Education Does Not Only Happen in the Classroom

The clock is ticking fast and soon the CAT 2020 will be upon us. Considering the toughness of the questions’ level and the number of test-takers, it is important for you as a test-taker to work on a last minute strategy to score well and ace one of the toughest examinations for MBA & PGDM admissions. Since, the last few days before the examination are very crucial for aspirants, therefore the preparation strategy must be different from the strategies which were followed six months or a year before. If you are one of the aspirants who is preparing for CAT 2020 then this article is for you. This article will brief you on all the important strategies and last-minute tips which every CAT candidate must follow to give a final touch to their preparation.

Develop Reasoning Speed
CAT-2020 will require you to solve around 3-4 high quality reasoning sets in around 40 mins. To develop speed, one must first acquaint himself/herself with 3 different sections i.e verbal, analytical and mathematical. So start solving around 3 sets daily (initially without time but then in a timed manner) in approx. 30 mins and then thoroughly analyze.

Focusing on Calculation Speed
Your calculation speed will be one of the most relevant skills during and even after your MBA course. Always try to do calculations mentally in the mocks and do not try to hide behind the calculator provided in the CAT exam. Specially, give around 10 mins daily for improving your calculations.

Avoid starting New Topics
You should make a list of all the topics which are most prepared and least prepared. After the list is prepared, you should allocate more time on revising the most prepared topics and should avoid starting with any new topic at the last minute. It will help in further strengthening your core strength areas and thus improve confidence.

Practice with Mock and Past Exam Papers
As we know that CAT doesn’t give out everything but for a student appearing for CAT-2020 for the first time, it is imperative that one should know the question paper pattern and the strategies to solve the questions with speed and accuracy. Therefore, it is important for the candidate to analyze the previous years’ CAT papers. Practicing mock papers and previous year questions papers will give an idea about the CAT exam thoroughly such as the question type, the paper pattern, and the difficulty level.

Manage Time In An Effective Way
After taking command over speed and accuracy, you should focus on the time management. You need to evaluate whether you are able to solve a section within stipulated time or not. For the CAT examination, strategizing time management is very important.
Candidates must classify their time allocation into three parts. In the first part, one should attempt those questions which can be read and solved with just the mental calculations. After that, candidates should take up the questions which they find easy to solve but require some additional time. In the end candidates should take such questions which are time consuming and tough ones.
If the aspirants follow this strategy and solve 75 percent of questions from the whole question paper with a good speed and accuracy, one can easily expect a decent percentile.

Maintain Healthy Routine
Considering the ongoing challenges towards health, it is one of the most important points that aspirants should maintain a healthy routine before the exam. You must take care of your health with good sleep, healthy food and complete relaxation to calm your brain. This will help to stay focused during this period and during the exam.

• You should be ready with all the important documents required - Admit card, original ID proof, etc.
• Check for the travel time on google maps and start early
• You must visit the exam centre before the final exam day to become familiar with the route to reach the examination centre
• Post COVID-19, you should take precautions by wearing masks/face shields and sanitizing your hands and objects to avoid any contact with contaminated objects

In the examination hall, time is your best friend and nervousness is your worst enemy. Use time judiciously and remember that the more questions you cover accurately, the greater would be your score. Do not get bogged down by a given question. Keep moving on. If the first section has gone well, do not get casual and over-confident as the Complacency will set in. On the other hand, if the first section was a bit taxing, do not get anxious either. Panic has never helped any one.
All the Best for CAT 2020!!