CAT is the most demanding yet uncertain exam. It requires dedication, hard work with smart strategies, and perseverance to walk the journey and achieve the milestone. But sometimes, even with rigorous devotion, you didn't make it to the IIMs. You get the 90+ percentile but are not happy with the colleges you are getting after that.

This situation occurs with many of the CAT aspirants. They remain in a constant dilemma of whether they should retake the CAT exam or not. Some candidates think about giving the CAT exam again immediately after their exam without waiting for the results.

This only brings unnecessary pressure into your life and squeezes your energy from other tasks. Are you also from those candidates? Then this article is for you. With this article, we'll discuss whether you should give CAT again or not? And what were the previous mistakes you committed that caused you one more attempt?

Should you retake the CAT or not?

You will define the answer to this question because it's you who understands the weaknesses, strengths, mistakes, and improvisation of yourself. If your progress hampers due to external factors like job, friends, social gathering, lack of resources, etc., you should give CAT one more time. But if you studied hard and have all the resources, you must ask yourself a few questions before applying again.

You should ask:

Q-1. Is an MBA necessary to achieve your goal and worth the risk?

This is the first question you should ask yourself is MBA the only way to achieve the desired goal you decided for yourself? Because CAT is a gamble, either you make it, or you break it. So it becomes highly crucial to know whether the risk of one more year is required or not. If the CAT seems challenging to crack, then some other exams take direct entries, but for IIMs, it's only the CAT.

Q-2. Is your full-time job the reason for your failure?

Most of the candidates who applied for CAT are fresh graduates, but some are doing full-time jobs to supplement their backup plan. If this is the case with you and you think it's your job that hampers your time management and if you can manage the expenses during the preparation, then there is no-brainer to choose whether to do a job or not.

Q-3. Was the study plan and resources good?

You bought the best books, prepared an unbeatable strategy, but could still not mark the elite group of 99%tilers. It is a common cause and happens with many students but believe me; it's not your strategy but the timely changes that jammed your progress. Maybe you need timely improvisations in order to get the most out of your efforts. Don'tDon't rush to get new study material or make a perfect study plan but analyze your old strategy and add missed elements, and you are good to go.

Q-4. Is coaching required this time?

Whether you prepared yourself or did a cat coaching in your first attempt, for your second attempt, expert assistance is required to ensure success because they saw all these scenarios on a daily basis, and they can guide you better. You can enroll yourself in online cat coaching classes if you want to save your traveling time or you are working professionally. You will surely see the change this time if you take the expert assistance.

Q-5. Were there any mental blockages in the previous attempt, and what would be the strategy this time?

It is our behavior to panic in stressful situations. It is not your problem; competitive exams are designed to test your patience in most stressful conditions without degrading your performance. If you have any anxiety or any other mental stress, then try to spend some time with your relatives and close friends, and you will feel better. Humans are social animals hence need the company of other beings, so don't be a bibliophile and outside.

Apart from this, build a new strategy this time and follow it religiously. Add necessary points and remove the unnecessary ones. Remember that change is essential, and change is constant. If you think your previous strategy was good, then focus on improving those weak areas that didn't work for you. This will fetch you the desired result.

Conclusion

You might have gotten rid of all your queries and now focus more on the new journey. Sometimes it also happens that people fail in the second or third attempt as well. Are you ready to accept this because it might happen that you will lose again? Even in that situation, don't lose your heart because life is about learning from failures and standing up again. There is more to explore in life than an entrance exam.

Even if you are not making it to the IIMs, you can still get a good salary and a corporate reputation because your skills help you get on top and not the campus.

Stay Strong and Prepare well.