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How to prepare for CAT 2021

What is CAT?

First thing is to learn what CAT exam is all about? What does CAT test? Which colleges admit based on CAT exam score? What exams to take up other than CAT? What is the Syllabus for CAT exam? What are the different sections to worry about for CAT exam?

It is very important to know what CAT is all about.  CAT (Common Admission Test) 2021 is an aptitude screening exam for MBA admission across 150+ B-schools in the country. It is a 3-hour paper and contains 3 sections which is held every year in online Computer based mode. The paper is organized Jointly by one of the major IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) and TCS (Tata Consultancy Services).

The  CAT Paper comprises of 100 questions in MCQ and non-MCQ format from Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension(VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning(DILR) and Quantitative Aptitude. The CAT exam was traditionally conducted for 180 minutes but the duration was reduced to 120 minutes for CAT 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The examination authority is expected to go back to 180 minute-duration for CAT 2021.

What is even more important than this is to know about the overall analysis of previous CAT papers. What is observed from the previous trends is that CAT is becoming an IQ based test rather than just be a conceptual based test. In other words we can say that CAT is moving towards GMAT.

Full CAT 2020 Analysis

How to Prepare for CAT 2021?

For CAT preparation, it is important that you plan your preparation in stages. Like in Edushastra, we divide your CAT preparation in 4 phases i.e. Mapping Phase, Foundation Phase, Testing Phase and Control Phase. Every phase has its own importance like Mapping phase gives you a clear picture of where you stand, Foundation phase helps in building the concepts, Testing phase helps in analyzing your weaker portions and Control phase makes you exam ready.

You can refer to CAT 2021 Strategies by CAT 2020 toppers like how they studies for CAT exam, how they handled the stress, tips and tricks for the exam.

Listen to the strategies adopted by Mr. Vishesh Garg, 99.99 Percentile scorer in CAT 2020.

Overall Strategy for CAT 2021

Points to mainly focus while preparing for CAT are:-

  1. Focus on Basics First:- It is the most important point which many students ignore. Conceptual clarity is the most important thing which should be given utmost importance. It basically helps you to solve the most difficult questions also which will give you an edge over the others. Basics needs to be cleared for every topic first.
  2. Speed and accuracy:- Time management is the most important thing which should be followed by every student. For candidates appearing in CAT for the first time, time management will provide them with the following benefits at the time of CAT preparation-
  1. Enhance your efficiency
  2. Increase your productivity
  3. Lower stress level

3. Practice is the key–  For every section, practice is the key. Practice will make you familiar with all the challenges which you are going to face in the exam and that will in turn increase your score. Give a mock every week and in the last month, try to give as many mocks as you can.

4. Analyzing your performance:- Analyzing your performance is as important as practicing. It gives you a clear idea on where you stand and which sections need more focus. Analyzing how much time you spent on solving questions is also an important thing. Making error logs of mocks, analyzing the weaker sections will help you to improve the particular topics.

5. Stay Motivated:- Well this is the most difficult thing for anyone who is preparing for CAT exam or generally for any student. To stay motivated, it is very important to keep in mind why you are doing CAT in the first place. This will really help you to overcome the challenges which you will be facing during the preparation.

Sectionwise Plan to prepare for CAT 2021

Quant

 For preparation in Quant, you can follow these steps:-

  • Be clear on the concepts:- Having conceptual clarity in Quant is very very important. If you are not covered on the basics, then you will not be able to solve CAT level questions.
  • Practice daily:– Make a daily routine of practicing daily. In quant, the only thing that is going to increase your score is practice.
  • Time management:– It is really important in quant. At first, just focus on the conceptual clarity while solving the questions, but later on make a habit of keeping a track of time in which you are able to solve the questions. It will help you to manage your time according to the exam.
  • Strategies:- Attempt different strategies in the mock exams in order to arrive at the final strategy that you wish to use in the final exam. Also, segregate the questions into easy, moderate and difficult.
  • Accuracy:- Choose easy questions and avoid “trick questions” which take too long to solve. CAT is all about accuracy, not adaption.

           Guides for Quant Preparation:-

  1. How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma, Publisher- Tata Mcgraw Hill.
  2. NCERT Mathematics books for class 8th, 9th and 10th

VARC

VARC is the most unpredicted section now a days. From last 2 years, it is the kingmaker section. It is becoming a lot difficult from what it used to be in the last couple of years. Main focus is on RC’s being lengthy and difficult to understand which has basically been the reason of students scoring 99 and above 99.

To understand how Rohan pratap singh (CAT 2017 99.58 Percentile) tackled the stress of VARC, Refer to this.

Things to follow when preparing for VARC:-

  • Speed Reading – Develop an incessant habit of speed reading. Start with reading newspapers, editorials, fiction and nonfiction novels and simple passages. The more you read, the faster you read.
  • Elimination:- Eliminating the unclose answers is really important in VARC. This will basically help in reducing your time to solve and increase your accuracy also.
  • Grammar:- Learn the basic grammar concepts like parts of speech, articles, verbs, adjectives, tenses, auxiliary verbs, modifiers, modals etc.
  • Avoid re-reading:- Avoid re-reading the passages as it will waste your time and will confuse you also. Try to read and understand at the same time.
  • Time Management :- Train yourself to read quickly by setting time spans. This will help you in reading faster and also will keep a track of time to solve a particular question. If you think any question is taking more than 2 minutes, move to the next one.

Guides to prepare for VARC:-

  • Refer to 8-10th Std. NCERT books.
  • Refer to Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis.
  • Refer to High School Grammar by Wren and Martin

DILR

Solving the right sets in the correct way is important to ace this section.

To see how Parmesh Gupta 99.92 Percentile scorer in CAT 2018 tackled the LRDI section, Refer to this,

Things that will help you in scoring well in LRDI section are:–

  1. Practice:- Practice is the main key that will help you in acing this section. Practice as many sets as you can. It will help you to discover new methods to solve the sets and also similar sets if seen in the exam, will increase your accuracy also.
  2. Accuracy:– In DILR, it is important to be accurate and fast. It is not about solving all the sets, its about solving the ones which you feel will consume less time and will be more accurate.
  3. Time:– Do not solve the sets in the exam which you feel will consume more time. Start with the ones which you think can be solved easily then move to the difficult ones.
  4. Mocks:– Take as many mocks as you can for DILR. Practice daily around 5-6 sets. This will help you keep a track on the concepts and mostly it will help you in developing a logical mindset.
  5. Calculation:– Practice brain calculations. Learn the percentage equivalent of fraction. This will save a lot of time. Quick calculations are the only way to save time in LRDI section.

 Guides to prepare for DILR:-

  • Refer to Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Nishit Sinha, Publisher- Pearson.
  • Refer to How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for the CAT by Arun Sharma, Publisher- Tata Mcgraw Hill.

Mocks:-

Mocks is the most important part of any preparation. While preparing for CAT, the one thing that will give you a clear picture of where you stand, is the mocks. So it is really important to take a mock every week and before 1 month of the exam, everyday. Mocks will help in making you sit comfortably for the total duration and also will help in keeping you aware about your weaker portions.

Edushastra provides unlimited Full length and sectional mocks to our students

Why mocks are important:-

  • CAT mocks help you understand the practical usage of all the concepts you have studied so far along with building your stamina to win-over a 3-hour fatiguing examination.
  • It helps you analyze your weaker sections so that you can correct your mistakes in them.
  • Making error logs is really important. It helps you keep a track of time also. Solving the questions in a particular time is what is going to help you in the main exam.
  • It also increases your accuracy.

To know more about the CAT deadlines and all, Refer to CAT 2021 Introduction.