the NMAT exam. Therefore, the competition for the NMAT exam will be aggressive and only those with the right amount of perseverance, passion, and commitment survive.
Prepare for NMAT with our course curated by NMIMS toppers
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NMAT is a totally different ball game when compared to CAT or any other MBA entrance exam for that matter. In the NMAT 2021 exam, the questions are easy to the medium difficulty level. This exam doesn’t test your knowledge about the subjects in different categories like Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning.
Following are some of the questions that you might have
How many people take NMAT?
The number of applicants appearing for NMAT increase every year by approximately 7% mark. Also, candidates take NMAT retakes as NMAT allows for up to 3 re-tests. You can consider the competition to be upwards of 80k submissions.
What percentage of students get a call for the CDPI process of NMAT out of the total applicants?
The cutoff for NMIMS Mumbai (though keeps on fluctuating every year) is close to 95%, which means you need to score around 240+ marks in the exam. Roughly 2000-2500 students get a call for the CDPI process at NMIMS Mumbai.
How many students get selected for NMIMS Mumbai every year?
The batch size is upwards of 600 students, though this number is also not fixed. Less than 1% of the total NMAT applicants make the cut to the NMIMS Mumbai campus.
What is the Diversity in the batch at NMIMS Mumbai?
The batch is a very good mix with students coming from different educational backgrounds. The gender ratio is roughly 40 [female]: 60 [male] which is a very good figure. The batch has close to 30% freshers and 70% have work experience which is also a good split in terms of the number of years worked.
You can refer to this NMIMS Mumbai placement report which will give you a detailed insight for the batch diversity.
NMIMS Placement Report
What is the selection criteria for the NMAT exam?
The selection process for NMAT can be divided into the following steps
Also Read: NMAT difficulty level
NMAT tests a person’s patience, speed, and resilience to not get easy questions wrong. The total marks awarded in NMAT are 360 and a score of 240+ is required to get into the prestigious Glassdoor building NMIMS Mumbai. The competition for NMAT is really different. Let me explain to you this with the help Bell curve.
Click here to buy NMAT mocks (as per the updated paper pattern)
NMAT Exam Pattern:
Let’s assume on the x-axis is measuring the intelligence of the MBA aspirants. It’s not right centered as those are for CAT aspirants (students vouching for the IIMs). Neither the competition is left centered as those are for regional exams like theCET exam etc. The competition is fierce, aggressive, and head-on. The major chunk of MBA aspirants are appearing for this.
NMAT – Never to be taken lightly, your concentration should be epitomized. One distraction and gone are the chances of getting into NMIMS, Mumbai. I know various people who have cracked CAT and are in IIMs but during their NMAT exam weren’t able to clear the cut-off.
Another reason for NMAT unparalleled competition is that it is the only domestic exam that stretches to 3 months ( October, November, and December) and you can give the exam 3 times which increases the competition in NMAT even further.
Important points to be noted during the NMAT exam:
NMAT exam is a relative exam and not individual – performance-oriented, i.e., it is important for you to perform well relative to other candidates in each of the 3 sections of the test as the score of each section and the overall score will be used to shortlist the candidate for the second stage of the selection process as well as in the final ranking.
MBA aspirants will get admission if they meet the required standards of a two-stage selection process. All eligible candidates are required to appear for the computer-based NMAT to be conducted across the country.
NMAT is a computer-based test where each student gets a randomly generated exam from a pool of questions. The number of questions, difficulty levels, and the time limit for each of the sections are predetermined and, under normal administration conditions, are the same regardless of when and where the test is administered. The test is non-adaptive in which the computer will display questions one at a time.
In NMAT, candidates can choose the order of 3 test sections.
NMAT Exam Strategy:
We realize that you are occupied and the undertaking of enlisting for the test, stepping through the examination, and applying to class can be tedious and upsetting. So we've made it more helpful for you:
Picking a date, time, and area of your accommodation: A long testing window enables you to pick an advantageous test date. The 75-day test window opens the main seven day stretch of October and reaches out through the third seven day stretch of December.
