"Endaro Mahanubhavulu
Antariki Vandanamu"
My salutation to all great people on this thread. The postings are truly inspiring, and make good reading too. I too have a story, not very inspiring, and I am afraid can't put it in a great style either. Therefore, I didn't want to destroy the beauty of this thread by posting it here. But I had some things to talk about CAT and finally, today, I thought I will put them in black and white.
Prologue
I think I should start from 9 years back - 1997. That was when I was introduced to the idea of IITs by a wonderful teacher of mine. And I was impressed, and decided to give it a go. Come December, and I saw the ad from IITs inviting application to the JEE. But because of various reasons, I didn't buy the form. And when I looked ahead, I thought of neglecting engineering altogether. I decided that I have two options in front of me.
i) Go for a B. A. /B. Sc. course after my 12th standard, crack the Bank PO examination (I had seen some model question papers with my sister and I knew I would crack that exam any day hands down), get into a job and think of a real career later
ii) Get into a research kind of education and be a scientists.
I deferred the decision to that waiting period after the board exams.
Three months later, my father brought to me an application form - that of Kerala Entrance Examination. Actually, I wasn't fascinated by engineering any more. But I had the application form already, so I filled it up and sent it. I didn't think of any coaching. Neither did I think it was necessary. I was so confident, may be I should say arrogant, about my own skills those days. I dedicated an hour or two everyday for one month, relied on some tips that came in "Vijayaveedhi" those days and appeared for Common Entrance Examination on 14th, 15th and 16th of May 1998.
I thought I did well, but it was not to be. Before the results came out, there were some elder friends with whom I talked about the prospects and they told me that Electronics is what the best branch is. And they also advised me that Computer is the hottest thing at the moment and I should look at that one too. But the result of CEE was a disappointment to me. I ended up at a rank of 2087. Those days, total engineering seats in Kerala were around 4000, and I knew I could entertain no hope of getting into Electronics or Computers anywhere in the state. I decided to go back to my old plan. I decided to pursue B. Sc. in mathematics and forget everything else. Then I had a chat with a friend, who insisted that I should take up Electrical or Mechanical. I looked up a bit about the two courses. All subjects I was interested in seemed to be in Mechanical Engineering - Thermodynamics, IC engines and Mechanics. A decision was made and I took up Mechanical Engineering at a little known college in Kerala.
I included this part to tell you how indecisive I was in those days. From IITs to B. Sc. to Banks to Electronics to Mechanical, I displayed total indecision. And I didn't like the way I got into the branch I chose. Not that I didn't like the branch. For a person of my mindset and my interests, I think that was the best branch to choose. I am thankful to the almighty to set up things so nicely to put me in there. Yet, the fact remained that I chose it because I wouldn't get Electronics or Computers. I thought it was ridiculous. Yet, I had to live with it. And I decided that I will not have this repeated in my life.
An option gets into the mind
Came 2001 and I entered the seventh semester of my B. Tech. The IT boom of the two previous years had started to die down. Companies which visited my college for Campus placement in 2000 didn't turn up this time. And a recruiting agency at Cochin through which a lot of my seniors got placed had ceased to be operational. And students of my batch faced a lot of uncertainty. College of Engineering Trivandrum, by far the best in the state recorded less than 50% placement that year. And I too wanted to decide, soon enough, what next.
It was September 2001. The World Trade Centre was standing still in its place and Osama Bin Laden didn't have to hide himself anywhere. I was traveling to Thiruvananthapuram by train and I bought this Outlook magazine to pass some time while in Train. The Cover Story was titled 'The Best Business Schools in India" and it ranked IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta and Bangalore as the first, second and third best in the country. Also, I got to know a lot about Management Education in General, and IIMs and NITIE in particular. A seed was thrown into my mind, but I knew I will not attempt it that year. There were some friends in college who were appearing for CAT 2001, and they gave me some general information about CAT. I decided to ignore CAT 2001. I set landing in a job as my first priority. Till April 2002, nobody came to my college recruit from Mechanical Branch. And my hopes for a placement before the course ended died out.
Meanwhile, the financial situation of my family was not the very best. I badly needed a job now. And boy, there was none available. CAT 2002 came and went, and I paid no attention to it. I came down to Bangalore, hoping to meet some luck there. I got into a job at a small production shop floor which paid me 3000 rupees a month. I didn't like the job and wanted to get out of it. Then a call-letter from Staff Selection Board for a short service commission in the Indian Navy came along. I used this as an excuse and left my job and went to Bhopal to attend the SSB interviews. I failed there again. Our group owner, an officer who was in charge of a group of attendees assured us that we might be better off at some other field. He told us that Amitabh Bachchan, APJ Abdul Kalam and Shahrookh Khan had appeared for SSB and failed. He asked us to consider what a sheer wastage of talent it would have been, had they been successful there. I knew he was right. But the fact remained - there I was; I threw away the job I had at a time of complete distress and back to square one. Anyway, what my group owner told remained in my mind as a quotable quote. I should find out what suits me best.
My First Time
Bad times have to end somewhere. A month later, I joined Infosys. Five years back, I was dejected that I cannot make it into computers. It didnt even matter in the end! Now, I am a part of one of the biggest software companies in the country. I enjoyed the training and unlike many, I enjoyed the work when I was put in a project. I decided to stay on. I didnt think of anything else. CAT and management education still remained somewhere in a corner of my mind, but not as anything big enough to worry me. CAT 2003 was rescheduled for February 2004, and my module leader was appearing for the same. He was a very good friend, and at times, we talked briefly about his career plans. He didnt give me any spark, but he prompted me to have a re-look at the whole situation. I started browsing through websites of B-Schools and many online forums and slowly, it became clear to me that I have a better career there. The more I looked into it, the more I wanted it. And I decided to have a go at CAT 2004. I still didnt believe in Coaching Institutes and argued that they dont bring any value. I collected some material, a friend offered 3-4 Mock CATs (which he was given in 2003 but which he never cared to solve) and I was confident that I will be through. A software job will not allow much liberty for somebody who doesnt want to ignore his job, but I somehow managed my time well. I put in some effort, and wasnt shocked at all when I saw the new pattern of the paper. After all, my not having any real time mock CAT experience allowed me that I was not disarmingly used to the one-mark-one-fifty-question-three-section pattern.
I started off with VA as I had planned to, and I decided to be safe first. I attempted 7 of those 10 half-mark questions, playing it very safe (I got all of them right). Then I moved on to the two-mark section and answered all the five questions. It took a lot of time for me to arrive at each of those answers but still got two of them wrong. I went on to the one-mark section and attempted some questions. I suddenly realized that I have consumed 45 minutes already (I had planned for 40 minutes in each section). I went on to the quant, and greed still ruled me. I went to the two-mark questions straight away and tried each of those questions. Finally, in 25 minutes, I answered 7 of them (and to my dismay, I found out later that I got 3 of them wrong). I spent another 5 minutes, answered 4 one-mark questions and decided I might screw up DI if I stayed more in Quant.
Somehow, I believed I havent made any mistakes in any of those 11 questions I attempted in quant, and that should be enough. I never saw the first page of quant section while inside the exam-hall and it had as many as 10 questions, all of them solvable in a minute or so. This was my biggest mistake in CAT 2004, and my most valuable learning too! Try to look at all questions. Dont try to solve hard questions even if they are in areas of your comfort. There will be very easy questions from areas you are not quite comfortable with.
Anyway, I moved on to the DI section. I had 45 minutes at my disposal. And I enjoyed solving those sets. I had planned to come back to Quant and Verbal sections for 5 minutes each, but that never happened. I spent the whole of my time there. The lavishness paid of actually; I ended up at 98.57 percentile in DI. But not quite, because I had made 3 mistakes in the two-mark section. It was actually the one-mark section which came to my rescue in DI too. VA was a slight disappointment at 90.34, but Quant, as expected, spelled the doom. I ended up at 77.33 there, and overall 95.36 percentile. I had not applied for any non-IIM institutes and needless to say, I didnt get any call from IIMs.
Bu I took away some learning. I have to be disciplined while CAT, and should respect the time splits I set for myself. I shouldnt get carried away and keep on doing one section, and I should always keep a watch on the time. I should always assume that I might have made some mistake and therefore shouldnt feel that the questions I attempted are enough for a section. Be in a section till the time allocated for it runs out. Above all, I should try to have a look at all questions in the paper.
But the real learning came a few days after CAT. I, for the first time, understood that the coaching institutes can make a difference to my preparedness. A friend of mine took me to the website of a coaching institute and logged in with his user id, and showed me its post- Mock CAT analysis. I too understood that taking mock CATs in real-life-like situations (as opposed taking them within the confinement of the four walls of my room) and having an analysis of how well I did in comparison to thousands who take the same exam same time will help in the actual CAT.
