The final countdown for CAT 2015 has begun and this
means that you might be going through a whole plethora of emotions. Considering
how nerve-wrecking the wait for the exam can be, it is important to sit back and
calmly understand what you need to do in the next 10 days.
In this article, I list down a checklist of what
you should be doing. Let’s get started then.
1. Focus on Revision
This is not the time for new concepts; presently
you should focus on revision and revision only. The primary concern at this
moment is maximising what you know and this can be accomplished by revision. By
picking up new topics, you would be placing yourself under undue stress.
2. Maintain your focus and do not waste time on activities
that offer no or little return
Continuing the point above, this is not the time to
take up areas that offer almost no or very little return. These include things
such as learning new words. At this stage, this activity won’t help a lot. Just
briefly revise the words you have learnt till now and that is just about it.
Also, make sure you read one to two quality articles a day. This is just to
maintain touch with reading and having the ability to focus when faced with
good reading material. Do not overdo reading as it is not an activity that
would give you significant returns at this stage.
3. Review all formulas and shortcuts you have
learnt
This is particularly relevant for quantitative
aptitude. Make sure you revise key formulae and go through the shortcuts you
have learnt till now.
4. Analyse your mock performance and be mentally
clear with your exam strategy
This is the time to be mentally clear with your
strategy. Analyse your performance in mocks, figure our your strong and weak
areas and make sure you have a clear cut strategy for the exam. What kind of
strategy am I talking about? For example, if you are weak in Geometry and
Trigonometry, then these are areas that you should avoid at first in the exam
when you start to solve the quantitative aptitude section. On the other hand,
if you are strong in Algebra and Arithmetic, these are the areas you should
attack first. Also, keep little things in mind. For example, at first, avoid
questions which are very lengthy or verbose. You can always mark them for
review and attempt them later. The focus should be on maximising your attempt
for every section in the first 30 minutes that you spend on the section.
Keeping this simple rule in mind, you will see tangible returns in the exam.
5. Do not overdo mocks at this stage
The time for extensive test taking is gone. Take
one mock or at max, take two. Do not attempt more than two mocks at this stage.
This is the stage for understanding your preparation and performance and
developing a strategy that helps you perform best in the exam.
6. Exercise and de-stress
This is time to keep yourself mentally and
physically fresh. Remember, CAT is a 3 hour exam and if you do not feel healthy
and relaxed, the chance of your messing up the exam are particularly high. Make
sure you relax, even meditate and burn some calories this week. Also, even
though this may sound contradictory to what I have just mentioned, you can
party a couple of times this week. Nothing works better than chilling out with
friends and family.
7. Remember, the exam is about YOU and not others
Just remember one thing: the exam may seem to be a
competitive exercise with others but in actuality, it is a test of your skills
and knowledge. You do not need to worry about scores and percentiles at this
stage; rather focus on how you would approach the exam and how you would give
your best in the exam. The moment you do this, a lot of pressure will be taken
off your shoulders and you will see the exam in an altogether different light.
Some points to keep in mind
- Remember, no negative marking for text input questions. So make
sure you attempt these questions. - Go through the CAT demo test and be ready for such a pattern. It is
not necessary that such a pattern would be there in the exam but you
should be ready for any scenario.
This completes the checklist of things you should
be doing at this stage. Use the above and make sure you enjoy the process.
Best of luck and happy learning..:)