Why CAT is a Test of Strategy, Not Just Knowledge

Why CAT is a Test of Strategy, Not Just Knowledge

CAT is administered by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) as an entrance exam for postgraduate management programs (PGPs) at prestigious institutes. CAT scores are accepted by business schools to grant students admission into their best courses.
The CAT is a depressing test that every student fears. With a solidly devised plan and consistent practice, you will find your victory chance much higher than ever before. We will talk about strategy beyond just knowledge in this post concerning CAT.

What matters most strategy or knowledge?

Effective strategies and a solid understanding are both crucial for CAT success, but since strategy maximizes performance and time management, perhaps demarcation would lean more toward strategy.
Amongst other things, the base:

Time Management:

With the time limits imposed by the CAT exam, a proper plan allows you to respond to questions quickly and avoid difficult ones.

Selection of Questions:

To focus on the questions you are most likely to answer correctly, a strategic plan involves identifying and ordering questions according to your strengths and the time available.

Accuracy:

Knowing when to stop answering a question and return to it later will increase accuracy and decrease errors.

Performance Under Pressure:

By using strategies, one can remain composed, focused, and clear-headed under the intense pressure of the CAT exam.

The Importance of Knowledge

Basis:

Answering questions requires a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts of quantitative ability, verbal ability and reading comprehension, and data interpretation and logical reasoning.

Problem Solving:

One cannot solve the problems without a grasp of concepts.

Accuracy:

Good choices are made with knowledge and prevented from foolish mistakes.

Speed:

The most effective method for increasing speed, accuracy, and formula and shortcut knowledge.

Which strategy is perfect for CAT?

You should prepare methodically for the Common Admission Test (CAT), which tests your ability to interpret quantitative-verbal data and use logical reasoning.
Here are some preparation strategies for CAT:

1. Know the Exam Format

Sections: The main three components of the CAT are Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
Type of Working Questions: Learn about the type of questions that are asked under every section, whether they are multiple-choice (MCQs) or non-MCQs.

2. Formulate a Study Schedule

Time Frame: Give yourself six to twelve months to study before the test.
Daily Schedule: Depending on your areas of strength and weakness, assign particular hours each day to each section. Try to study for four to six hours daily.
Weekly Objectives: Establish weekly objectives to practice a predetermined number of questions and cover particular subjects.

3. Build, Enhance and Fortify the Basics

Conceptual Clarity: Give dedicated attention to basic ideas regarding logic, grammar, and mathematics.
Materials of Reference: Make use of standard textbooks and websites to consolidate the fundamentals.

4. Practice Hard

Mock Tests: Conduct frequent behavioral mock tests. Complete the task from start to finish, mimicking exam conditions and assessing your strengths and weaknesses.
Past Papers: Work on the last few years' question papers to understand the pattern and difficulty level of the examination.
Daily Practice: To regain speed and accuracy, practice everything every day.

5. Work for Time Management

Speed and Accuracy: Keep solving questions with the timer to increase your speed without hampering your accuracy.
Sectional Timing: Take mock tests with sectional time limits so that you can regulate your time during the exam.

Section-wise Preparation Strategy

1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC):

Reading Habit: Reading newspapers, magazines, and books improves thinking skills. To increase their knowledge, toppers usually read a range of genres.
Building Vocabulary: Consistently working to acquire new words and their usage can improve performance in this area.
Practice RC Passages: Read comprehension passages and summarize them daily to improve accuracy and speed.

2. Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (DILR):

Concept Understanding: Toppers make sure they comprehend the concepts of logical reasoning and numerous data interpretation techniques.
Frequent Practice: Finding patterns and increasing problem-solving speed are two benefits of solving various DILR problem types.
Mock Tests: Regularly taking practice exams helps you identify your weak areas and replicate exam conditions.

3. Quantitative Ability (QA):

Strong Foundation: It is crucial to ensure that you possess a strong grasp of basic mathematical concepts. Understanding fundamental concepts like algebra, geometry, and arithmetic is a top priority for top performers.
Shortcut Techniques: Learn shortcut formulas and techniques to solve problems quickly and accurately.
Daily Practice: Work through quantitative problems each day to preserve accuracy and speed.

Strategies to Achieve a 99 percentile in the QA Section

There are 34 questions in the CAT's Quant section, and you have 60 minutes to respond to them. For any entrance exam, time management is crucial. Therefore, learning is crucial to achieving better grades in the QA section.

When taking the QA section, you can employ the following two strategies:

• Use the 40-20 rule.

Only respond to questions on subjects where you are an expert can be completed in less than or equal to two minutes during the first round. This makes it easy to finish 18–20 questions in 40 minutes, or at least 15 (minimum). There are fifteen easy questions on each QA test. To trap students and waste their precious time, they label the first five to eight questions as challenging. Thus, the first lesson is to avoid getting stuck on any question.
In this manner, 45 points (or 41 points with 14 right answers and 1 wrong answer) can be earned in 40 minutes. You can now complete six questions in the remaining 20 minutes, earning you an additional 18 points. Additionally, your final CAT (QA) score will be 60/102, which is in the 99+ percentile for a moderate paper.

• Start with what you know

We will solve questions by keeping in mind that no question should be left unanswered for more than three minutes. If the questions at the beginning appear difficult, begin solving from the last question because questions at the end are easier. By doing so, you can easily attempt over 27 questions and score over 60. Many students use this strategy, but they cannot stick to their time constraints and end up wasting their time.
More than 80% of the students are unable to see all 34 questions. So, instead of focusing on one question, look at all of them. In your mocks, try both of these strategies and stick with the one that you are most comfortable with. You will notice a difference in your scores after implementing these.

Conclusion

For cracking the CAT Exam, hard work is essential, but smart strategies and consistent efforts can multiply your chances of success. Being aware of the exam pattern types, effective study plan creation for individual learning styles, regular practicing with time management, and motivation have helped many students achieve great success. This strategy would help students take the CAT examination confidently and achieve the desired scores.

Sambhavi Prakash