Wanna Crack CAT in 30 days?

Time and Tide waits for none

This quote will play in a loop for all the CAT aspirants. With around 30 days left for the D-Day, Time plays a crucial part not only in the exam but also before it. Preparing until now is like building an army with resources plenty and situation not demanding much. But as the war is approaching, even a great King may stutter in his tactics as resources are limited and the situation is volatile. This can be related to CAT exam too. You may have built your foundations well, but your focus to reach the skies must be unwavering. No matter how good you are at the basics, you have to still run for mastery. All your efforts and invaluable time will be lost if you do not utilize this month optimally and smartly.

CAT aspirants are excellent strategists. Like a Grandmaster in Chess, CAT aspirants achieve greatness with their varied but voracious plans to dominate the war that may seem impossible otherwise. But all the strategies may not be optimal for the exam and the bad thing is a bad strategy shows its effects not during preparation but during the Exam.

This demands a plan that can make your long ride smooth and swift. So, let us look at how to utilize the remaining days for cracking CAT

Still a plenty of Time

CAT aspirants can be primarily of two types:-

CAT aspirants
CAT aspirants

Yes, because there can be no possible classification as each and every aspirant will have and must have unwavering focus and intense tenaciousness. The reason that you already know is being pressured is simple. There are many people who haven’t started the preparation yet or who are at the middle point of their preparation. There will be a lot of tension and stress by the constant reminder of the D-day arriving and most of the time will be wasted worrying.

This will be long gone if you utilize the time at hand well. Because, friend, There is Plenty of TIME

What about your OLD Strategy?

People who started recently can follow this strategy but the aspirants who are already following their own can revisit it one and compare it with the new one. The two strategies must be looked at carefully and the useful elements must be taken to create a strategy personalized and at the same time safe and standard. Because a Strategy is all about taking up ideas and converting them into useful work. The ideas where you get is not the issue but what you do with them is crucial.

30 DAY STRATEGY

CAT is an aptitude exam. It is not making you innovate something or solve a problem. It is merely testing your basic skills i.e Dealing with numbers, Critical thinking and having a good grip on Language. That’s all that is present. But the way the testing is done makes it difficult. So, the first thing that needs to be done is to set aside the fears and stop being paranoid about you messing up the exam.

Now a Detailed plan will be laid out that can be as said before mixed with your old strategy to obtain maximum result.

Know Thyself

Before following this plan, make sure you know completely about yourself. Know your weak areas and strong ones. Change the plan according to this strengths and weaknesses by giving more time to weak sections and accuracy oriented but small sessions for strong ones.

Take a Free mock test and analyse your strengths and weaknesses

First 5 DAYS

This duration is utilized for building up the basics

Quant	All the basics needs to be covered in these 5 days Key areas like Number systems, Geometry and Algebra must be given special importance	Quantitative Aptitude by Arun Sharma can be useful
DI	Foundation topics Ratios, Percentages, Subtractions and additions are to be mastered (Vedic maths can be handy)	DI by Arun Sharma and DI by Nishit K Sinha are good
LR	Basic areas must be perfected that include arrangements, blood relations, sequencing etc.	Arun Sharma again can be preferred and Fundamental of reasoning logic can be referred
Verbal	Root words must be studied and basic grammar needs some brushing up	Word power made easy by Norman Lewis is excellent for building vocabulary and Better English by Norman Lewis will prove to be invaluable
RC	Some key things to look in RCs must be given focus like How to identify tone, topic and similar things need to know and at the same time analyzed by self-experimentation	Reading passages in newspapers can be good enough

The books mentioned above must be used as reference books and a detailed study may result in loss of valuable time.
Practice books like the ones written by Norman Lewis must be completed fast with greater pace
No Mock tests must be attempted during this period as even 3 hours can be valuable at this point.

5-10 DAYS

This duration is to practice the mastered basics

Quant	30 Problems from each major section (like Geometry, Averages and alligations etc.)	These sessions are mere application of basics learned
DI	10 Sets	All types must be covered
LR	10 sets	All types must be covered
Verbal	100 Words, Paragraph jumbles and Para completion	Root words will now prove useful and now it is time to branch out
RC	10 Passages	Passage summaries from newspapers articles will help All types of passages are to be looked into

One Mock Test for Performance Analysis

10-15 DAYS

Quant	50 Problems	Your pace will increase and you will come to know wide range of question models
DI	10 sets	Difficulty level increased
LR	10 sets	Difficulty level increased
Verbal	200 words, Correction of sentences	Observe the increase of words to be learned as many words will be interlinked through synonyms and antonyms
RC	15 Passages

Two Mocks

15-20 DAYS

Quant	50 Problems along with model paper problems	5 model papers which will result in better acquaintance with varied question types
DI	10 sets	5 model papers
LR	10 sets	5 model papers
Verbal	300 words	5 model papers
RC	15 Passages	5 model papers

Two Mocks

20-30 DAYS

Mocks Everywhere

Quant	Revising the Notes containing formulas and 100 highly difficult problems from each section	Race against time in this week. Use a timer from now on
DI	10 sets (difficult)	Using a timer
LR	10 sets (difficult)	Using a timer
Verbal	250 words, other probable topics	Complete norman lewis by this point
RC	10 passages (difficult)	Using a timer

10 Mocks- 1 Day

This plan will prepare you completely for CAT. Even though the Schedule is tough to embrace, try hard to maintain it as this is the last chance you have to ACE CAT. Don’t Lose hope.90+ Percentile can be obtained easily if you follow the above schedule strictly. The number of questions you solve during this strategy will be immense and 90+ is inevitable and even 99+ is not impossible

DO’s

Practice
Relax in between
Refer old papers and model papers thoroughly
Refer books whenever possible
Use a Timer as frequently as you can
Identify potential areas

DON’Ts

Study continuously
Stagnating at a point and not moving on
Reading the failure stories of EX-CAT aspirants
Wasting time for researching about CAT exam
Only concentrating on Repeated models
Not giving a complete push in working hard

100 Percentilers during last 30 days

Here are some common things 100 percentiles followed during the last 30 days

Giving Mocks frequently
Sincere Post Mock analysis
Reviewing previous papers and model papers
Revising basics in the last days
Racing against time whenever possible
Relaxing the day before exam

So, That’s it. This is the plan you need to consider for cracking CAT. The schedule may look hard but adjust your lifestyle accordingly for one month that can give you Lifelong happiness can be tried and succeeded. If you are not the one with schedule, remember that ‘An Aimless Arrow is like a Baseless Building” and when you lose hope, remember that “Before you give up, Think of the reason why you held on so long”

BEST OF LUCK!