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Does one need a classroom coaching programme to prepare for the Common Admissions Test (CAT)?
MBA applicants often ask this question on online forums, and even otherwise to their mentors and peers – whether classroom coaching improves CAT preparation better. Or should they instead self-study and maybe join an online test series at a later stage of their preparation. Here are some thoughts and ideas to help govern your decision, drawn from my own personal experiences with CAT preparation as well as the opinions of my fellow batchmates about the way they prepared.
Number of previous attempts at CAT
If you have made multiple attempts at CAT previously and have not been able to make it to the interview lists even once, then it is time you sit down and start analysing what is holding you back. If you have missed the interview shortlists by a whisker then it is more likely that there is a problem with your ‘test taking’ strategy. In that case, you are the best coach you can find for yourself. It is important to sit down and analyse your test taking strategies, how well you are timing your test and how you are handling exam time pressure.
But if you are missing the interview shortlists by a fair distance, only then you should consider taking professional help to sort out your problem areas – in this case there is a higher probability that the problem has more to do with your level of preparedness and the conceptual clarity in various subject areas.
The nature of your job
Most of my PGDM batchmates did not join a full time coaching class simply because of paucity of time and the hectic nature of their work schedules. If CAT coaching comes in the way of your professional responsibilities, you need to rethink your strategy. Self study is the most important part of your preparation – and you should not compromise on it simply to join a coaching institute under peer pressure. A lot of people also discuss on PaGaLGuY forums about how they are contemplating quitting their jobs to join a coaching institute. People feel that joining a coaching institute would give them that extra edge they need in their preparation. I feel that this ‘herd mentality’ leads us nowhere. Try not to join a coaching institute by compromising on your work experience/professional responsibilities.
Your motivation levels
A different way to look at the entire issue is from the perspective of how motivated and disciplined you are in your preparation. No matter what one says, being a part of a professional coaching/mentoring setup does bring that much needed discipline in your preparation. You are able to create a schedule and imbibe a work ethic that is very useful especially if you hold a job – working professionals often have a lot of commitments that can render their schedules haywire. If you are motivated and disciplined enough, you would not need schooling/coaching to put your preparation on the right track. If not, then you do need that mentoring to put some semblance of discipline in your efforts.
The travel time to the institute
Yes, as unimportant as it may sound, the travel time is very important. Traveling is very tiring as well as time-consuming. So the less you travel to reach your institute from your home/office, the more you’ll be able to concentrate in the class and the more you will get out of the time you spend there. This is especially important for working professionals who already have lesser time to spare.
A lot of people join coaching institutes that are very far off from their homes or offices simply to study from one particular teacher. Remember, it is your hard work that matters; a good teacher will only show you the path. Learning high school quantitative and verbal concepts should not depend too much on the slight differences in the quality of teaching anyway.
Let go of the fear
There are many discussions on PaGaLGuY about the quality of teachers at coaching institutes, the number of classes, the class size, etc before joining a coaching institute. Many are so scared of the competition and under so much stress and pressure that they believe that without joining a coaching institute they cannot succeed. I can tell you from my personal experience and from the experience of dozens of other successful candidates that all one needs is discipline and hard work. Put your fear and insecurities behind you – do not join a coaching institute simply because your peers are doing so. Think through whether you need it, how badly you need it and is the compromise on your ‘self-study’ time worth it?
My own personal experience
I did take classroom coaching when I attempted the CAT for the first time. The coaching classes at the time were few and far in between but the experience was helpful because it gave me an idea about the type of questions, the syllabus, the competitive nature of the exam as well as the exam strategies that work and those that don’t. For my second attempt at the CAT, I did not prepare at all – no coaching, no test series, no self-study even. I realised that my percentile improved significantly and I missed the interview calls by a whisker – the problem was with my exam taking strategy and not my conceptual understanding. As you can see, it is very important to understand the reason for your failure.
So for my third and final attempt, my emphasis was always on improving my focus while taking the test and also on timing myself better during the exam. I also realised that by staying free of stress/pressure/anxieties, I was able to take my performance up several notches. It is an obvious fact that many candidates ignore. Remember – if not CAT, then maybe something else. You are all destined to do something good with your lives and one exam should not make or break your motivation and confidence. This is what always kept me going even when I was not doing my best.
The experiences of other successful candidates
I have come across a lot of successful candidates in the CAT and also got a chance to interact with them about their preparation techniques. One of the key points I heard again and again was the importance of self-study and the focus on the ability to maximise their scores in the exam by focusing on specific strengths. The other common thing was that they had avoided being under the unnecessary pressure of a career change or the pressure of getting an MBA. They were satisfied with their jobs, and yet focused on what they wanted to achieve. Their relaxed approach to the exam helped them eliminate pressure – coaching institutes were not a necessarily a part of their preparation plans. Some of them did take professional help, but they all conceded that it was not the factor that determined their success.
(Deepak Nanwani is the co-founder of One52.com, an online adaptive solution for GMAT, MBA and UG exams. An alumnus of IIT Guwahati and IIM Bangalore, he is a master strategist for all competitive exams.)