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How to Prepare for CAT- 4-Nov-2009
SDM Institute for Management Development Mysore - Ramesh Venkateswaran, Director
The CAT is going digital, and the only way you can bell the CAT this year is by mastering the Mouse! The test administrators have made it clear that the test would not be very different from CAT 2008. So the student has to focus primarily on being comfortable with computer as a medium of testing. Nevertheless, it still takes the competition to the next level for every aspirant who aims to walk into the gates of Indias finest B-schools.
Every CAT aspirant should keep in mind the thought that they might have been on computers for hours chatting and browsing websites, but come November 28, you will be expected to sit in front of a computer screen for almost 2 hours without leaving even for a minute. Though you will be provided with sheets for rough work, you do not have the luxury to make pointers, scribble remarks and underline key points and erase them whenever you feel like anymore.
The test will require your complete and undivided attention for this two hour period, something most of us are not accustomed to. Therefore, the challenge is just not being good in computers the real challenge is to be focused, concentrated and quick while answering the questions on a computer.
For starters, spend about 3 hours every day on computer tests for next 10 weeks. Take up reading and analyzing everything online, including your daily newspapers (e-papers).
There is no point of taking paper pencil tests anymore, the speed and accuracy factor will have to be enhanced in the digital arena, shift to the online test mode completely. There are quite a few websites who provide online tests for practicing, especially for GRE and GMAT. Even the test preparation centers have been offering various online tests to help students bring up their computer skills. The students can enroll in these programs to work on their computer test skills.
Do not take any section lightly and analyze every test taken in great detail. You will have to Improvise in some sections to enhance your score. There has to be enough preparation on each section to be comfortable with it.
Reading Comprehension and Data Interpretation are two significant sections to focus on since applicants have to read it instead of scanning it in a very short time frame. The only way to crack these sections will be to put in as much time as possible in practicing and solving the test papers online.
Algebra, Geometry and Numbers will play a crucial role, since they have been proven to be more scoring questions of the Quant section. Analyze each test paper thoroughly and identify the errors which you made in terms of choosing the questions which took more time than expected or yielded wrong answers.
Remember, the same test paper which you have aced on a paper pencil test will prove to be more difficult if it is on computer instead. Even if the CAT 2009 paper is not difficult compared to last years it still will demand your best efforts for cracking it. So keep practicing, analyzing and improvising your computer based testing skills to ace this CAT & Mouse race.
