With the pandemic wreaking havoc across the globe, it seems that Darwin’s philosophy of the survival of the fittest holds true. Those who can upgrade their knowledge and skills and explore new opportunities will keep the growth engine moving. This is the one of the reasons why many certification courses, professional degrees and skill development programmes are emerging in varied domains.
One professional degree that has not lost its sheen is the MBA programme. While the stream one is from doesn’t matter, what is required to get into a top college is to crack the three-hour computer-based CAT and perform well in the second round. The CAT is more than just an exam; it is is a test of one’s persistence, composure, decision-making abilities, temperament, knowledge and resilience.
Here are some tips for those planning to appear for CAT-20, apart from solving the previous years’ papers.
Prepare to score well
Make a timetable and stick to it: Create a schedule based on the number of hours at your disposal. Give yourself daily and weekly targets i.e. number of topics to be finished weekly and number of questions to be practised.
Don’t do selective studying: CAT is about surprises. Any module can have more weightage in the exam. So, complete all the topics thoroughly; not just conceptual knowledge, but also application.
Enrol in a test series: Appearing for mock tests is crucial, as it streamlines your preparation and familiarises you with the test environment. It will help devise strategies on maximising scores, identify weak and strong areas, understand concepts and their applications and keep the preparation grounded. One can also experiment with strategies to figure out what works best. Ideally, a candidate should take 30-40 full-length mock tests.
Analyse mock tests : A detailed analysis will help identify what went wrong and what areas need improvement. Keep track of the performance across the mock tests and also make a note of all the good questions encountered.
Fitness is important: Keep yourself physically fit and mentally active, as falling ill can derail both the preparation and the momentum built up. Make sure the preparation is consistent and that the pace can be sustained.
Flexible approach: Don’t entertain preconceived notions or have a fixed mindset. A surprise element may throw you off track. The CAT is as much a test of character as of content.
The writer is an IIT-Roorkee alumnus and co-founder of Kitabee
