Anisha has done MBA in Marketing from NMIMS And Executive Management(PMNO) from Harvard Business School. She has been instrumental in growing CATKing Digital with her experience with Marico and Henkel in the past.
How to do CAT Preparation in 5 months?
There are approximately 145 odd days left for CAT. This is the time when everyone starts thinking about getting an MBA and preparing for the CAT! If one is systematic, consistent, and committed, five months is more than enough. Only a few students have begun their preparations in earnest, and almost everyone is gearing up to do so.
June and July are the months when students realize they must take the CAT. If you plan your 5 months properly, you will have more than enough time to prepare for the exam! CAT Online Coaching has many advantages over traditional classroom programs. However, because CAT preparation is self-directed, a few things must be addressed during the course of preparation. Let us find a toppers way to CAT Preparation in 5 months
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CAT Exam Pattern
- The total number of questions in the exam is 66 and these are in both MCQ and non-MCQ format.
- The time allotted was 120 minutes (2 hours) to answer these questions
- There is a time limit of 40 minutes for each section
- The exam is conducted in online mode at various test centers
- The CAT marking scheme is +3 for every right answer, -1 for every wrong answer, and there is no negative marking for non-MCQs, and skipping questions.
Sectional composition
|
Section name
|
No. of questions
|
Total MCQs (With negative marking)
|
Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)
|
Maximum marks
|
|
VARC*26
|
24 | 20 | 4 | 72 |
|
DILR*
|
20
|
16
|
6 | 60 |
|
Quant*
|
22 | 15 | 7 | 66 |
- VARC: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
- DILR: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
- Quant: Quantitative Ability
Also Read: CAT Exam Pattern
CAT Preparation in 5 months
Preparing for any entrance exam necessitates a well-thought-out strategy! Here's one that can give you the broad strokes of what you need to do to get into the coveted IIMs also executed by a 100 percentile topper who is in his dream B-school.
1. Building Foundations
Starting with July-August, the first basic thing is to build on our basic concepts for all three sections. The goal of these two months would be to become completely familiar with the areas, topics, concepts, and types of questions found on the CAT exam. During July and August, the emphasis should be ongoing over all of the topics in all areas of the CAT, namely, QA, DILR, and VARC. The first two months must be used for the first round of exam preparation in all areas using a simple method known as CAT!
2. Fundamentals of Commitment, Assess & Theory (CAT)
Commitment: Solve exercises to apply the concepts/formulas learned. Assess: Conducting topic-specific tests to evaluate your speed and strategy. Theory: Learn all of the fundamental concepts and formulae for each topic. In addition to the foregoing, one must begin taking Mock CATs. For July and August, one mock should be taken every two weeks, and from August onwards, two to three mocks should be taken every week.
3. CAT Preparation in 5 months: Verbal Ability
- Read as much as you can and try to understand what you're reading.
- Reading newspaper editorials and opinions will help you improve your reading speed and comprehension.
- Every day, solve at least four passages and a few questions from Critical Reasoning, Para Completion, and Para Jumbles.
- The majority of the practice for this section can be obtained from an Online Verbal Ability Course and mocks, and you can improve greatly if you work hard.
4. CAT Preparation in 5 months: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
LRDI is a scoring section in the CAT that is especially important for those who struggle with other sections. There is no easy, convenient, or straightforward way to improve in the LRDI section. However, with consistent practice and applying a few methods, you can significantly improve your performance.
- Solve the problem using a diagram or a table. This will improve the speed with which you can discern the information in the passage.
- Solve puzzle games such as Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and so on.
- Try as many questions from the online mock test or sample paper as you can.
Tips to improve logical reasoning
5. CAT Preparation in 5 months: Quantitative Ability
When preparing for the Quant section, focus on the number of correct answers rather than the number of attempts. This section will include all types of questions, from simple to difficult. When it comes to answering these questions, speed is crucial. The following are the five most important tips for excelling in the Quantitative Ability section:
- Chapter by chapter practice. Learn the fundamental theories and types of problems covered in each chapter. One can enroll in an Online CAT Quant Course to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals.
- Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Number Systems are the main topics in CAT. If you study for 3 hours on weekdays and 6 hours on weekends (excluding coaching time), you will have 60+48=108 hours in a month to work on your fundamentals, plus the time spent in class.
- Divide it now in the ratio 2:2:1:1 Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Number Systems
- Arithmetic: The emphasis should be on ratios and percentages. Once you've figured it out and are proficient in it, calculations for not only QA but also DI-LR will become extremely simple.
- Remainders, Divisibility, and Cyclicity are all important in Number Systems. This chapter is crucial in its entirety.
- Algebra: Emphasis should be placed on quadratic equations, inequalities, sequences, and series (AP-GP).
- Geometry and Mensuration: The entire chapter is crucial. Simply learn the fundamental properties of figures, particularly triangles and circles. For example, if a question arises regarding the value of each external angle in a hexagon, you should be able to determine whether or not a formula should be used.
- Increase your speed. While doing the practice, study for 3-4 hours at a time.
- To adequately prepare for this section of the CAT, complete at least 20-25 mock tests.
Tips to crack Quant for Cat
5. Second Revision Phase
The two months of September and October are critical for preparing for the CAT exam. One must work on strategy, revise, and continue to take full-length mock CATs. Furthermore, now is the time to test out different exam-taking strategies. The 60 days in September and October must be used for the second revision of all concepts via topic-specific tests and section-specific tests. and monitor the progress in each specific topic or area of the exam. Full-length CAT Mock Tests should be used to fine-tune one's strategy and arrive at a strategy that provides the most benefits. Please keep in mind that there is no one best strategy, and the strategy should be tailored to each individual's strengths and weaknesses. How to prepare for CAT in 3 months
6. Final Lap Before the Exam
The last 25 days before CAT would be the final assault on the exam! Selective revision, mock CATs, and additional sectional tests are required here, and finalizing exam strategy. After each mock, the main requirements in November would be a thorough analysis of each section, zeroing in on the problem areas, working towards eliminating these problem areas, and, most importantly, strengthening the mental ability to crack this exam. Aptitude has a time validity attached to it. With these pointers, you'll be ready for CAT exam. Take a lot of mock tests to ensure that you are completely prepared to answer the CAT questions. So, preparing for the CAT in 5 months is not too difficult if one prepares smartly and efficiently.Fill gaps if they still crop up and be as relaxed as possible
Check Out: CAT 100 Percentile Strategy - Watch Till END ( CATKing student - Jagesh )
Best wishes!
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