Cat 2025 notifications are out, Importance of mocks & test-taking strategies .
As CAT 2025 notifications are out, Mock fever and divine strategies(so-called) are bound to surface. Mocks become crucial automatically at this juncture.
Importance of MOCKS in CAT preparation
“ More you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war”
It's very energetic as you see, but the path is very cruel. You will be tested for all your strengths, requiring pushing yourself to the point where you not have even thought. That's what a Mock drill is and for CAT aspirants Mock Test papers are the real mirror.
Let us break down Mock Test strategies for you :
Understanding Mocks : Mock tests are just a rehearsal activity, which we used to do in our schools for a particular event. The purpose behind rehearsal was to correct the mistakes and to perform flawlessly on D-day.
The same analogy is for CAT preparation I.e to make sure the mistakes, we can't afford to lose a single mark on 30TH NOVEMBER.
Approaching the Right way: Mock tests serve many purposes, like revision of concepts to refining your strategies. But there is no point in attempting mock if you have not completed even the basics or say roughly 65 % of your syllabus. There needs to be a competency before building techniques and strategies.
Let us help you to plan your mock tests ; - Syllabus completion: No matter in which phase of preparation you are in didn't attempt a mock if you have not done the pre-requisites, Arithmetic & Algebra in Quants or 200 to 250 sets in LRDI. It is very important to complete a certain number of chapters before jum the mock.
- How many mocks should we give? It is a general query that a lot of aspirants search for. See, you cannot put a bar on someone but what is the point of repeating the same mistakes again and again, it is then a crime. We will discuss this section into two sub parts ;
- Number of mock tests : It is always advisable to give at least a total of 40 to 50 mocks to iterate and re-iterate your strategies and mistakes and concepts. A good number of section-wise tests I.e QUANTS, VARC AND DILR. These help you to revise concepts and tweak your section-wise strategies.
- Analysis of mock tests : Dear aspirants as discussed earlier there is no benefit of giving mocks if you are not reviewing them properly. Just giving a thousand mocks will not even suffice if you do not analyse them properly. So, Analysis is very crucial. “It takes double the time to analyse than to write”
- How to analyse mocks: Analysis of mocks is relatively easy nowadays. For which ever mock you are taking there is an AI based tracker which shows everything from your time per question to accuracy and level of difficulty of the question.
But, It is always suggested to infer ( again VARC😄) the points you can add to your preparation which includes - WHY : It is very necessary to find WHY. why you made that particular mistake or if your logic was correct while you got the answer or it was a fluke.
2. Revision : It is equally important to revise what you didn't attempt in the paper and what you left during your studies because of vagueness in the concept or somehow you missed it.
3. Maintain an Error log : Keeping an Error log helps you visualise where you are going wrong regularly or what type of mistake you are making. This will help you refine your strategies in a better way.
4. Attention span : Try to consume less content during these 3 months, focus better, and improve concentration. In this Instagram world it is equally important to hold your attention span, which you often feel distracting while reading an RC “~.
These are some points to keep in mind during these 4 months, which will fuel your prep. in a good way.
Happy Reading
Team RODHA
