The Common Admission Test is the last hurdle to cross before the finish line of attending a Tier-1 B-school in India. The test is written by over 2 lakh people every year, and the competition has been rising steadily. Every CAT applicant has to decide to compete against people from all fields of education and degrees of work experience.
It's not surprising that many people put their lives on hold when they prepare for the CAT.
Students take gap years or don't sit for placements, and professionals leave their jobs -aspirants risk everything for their shot at a good B-school.
Unfortunately, their big sacrifice is unnecessary and often in vain. The biggest thing you need to crack the CAT is already inside every person. All you need is self-discipline and a bit of guidance. The rest will fall into place.
So what is self-discipline?
Self-discipline is the simple act of doing what you have to without the persistence of someone else. It means having control over your emotions and actions to ensure that you can do what you need before you focus on what you want. A strong motivation makes it easier to be self-disciplined.
If you need your parents to tell you to study every single day, you lack self-discipline. If you let phone calls with friends cut into your scheduled study time, you lack self-discipline. If you prioritize wanting to go out over staying home and studying on most days of the week, you lack self-discipline.
The lack of self-discipline will lead to hardships in your path to the CAT. It shows up in subtle evils, like procrastination or always choosing to study your favorite subject. It leads to incomplete preparations and high work-loads in the months before the test.
Self-Discipline Actions
There are three core actions to developing self-discipline. These actions need to be reiterated throughout the journey to developing self-discipline.
1. Doing a self-evaluation
In your self-evaluation, you need to look for areas in your life that could use self-discipline. Try to expand these areas beyond your CAT preparation, as the goal is to make self-discipline a habit.
If you are overwhelmed with the number of areas you find, choose only one or two to focus on at first and note down the rest for later. Don't worry if you do not think you found enough areas. You will discover more as you get more attuned to the process of self-evaluation.
2. Developing a self-consciousness
While some events of our lives are far beyond our control, we influence most of them with our actions. Consider the areas that you chose from your self-evaluation. In the last few months, what went wrong or right in those areas? How did your actions influence those outcomes? By answering these questions, you can empower yourself to make better decisions for your future.
3. Self-praise
Eventually, the processes of self-evaluation and developing self-consciousness will lead to you making better decisions and accomplishing more of your personal goals. It is essential to praise every improvement you make, no matter how small it may seem. The pride and joy of accomplishment will be able to motivate you even when times are tough.
These actions are powerful but vague. They do not explain how to translate self-discipline into an exceptional CAT percentile. I explained these actions first because they are universal. They apply to every single person. Anybody can build a habit of self-discipline by following those three actions.
Any steps or guidelines for CAT prep that you may come across do not apply to every single person. Everybody has varying strategies that work for them and varied amounts of time they can dedicate to honing them. Finding the strategies that work for you will involve the three actions mentioned above. It is alright if some plans do not work for you.
Self-Discipline Strategies
Tailored plans work best for every individual. Here is a list of the 11 best self-discipline
strategies for preparing for the CAT. They are the building blocks to your perfectly tailored study plan.
1. Start well in advance.
Most guides say that you should start dedicated CAT prep at least 12 months in advance.
However, some people who scored above the 95th percentile said 3-6 months worked for them. The number of months you require depends on multiple factors, including hours available for study, practice with giving competitive exams, and prior familiarity with the exam portions. It is alright to decide you need more time, even over a year, as long as the pace you set helps you achieve your goal.
Before you decide how much time you require, understand the exam pattern and portions thoroughly. If you are not familiar with the topics, you will require extra time to cover the basics. Also, consider how much time you will need to dedicate to practice tests. Ensure that your planned study hours do not take time out of essential activities like exercise, socializing, or your educational or professional work. Finally, give yourself ample buffer time to recover from slumps, distractions, misjudgments, illnesses, or emergencies. At worst, your planned buffer will save you from a rush to complete the portions. At best, it will give you extra time to practice.
2. Set achievable targets.
While setting targets, it can be tempting to aim too high or to leave goal-setting for later. Both of these stem from an a-can-do, attitude, which is a good thing to have. Trying to aim too high and not being able to reach that goal can affect your motivation. Leaving goal-setting for later reduces the importance of prioritization and hinders the process of making a study plan.