Self-booking: You can pick your test arrangement date, time, and area continuously in light of the accessibility of seats at each test focus.
Enroll for the NMAT by GMAC™ exam from your versatile – enabling you to enlist whenever and anyplace.
Testing areas – you can look over any of 48 strategically placed testing focuses to take the exam
Sending scores to up to 5 programs for nothing. You can choose the rundown of schools/programs you need to send your scores to previously or in the wake of taking the exam. Up to 5 schools/programs are incorporated into your enrollment charge. Be that as it may, you will have the capacity to send your scores to in excess of 5 schools/programs previously or after you enlist for an extra charge.
Applying to business colleges in the wake of checking on comes about. You can see your outcomes and after that choose to apply to a business college or retake the test contingent upon your solace with the outcomes you've acquired.
Features are given by NMAT exam:
1. Take the test multiple times
2. Choose the section order
3.No Negative marking
4 Availability of official practice material
5. Practice sharpening your skills.
NMAT exam Structure:
The NMAT is a computer-based exam and gives randomly questions from a pool of questions. The number of questions, time limits, and difficulty levels are already predetermined and are administered. Candidates have a choice of selecting the order or sequence of test sections.
The three sections of NMAT are individually timed. Test takers must review there answers before moving to another section as once candidates close out of a section all answers are final.
Related links:
NMAT syllabus NMAT paper patternHow to prepare for NMAT
Importance of CAT mocks - How to prepare for CAT the right way:
A student preparing for 10th and 12th standard board exams will definitely give full-length prelims exams. These exams aim at instilling confidence in him before appearing for the board exams. Similarly, when preparing for CAT and other management exams, giving a Mock test is very important. It helps to a great degree in appearing for the exam confidently. In order to have an upper edge over the students, giving mocks with sincerity during CAT preparation should be the utmost priority for the students. So let's understand in depth the importance of mocks for CAT exam so that you never make excuses for solving mocks again!
Prepare for CAT with our course prepared by IIM and SPJain Alumni
Types of Mocks:
Based on the preparation level, a student can take three types of mock CATs:
1. Full mock tests:
This kind of mock CATs will be a replica of the actual CAT exam and this mock has to be taken very seriously as if you are sitting for the actual CAT. Full mock CAT consists of three sections i.e Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability Data Interpretation, and Logical Reasoning.
2. Sectional mock tests:
These sectional tests help the aspirants to check their preparation level for each section of the CAT exam. It is advisable to take the sectional tests of the topics before starting a full-length mock.
3. Topic-based mock test:
These tests will help you to check the preparation level of each topic. Tests on Permutation and Combination, Geometry, etc will help you to analyze the understanding of each concept.
Depending on your stage of preparation, you might want to choose amongst these mocks. It is recommended that you start off with Topic-based mocks ate the early stages when you are still understanding the concepts and basics. Once you have gone through all the concepts, you can proceed to sectional mocks. This target only one section and usually with more time per section that in the real mock. This is just to make you more comfortable with the multiple topics put together and identifying them. Finally, you will move to a full-length mock test. This will give you the actual experience of giving the real exam, with all three sections and exact same time limit and format.
You can find all these mocks in our custom course that is targeted to give you the best mock experience and practice. Click here to enroll in our mock course for CAT 2020.
Now that you know what sort of mocks exist we can now proceed to the actual point: Why give mocks at all?
Importance of CAT mocks: Why is it necessary?
Mock Tests - Must know facts for an MBA aspirant:
As people, the things we must learn, we do by daily practicing them. As it's far stated, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’, and to examine for securing high percentiles top management entrance exam, aspirants must give Mock exams and analyze them. The mock test performs a crucial position to decide the level of preparation for the real takes a look at. it's far practice examination or a revision strive for the student to prepare for an upcoming exam. After taking a mock test, a candidate can compare his performance and check in which area requires attention and practice those areas.
Also read: Important Quant topics for CAT
Why Mock Test?