I decided that I am going to have another go at CAT. I laid it down as my plan A, and kept my plan B and C also ready. I think this is also important, especially if one has made up the mind to pursue the management education. I might end up not successful at the CAT: may be because I am not as good as I thought, may be because I am not lucky, may be a combination of both. Should that happen, I shouldnt be in dire straits.
Bad times have to end somewhere. A month later, I joined Infosys. Five years back, I was dejected that I cannot make it into computers. It didnt even matter in the end! Now, I am a part of one of the biggest software companies in the country. I enjoyed the training and unlike many, I enjoyed the work when I was put in a project. I decided to stay on. I didnt think of anything else. CAT and management education still remained somewhere in a corner of my mind, but not as anything big enough to worry me. CAT 2003 was rescheduled for February 2004, and my module leader was appearing for the same. He was a very good friend, and at times, we talked briefly about his career plans. He didnt give me any spark, but he prompted me to have a re-look at the whole situation. I started browsing through websites of B-Schools and many online forums and slowly, it became clear to me that I have a better career there. The more I looked into it, the more I wanted it. And I decided to have a go at CAT 2004. I still didnt believe in Coaching Institutes and argued that they dont bring any value. I collected some material, a friend offered 3-4 Mock CATs (which he was given in 2003 but which he never cared to solve) and I was confident that I will be through. A software job will not allow much liberty for somebody who doesnt want to ignore his job, but I somehow managed my time well. I put in some effort, and wasnt shocked at all when I saw the new pattern of the paper. After all, my not having any real time mock CAT experience allowed me that I was not disarmingly used to the one-mark-one-fifty-question-three-section pattern.
I started off with VA as I had planned to, and I decided to be safe first. I attempted 7 of those 10 half-mark questions, playing it very safe (I got all of them right). Then I moved on to the two-mark section and answered all the five questions. It took a lot of time for me to arrive at each of those answers but still got two of them wrong. I went on to the one-mark section and attempted some questions. I suddenly realized that I have consumed 45 minutes already (I had planned for 40 minutes in each section). I went on to the quant, and greed still ruled me. I went to the two-mark questions straight away and tried each of those questions. Finally, in 25 minutes, I answered 7 of them (and to my dismay, I found out later that I got 3 of them wrong). I spent another 5 minutes, answered 4 one-mark questions and decided I might screw up DI if I stayed more in Quant.
Somehow, I believed I havent made any mistakes in any of those 11 questions I attempted in quant, and that should be enough. I never saw the first page of quant section while inside the exam-hall and it had as many as 10 questions, all of them solvable in a minute or so. This was my biggest mistake in CAT 2004, and my most valuable learning too! Try to look at all questions. Dont try to solve hard questions even if they are in areas of your comfort. There will be very easy questions from areas you are not quite comfortable with.
Anyway, I moved on to the DI section. I had 45 minutes at my disposal. And I enjoyed solving those sets. I had planned to come back to Quant and Verbal sections for 5 minutes each, but that never happened. I spent the whole of my time there. The lavishness paid of actually; I ended up at 98.57 percentile in DI. But not quite, because I had made 3 mistakes in the two-mark section. It was actually the one-mark section which came to my rescue in DI too. VA was a slight disappointment at 90.34, but Quant, as expected, spelled the doom. I ended up at 77.33 there, and overall 95.36 percentile. I had not applied for any non-IIM institutes and needless to say, I didnt get any call from IIMs.
Bu I took away some learning. I have to be disciplined while CAT, and should respect the time splits I set for myself. I shouldnt get carried away and keep on doing one section, and I should always keep a watch on the time. I should always assume that I might have made some mistake and therefore shouldnt feel that the questions I attempted are enough for a section. Be in a section till the time allocated for it runs out. Above all, I should try to have a look at all questions in the paper.
But the real learning came a few days after CAT. I, for the first time, understood that the coaching institutes can make a difference to my preparedness. A friend of mine took me to the website of a coaching institute and logged in with his user id, and showed me its post- Mock CAT analysis. I too understood that taking mock CATs in real-life-like situations (as opposed taking them within the confinement of the four walls of my room) and having an analysis of how well I did in comparison to thousands who take the same exam same time will help in the actual CAT.
I decided that I am going to have another go at CAT. I laid it down as my plan A, and kept my plan B and C also ready. I think this is also important, especially if one has made up the mind to pursue the management education. I might end up not successful at the CAT: may be because I am not as good as I thought, may be because I am not lucky, may be a combination of both. Should that happen, I shouldnt be in dire straits.
CAT 2005
The next quest began in July 2005. I called up a coaching institute in Mangalore and enquired about their Model CAT series. And I had a sweet surprise awaiting me. Since I scored above 95 percentile in CAT 2004, I would get a heavy discount. All I have to pay is Rs 1500 for 16 tests. I thought it was a good value-for-money. I enrolled the next day. And then I charted the next 16 weekends to come. I was told I could take Mock CAT from centers other than Mangalore twice. So, I planned to go home only twice between August and November 2005. I considered everything and made sure that I appeared for all the 16 Mock CATs. I spent my valuable Sunday time, sometimes as many as 5-6 hours, in analyzing that days Mock CAT and my performance at it. I hardly found enough time during week days to prepare, but whenever I could come home early, I dedicated some time for preparation. My preparation was still far from organized but I believed my basics are strong enough to allow myself the luxury of a haphazard preparation. I tried, sometimes successfully too, to learn new problem solving methods. I never looked at the vocabulary building part, since I thought the returns were too low. Instead I concentrated on Reading Comprehension in my Verbal preparations. DI was a strong side for me and I felt Mock CATs and their analyses would be sufficient for that.
I had heard about pagalguy dot com earlier on, but had never visited it. Sometime in October, I registered at PG and found some great people here preparing for CAT 2005. I found it very useful, and I would say PG was the single largest contributor to my success, if I may use that adjective, in CAT later on.
By the time CAT was on, I had finalized the strategy I was going to adopt if the CAT continued to be a three section affair. 35 minutes each to the three sections and 15 minutes of floating time to be allocated through an on-the-spot decision. But the pattern of 10 one mark questions and 20 two-mark questions per section made me change the plan a bit. I decided that I am giving 10 minutes each to the one mark sub-sections and 30 minutes each to the two-mark sub sections. No floating time. I think it makes sense to divide the time among sub sections as well. I will ensure that I do not miss out sitters in one mark questions. And I will ensure that I will have some heavy scoring through easier ones among the two-mark questions.
I started off with QA this time. My Mock CAT experiments suggested that the order QA VA DI works the best for me. In the first 10 minutes, I answered 5 QA one markers and in the next 30 minutes solved seven 2 mark questions. Time allocated to QA was over. Although I was a bit careful about accuracy this time around, CAT 2004 had taught me that an attempt worth 19 marks might be far from enough in QA. But it had also taught me that I shouldnt overstay at any section. I moved on to VA.
Boy, what a section that was? I attempted all the 10 questions in Sub Section 1. It took me just 10 minutes, and I was happy that the things are going smooth. But once I landed in the two-mark section, all happiness went off. I struggled real hard to choose my answers. I swayed away from all the bouncers. CAT 2004 had taught me that if I take a chance, more often than not, I will be caught at the fence. I answered only those about which I felt absolutely sure. My attempts read: 10 questions in 35 minutes. But at the end, that worked well, I guess. I think I got 8 of them right. I was in the middle of Derrida passage when the allocated 40 minutes were over. Anyway, next is DI, I thought I could manage. So I overstayed to complete that one.
35 minutes is what I have left. So, I stayed in the one mark subsection of DI for eight minutes and attempted 7 questions. Then moved on to the two-mark subsection and solved one set. It took me some 9-10 minutes, and I was smelling trouble already. Went to the last page of the question paper and saw the Olympic Committee set. Thought it was solvable and spent around 12-13 minutes there without solving a single question. Suddenly, I woke up from my dream and realized I should drop that one. Turned to the previous page and what do I see there? Oh, my! Tennis set again? I quickly solved two questions and was solving the third when the invigilator told that the time was up. I was zeroing in on one option for that question and decided that I will mark that answer before I put my pencil down (As far as I can see, this was the only mistake I did in CAT 2005 and I paid 0.67 marks for that I got that one wrong. I violated my decision not to mark a question unless I am sure about it if it is still ends as a mistake; there is nothing that I can do about it).
