(Photo: Samantha Marx)

You can now count the hours to the first day of the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2011. It’s only a matter of time before the third edition of the computer-based version of the test makes its presence felt starting October 22 and going right up to November 18, in its new avatar comprising two sections and no liberty to jump sections.

For those taking the test in the first few days of the testing window, there is little time left to switch to a different strategy or follow fresh tips. But here is what the CAT toppers of 2010 did right to make it to some of India’s best b-schools.

Anish Agarwal (IIM Lucknow, 99.82 percentile)

Work out a strategy to aim for the 95 to 99 percentile. Once your strategy is fixed, the process will be better. The new pattern actually means less pressure on time since you know the time set for a particular section. But it also means that you have to do well in both sections. Not being able to go back and forth between sections is not such a big problem. One really can’t answer all questions anyway, not even the best of performers. Also those who are achieving a 95 percentile in the mocks need to fix a proper strategy for themselves to go better. Especially if you are taking your test in November, this is the best time to fix that strategy. About which is a good slot or day to take the exam is actually just a psychological issue, it does not really make a difference. It’s best to stay very calm during the paper and preparation days. Also there might be some taking the CAT exam for a few years now and worried about the new pattern — to make things easy for themselves, it is best to divide a section into sub-sections and attempt the paper by timing the sub-sections accordingly — this will make you feel like you are attempting the paper as you did in the past.

Naman Bhansal (IIM Calcutta, 99.94 percentile)

The days before the exam should be used to recap what you were studying in the last few months. Stay with what you have started instead of attempting anything new at this time. Hope you have decided by now on which sections you need to work on more since one section might be your strong point and the other totally weak. The fact that you cannot jump sections might work to the advantage of those who are strong in a certain section and are sure to score in it. Time to rest your mind now — if you have done enough hard work already, that is.”

Gopal Balakrishnan (IIM Ahmedabad, 99.98 percentile)

I had visited my CAT centre a few days before the actual test day just to make sure I knew how long it would take to get there and I am not left searching for it on the last day. Frankly, I did not prepare that well for CAT since I was busy concentrating on GMAT. I could say that I did well in CAT more because of luck. I did get a call from ISB Hyderabad but then opted for IIM Ahmedabad. Yes, I did a bit of research from the last year’s papers and that helped. About fewer sections in the paper this year, it should not be a problem because mock tests will get you into the mode. Also best to get into a party mood just before the exam the relaxation will really help.

Mrinalani Dwivedi (IIM Kozhikode. 99.19 percentile)

For me the Verbal section was a strong point and I would like to tell CAT takers this year that careless mistakes in the Verbal section can get a person down. I worked maximum on Verbal and also made a strategy about the questions to attempt. Since it is just a few days to go for CAT, it would be best to concentrate on what one knows well so far and ignore the rest. Do not let wrong answers get you down only because of carelessness. Be alert about it.

Also see: PaGaLGuY’s CAT 2011 Helpline powered by IIM Kozhikode students

Saurabh Moondra (IIM Lucknow, 99.83 percentile)

It is very important to be confident on the day of the exam. If you have prepared well, nothing to worry about. Personally, I believed that I could clear the CAT, so I did. The CAT paper is not at all difficult if you can manage time well. The English section tends to be erratic while DI takes up time. That the paper now has only two sections may work in favour of those who are stronger in either of the sections. A week before the exam, take mock tests and after the mock scores are in your hands, find out where you went wrong often people do not do that. The day before the exam it is a good idea to watch a movie and keep your mind cool.

Rohan R (IIM Ahmedabad, 99.27 percentile)

The last two days before my exam, I did nothing. Since I was working, I actually did not prepare for CAT that much. I took just three days off from work just before the exam (including on the day) to really do something. The new pattern of the paper is similar to the GRE pattern which is good. Am sure the engineers will have it easy for CAT compared to others. I took CAT on the first day not out of choice but because it was the only slot available since I registered very late. But my paper was easy though I don’t think one can really decide which is an easy day and which is not.

Anuragh Tripathi (NITIE Mumbai, 99.71 percentile)

“Reading should be a continuous habit all through the preparation time. When I travelled from Delhi to Gurgaon (on work) pre-CAT days, I used to keep myself busy by either reading a newspaper or something else to improve my vocabulary. Also since I worked I took up weekend classes and these I attended regularly and also made sure I was a little ahead of my class in learning, this helped me a great deal to understand the classroom sessions better. That the pattern has changed this year will make only a little difference to students as practise will take care of the rest.”

Abhinav Sinha (IIM Kozhikode, 99.49 percentile)

If it’s about a month to go, take as many sectional tests as possible. People do take mock tests but I think sectional tests are very important and actually benefit more. I followed the material given by my coaching centre religiously and I recommend Arun Sharma’s book for English it helped me. Frankly, Vedic maths also helped me a lot in the DI section. About the two section paper and the inability to go to and fro between sections, it is not such a big deal since mocks tests train students in it.

Kirti Agarwal (IIM Lucknow, 99.71 percentile)

Since I am an engineer, I was confident of math and concentrated on it more than the other sections. However, I realised that it was not the best strategy and one had to work on other sections too. Of course, the stronger section takes less time. Which means you have more time left to tackle the sections you are not too good at. I personally felt that the Verbal section inherently takes less time — whether you are good at it or not, so it is best to start with English and then go to other types of questions.”

Sumar Loomba (NITIE Mumbai, 99.91 percentile)

“This is the time to revise all that one has learnt. Don’t stress on tough questions at this point of time. Get all your formulae in place and attempt the section you are more confident in first. While attempting Reading Comprehension, make sure that you go through the questions first and in detail and then read the passage. Reading the questions first will give you a sense of whether you will be able to attempt the paragraph or should you just skip it.”