Aspirants will come face-to-face with CAT on November 29. The clock will be ticking at one corner of the screen. CAT is a test against time where you have to prove your mettle in a short duration. The time constraint in CAT makes the students likely to panic and stress which can ultimately result in their hardwork going down the drain.
Here’s a list of some of the most common errors one should avoid during the exam:
Pay attention
Read the question properly and take your time to comprehend. Don’t assume something based on your preconceived notions. Don’t attempt in sequence and avoid prefixing number of questions. Attempting the questions without scanning the paper fully may lead to wasting time on difficult questions and missing out on the easier ones. Never pre-determine a target for a section.
Time management
Time is at the core of this exam. Don’t get stuck in a particular question for long. Remember you also have a sectional time limit along with sectional cut-offs. Do not get stuck on a difficult question Students should try to solve all the easy and moderate questions first and then attempt the difficult ones.
Avoid guesswork
Students can eliminate the incorrect options to get the correct option but should strictly avoid random guess work.
Never give up
Don’t lose hope if one of the sections did not go well as per your expectation because chances are that it didn’t go well for other applicants too.
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Particularly for Reading Comprehension (RC) don’t rely on skimming as you might get trapped in the web of 'trigger words' if you don’t read the complete passage. A passage may focus on one point for some sentences and then change it towards the end with trigger words like 'but' or 'however.' This will usually confuse readers who skim through the passage.
Any of the options that are out of scope can never be the correct answer. The right answer is always based on the information given within the passage. Do not focus on any of the options that distract you from the passage.
For Verbal Ability (VA), focus on questions where rules (grammar, logic, word-based) can be used to solve. Don’t miss out on para summary questions. Even though they carry negative marking, with the right approach, they are solvable. Ideally, 30 minutes should be dedicated for RC. Only 10 minutes for VA in which 15 to 18 questions with 85 per cent accuracy should be targeted.
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
These sections test students’ potential of becoming future managers, since it examines their ability to handle stress, and their decision making ability with limited resources. Students should concentrate on deciphering the data correctly. Students can attempt Data Interpretation (DI) and Logical Reasoning (LR) section in two rounds:
●In the first round, solve sets in which your accuracy and speed is high.
●In the second round, solve sets in which your accuracy is high but speed is low.
Quantitative Ability
The key to crack QA section boils down to your ability to attempt the right questions. Students can attempt Quantitative Ability (QA) section in two rounds:
●In the first round, scan all the questions, solve the easy questions, and mark the moderately difficult questions for the second round. First round ends with seven to eight easy questions attempted in 15 minutes.
●In the second round, solve all the marked questions. Also, note down the question number in which you were close, but you couldn't solve. Try the questions that you have noted one more time. Second round ends with 12 to 13 questions attempted in 25 minutes, making your average attempt of around 20 questions in the QA section.