But somehow, I felt I didnt do well enough to grab calls from IIMs. I had applied to SPJAIN as well this time, and thought they might give me a call. I was expecting a 98.xx percentile but the largely inconclusive VA keys given out by various institutes kept some part of the hope alive. Anyway, I was already into my plan B when the results were finally out, I found out that I have calls from all IIMs. I came back to my plan A, attended the interviews and got final calls from a couple of IIMs. Only time will tell if I had been right in my choice. I am ready to wait and watch anyway.
The next quest began in July 2005. I called up a coaching institute in Mangalore and enquired about their Model CAT series. And I had a sweet surprise awaiting me. Since I scored above 95 percentile in CAT 2004, I would get a heavy discount. All I have to pay is Rs 1500 for 16 tests. I thought it was a good value-for-money. I enrolled the next day. And then I charted the next 16 weekends to come. I was told I could take Mock CAT from centers other than Mangalore twice. So, I planned to go home only twice between August and November 2005. I considered everything and made sure that I appeared for all the 16 Mock CATs. I spent my valuable Sunday time, sometimes as many as 5-6 hours, in analyzing that days Mock CAT and my performance at it. I hardly found enough time during week days to prepare, but whenever I could come home early, I dedicated some time for preparation. My preparation was still far from organized but I believed my basics are strong enough to allow myself the luxury of a haphazard preparation. I tried, sometimes successfully too, to learn new problem solving methods. I never looked at the vocabulary building part, since I thought the returns were too low. Instead I concentrated on Reading Comprehension in my Verbal preparations. DI was a strong side for me and I felt Mock CATs and their analyses would be sufficient for that.
I had heard about pagalguy dot com earlier on, but had never visited it. Sometime in October, I registered at PG and found some great people here preparing for CAT 2005. I found it very useful, and I would say PG was the single largest contributor to my success, if I may use that adjective, in CAT later on.
By the time CAT was on, I had finalized the strategy I was going to adopt if the CAT continued to be a three section affair. 35 minutes each to the three sections and 15 minutes of floating time to be allocated through an on-the-spot decision. But the pattern of 10 one mark questions and 20 two-mark questions per section made me change the plan a bit. I decided that I am giving 10 minutes each to the one mark sub-sections and 30 minutes each to the two-mark sub sections. No floating time. I think it makes sense to divide the time among sub sections as well. I will ensure that I do not miss out sitters in one mark questions. And I will ensure that I will have some heavy scoring through easier ones among the two-mark questions.
I started off with QA this time. My Mock CAT experiments suggested that the order QA VA DI works the best for me. In the first 10 minutes, I answered 5 QA one markers and in the next 30 minutes solved seven 2 mark questions. Time allocated to QA was over. Although I was a bit careful about accuracy this time around, CAT 2004 had taught me that an attempt worth 19 marks might be far from enough in QA. But it had also taught me that I shouldnt overstay at any section. I moved on to VA.
Boy, what a section that was? I attempted all the 10 questions in Sub Section 1. It took me just 10 minutes, and I was happy that the things are going smooth. But once I landed in the two-mark section, all happiness went off. I struggled real hard to choose my answers. I swayed away from all the bouncers. CAT 2004 had taught me that if I take a chance, more often than not, I will be caught at the fence. I answered only those about which I felt absolutely sure. My attempts read: 10 questions in 35 minutes. But at the end, that worked well, I guess. I think I got 8 of them right. I was in the middle of Derrida passage when the allocated 40 minutes were over. Anyway, next is DI, I thought I could manage. So I overstayed to complete that one.
35 minutes is what I have left. So, I stayed in the one mark subsection of DI for eight minutes and attempted 7 questions. Then moved on to the two-mark subsection and solved one set. It took me some 9-10 minutes, and I was smelling trouble already. Went to the last page of the question paper and saw the Olympic Committee set. Thought it was solvable and spent around 12-13 minutes there without solving a single question. Suddenly, I woke up from my dream and realized I should drop that one. Turned to the previous page and what do I see there? Oh, my! Tennis set again? I quickly solved two questions and was solving the third when the invigilator told that the time was up. I was zeroing in on one option for that question and decided that I will mark that answer before I put my pencil down (As far as I can see, this was the only mistake I did in CAT 2005 and I paid 0.67 marks for that I got that one wrong. I violated my decision not to mark a question unless I am sure about it if it is still ends as a mistake; there is nothing that I can do about it).
But somehow, I felt I didnt do well enough to grab calls from IIMs. I had applied to SPJAIN as well this time, and thought they might give me a call. I was expecting a 98.xx percentile but the largely inconclusive VA keys given out by various institutes kept some part of the hope alive. Anyway, I was already into my plan B when the results were finally out, I found out that I have calls from all IIMs. I came back to my plan A, attended the interviews and got final calls from a couple of IIMs. Only time will tell if I had been right in my choice. I am ready to wait and watch anyway.
Epilogue
At the end of all these, this is what I want to suggest about CAT: It is just another exam. Dont be afraid of it. It is alright to be passionate about it. But dont think it is the End of the World if I come out of it not quite well. I need to have good strategy, customized to my strengths and weaknesses to take CAT. I need to put in enough preparation, depending on my comfort level in each of those CAT sections, in order to crack it. I need to remain confident to crack it. I need to understand that I need not solve the toughest question in the paper to crack it. I shouldnt put more than enough effort and burn myself out. I should optimize my efforts, and the parameter there is my current strength. I need to keep in touch with my fellow aspirant community to do my best. I cannot do it in isolation. I need to have a strong, reliable and practical plan-B to fall back on if I fail to make it. In order to perform my best, I should feel there is nothing going to happen even if I fail. I should be prepared to take anything. I should remain passionate about cracking it, yet I shouldnt be affected at all if I dont. And that is, according to me, the best mindset to adopt, if I want to crack CAT. Karmanye vaadhikaaraste ma phaleshu kadaachana!
Coaching institutes help. How much coaching I need is a question I should answer first. If I am Maurice Greene, I dont need steroids to run 100 meters in 9.79 seconds. If I am Ben Johnson, I need. In a race where steroids are not prohibited, it doesnt make sense to avoid it. But the dosage should be optimum.
Dont make CAT your only occupation. However hard I may try, I may fail on the D-Day. There is no prize for being good. Prize is for proving good. World Cup is given to the team which wins the final, not to the best team in the world. I might end up doing less than my best at CAT. Or worse, I may simply fall sick on the day of CAT. Such things shouldnt shatter me completely. If I am working, I shouldnt neglect my job for CAT preparations. CAT preparation should be an additional burden for me, not a substitute burden.
This is, all I wanted to speak about CAT
At the end of all these, this is what I want to suggest about CAT: It is just another exam. Dont be afraid of it. It is alright to be passionate about it. But dont think it is the End of the World if I come out of it not quite well. I need to have good strategy, customized to my strengths and weaknesses to take CAT. I need to put in enough preparation, depending on my comfort level in each of those CAT sections, in order to crack it. I need to remain confident to crack it. I need to understand that I need not solve the toughest question in the paper to crack it. I shouldnt put more than enough effort and burn myself out. I should optimize my efforts, and the parameter there is my current strength. I need to keep in touch with my fellow aspirant community to do my best. I cannot do it in isolation. I need to have a strong, reliable and practical plan-B to fall back on if I fail to make it. In order to perform my best, I should feel there is nothing going to happen even if I fail. I should be prepared to take anything. I should remain passionate about cracking it, yet I shouldnt be affected at all if I dont. And that is, according to me, the best mindset to adopt, if I want to crack CAT. Karmanye vaadhikaaraste ma phaleshu kadaachana!
Coaching institutes help. How much coaching I need is a question I should answer first. If I am Maurice Greene, I dont need steroids to run 100 meters in 9.79 seconds. If I am Ben Johnson, I need. In a race where steroids are not prohibited, it doesnt make sense to avoid it. But the dosage should be optimum.
Dont make CAT your only occupation. However hard I may try, I may fail on the D-Day. There is no prize for being good. Prize is for proving good. World Cup is given to the team which wins the final, not to the best team in the world. I might end up doing less than my best at CAT. Or worse, I may simply fall sick on the day of CAT. Such things shouldnt shatter me completely. If I am working, I shouldnt neglect my job for CAT preparations. CAT preparation should be an additional burden for me, not a substitute burden.
This is, all I wanted to speak about CAT
@Anupam
Awsome man.
It goes on to prove that CAT is much more than a competition.It's a passion which needs to be nurtured.
It shows a man's conviction,his character and his romanticism.
All this in right proportions makes a successful man.
No doubt u get some very good ppl at the IIMs.
CAT 2006: A six month strategy
The Common Admission Test for admission to the IIMs is just six months away; it will be held on November 19, 2006.
