CAT Crackers

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Arpit Bhandari

InstituteIIM Calcutta
Year of Graduation2010 (expected)
Percentile99.3 (CAT 2007)

1. What does it take to crack the CAT?

Hard work, tenacity, and a good temperament are needed to crack the CAT. I could not clear Verbal cutoff when I took my first CAT in 2005. I got final admission from FMS, but then chose to accept a campus job offer to try for CAT again. Next year too, I was preparing well and was scoring under 100 ranks in mock CATs, but DI took a beating on the final day. Attributing 'luck factor' to the exam, I decided not to prepare for CAT anymore and to go for MS, for which I appeared for GRE/TOEFL. Still I filled up the CAT form, and took the exam without even an hour of preparation, and got calls from CLIK.

Looking back, I feel that I did my hard work for first 2 years and then also was in touch with verbal (through GRE preparation) - but was lacking the temperament for final day assault. On my 3rd attempt, when I went into the test center with zilch preparation and a feeling of having-nothing-to-lose, I could perform to my potential.

Many students can work hard and score well on normal days, but I have experienced that it is only the temperament of final day which counts.

2. What was my strategy for CAT?

Since Verbal was my weakest section, I always started with it. Also, due to poor accuracy, I tried to attempt the whole section giving it 1+ hour. I followed it by some Quant questions just to 'warm-up' myself with calculations. Leaving Quant mid-way, I jumped to DI and finished the section (up to a comfortable level of clearing cut-offs) to return back to Quant for the remaining time. I did this as I didn't want to be left 'reading' a problem set of DI midway.

Also, for Quant and DI, I used to choose problem sets haphazardly - never in a set pattern (a lesson learnt in mock CATs that problems in the middle/end are many a times simpler!)

3. Tips for Various Sections:

a. Reading Comprehension

Good vocabulary matters! The RC becomes a smooth ride when you don't stop at a new word and try to make out its meaning from the given context.

b. Logical Reasoning

Practice and practice. Given time, you can solve any LR problem. But since time is precious during CAT, your brain should hit the ground running.

c. Data Interpretation

Even if you read the problem and don't have the confidence to solve it, move on to the next one. The time 'wasted' while reading it, and not solving it, is justified if you can solve the other set properly. Don't end the test with this section.

d. Quant

Get fundamentals crystal clear. Work hard and don't be 'afraid' of any problem. Learn to leave problems for simpler ones and not get stuck to them.

4. CAT Course / Books that I followed

I followed study material of Roots Education in the first two years of my preparation. I also enrolled myself to TIME test series during last two attempts. Also, I did Barron's word list for my GRE exam which helped a lot.

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