A mock test is the only approach to evaluating your current level of preparation and re-strategize your future plan of preparation. It also makes you familiar with the kind of questions that might appear within the real MBA entrance examination. If you solve the past 5 year’s questions of CAT, you have got excessive chances to crack the exam with a terrific percentile. Mock assessments inform candidates on which topics they have already mastered. They can then direct their learning to other areas and spend the minimum time on the subjects they already have mastered.
1. Gets you acquainted with the actual exam:
Mocks are a replica of the actual CAT. They have been curated by experts, who have followed the pattern of previous CATs and understood the methodology followed by the IIMs in preparing the final CAT exam. Giving the actual CAT exam can be an overwhelming experience, with the time limit, the pressure, the concentration required, etc. Mocks will help to get familiar with this. In case you are taking a mock in a proctored surroundings, it's going to make you acquainted with, the exam taking method and the time management as required for the examination day. It also will expose you to the stress and examination surroundings you will have uncovered on the real D-day.
2. Time - Management:
A crucial part of CAT is time management. You get 60 minutes for each section, with 34 questions each (32 for DILR), which means you have an average of 1.7 minutes for each question. And believe me, most of the questions need more time than this. Hence, time management becomes very important for CAT, and you can gauge this better through mocks. When you first start giving mocks, you will realize that you have spent way more time on certain questions that may not have been necessary. Sometimes, you might not even be able to finish the desired number of questions because of this. Giving mock cats will help you in this matter to a huge extent. You will understand how much time to allocate to each question, which ones to solve, and which ones to skip only through mocks. This takes us to our next points.
Also read: Everything you need to know about CAT 2020
3. What to attempt and what to leave in the exam:
Now, CAT is an exam that is to be solved strategically. You don't have to solve all questions, that is in fact a very wrong approach. Instead, you need to identify the right kind of questions and invest your time in only them. Now you will be able to do this only when you solve mocks. Mocks will help you to understand how to scan through questions, identify the easier ones among the lot, and hit them. This way you not only save time, but your accuracy will also go up.
3. Analyze Strengths and Weaknesses:
Mock test will make you examine your's stronger and weaker section. It's important that you pay attention to topics that give you a hard time, and at the same time keep practicing the ones that you easily score on. A lot of times when you are solving and individual topic, you may be able to solve every question. But the moment it comes with the mock, you get entirely lost. All these sorts of issues can be identified and solved when you solve mocks. You will also understand the questions that you are able to solve no matter what, and you will then be able to target this strong point at all costs in the actual exam. Thus, it will help you in prepping up your strategy, which leade=s us to the last and most important point.
Also read: Real IIM experiences of Students
4: Helps in Setting your own strategy:
You absolutely need to have a strategy in place for CAT. Now, this strategy can change from person to person. What works for me, might not work for you and vice versa. So how do you know which strategy is right for you? The answer is to mock! When you solve mocks and understand your strengths and weaknesses, you get to know your own limits and expertise. You will know which topics are an absolute win for you, and which will keep circling in the maze. Understand all these elements, and know exactly what you want to solve and give up during the actual CAT exam. If you are weak in Verbal, how do you want to maximize your marks? If you are weak in Quants, what should you target to get the highest accuracy? All these questions can be answered by solving mocks alone. So do that, and get your strategy in place.
General Questions on Mock CATs:
When should I start taking Mock CATs:
Ideally, a student preparing seriously for CAT should start taking his mock CATs around 8 weeks before the test. Before these 8 weeks, you should complete your basic preparation and be thorough with the concepts. Importance point to remember is to give only those Mock CATs which are standard and all the relevant topics with all levels of difficulty. In order to gain maximum benefit from giving these Mock CATs, it should become important for your preparation process, analyze the mocks, and overcome the weaknesses one is facing.
How to best utilize from giving mock CATs?
According to toppers who have excelled in the CAT, their main success mantra was giving Mocks regularly and learning from the mistakes. The method and frequency of taking mocks regularly will decide your performance on the final day. If you are very comfortable giving mocks and if you are scoring well then your final paper on the D day will be a cakewalk and you definitely excel. Giving mocks regularly will help you keep motivated. Set a target for every mock and try to accomplish it. This way every time you achieve your target, you will feel proud and keeps you motivated.