If you are giving CAT this year, it's possible your studies have been derailed due to various controversies and ongoing debates -- reservations at the IIMs, introduction of CAT prelims and 50 percent minimum requirement at the graduation level to qualify for CAT.
Well, it's high time you got back to your books. Follow our six-month strategy to help you plan and prepare better for this all-important exam.
This article will be followed by subsequent articles that focus on each individual area and detail their preparation strategy.
May 19 -- July 19
Objective: Familiarise yourself with all CAT sub-sections as well as the variety of questions that feature in each of them.
This is probably the most crucial period. These two months have to be utilised so as to get a launch pad for the next four months of preparation.
In Date Interpretation, you should be thorough with every type of representation. There are about six to seven types of DI sets possible. Also, there are standard questions like percentage increase, percentage share, counting, etc, as well as questions that are specific to data representation.
In Quantitative Ability, you should go through the 15-20 chapters that are important for the CAT exam, giving special importance to Numbers, Number Theory and Geometry and Mensuration. At the end of these two months, you should know every formula, the concepts in each chapter of quant as well as the steps involved in solving these questions.
At the end of the first two months, you should have solved each type of question at least two to three times. It is not important as yet to solve the problem quickly. The focus is entirely on getting to know the variety of questions and developing the ability to solve them.
In an area like Reading Comprehension, you should have read at least about 100 articles (a minimum of two a day) in as many spheres as possible. In CAT, the passages maybe selected from Psychology, Philosophy, Medicine, Economics, Sociology, Art, Culture and Religion, Literature, Politics and other general topics. As we can see, there are about 10 subjects from which RC passages can be given. Hence, in the next two months, you should read at least 10 articles from each of these subjects/ areas.
Likewise, the other areas in CAT -- ie Data Sufficiency, Reasoning and Verbal Ability -- have to be taken up. At the end of two months, you must thoroughly know the types of questions that come in CAT as well as the methods to solve them.
July 20 -- September 19
Objective: Learn various methods to solve each type of question in the shortest possible time.
If the first two months go successfully, it will give you something very important -- the confidence that there are questions in CAT you can solve. Now, this confidence should be elevated a step higher so that you can aim for the IIMs.
By now, let's say you have gained the ability to solve all types of questions. You are also in a position to identify every question and know the possible ways to solve the same. Yet, you could be taking a lot of time to do so, making it impossible for you to see all questions given in the CAT paper in the given time. Hence, you have every chance of missing out on easy questions.
You have to, therefore, spend time analysing the exercises you have already solved and redo them. But, this time, you should look at shortcuts as well as intuitive methods of solving questions. The methods could have been taught in a coaching class too, but you will start understanding and appreciating them only when you know the traditional method of solving them.
Solve a number of exercises. Also take individual area tests to test your ability to grasp the fundamentals. Analyse every test paper you take thoroughly. You will start seeing that there are always better and easier ways of solving a question than the method you followed thus far.
Do a complete revision of all the areas while taking an All India MOCK CAT (AIMCAT) every Sunday. This will ensure you keep improving in each area. You can also check your progress through the results of your AIMCATs.
September 20 -- November 18
Objective: Get the best results from your preparation
This is the last leg of your preparation. Now, you must concentrate on maximising your scores. You will have to take two full CAT level tests every week, one on Sunday and one on a Wednesday/ Thursday.
The focus in the initial month should be on experimentation. You should adopt various strategies in each of the AIMCATs that you write and check which strategy is giving you the best results. It is possible that, despite a wrong strategy, you may have got good marks or, despite a correct strategy, you may have got fewer marks. To ensure you don't fall pray to such mistakes, check each strategy for at least two papers. If one strategy seems to be working, use the same for two more papers so that you are in a position to finalise the strategy you are going to use on the final day of CAT. Flexibility has to be kept to account for changes in the pattern of the exam.
This way, the last two months would be primarily used to give you the maximum returns on your preparation.
Gear up for the battle ahead!
Source - rediff.com
anupthomas's post is a reflection of the fact that what good planning can lead to. though he started late he executed his plans efficently. thanks anup for that awesome post.hope you achieve whatever you set your eyes on
Prologue
My dad always says this .. *Denish you are like Karan, you always fail at the end despite your skills*
I always proved him wrong .. Diploma Final Year .. BE Final Year GATE IIT CAT
Looked like I was Arjun.
Once upon a time
Something happened .
Then
2002-03
Final Year BE I decide to write CAT and GATE
Took GATE in FEB thought I will buy my CAT form later on.
So much for CAT .. was not aware of exam date :|
Cleared GATE after a week's study.
I still had my *Arjun* luck.
IIT Madras called.
All the CAT material photo-copied .. was carried with my luggage.
IIMs can wait .. IIT here I come.
2003-04
Life passed I became the Lord of the Last bench and the Last rank as well
Losing my focus and interests
Looking for a way out .. CAT is sill lingering in my mind.
2004-05
Me, My Thesis and My Guide.
Campus placements TCS calling
Gave the interview .. got through and decided . I don't want to join :|
Campus season over for me in August 2004 a year to go :(
My CAT notes look at me with misty eyes :)
My Guide looks at me in anticipation (a publication on its way)
My Parents look at me rather look for me 😞 gone for a year now
August still time ..
September ahhh ..
October .. Panic Get my duster out .. some rough papers and a pencil
Amidst frequent visits to Bangalore for my project and regular mails from my Guide "praising" my *Lackadasiac* attitude 😞 towards the project .. despite having spent an average of 15 *productive* hours per day in the lab :(
I lose my focus sad and angry all my hard work was washed out when I took a day's leave .. without informing ..
Focus CAT
VA, Quant, DI, LR things start moving
Get a few TIME papers . (solved ones)
Had only 1 unsloved paper :|
Solved on the previous day having taken a week's sick leave from my project ("no visit to home this year") :(
8 days prep 96.18 %ile no hopes ..
Next came XAT ..
Another 7 days deducted from my leave period 😞
97.25 %ile .. and a call . :D
Don't know what happened .. but it turns out . I had applied for HR
My friends know about my short-temper .. have a good time laughing
XLRI interview 1 question .. .35 mins .. TaTa XLRI
TaTa MBA
TaTa IIT
2005 - 06
Decision to be made . the buck usually stops in the middle of the road
TCS waiting pressure from Friends and family to join
I skip 😉
Job hunt begins CAT prep Join IMS .. knew I will blast th rough it
Dad's always right, remember Karan
This period was the worst in my life
Jobs being offered .. but Bonds to be signed 3 years .. 4 years ..
Not ready to sign
Join my father selling Cash Cards happness and sorrow ..hand in hand.
Cash cards .. Mocks Stocks .. Mocks . And more mocks I am coming
My dad always says this .. *Denish you are like Karan, you always fail at the end despite your skills*
I always proved him wrong .. Diploma Final Year .. BE Final Year GATE IIT CAT
Looked like I was Arjun.
Once upon a time
Something happened .
Then
2002-03
Final Year BE I decide to write CAT and GATE
Took GATE in FEB thought I will buy my CAT form later on.
So much for CAT .. was not aware of exam date :|
Cleared GATE after a week's study.
I still had my *Arjun* luck.
IIT Madras called.
All the CAT material photo-copied .. was carried with my luggage.
IIMs can wait .. IIT here I come.
2003-04
Life passed I became the Lord of the Last bench and the Last rank as well
Losing my focus and interests
Looking for a way out .. CAT is sill lingering in my mind.
2004-05
Me, My Thesis and My Guide.
Campus placements TCS calling
Gave the interview .. got through and decided . I don't want to join :|
Campus season over for me in August 2004 a year to go :(
My CAT notes look at me with misty eyes :)
My Guide looks at me in anticipation (a publication on its way)
My Parents look at me rather look for me 😞 gone for a year now
August still time ..
September ahhh ..
October .. Panic Get my duster out .. some rough papers and a pencil
Amidst frequent visits to Bangalore for my project and regular mails from my Guide "praising" my *Lackadasiac* attitude 😞 towards the project .. despite having spent an average of 15 *productive* hours per day in the lab :(
I lose my focus sad and angry all my hard work was washed out when I took a day's leave .. without informing ..
Focus CAT
VA, Quant, DI, LR things start moving
Get a few TIME papers . (solved ones)
Had only 1 unsloved paper :|
Solved on the previous day having taken a week's sick leave from my project ("no visit to home this year") :(
8 days prep 96.18 %ile no hopes ..
Next came XAT ..
