What does it take secure a 100 percentile in CAT? How many months of tireless practice or coaching assistance did the CAT 2016 toppers take to acquire the feat they did? With 20 male engineers scoring a 100 percentile in this year’s CAT, the competition for a perfect score has shown a common tone. Some of the CAT 2016 toppers shared their test prep strategies with PaGaLGuY, as a gesture to help out aspirants in the coming year. Here’s what they had to say.
The comprehension questions in the Verbal section are usually boring and tardy. Aspirants should practice reading newspapers and dry non-fiction novels to improve their concentration and understanding of the same. I found the DILR section most time consuming because that is my weak point. I suggest aspirants should keep aside their ego while solving this section, and solve only those questions that are quick and easy. There is no need to solve every question in a particular set. Lastly, no matter how much you prepare, the CAT will always be a step ahead of you. so don’t panic if you find unfamiliar questions or patterns in any section.
One cannot make general strategies. Everyone has to come up with his or her own strategy. Take as many mock tests as possible before the exam and have frequent discussions with people who are doing really well in mock tests. Their inputs always help. Be it a tough paper or a simple one, you’ll always be prepared.
For full-time professionals, making time for study after work is difficult. Such aspirants should make the utmost use of the weekends. I used to study concepts on Saturdays and take a mock test on Sundays. This was my routine for a long time. Apart from that, I focussed on my weaker areas like Verbal Ability.
I think that along with hard work, a little bit of luck is also needed to get a 100 percentile. But what is important is to tackle the paper wisely. A lot of students end up wasting time solving the tough questions in the paper, which are often time consuming. Aspirants should mark the questions that they think are easy or quick to solve and first attempt those. Don’t get over ambitious about attempting more questions. Calculate your probable score at intervals, and solve just the number needed.