You must have made a preparation strategy for CAT 2013, but have you made a plan for those 2 hours and 20 minutes when you would actually be required to perform?

When busy with CAT preparation, candidates often forget to make a strategy for attempting the exam. Planning those 140 minutes is extremely important because it prevents panic at the last moment.

Therefore, MBA expert Sidharth Balakrishna has provided some useful tips to help candidates plan better for the computer-based test.

1. Avoid the ‘Speed Breakers’

Every CAT exam has seen certain questions which can be termed as ‘speed breakers’. Although these questions can certainly be solved, they take too much time and hence, break the candidate’s speed or momentum.

So the main question is how to spot such questions. Here is a hint: such questions are often found in the Analytical Reasoning or the Data Interpretation section. While the set of questions may be quite easy, they may require actual calculations involving tedious multiplications or divisions of large numbers (or numbers with many decimal points). In such questions, you will find that the answer choices are too close and differ only in the decimal numbers.

Such questions are best avoided initially if you lack time; it is better to mark the questions initially using the option that the test interface provides and return to it later if there is time left.

2. Don’t Actually Calculate Everything

An analysis of the CAT tests of previous years shows that the test taker doesn’t need to actually make calculations every time. If an approximation works, use it. It will save you a lot of time and effort.

For example, in some graphs, a simple visual examination will suffice; the exact values of the plotted variables may not be needed. If the answer choices are wide apart, simple approximations will help you arrive at the option you need to choose.

3. Use the Technology Available in Computer-Based Test Interface

While many candidates are still apprehensive about Computer-based test interface, the technology can actually help you.
For example, the candidate can check whether he/she has attempted enough questions in the given time limit to clear the sectional cut-off.

The technological feature of the ‘Review’ tab provides you a quick snapshot of how many questions you have attempted, how many you have left out etc. If you have clearly attempted too few questions, speed up and try and do a few more in the given time to clear the sectional cut-off.

You can also mark questions that you wish to return to later, as explained above. You can use this feature to go back to questions that may take time or which you wish to keep for later as you are not sure how to solve.

About Sidharth Balakrishna

Sidharth Balakrishna is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta and has been employed with the world’s top Marketing, Management Consultancy and energy firms. Besides his regular Corporate job, he has written a number of books and articles for various reputed publications and has taken several guest lectures and seminars across the country. He is a Faculty in several Management Institutes.

Related Links:

Regular Studies is the Key to Crack CAT 2013

CAT 2013 Do's & Don'ts

7 Preparation Tips to Crack CAT 2013

45 Days to Go for CAT 2013: The Dos & Don’ts

How Can Working Professionals Prepare for CAT 2013?

Tagged in MAT MAT test pattern MAT exam AIMA MAT exam structure

Like us on :