Another 7 days deducted from my leave period 😞
97.25 %ile .. and a call . :D
Don't know what happened .. but it turns out . I had applied for HR
My friends know about my short-temper .. have a good time laughing
XLRI interview 1 question .. .35 mins .. TaTa XLRI
TaTa MBA
TaTa IIT
2005 - 06
Decision to be made . the buck usually stops in the middle of the road
TCS waiting pressure from Friends and family to join
I skip 😉
Job hunt begins CAT prep Join IMS .. knew I will blast th rough it
Dad's always right, remember Karan
This period was the worst in my life
Jobs being offered .. but Bonds to be signed 3 years .. 4 years ..
Not ready to sign
Join my father selling Cash Cards happness and sorrow ..hand in hand.
Cash cards .. Mocks Stocks .. Mocks . And more mocks I am coming
November
The CAT came and went ..
Funny paper Not sure ..
Full-Time work ..
Selling Cash cards Booking Railway tickets .. and don't ask what else ..
The Chariot wheel was stuck and Arjun was in front in me .. not with me
XAT disaster 😞
CAT results :.
Laxmi Niwas Mittal
IIML
NITIE
MDI
on track .. don't .. don't lose hope 😃 .
Interviews
My Birthday: celebrated in NITIE
5 profs me .. and a rejection
Fact: I have never been late in my entire life .. never .. never ..
I was 10 mins late for my IIML interview 😐
I h ate Mr. Fate
MDI twice bitten killed on the third attempt.
As expected (IIML was an excepction) NITIE and MDI rejects were announced.
Had some hopes resting on IIML
The Chariot has broken down the Curse strikes .. so does Arjun
The Death blow
No IIM-L wash-out ..
3 days of guzzling *Boost* and *Complan* and *Tea*
My Certificates come out again .. so does my resume
Job hunt begins
Continues ..
Still Continues ..
Frustration .. hunt .. frustration .. look .. search
Suggestions for going abroad .. go and do a PhD .. NO
Write CAT again??:
Interviewer "You are over-qualified"
Rejections from co's Rejecting co's
May 14
PG Meet
Goodlass Nerolac Interview
Exactly a year since I left IIT on 14th May 2005
Walk-in : You are over-qualified we will call you back
2nd Interview: Technical .. we will call you back
3rd interview: Welcome *Painter Babu*
The Renovation of the Chariot has begun
Will I write CAT again
Probably not .. but my love of PG remains ..
PG is still my home page ..
I will miss Mahip, Kool, Bugs, Aurkaa, Sandy, anandv
Or will I
Like I always say
Keep Walking
long live the beagles
😁 a tribute to anandv and his bullocks .
😐 for bugs and ananta
Thanks to Allwin .. for this great Portal
The CAT came and went ..
Funny paper Not sure ..
Full-Time work ..
Selling Cash cards Booking Railway tickets .. and don't ask what else ..
The Chariot wheel was stuck and Arjun was in front in me .. not with me
XAT disaster 😞
CAT results :.
Laxmi Niwas Mittal
IIML
NITIE
MDI
on track .. don't .. don't lose hope 😃 .
Interviews
My Birthday: celebrated in NITIE
5 profs me .. and a rejection
Fact: I have never been late in my entire life .. never .. never ..
I was 10 mins late for my IIML interview 😐
I h ate Mr. Fate
MDI twice bitten killed on the third attempt.
As expected (IIML was an excepction) NITIE and MDI rejects were announced.
Had some hopes resting on IIML
The Chariot has broken down the Curse strikes .. so does Arjun
The Death blow
No IIM-L wash-out ..
3 days of guzzling *Boost* and *Complan* and *Tea*
My Certificates come out again .. so does my resume
Job hunt begins
Continues ..
Still Continues ..
Frustration .. hunt .. frustration .. look .. search
Suggestions for going abroad .. go and do a PhD .. NO
Write CAT again
??:Interviewer "You are over-qualified"
Rejections from co's Rejecting co's
May 14
PG Meet
Goodlass Nerolac Interview
Exactly a year since I left IIT on 14th May 2005
Walk-in : You are over-qualified we will call you back
2nd Interview: Technical .. we will call you back
3rd interview: Welcome *Painter Babu*
The Renovation of the Chariot has begun
Will I write CAT again
Probably not .. but my love of PG remains ..
PG is still my home page ..
I will miss Mahip, Kool, Bugs, Aurkaa, Sandy, anandv
Or will I
Like I always say
Keep Walking
long live the beagles 😁 a tribute to anandv and his bullocks .
😐 for bugs and ananta
Thanks to Allwin .. for this great Portal
An extremely well written post by denish. Clear concise and to the point 😃 But with failure, success, dejection, elation all in it.
denish you said keep walking right?
well I say yeah keep walking for sure and you will find us walking along with you and shouting ;)
Hope you become a great painter and they release Da denish code someday 
-
Bugs
Denish a perfect example for the saying TRY AND TRY TILL U SUCCEED.Even after his:neutral: expression seems to be quite determined.Amazing post.All the best.
@Denish:
Beautifully written dude. I can't help but admire your spirit and determination. Hats off to you.
As you rightly put it, keep walking.....Am sure suucees is waiting to touch your feet !!
All the best and keep rocking...You are an inspiration to many...
hi ..
the tragedy of life doesnt seem to limit to one!!!
in came sixth sem of my B-tech (electrical)..
desperately awaited ...free frm coll for six months!!!
had ind. training in NTPC--- swoomed to delhi!!
independence!!! a PG..complete aish..freedom...
blossoming came the dreams to crack CAT (atleast giv a shot!!)
joined IMS-- dated: 17th JAN..
...... ............
course commenced...
number system ... cool!!
seemed life was all abt CAT now!!
continue...........
sudden turn of fate...
a job offer (campus) -- HCL TECH..
went-- written (...Technical!!)-- rejected...
back to CAT business...
................ .................
still going..Geometry.. cool..
another offer-- SYNTEL TECH...
went-- written (aptitude)-- selected!! (came 3rd among 1200!!)
interview (HR)-- nerves!!--prepared!!
call--- 11:30 PM-- went..
a cool one ... confident (had cleared interview of NDA-SSB)..
a wait begins.... tons of expectations... loads of confinement..
wait finally over...!!-- after 10 days-- REJECTED!!
swooshed....!! bittered...!!! battered...!!
move on... for CAT..
more calls came..INFOSYS etc..--- dint bother to go..
for ME........................... its CAT...!!
maverick as i call myself.... defiant..
still walkin to tread my path to my dream.........
I came, I sawI purred!
CAT: How I ruined it?
June of 2005. That was when I had made the brightest decision of my life (supposedly) - to take CAT. And, to crack it. Like a black-belt cracks the marble slabs. I wasnt kidding myself. I had always been a bright girl at school, in college and every which where. So it wasnt a far cry for me.
November 20th was the CAT DAY. And I was determined to say to myself (when the results are out) I came, I saw, I conquered!
I began my voyage.
I joined a coaching institute. Many kids and many of them not-quite-kids were catting. Catting? Yeah, thats the term for the designation you get for about six to eight months when you are preparing for CAT, and more specifically when you have joined a battalion (of coaching institute people) to go to the CAT war and fight right.
They gave us a handful of basic fundas books to begin with, to be mastered in a months time. I brought them home, kept them on the study table, admired the look of them, chalked out a schedule (to be strictly followed) to accommodate all the knowledge that they contained, and was too tired after a long day of doing all this. So I dozed off.
Came July. And I found myself blaming June. For being such a lazy hot month, that I could not even master the basics. I said to my self Its never too late.
I had come. I had seen. I was yet to conquer. How could I possibly have given up?!
I designed another schedule, a stricter one; one that was meant to make up for a months loss of studies. First few days were in parity with the same, outlined by a constant struggle in the quant section. Mathematics was never my cup of tea. And there was I trying to smell the coffee. And while juggling with it, Coke and irritation were my constant companion. DI/DS behaved like the monsoon that year. It came late to me; and sometimes the questions would happen, sometimes they just wouldnt. I couldnt understand the pattern of DI/DS for many days. Weatherman couldnt understand that of monsoon. I was not the one at fault as far as DI/DS was concerned. Its unpredictability was to be blamed. Plus the heat due to the delay in monsoons.
They say every dark cloud has a silver lining. For me, it was the Verbal section. Except that when I began doing the Reading Comprehension, I would start appreciating the passage rather than concentrating on answering the questions. Then one fine day it occurred to me that passages appear in the test paper so that the accompanying questions are answered, and speedily. The verbal trainer at the insti was good, the only person I liked there perhaps. So I bought her advice to concentrate on answering the questions, and leave the language appreciation part for the time after the 20th of November. I was on the right track.
By the day, my frustration curve grew steeper (thanks to maths) and learning curve flatter (thanks to maths again). Maths section tests were quantum disasters. DI/DS as unpredictable as ever. Sometimes way too good. At other times just as bad. My performance in DI/DS section on graphical representation would have looked like an ECG report.
