The D-day has come and gone. CAT 2010 has begun. About 4548 had registered to take the CAT test today, first slot. Of these, some failed to turn up because they were stuck in traffic, some forgot to bring their vouchers or photo id and some who’s registration took longer like in the case of a person who had recently met with an accident and had to give an extended explanation of how, what, when and where it happened.
All in all, first day CAT-takers said it was a moderate paper, with not many surprises. Pagalguy spoke to six of them who led the way for the rest of this year’s CAT-takers and asked them for advise to make it easier for the rest of CAT-aspirant population.
Ijas from Chennai says:
Decade stuff: Solve last ten years papers and you will be more than ready for CAT 2010. They will give you the right mix of what to expect.
Blank mind: Go with a blank mind. Do not expect the paper to be too easy or too difficult or it will be difficult for you to cope if the paper does not go according to your expectations
Don’t take it easy: Go over the basic at this stage of preperation. It will help considering the kind of questions I had to answer
Center sure: Make sure you go to the center real early. Do not take chances and leave to be just in time.
Do your best: Do what you know best and leave the rest. If you have studied, then do what you know and do not bother about what you don’t . It will fall in place.
Rahul Grover from New Delhi says:
Enough is enough: If you have prepared sincerely for CAT last few months, that should do the job. No need to revise over and over again.
Old is gold: Solve as many old CAT papers as you can. These should help more than any mock at this point. They will give you a better feel of what to expect.
Center visit: Have a good look at your center a day before. Mine was in Punjabi Park area and a difficult place to get to if you have not been there before.
No pressure: Do not take the pressure. After CAT, there are other entrance exams like XAT, Maharashtra CET to prepare for if CAT does not go too well
Good heart: Do not give your heart too much stress, say ‘all is well’. It relieves stress. If you have studied sincerely, no need to let stress go to your heart.
Rinkesh Yadav from New Delhi says:
Just another one: It is just another test. Do not follow any special routine for this exam, it will be easier than you think.
Mocks: If you have taken all your mocks, then the paper might just turn out easier than any mock you have taken.
No surprises: There were no surprises in the exam like expected. It was a moderate paper, not too easy, nor too difficult but one can’t tell for the future slots.
Drop stress levels: If you are nervous you might stall your chances of doing well. Go for the paper with a calm mind. Easier said than done but it helps.
Dibyajyoti Sharma from Bangalore says:
Keep calm: Keep calm during the exam. Don’t panic if you face any problem. Being calm will help you tackle the problem better.
That’s it: If you have prepared for the exams well, it is enough. No need to over do it. It’s not needed considering how the first paper went.
Keep your confidence: Do not lose confidence whether during the paper or during preparation time. It can affect your output.
No concepts: Do not go for concepts while preparing for CAT at this stage. Just take tests and ready yourself.
Time: There is enough time to complete the paper. Do not get hassled when you see the questions.
Apurv Pandit from Pune says:
No valuables: Women especially should not wear or carry too much jewellery. Do not carry credit cards or too much of cash or important articles such as keys as you will be asked to stock them in a bag before the exam and will not be allowed to take with you
Vehicle: If you own a vehicle, take some person with you so that you can hand over the car keys to the person.
Identity crisis: Be serious about taking your photo identity and voucher with you. The Center may just refuse you the test without either of them
Early bird: Reach the center early. At least by 8.30 am if not earlier. Those who reached late will have to miss the exam
Check center: Pay a visit to the center at least a day earlier.
Washroom : You cannot visit the wash room after 9.30 am, so make sure to go early if you want to.
Vasundhara Vyas from Mumbai says:
Documents: Make sure you take all required papers with you. At my center a person who had met with an accident (earlier and was limping) had a lot of explaining to do to the Center officials
Instructions: Read the instructions carefully and definitely before you start the paper. One candidate, out of enthusiasm clicked on the ‘Start’ button, making all the others quit the tutorial and start with the test.
Boredom: Be prepared to get bored. At least for an hour and half before the exam and half hour to 45 minutes after the exam, you might just be sitting at your terminal with nothing to do. Don’t get irritated.
Warnings: Take warnings seriously, especially about the toilet breaks. You will not be allowed toilet visits apart from the scheduled time
Carry along: Don’t carry anything that you might not want to keep in someone else’s custody as the center is very strict on this count. I was only allowed to keep a Rs 100 note with me.