A large part of self-discipline is setting targets and consistently achieving them. It requires a lot of self-evaluation. One way to set achievable targets is to make sure that they are SMART. Smart is a common acronym used as a guide in goal setting. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Your SMART goals will be specific to you. You can focus them on the portions, your mock papers, or the score you wish to achieve.
Another efficient way to set goals is to choose a long term goal and to set short term goals to achieve it. That could look like this:The end goal (12 months): Secure 99th percentile in CAT exam
Penultimate goal (9 months): Score above 144 marks in every mock
Preliminary goal (7 months): Begin giving mock tests and focusing on areas where you lose marks
Monthly goal: Complete a certain amount of the portions
Weekly goal: Test yourself on the topics you study during the week
Daily goal: The exact portion you will study on that day
While working towards your goals, remember that they are flexible. You can always study more than you planned to. But also remember that you gave yourself ample buffer time, so do not punish yourself if you have to replan your goals.
3. Have dedicated study hours.
Self-discipline involves setting time aside for specific tasks. It works most efficiently if the hours are consistent every day. A habit generally takes 21 days to form. If you push yourself to start studying at 6 am for three weeks, you will eventually get used to that routine. It will reduce your restlessness and laziness during those hours.
During your dedicated study time, you should remove all distractions like social media or
games. Choose a study table for yourself and make sure it is clean and uncluttered every day before studying. It will also create a routine in your mind. Ensure that you keep water and light snacks near your table to reduce the temptation of taking a break.
Try to choose study hours that are less likely to be interrupted, and in which you won't miss all your social plans. Unexpected circumstances can cut into your study hours. When this happens, try to complete the planned portions at a different time and to get back on track the next day.
4. Time every question.
It can be tempting to start practicing questions without a stopwatch. You may argue that you deserve to learn the topic well first. However, the CAT is a time-sensitive exam with 100 questions in 180 minutes. So, you need to develop a habit of answering questions quickly and correctly. Every question has an average time of fewer than 2 minutes in the CAT, which varies for every section. With the help of the stopwatch, you can track your average time for every question. Your goals are to bring that time below 2 minutes without compromising on accuracy. For topics that lie in your areas of strength, that time should be as low as possible.
In the actual exam, answering every question is not the goal. If your goal is the 99th percentile, you should score at least 144 marks, which you can get by answering 48 questions with 100% accuracy. That leaves over 3 minutes for each problem. However, exam day can be very different, and leaving many questions for the end of the exam can result in undue stress and errors. When you increase your pace of solving problems during practice, you give yourself more confidence and more time to recheck your answers on exam day.
5. Focus on your weaknesses.
It is important to remember that preparation is not the same as the exam day. During the CAT, you should focus on your strengths. However, while preparing, you should prioritize your weaknesses. By dedicating time to topics and sections that you are not comfortable with, you can improve your strong points. It will increase how comfortable you feel with the exam and increase your chances of a high percentile.
Focusing on your weaknesses can be difficult. You first have to acknowledge that you have them and identify what they are. You can do this based on your familiarity with the portions or based on your results after practicing some questions. Then, you can begin at the basic concepts in those topics and can dedicate more time to thoroughly working through them.
6. Avoid multitasking
When studying for the CAT, you should avoid any forms of multitasking. While it may seem like you are making progress on multiple things at once, multitasking hampers your productivity and reduces your memory capacity. Your focus should be on your study material and nothing else.
In the age of virtual classrooms and consistent connection, this is even more important.
Messages and phone calls can draw your attention away from your material. While group study calls may work for some people, they may be a distraction for others. During online classes or while watching videos, you should be taking notes. Avoid any other activity like cooking or answering messages.
7. Embrace failures
During your CAT preparation, there will be times when you are not able to meet your goals. It feels essential to understand concepts quickly, to answer every question correctly, and to score high marks in every mock test. These are all goals you set because you thought you would be able to achieve them. Such failures are on the path to every great accomplishment.
All of us have heard that we should embrace our failure, but it is easier said than done.
