Is there something as being over-prepared for CAT? Are you making common mistakes CAT entrants make? Here are five things you should absolutely not do with the test just 26 days away.

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Don’t focus only on Quant and Verbal

These two sections are the stumbling blocks for most candidates, which is why they naturally overemphasize on them. But the fact is that they constitute only 50% of the paper. The other 50% is reserved for Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Data Interpretation. It is advisable that you divide your prep time in these 26 days for both these sections.

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Don’t focus on questions you should attempt

It can be a grave mistake to think in terms of questions you need to target to achieve your percentile goal. Smarter strategy- attempt the paper based on time you want to give to each of the sections.

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Mocks aren’t holy grails

Another misconception amongst candidates is that you can get through crucial sections by simply doing a number of mock tests. While it’s true that Quant and Verbal offer you a fixed syllabus and chapters, your preparation for the other equally important sections cannot only rely on mock tests. Now is the time to go beyond them.

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Don’t take too many mock tests

While mock tests have their merits, they are not to be mistaken for practice exams. With CAT only 26 days away, you should keep your mock tests to somewhere between 10 and 20 to avoid the risk of confusing yourself.

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Don’t try to be perfect

Once you have assessed your strengths and weaknesses, the question is what should you focus on? The answer is- you don’t need to get 100% score in your CAT to get into your choice of B Schools. By all means, try and work on your weak areas, but not at the cost of putting further pressure on yourself and crumbling under it a short time before the exam.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Ram Kumar Balyan, Director, St. Kabir Institute of Professional Studies has been an ex-president of NHRD and has spent 25+ years in academics. He has authored 5 books in HRM and has been instrumental behind mentoring a number of Indian management students and successful industry professionals. Currently he is the director of SKIPS, Ahmedabad, an AICTE approved leading PGDM B-school of the country and sits in the advisory panel of various universities.