Candidates often fail to cross the cut-off percentile for CAT exam. There are several candidates who missed the required percentiles for CAT 2017 and now planning to retake the CAT. With just a few months left for CAT 2018, it is important for to have a proper retaking strategy for the exam and be able to obtain excellent score in it.
First it is important to analyze whether your strategies are in place to tackle the exam again? To help you with preparing for the exam in a more effective way this time, a detailed and effective retaking strategy is given below.
The CAT retakers can be broadly classified into two categories:
>85 Percentilers
<85 Percentilers
Those who are falling in the first category already have their basics in place and are required to polish up their basics and develop problem-solving abilities. On the other hand, the candidates obtaining below 85 percentile are required to start with the very basic topics first and then to the mock tests and sample papers.
If you are in the above 85 percentile category, you could have missed the top percentile bracket due to the following reasons-
- Couldn’t surpass the sectional cut offs
- Lack of Mock test practice
- Lack of Exam-taking strategies
Must Read: Mistakes to Avoid While Retaking the CAT Exam
Lack of Exam-Taking Strategies
For CAT, one must have personal exam-taking strategies to be able to attempt most number of questions accurately. Among the several constraints, lack of time management skills, intensity drop in those three hours, selection of wrong questions are a few of them. So, it is important to strategize during the mock test sessions so that the actual exam can be taken more efficiently.
Lack of Mock Test Practice:
The mock tests for CAT play a major role in the entire preparation phase. CAT candidates often ignore taking mock tests and end up not getting proper acquainted with the exam pattern and time. It is also seen that individuals take several mock tests but does not do the CAT Mock Test evaluation the right way which eventually reflects no results.
The best way is to compete with yourself, take less time in attempting the questions, each time you take a test. You should also reevaluate and note down the changes marked in the each new mock test. Make use of the note in the next mock test. This way you could become better in each CAT Mock Test.
After formulating a strategy with the knowledge of one’s strengths and weakness will help them ace the exam. It is prerogative to maximize the strength and play around your weakness in a way to know which topic can be left and which can be improved.
Hence, make use of the mock tests to maximize your preparation for CAT exam.
Strategy:
12 – 14 Sectional Tests and 2-3 full-length mock tests should be taken in a month along with proper evaluation.
Couldn’t surpass the sectional cut-offs
It should be noted that the MBA institutes have their own sectional cut-offs to reserve the seats. To become an expert in selecting the questions that you will be able to solve with 100% accuracy, you need to solve as many sectional mock tests as you could. So, never ignore the sectional tests as they are equally as important as the overall CAT mocks.
If you see yourself falling into this category, then contemplate in taking the sectional tests. Focus more on building the fundamentals from each section and then take up the mocks. With each sectional mocks, what what went wrong and check the areas that need more attention.
After getting confident with the sectional mocks, move to the full-length CAT mock test and understand the exam pattern while devising personal test taking strategies.
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