how to attempt cat paper?

How to attempt cat paper?

Are you dreaming of getting into the top B-school of India? Then the biggest hurdle is the CAT examination. A top-tier premier entrance exam that is conducted by the collaboration of IIMs (top management colleges in India) to ensure that only crème de la crème will be admitted into the college. It makes the CAT exam so demanding that only a few hundred candidates make it to the IIMs from a massive number of 2 or 3 lakh applicants.
While preparing for the examination, one thing that bothers the applicants the most is what would be the approach to attempt CAT paper because you need a 99+ percentile to get into your dream college. But to achieve this, one needs to be aware that the negative marking is also there, which will steal 1 mark from your sheet for every wrong answer, and it is a bit depressing. If you're reading this, chances are you're interested in learning more about how to approach paper to ensure the maximum result.
In this article, you will get information on how you can get the maximum outcome from your preparation to get the desired seat. Before moving forward, let's discuss the pattern of the CAT examination.

CAT exam pattern

CAT exam is divided into three sections (i) Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension - VARC (ii) Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning - DILR (iii) Quantitative Aptitude - QA for which you get a total of 2 hours to complete. There are 100 questions in total, where you can expect 20-24 questions in VARC, 18-20 in DILR, and 20-24 in QA. With each correct answer, you get 3 marks, and for every wrong answer, 1 mark will be deducted from your paper.

Considering all the major factors, it's time to move ahead with the strategy for attempting CAT paper. There are three sections, and you cannot follow the same approach for all the sections; hence minimal improvisation is required. And we are providing you with a sectional-wise strategy to attempt the CAT exam.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Start with the easy questions first - Skim through the entire question paper without consuming much time as this will help you identify the areas of strength and weaknesses. After glancing, start with familiar-type questions that you have practiced or feel confident about their correctness.

Become friends with comprehension passages - In the VARC section, Reading Comprehension Passages will be a great start to build continuity. Scan the passage to understand the topic and start answering the question.

Solve the short part - Questions like sentence completion, para jumbles, order of vocabulary, etc., are straightforward and easy to solve in less time. Solve these questions without wasting time on the tough ones.

Leave the doubtful questions - It is good to leave those questions unanswered in which you are in doubt. Because leaving questions unanswered will not harm you, but a wrong answer will cause you a -1 mark.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Make combinations fast - DILR is not like the VARC section; multiple tough questions require immediate problem solving and combination make. In order to excel in this section, you should make assumptions and combinations rapidly—especially the LR section, which is purely reasoning.

Stay away from guessing - Calculation is about solving in a systematic manner without assumptions and guessing. Hence in this section as well, you must keep guessing minimum and calculation to ensure correctness.

Play the elimination game - CAT paper is also objective in nature, and just like any other competitive exam, the elimination method will also be beneficial here. From the given four options, eliminate at least two non-relevant options, then choose the right one. This will not only help you to score more but also minimize the error.

Manage time effectively - Questions that are calculative in nature will naturally consume more time. If you spend all your time on those questions, then you might not get enough time left to solve the whole paper. Remember that you have two more sections as well to solve, so keep a watch on the needles tied at your wrist or hanging on the wall.

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

Skimming is most important - Although a glance at all the sections is necessary, but in quantitative aptitude, it becomes even more critical as it creates familiarity with the questions and their difficulty. Skimming helps you to divide time more effectively.

Keep distance from unfamiliar questions - Quantitative aptitude is undoubtedly the most strenuous section to tackle. It becomes highly crucial that you stay away from those questions that are highly tweaked or don't know the exact process to solve. Doing this will save both marks and time.

Do calculations in the brain - Yes, you read that right. It is possible to calculate simple mathematics in the brain. It is a no-brainer to waste time using pen and paper for simple subtraction, addition, or cubefication. QA is a mathematical part, and every question represents different aspects of it. And saving a few seconds will become precious minutes at the last moment.

Leave tough questions answered - it is acceptable not to attempt the whole question paper because quantity has nothing to do with the percentile, but it's the quality that stands you apart. So if you don't have time, then it is better to not answer it at all rather than ticking the wrong option. Quick exam day tips

Do not read new stuff on exam day.
Read questions with different options given in it.
Re-check all your answers before leaving the examination hall.
Maintain calm and stress when you find yourself stuck in between the paper.
It may sound weird but try to do a fun activity one day prior to the examination that will increase the dopamine rush and make you feel good. Some of these activities are watching movies, an outing with friends, or any of your favorite activities.

This is all from the outside to make your MBA journey a bit easy. Hoping for your promising future, we wish you the best of luck for the coming CAT exam.