And did I mention somewhere that it was August already. Time for mock tests. Needless to say, mock tests mocked at me really well. I checked the vital signs of my performance. Preparation - okay (okay?! I was trying hard to treat myself well!) Accuracy directly proportional to percentile (which never exceeded 75). Speed snails.
Now I had to work out a rescue plan. I could not have saved face. But saving grace was the need of the hour. I decided to limit the portion that I would focus on, to bypass the guys like trigonometry, progressions, advanced algebra, et al. and to give a go by to a lot of incomprehensible stuff in DI/DS. I was beyond them (or was it the other way round?) English was my forte. So I gave less time to it. It would just happen. And, then I started a race against time. The plan seemed to be working. My percentiles at the mocks improved. Still I was far, far away from Julius Caesar, from conquering. At the last but third mock test 80 percentile. I said to myself, Not bad. And then, Not good either!
80 percentile. And, in subsequent tests, I got stuck there. Weather changed. My CAT prep status didnt change much. Why? Because, you can only go so far when you have not polished your basics well. The coaching-insti people do not give you funda-books for decorating on the table and admiring their look. They are meant to be stirred well and digested.
The red letter day had arrived. By this time, I had become dispassionate. Thats what you do when the world looks materialistic with no meaning for existence! I went to the CAT center - feeling like a zombie. Found my place in the hall. Sunk in. My fate in the form of CAT question paper came. The invigilator gave a few instructions, which my mind did not register. Then he said, Start. I started.
I began with Verbal Section. Just to feel good. Handled the little ones first; sentence correction, contextual usage, parajumbles, and the like. Then I moved on to the RC; completed three passages in 17 minutes. Next took up the quant section. It did look bad in the beginning. Oh yes, there were a few suckers as expected. I took good care of them. Did not even care to take a peek at the questions which had their origin in my un-favorite and un-prepared topics. It was not a wise thing to do however. Because, suckers in a CAT paper are sometimes found in the most unlikely of places. After having a tough time there, I headed towards tougher times. The DI section. Time was flying, and I was almost crawling. Whatever I did in this section, I did it in 20 minutes. And, against anticipation, it was not all that bad. Decent, if not good.
Times up. And that was that. I had just wasted my first attempt at CAT. I wasnt devastated. Just then I had become a stoic. And asked myself, By the way, who was Julius Caesar?
I came, I sawI purred.
When I recovered after a week or so, I decided to reflect upon the whole drama. I could see clearly the mistakes that I had made, and the right things that I did not do. The list looked something like this:
Study schedule in one word - funny. It was downright unrealistic. Could have been more real and flexible.
Consistency nil. One day I studied for six hours. The next day I was partying. The third day, I dedicated to feeling guilty and making alternate study plans. Believing that the plan would work from the following day, I took a break that day (God knows from what?). Could have been consistent with three hours of studies everyday.
Basic concepts - far from satisfactory. Could have spared some time in memorizing those formulae, and doing the less-challenging questions and thereby gaining confidence. And, then the switch to the tough ones would have been easier.
Inability to identify my strong and weak areas. Consequently, inability to leverage on the strong areas and to convert the weak areas into comfortable ones.
Time-management or shall I say time-mismanagement. Lack of a strong conceptual foundation never allowed me to keep a check on my speed. I kept struggling for accuracy that speed never got its fair share. Hence, ended up spending almost an hour on Quant section, and 20 minutes on DI/DS. Time-management is indispensable. I should have known.
When it comes to CAT, practice or the lack of it makes all the difference. What more can I say?
And every one should have one strong area to hold on to. That instills the feel-good factor in the entire CAT scene. Mine was Verbal. It really did help.
Most importantly, never idolize Caesar. He never took CAT anyway. Do not try to conquer CAT. Just bell it. Be real. Make real plans in real time. Adhere. Adjust. Attempt.
All that matters is performance. And that depends on preparation and a good attitude.
When you take CAT, only two things happen. Either you make it or you dont.
I didnt. You can.
Crisp
PS.: I forgot to mention the result. 80 percentile.
CAT: How I ruined it?
June of 2005. That was when I had made the brightest decision of my life (supposedly) - to take CAT. And, to crack it. Like a black-belt cracks the marble slabs. I wasnt kidding myself. I had always been a bright girl at school, in college and every which where. So it wasnt a far cry for me.
November 20th was the CAT DAY. And I was determined to say to myself (when the results are out) I came, I saw, I conquered!
I began my voyage.
I joined a coaching institute. Many kids and many of them not-quite-kids were catting. Catting? Yeah, thats the term for the designation you get for about six to eight months when you are preparing for CAT, and more specifically when you have joined a battalion (of coaching institute people) to go to the CAT war and fight right.
They gave us a handful of basic fundas books to begin with, to be mastered in a months time. I brought them home, kept them on the study table, admired the look of them, chalked out a schedule (to be strictly followed) to accommodate all the knowledge that they contained, and was too tired after a long day of doing all this. So I dozed off.
Came July. And I found myself blaming June. For being such a lazy hot month, that I could not even master the basics. I said to my self Its never too late.
I had come. I had seen. I was yet to conquer. How could I possibly have given up?!
I designed another schedule, a stricter one; one that was meant to make up for a months loss of studies. First few days were in parity with the same, outlined by a constant struggle in the quant section. Mathematics was never my cup of tea. And there was I trying to smell the coffee. And while juggling with it, Coke and irritation were my constant companion. DI/DS behaved like the monsoon that year. It came late to me; and sometimes the questions would happen, sometimes they just wouldnt. I couldnt understand the pattern of DI/DS for many days. Weatherman couldnt understand that of monsoon. I was not the one at fault as far as DI/DS was concerned. Its unpredictability was to be blamed. Plus the heat due to the delay in monsoons.
They say every dark cloud has a silver lining. For me, it was the Verbal section. Except that when I began doing the Reading Comprehension, I would start appreciating the passage rather than concentrating on answering the questions. Then one fine day it occurred to me that passages appear in the test paper so that the accompanying questions are answered, and speedily. The verbal trainer at the insti was good, the only person I liked there perhaps. So I bought her advice to concentrate on answering the questions, and leave the language appreciation part for the time after the 20th of November. I was on the right track.
By the day, my frustration curve grew steeper (thanks to maths) and learning curve flatter (thanks to maths again). Maths section tests were quantum disasters. DI/DS as unpredictable as ever. Sometimes way too good. At other times just as bad. My performance in DI/DS section on graphical representation would have looked like an ECG report.
And did I mention somewhere that it was August already. Time for mock tests. Needless to say, mock tests mocked at me really well. I checked the vital signs of my performance. Preparation - okay (okay?! I was trying hard to treat myself well!) Accuracy directly proportional to percentile (which never exceeded 75). Speed snails.
Now I had to work out a rescue plan. I could not have saved face. But saving grace was the need of the hour. I decided to limit the portion that I would focus on, to bypass the guys like trigonometry, progressions, advanced algebra, et al. and to give a go by to a lot of incomprehensible stuff in DI/DS. I was beyond them (or was it the other way round?) English was my forte. So I gave less time to it. It would just happen. And, then I started a race against time. The plan seemed to be working. My percentiles at the mocks improved. Still I was far, far away from Julius Caesar, from conquering. At the last but third mock test 80 percentile. I said to myself, Not bad. And then, Not good either!
80 percentile. And, in subsequent tests, I got stuck there. Weather changed. My CAT prep status didnt change much. Why? Because, you can only go so far when you have not polished your basics well. The coaching-insti people do not give you funda-books for decorating on the table and admiring their look. They are meant to be stirred well and digested.
The red letter day had arrived. By this time, I had become dispassionate. Thats what you do when the world looks materialistic with no meaning for existence! I went to the CAT center - feeling like a zombie. Found my place in the hall. Sunk in. My fate in the form of CAT question paper came. The invigilator gave a few instructions, which my mind did not register. Then he said, Start. I started.
I began with Verbal Section. Just to feel good. Handled the little ones first; sentence correction, contextual usage, parajumbles, and the like. Then I moved on to the RC; completed three passages in 17 minutes. Next took up the quant section. It did look bad in the beginning. Oh yes, there were a few suckers as expected. I took good care of them. Did not even care to take a peek at the questions which had their origin in my un-favorite and un-prepared topics. It was not a wise thing to do however. Because, suckers in a CAT paper are sometimes found in the most unlikely of places. After having a tough time there, I headed towards tougher times. The DI section. Time was flying, and I was almost crawling. Whatever I did in this section, I did it in 20 minutes. And, against anticipation, it was not all that bad. Decent, if not good.
