10 Tips to Ace CAT 2018 in a Month

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CAT 2018 has been scheduled for November 25, and this year the management entrance test is being conducted by IIM Calcutta. With about a month left for the exam, aspirants must have already completed CAT syllabus. Some students would have been preparing for a while now while some would be winding up their exam preparation.

The last 30 days to CAT exam must be dedicated for revision, leftover preparation, practice of CAT previous year question papers and mock test, and analysis of mock tests.

Let us have a look at what one needs to do in the last month to ace CAT 2018:

Sort out the basics

It is extremely important to revisit the fundamentals during the last month of CAT preparation. If you are attempting anything new, make sure you keep brushing up on the basics. Always remember to strengthen the areas you are already good. Knowing your basics will help you tackle any question easily.

Strategise your Preparation

Though most of the exam preparation must be done by now, it is still important to plan your strategy for the last month. Prepare a timetable and divide time for each section. It is not important to divide equal time or all sections –this decision can be taken on the basis of your strengths and weaknesses.

Attempt Mock Tests and CAT previous year question papers

The last month is extremely crucial and taking full-length mock tests and going through CAT question papers is a great way to analyse your scores and performance. Give time to all three sections and analyse your scores properly. Also, learn from your mistakes – this will boost your confidence at the time of the exam.

Focus on Time Management

The key to crack CAT 2018 exam is by focusing on time management and attempting maximum accurate answers within the given time. Always remember, it is not about the number of questions you attempt, rather it is about the number of correct attempts you make. The duration of CAT exam is 3 hours and every section has a sectional limit of 60 minutes. Candidates must go through CAT pattern carefully to avoid any hassle.

Gauge your strengths and weaknesses and evaluate which questions are easy or difficult for you. Always first choose to attempt the questions that you confident of and then move on to the difficult ones.

Balance your day well

It is extremely important to keep your mind fresh and relaxed till the CAT exam gets over. Make sure you balance your studies well by taking necessary breaks. Listen to music, meditate or involve in any activity or sport of your interest. Also, it is a great idea to take a break after attempting a mock test so that Mock test evaluation can be done with a calm mind.

The 4-Week Preparation Plan

Often aspirants are confused about what or how they should study for CAT exam when there is just about a month left for the exam. Let us have a look at the 4-week preparation plan that can help you crack the exam with flying colors.

Week 1

Solve 1 mock test per day
Analyse every mock test that you attempt
Complete revision of 2 topics from Quant
Practice a few problems from any of the section

Week 2

Read journals, magazines and newspapers every day
Solve 1 mock test every day
Try to gauge which questions are difficult to attempt (At the time of CAT 2018, you can avoid attempting these questions first)
See what your strength is, and attempt questions that you are confident of. At the time of CAT exam, make sure you choose to attempt high-scoring questions in the beginning
Recall the repeatedly occurring questions in each section
Practice your concepts and strengthen your topics

Week 3

Only revise the concepts and topics you already know
Starting anything new a strict no-no
Keep revising formulae
Sort out the topics that you think are important and practice only them
Keep solving 1 mock test every day
Try to recollect your mistakes

Week 4

Attempting 1 mock test every day remains one of the major tasks
If you have time, you can also choose to attempt 2 mock tests
Since this will be the last week of preparation, keep yourself relaxed
Before the day of CAT exam, sleep on time and attempt the CAT 2018 exam will a calm mind

What to do on the day of CAT 2018 exam?

On the D-Day, read the instructions carefully on the exam paper before you start attempting the questions. Read through the questions quickly and select questions that appear easy to you. Questions that you think might be lengthy or tricky must be left for later. Focus on attempting maximum number of questions accurately rather than just attempting maximum number of questions. Stay positive and be confident while you give the CAT exam.