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!