Times up. And that was that. I had just wasted my first attempt at CAT. I wasnt devastated. Just then I had become a stoic. And asked myself, By the way, who was Julius Caesar?
I came, I sawI purred.
When I recovered after a week or so, I decided to reflect upon the whole drama. I could see clearly the mistakes that I had made, and the right things that I did not do. The list looked something like this:
Study schedule in one word - funny. It was downright unrealistic. Could have been more real and flexible.
Consistency nil. One day I studied for six hours. The next day I was partying. The third day, I dedicated to feeling guilty and making alternate study plans. Believing that the plan would work from the following day, I took a break that day (God knows from what?). Could have been consistent with three hours of studies everyday.
Basic concepts - far from satisfactory. Could have spared some time in memorizing those formulae, and doing the less-challenging questions and thereby gaining confidence. And, then the switch to the tough ones would have been easier.
Inability to identify my strong and weak areas. Consequently, inability to leverage on the strong areas and to convert the weak areas into comfortable ones.
Time-management or shall I say time-mismanagement. Lack of a strong conceptual foundation never allowed me to keep a check on my speed. I kept struggling for accuracy that speed never got its fair share. Hence, ended up spending almost an hour on Quant section, and 20 minutes on DI/DS. Time-management is indispensable. I should have known.
When it comes to CAT, practice or the lack of it makes all the difference. What more can I say?
And every one should have one strong area to hold on to. That instills the feel-good factor in the entire CAT scene. Mine was Verbal. It really did help.
Most importantly, never idolize Caesar. He never took CAT anyway. Do not try to conquer CAT. Just bell it. Be real. Make real plans in real time. Adhere. Adjust. Attempt.
All that matters is performance. And that depends on preparation and a good attitude.
When you take CAT, only two things happen. Either you make it or you dont.
I didnt. You can.
Crisp
PS.: I forgot to mention the result. 80 percentile.
I came, I sawI purred!
CAT: How I ruined it?
June of 2005. That was when I had made the brightest decision of my life (supposedly) - to take CAT. And, to crack it. Like a black-belt cracks the marble slabs. I wasnt kidding myself. I had always been a bright girl at school, in college and every which where. So it wasnt a far cry for me.
November 20th was the CAT DAY. And I was determined to say to myself (when the results are out) I came, I saw, I conquered!
I began my voyage.
I joined a coaching institute. Many kids and many of them not-quite-kids were catting. Catting? Yeah, thats the term for the designation you get for about six to eight months when you are preparing for CAT, and more specifically when you have joined a battalion (of coaching institute people) to go to the CAT war and fight right.
They gave us a handful of basic fundas books to begin with, to be mastered in a months time. I brought them home, kept them on the study table, admired the look of them, chalked out a schedule (to be strictly followed) to accommodate all the knowledge that they contained, and was too tired after a long day of doing all this. So I dozed off.
Came July. And I found myself blaming June. For being such a lazy hot month, that I could not even master the basics. I said to my self Its never too late.
I had come. I had seen. I was yet to conquer. How could I possibly have given up?!
I designed another schedule, a stricter one; one that was meant to make up for a months loss of studies. First few days were in parity with the same, outlined by a constant struggle in the quant section. Mathematics was never my cup of tea. And there was I trying to smell the coffee. And while juggling with it, Coke and irritation were my constant companion. DI/DS behaved like the monsoon that year. It came late to me; and sometimes the questions would happen, sometimes they just wouldnt. I couldnt understand the pattern of DI/DS for many days. Weatherman couldnt understand that of monsoon. I was not the one at fault as far as DI/DS was concerned. Its unpredictability was to be blamed. Plus the heat due to the delay in monsoons.
They say every dark cloud has a silver lining. For me, it was the Verbal section. Except that when I began doing the Reading Comprehension, I would start appreciating the passage rather than concentrating on answering the questions. Then one fine day it occurred to me that passages appear in the test paper so that the accompanying questions are answered, and speedily. The verbal trainer at the insti was good, the only person I liked there perhaps. So I bought her advice to concentrate on answering the questions, and leave the language appreciation part for the time after the 20th of November. I was on the right track.
By the day, my frustration curve grew steeper (thanks to maths) and learning curve flatter (thanks to maths again). Maths section tests were quantum disasters. DI/DS as unpredictable as ever. Sometimes way too good. At other times just as bad. My performance in DI/DS section on graphical representation would have looked like an ECG report.
And did I mention somewhere that it was August already. Time for mock tests. Needless to say, mock tests mocked at me really well. I checked the vital signs of my performance. Preparation - okay (okay?! I was trying hard to treat myself well!) Accuracy directly proportional to percentile (which never exceeded 75). Speed snails.
Now I had to work out a rescue plan. I could not have saved face. But saving grace was the need of the hour. I decided to limit the portion that I would focus on, to bypass the guys like trigonometry, progressions, advanced algebra, et al. and to give a go by to a lot of incomprehensible stuff in DI/DS. I was beyond them (or was it the other way round?) English was my forte. So I gave less time to it. It would just happen. And, then I started a race against time. The plan seemed to be working. My percentiles at the mocks improved. Still I was far, far away from Julius Caesar, from conquering. At the last but third mock test 80 percentile. I said to myself, Not bad. And then, Not good either!
80 percentile. And, in subsequent tests, I got stuck there. Weather changed. My CAT prep status didnt change much. Why? Because, you can only go so far when you have not polished your basics well. The coaching-insti people do not give you funda-books for decorating on the table and admiring their look. They are meant to be stirred well and digested.
The red letter day had arrived. By this time, I had become dispassionate. Thats what you do when the world looks materialistic with no meaning for existence! I went to the CAT center - feeling like a zombie. Found my place in the hall. Sunk in. My fate in the form of CAT question paper came. The invigilator gave a few instructions, which my mind did not register. Then he said, Start. I started.
I began with Verbal Section. Just to feel good. Handled the little ones first; sentence correction, contextual usage, parajumbles, and the like. Then I moved on to the RC; completed three passages in 17 minutes. Next took up the quant section. It did look bad in the beginning. Oh yes, there were a few suckers as expected. I took good care of them. Did not even care to take a peek at the questions which had their origin in my un-favorite and un-prepared topics. It was not a wise thing to do however. Because, suckers in a CAT paper are sometimes found in the most unlikely of places. After having a tough time there, I headed towards tougher times. The DI section. Time was flying, and I was almost crawling. Whatever I did in this section, I did it in 20 minutes. And, against anticipation, it was not all that bad. Decent, if not good.
Times up. And that was that. I had just wasted my first attempt at CAT. I wasnt devastated. Just then I had become a stoic. And asked myself, By the way, who was Julius Caesar?
I came, I sawI purred.
When I recovered after a week or so, I decided to reflect upon the whole drama. I could see clearly the mistakes that I had made, and the right things that I did not do. The list looked something like this:
Study schedule in one word - funny. It was downright unrealistic. Could have been more real and flexible.
Consistency nil. One day I studied for six hours. The next day I was partying. The third day, I dedicated to feeling guilty and making alternate study plans. Believing that the plan would work from the following day, I took a break that day (God knows from what?). Could have been consistent with three hours of studies everyday.
Basic concepts - far from satisfactory. Could have spared some time in memorizing those formulae, and doing the less-challenging questions and thereby gaining confidence. And, then the switch to the tough ones would have been easier.
Inability to identify my strong and weak areas. Consequently, inability to leverage on the strong areas and to convert the weak areas into comfortable ones.
Time-management or shall I say time-mismanagement. Lack of a strong conceptual foundation never allowed me to keep a check on my speed. I kept struggling for accuracy that speed never got its fair share. Hence, ended up spending almost an hour on Quant section, and 20 minutes on DI/DS. Time-management is indispensable. I should have known.
When it comes to CAT, practice or the lack of it makes all the difference. What more can I say?
And every one should have one strong area to hold on to. That instills the feel-good factor in the entire CAT scene. Mine was Verbal. It really did help.
Most importantly, never idolize Caesar. He never took CAT anyway. Do not try to conquer CAT. Just bell it. Be real. Make real plans in real time. Adhere. Adjust. Attempt.
All that matters is performance. And that depends on preparation and a good attitude.
When you take CAT, only two things happen. Either you make it or you dont.
I didnt. You can.
Crisp
PS.: I forgot to mention the result. 80 percentile.
hey crisp
awesum post man.... loved it....
although u cudnt make it....but i vil tel u wat....
most important thing is tht u realised where u r laggin... and wat r ur weak points.... basically u know where u have to work upon for the next attempt... and i guess thts the most imp thing
so no need to loose heart which im sure u havent... take a break(i also dont know the reason but to simply put it.. get ur head out of CAT)... and then
BANG ON!!!!!!!!....
life teaches lessons in different ways i vil say...
al the best
abhi
1. How many times should someone be attempting CAT? Increasing Ive seen quite a few people doing much better in the 2nd or 3rd attempt. Comments.
