How to tackle the Online CAT-2010

CAT may have gone online, but the key to acing it still lies in preparation

The most pressing question on the minds of student sis ‘How do I tackle the Online CAT?’ However the most obvious thing that one notices in the question is the emphasising ‘Online’aspect more than the one on ‘CAT’. Well the answer to this question is to keep it simple and not to worry about the ‘Online’ form at as much as the ‘content’ofthe paper.The key to doing well on CAT has always been ■ Sound preparation Plenty of practice on mocks simulating all possi■ Getting the basics right ■ abilities ■ Self-belief Sound Preparation encompasses looking at previous questions of CAT and understanding the ‘syllabus’ of CAT. Firstly,one should make a list of all topics/areas on which questions have been asked in Quantitative, Logic& Data Interpretation and the Verbal section. Second, one should then assess whether one is ‘proficient’, ‘average’ or ‘needs improvement’ineachof those areas. The areas that fall in the third category is what one should look at quickly addressing rather than hoping that questions from that area do not come in CAT2010! More often than not one notices that the paper setter sat the IIMs are testing the students on their understanding of basic concepts and this is where ‘Getting the basics right’ plays a role.Often students look for the toughest material to practice without realising that their understanding of concepts as simple as LCM&HCF is not as good as they think it is. CAT has often trapped students with simple and elegant questions that probe into their understanding of the basics.A quick recap of all the chapter sin Quantitative and the concepts involved in each of them would go a long way in rectifying this.

One aspect of CAT that has been its hallmark is its unpredictability in terms of the pattern, the question types, areas emphasised and the difficulty level. Students should ensure that they have had enough progressively kinds of papers through a comprehensive mock series program. This ensures that one is exposed to relevant and plausible question types which increase ones capacity to deal with any surprise in CAT2010.

However taking lots of mocks is not the panacea to all evils –the panacea is in analysing the mocks after the test is over and learning from ones mistakes.

However the most important ingredient in tackling CAT2010 successfully is self-belief –the fact that one has put in so much effort over the past months should yield positive dividends. Constant worrying about the end result only makes the task that much more difficult to accomplish.

So keep your spirits high and crank up the level of preparation in the next one month leading up to CAT.

Success will belong to those who can follow this advice religiously and keep up their belief in their destiny.

By Sai Kumar, Director T.I.M.E.,Mumbai