9 Point Strategy To Crack CAT

1. Monitor yourself
It is unnecessary to study for over two hours a day. Experiment by studying at different times in the day to find what time your mental juices flow. This will help you later, when you need to you’ll know exactly when you feel at your freshest and concentrate best. Attempt tests on Sundays and holidays. This practice tunes you to answering a CAT-type test at any time of the day.

2. Read newspapers and news magazines
Cultivate reading. Sixty per cent of the Verbal Ability section in the test paper comprises Reading Comprehension passages. Even if you solve only RC with an achievable accuracy of 70 per cent you can clear your VA cut-offs without even having to attempt the grammar section.
Reading daily newspapers or news magazines increases your speed of reading. It also ensures that you can grasp relevant points in even abstract passages. It also broadens your horizons and all the current affairs and other information that you have read about, gives you something to talk about in the Group Discussions and Personal Interviews

3. Study in bursts
It is required that you can switch your concentration on and off. Don’t do the same thing for more than 40-45 minutes. This is why the CAT paper has three sections, instead of one long section.
Practice studying in short productive bursts of 45 minutes - 60 minutes with breaks in between. At first, it will be tough to regain concentration immediately after you resume your break, but soon you will become accustomed to it.

4. Go back to basics
Many of us are rusty in terms of our high school math. Set a week aside to go over math formulae as well as a few basic proofs that you will require to use. This allocation of time is especially beneficial to working professionals. Avoid doing things that are complicated. Stick to the basics and allocate time efficiently.

5. Develop a proper test-giving routine
CAT puts pressure on you by giving you less time to solve the paper than is required. Attempt each practice test like you would the actual paper. If you don’t join a classroom programme, ensure that you take several practice tests online and analyse your performance in every test with the help of detailed personalized reports and study guides. Attempt to clear every sectional cut-off and hence, overall cut-off in every paper. Do not attempt only one section well in a paper at the cost of the others. Time yourself while attempting the practice test

6. Keep experimenting
Constantly change things like which section you attempt first, the target number of questions you want to attempt or the time you spend on each section. The right way to solve the CAT is to have a balance between speed and accuracy. Ensure that you clear all cut-offs.

7. Start doing crosswords, logic puzzles etc
Solving the daily crossword (and checking the solutions the day after) increases vocabulary. Solve logic puzzles if you need some help with the Logical Reasoning questions in DI.

8. Develop a hobby
There is no need to study round the clock. Take up a hobby or indulge in an interest in your spare time. Hobbies help in creating a wholesome personality which also makes you look interesting at your personal interview!

9. Avoid over-preparation
Take a break when you feel that CAT is getting to you. It is important to enjoy answering CAT if you want to crack it. Look at solving CAT as a challenge, not a routine.

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