2. What kind of work exp is ideally suited for an MBA in India. Does it really matter / help? For all those who got in without any work ex, did youll feel any difference. And esp. now is retrospective what would you have rather done?
Thanks,
Chinmaya Chitlangia
1. yes, there are people who do well in their 2nd or 3rd attempt but then there are people who clear it in the 1st go & also there are people who fail to clear it despite many attempts...so there's no such theory...all i can say is tht there can be case who become serious only aftr failing to clear it once or twice & prepare seriously & hence, succeed...
2. there are two schools of thought for this....some people say tht a fresher shud do MBA as u r in touch with acads & tht regular fresh minds r easy to mould stuff....others say tht u should hv at least 2 yrs of workex as u can grasp things more easily & things somehow make much more sense to u...personally, i think tht one shud hv 2-3 yrs of workex before joining because of the aforementioned reasons....
the final call is always urs!!!!
1. How many times should someone be attempting CAT? Increasing Ive seen quite a few people doing much better in the 2nd or 3rd attempt. Comments.
2. What kind of work exp is ideally suited for an MBA in India. Does it really matter / help? For all those who got in without any work ex, did youll feel any difference. And esp. now is retrospective what would you have rather done?
1. It varies fromm person to person as what might be good for me may not be good for you.For ex: Many people only prefer IIMs & dont apply for colleges like SP Jain,MDI etc.
So if you think that you have made it to the college which can add to your career, then go for it else if you have the patience, then give one more shot.
2. Work ex of 15-35 months is ideally suited for MBA. Yes, it helps but there is nothing wrong in joining a good b-school as a fresher. People with work ex can add there experience in caste studies etc in the class!!
hey anupam
u truly epitomize"never say never" whatevr u call so ...determination, perseverance or persistence ...the attribute is more imp than the representation n u truly possess so ...
can u pl elaborate how did u go about cracking 5rcs in 25min....would be HELPFUL..
doing realy bad at mocks ....completely shattered and am looking for serious help//
intrested in forming a study group in hyd for cat-06 ...
i stay near kukatpally ..any one intrested pl contact :
Hi friends,
I am with pagalguy for 2 years. Last year I got 95 %ile. This year I am writing mock cats but my scores are not upto the mark. Earlier I used to score around 40-45. This year I've not been able to cross 35 in 6 mocks so far. Generally I score very less in DI (single digit). Maths I score around 10-12. My scores in EU/RC has gone down as well. Earlier I used to score around 16-18 but now I score around 12-13. I am an alumnus of IIT working in a software firm. I had some personal problems due to which I could not study well previously but since last two months I've been studying at my best. I am unable to concentrate in the exams at times. y number of attempts also go down. I am sad I am not able to exploit my potential to its fullest. Now I am thinking of writing mockcats every 3 days to accustom myself to the paper patttern. Please help me out. I am not a bad student but very poor at solving puzzles. I try at home but fumble at exam hall.
pssst pssssst
Please suggest me remedies.
I will be grateful to you
A prospective IIMite.
I think what you need at the moment is a break from your desperation and frustration and little dose of self-confidence... it happened to me during preparation that my scores started going down, i got anxious, desperate and frustrated at not being able to change the course of things.... All i did was take a break from Cat prep, recieved some peptalk from family members to boost my confidence.. Later when i approached with a fresh mind with no baggage, i was able to score well..
Hey All CAT 2007 ASPIRANTS
I am a first year student of IIM Calcutta. I have a work experience of IT Sales of 2.5 yrs. An electrical engineer. Not very extraordinary extracurriculars..
Here are my two cents on your CAT Preparation..I dont want it to be very long post,
1. Am I late : No trust me, u are not. Sept and oct are good enough to see u thru..
2. Does work ex fetch extra advantage for GD/PI calls: Very little in gd/pi calls..even if you have 3 yrs+work ex, u have to have 99%ile atleast to see an IIM call.
3. Does work ex fetch extra advantage for final calls: Dont bother with this question now. Get a call first..then We ll answer this one.
4. Freshers: There's absolutely nothing to worry. Each IIM has a large no of freshers..If you have it in you, nobody can stop u just bcoz u are a fresher..however, since u have an advantage in terms of time available, put more time..as simple..
5. QA: the best thing is to start timing urself..get available last yrs papers of TIME,IMS,CL and so on..Dont bother too much aboput pattern..no body knows what surprises are going to unfold..just concentrate on content..the types of qs are not going to change, only the pattern of presentation..
6. VA: Yes, this is the section which makes all the difference..even if u are the best in quant, u cant possibly get 25 there..but if u are good here..u surely can get more than that here..which can raise ur percentile highly..
7. DI : do one puzzle everday..The last yrs CAT styles..that shd suffice..
8. I am bad in this or that section : no one is good in all the sections..trust me no one..clear the cutoff of weak section, maximize the good section..
9. I am bad in all the three sections : Give CAT this year as an experience, Target CAT 2008. u can surely do it..if not now, may be next yr..
10.What is the KEy to success in CAT..
I would say the key is Passion..Be passionate abour CAT till the last day..study hard..
CAT Is made up of 3 things:
C - concentration ( of effort, of strategy, of tactics)
A - attitude ( do whatever, if u dont have this, nothing can change ur luck)
T - Time management ( those 2 hrs, managing time is extremely crucial)..
11. Reading editorials of a good newspaper really helps..
12. Dont bother too much about building vocab at this point of time( just a personal opinion)..if u are already into it..or ur strategy permits, then go ahead..
13.shd i study 10 hrs a day? absolutely not..dont burn ur self out..probably 3-4 hrs is more than enough..if u are full time into CAT, then maybe 5-6 hrs..absolutely not more than that..
14. Chillax and enjoy at times..watching a weekend movie or sitting a night out with friends will not prevent u from claring CAT..
15. ANy further queries, shot up..
ATB guys..
I could do it..so can u..
Regards
Safal
I am a first year student of IIM Calcutta. I have a work experience of IT Sales of 2.5 yrs. An electrical engineer. Not very extraordinary extracurriculars..
Here are my two cents on your CAT Preparation..I dont want it to be very long post,
1. Am I late : No trust me, u are not. Sept and oct are good enough to see u thru..
2. Does work ex fetch extra advantage for GD/PI calls: Very little in gd/pi calls..even if you have 3 yrs+work ex, u have to have 99%ile atleast to see an IIM call.
3. Does work ex fetch extra advantage for final calls: Dont bother with this question now. Get a call first..then We ll answer this one.
4. Freshers: There's absolutely nothing to worry. Each IIM has a large no of freshers..If you have it in you, nobody can stop u just bcoz u are a fresher..however, since u have an advantage in terms of time available, put more time..as simple..
5. QA: the best thing is to start timing urself..get available last yrs papers of TIME,IMS,CL and so on..Dont bother too much aboput pattern..no body knows what surprises are going to unfold..just concentrate on content..the types of qs are not going to change, only the pattern of presentation..
6. VA: Yes, this is the section which makes all the difference..even if u are the best in quant, u cant possibly get 25 there..but if u are good here..u surely can get more than that here..which can raise ur percentile highly..
7. DI : do one puzzle everday..The last yrs CAT styles..that shd suffice..
8. I am bad in this or that section : no one is good in all the sections..trust me no one..clear the cutoff of weak section, maximize the good section..
9. I am bad in all the three sections : Give CAT this year as an experience, Target CAT 2008. u can surely do it..if not now, may be next yr..
10.What is the KEy to success in CAT..
I would say the key is Passion..Be passionate abour CAT till the last day..study hard..
CAT Is made up of 3 things:
C - concentration ( of effort, of strategy, of tactics)
A - attitude ( do whatever, if u dont have this, nothing can change ur luck)
T - Time management ( those 2 hrs, managing time is extremely crucial)..
11. Reading editorials of a good newspaper really helps..
12. Dont bother too much about building vocab at this point of time( just a personal opinion)..if u are already into it..or ur strategy permits, then go ahead..
13.shd i study 10 hrs a day? absolutely not..dont burn ur self out..probably 3-4 hrs is more than enough..if u are full time into CAT, then maybe 5-6 hrs..absolutely not more than that..
14. Chillax and enjoy at times..watching a weekend movie or sitting a night out with friends will not prevent u from claring CAT..
15. ANy further queries, shot up..
ATB guys..
I could do it..so can u..
Regards
Safal