Remember that your journey to a B-school should be an accomplishment, not a punishment. The first thing you should do is to evaluate the consequences of your failure and to understand that it is not the end of your journey yet. Then, try to find out what caused the setback in the first place. Usually, it is something that you can fix with discipline and motivation. Try to devise a plan to overcome it. Finally, remind yourself that you are human and that it is okay for you to make mistakes. Brush off the failure and get a good night's sleep before starting fresh the next day.
8. Tackle slumps efficiently.
Slumps can waste precious time during your preparation. They can be obvious, such as long bouts of procrastination, or more subtle, when you feel like hours of study yield inches of progress. The latter can be disheartening and can affect your motivation to tackle the CAT. However, it is natural to experience some slumps during months of preparation.
The first step of recovering from a slump is to recognize that you are in one. The most common cause is focusing on the same topic for too long. Studying the same subject for a long time can exhaust and bore your brain. Starting a completely different topic will give you a sense of excitement and might break your slump. If it doesn't, do not try to power through as that often fails and leads to more discouragement. Instead, accept that you are facing a more complex slump and try to find the root of it.
Everybody has a different reason. Perhaps you need a break, are feeling anxious, need to feel accomplished, or need to take care of your physical health. Practicing the three actions of self-discipline will be useful in identifying and tackling the problems. If you are feeling anxious or stressed, take a break and write down what is on your mind or speak to a friend. If you need to feel accomplished, write down your small achievements from the last month or make a habit of emailing a list of weekly accomplishments to yourself.
Remember, all slumps are temporary.
9. Nurture your body and mind
When students build a study plan for themselves, they expose themselves to the possibility of deviating from that plan. In an attempt to get back on track, they may start skipping meals or losing sleep. Even with a solid plan, they may feel mounting stress and anxiety as exam day creeps closer.
When preparing for any competitive exam, it is of utmost importance to make sure that your mind and body are healthy and happy. Often, catering to one satisfies the other as well, to some extent. It is important not to punish oneself during the preparation journey. It is alright to deviate slightly from your plan since you planned a buffer time. Instead of cutting into your meals or sleep, revise your schedule to accommodate the lost time.
Throughout your preparation, remember to do regular physical exercise. Make sure you are eating healthily and drinking enough water. Sleeping well recharges your brain and helps improve memory and cognitive power. Try to reduce caffeine and sugar intake during these times. Whenever you feel stressed, talk to a friend or family member. Try to keep a physical to-do list or start practicing bullet-journaling so that your mind is more calm and relaxed. Remember to give time to yourself even when the exam pressure rises.
10. Don't wait for the perfect time.
Everybody wants to start a big thing when the time feels right. However, that time began when you decided to give the CAT. It is a milestone in your life, but it does not need to happen at an auspicious time. The desire to wait for the right time may stem from a mix of uncertainty and fear. With over 2 lakh candidates, it is an immensely competitive exam, and it is normal to feel worried about it.
Try to remember that by starting early, you are giving yourself more time to perfect your
preparation. Choose to start today rather than tomorrow. Believe in yourself. The first step is sometimes the most difficult one to take.
11. Remember to give yourself a break
One of the most essential yet ignored parts of preparing for the CAT and learning self-discipline is giving yourself frequent breaks. People tend to think that self-discipline is willpower and that it is difficult and painful to achieve. Self-discipline is not supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be an act of self-acceptance, of modifying your goals and plans to work for you.
So, not only should you take frequent breaks while studying and preparing for the CAT, but you should also remember to give yourself a break. Don't go too hard on yourself. Remember that you are human. You work best when you are happy, healthy, rested, and loved. Take more care of your mind and body than you do of your study plan. Remind yourself often that you are worthy, and you are loved, and you do not need to do well in the CAT to be either. Practice self-affirmations or meditation to boost your mood and your acceptance of yourself.
You're ready to start preparing!
With the actions and strategies given above, you are ready to tackle CAT preparation.
Remember that your self-discipline is your biggest weapon and that it is not equitable to your willpower. Take care of your mind and body and give yourself enough time to handle
unexpected circumstances. Maintain your motivation and self-confidence, and start your journey to a B-school in the right way!
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