Also read: How to stay motivated for CAT
How many mocks to give before the main CAT exam?
Ideally, you should give one full-length mock per week from September. Only giving the mock will not help, one should analyze it thoroughly before attempting the next mock. Remember, analyzing mocks take time and one should plan properly for analysis of the mocks. In between the two main mocks, one should regularly attempt topic wise mocks to keep his concepts updated.
How to analyze Mock CATs?
After giving a mock test, the next important thing is to analyze the Mock CATs to know your strengths and weaknesses. While analyzing the mocks keep the below points in mind:
Time: You need to analyze how much time taken to solve each question, which question took maximum time to solve, which section was the easiest and the hardest, average time spent on each question.
Accuracy: The number of attempts and accuracy of the questions attempted is very important because less accuracy can bring down your percentile. Every time you write a mock co-relate the attempts and accuracy and try to increase the accuracy. A decent number of attempts with high accuracy will fetch you more percentile than a student attempting a high number of questions with low accuracy.
Silly mistakes check: Most students tend to make silly mistakes while attempting exams. Mocks help you to analyze your silly mistakes and rectify them in your main CAT exam. If there is any common pattern in committing the mistakes then these mocks are a great tool to rectify them.
Short-cuts: A lot of problems you solve might have hidden shortcuts that help you save your time. Solutions of these mocks by experts will help you to learn these short-cuts and also strengthen your concepts. You can read our detailed article on how to analyze mock to get a better idea and the right approach to doing this.
Also Read: How to analyze mocks in detail
Conclusion:
Mocks are as important for your overall preparation as learning the basics. Most students feel that giving mocks is a waste of time, and instead just focus on solving the topic-based question. However, this creates a problem during the actual exam. Try to not be overconfident in your abilities if you score well in one or two mocks. If you look at the success stories of toppers, they have all followed this mantra, Solve as many mocks as possible!
Hence, start your mock giving journey and get ready to crack CAT on the D-day! I hope you find this article on the importance of Cat mocks helpful. Do read our other article on CAT to make your way to IIMs.
Also read: How to solve reading comprehension for CAT
CET is all about the speed with which you attempt these 200 questions in those 150 minutes. This becomes a differentiating factor from CAT, where your focus is primarily on choosing the right question to solve, and not on the speed with which you solve each question. Hence, you need to build up your speed at all costs, and this can only be done through PRACTISE. Only then would you be able to identify the concepts required to solve a question within seconds. No negative marking is definitely a blessing in CET, but it doesn’t help unless you maintain your speed and solve as many questions (correctly) as possible.
After completing all the above things, in the last 10 days, it is important to revise your basics and stay focused on strengths and strategies. Thus remain confident in your preparation and give your best on the exam day. Learn from your mistakes and thus improve them. Revise all the shortcuts tricks and succeed.
Following is the segregation of the subjects as per the GRE exam rules and guidelines:
NMAT – Never to be taken lightly, your concentration should be epitomized. One distraction and gone are the chances of getting into NMIMS, Mumbai. I know various people who have cracked CAT and are in IIMs but during their NMAT exam weren’t able to clear the cut-off.
Another reason for NMAT unparalleled competition is that it is the only domestic exam that stretches to 3 months ( October, November, and December) and you can give the exam 3 times which increases the competition in NMAT even further.
Silly mistakes check: Most students tend to make silly mistakes while attempting exams. Mocks help you to analyze your silly mistakes and rectify them in your main CAT exam. If there is any common pattern in committing the mistakes then these mocks are a great tool to rectify them.
Short-cuts: A lot of problems you solve might have hidden shortcuts that help you save your time. Solutions of these mocks by experts will help you to learn these short-cuts and also strengthen your concepts. You can read our detailed article on how to analyze mock to get a better idea and the right approach to doing this.
