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The difference between those who crack the CAT exam and those who don’t

Praqtise — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 13:02:54 +0000

Sanoj and Pranav are very good friends who are in the last year of their engineering. Both are planning and discussing what to do after graduating. Pranav suggests that they should take the MBA entrance exam and try to get into a good college. Sanoj says that he has heard that the CAT exam is very difficult and that not many can crack it to get into a good college. Pranav, however, convinces Sanoj that studying MBA will open many new opportunities in life and Sanoj agrees, though reluctantly. Both start preparing for the entrance exam for MBA.

Sanoj and Pranav prepare together for the exam, but Sanoj is skeptical that scoring good marks in CAT exam is not an easy task. Both study very hard for the examination, Pranav, with a positive attitude, and Sanoj, with a skeptical attitude. When the results come out, Pranav scores higher than Sanoj and get into a very good college, whereas, Sanoj barely gets into a decent college even after so much hard work. What could have been the reason?

Praqtice Fact File: MBA entrance examinations are designed to challenge the smartest of individuals and to create such a level of pressure that would reveal their weaknesses.

Mindset makes a lot of difference when preparing for the CAT exam

The pressure created by MBA entrance examinations like CAT may demotivate a lot of people, but cracking the CAT is all about taking it up as a challenge. When you are preparing for MBA entrance exams, your mindset certainly makes a lot of difference. You may think all that is required to crack the CAT is to thoroughly prepare the CAT syllabus. However, your mindset plays an important role in helping you crack the CAT successfully. A positive mindset which accepts it as a challenge goes a long way in helping you get into one of the top MBA colleges in India. If you prepare with a negative attitude then it affects not only your preparation for the entrance examinations, but also your performance in the entrance examinations.

Lack of confidence can have a negative effect on not just your performance in the examinations, but also the group discussions and personal interviews that follow.

How does mindset make a difference?

If you think that the CAT toppers are only successfully because of their high IQ, think again. If you think that only students who devote 18-hours a day to prepare for CAT exam, can ace the examination, think again. It is not just IQ or Hard work that makes all the difference in how you score in MBA entrance examinations. MBA entrance exams force you to delve into areas that you might not enjoy. For example, some people may not enjoy reading long passages or solving questions with a lot of mental calculation involved. However, if you develop a mindset that allows you to accept these areas as a challenge, then you can easily crack the CAT.

How to create a positive mindset when preparing for CAT exam?

A lot of students often wonder how to prepare for CAT. Every student, at one point, has wondered what he is doing differently from those students who ace the entrance examinations.

Here are a few insights that can help you change your approach to CAT preparation

Aim for small improvements

Improvement will be incremental and will require time and dedication. Setting small targets and achieving them will help in developing a sense of accomplishment. It will give you the courage to take up tougher aspects of the exam without feeling overwhelmed.

Do not underestimate the effort

Sometimes, despite ongoing efforts and continuous practice, the students might not get the expected results. This will surely to deter their will to continue. However, it takes more effort, perseverance, and a positive attitude to see positive results. It might simply be the case that you were less prepared than you thought. Treat it as an opportunity to learn rather than feeling intimidated by the effort needed.

See how far you’ve come, not just how far you’ve to go

It is necessary to overlook the results and focus on the efforts to build a positive attitude. MBA entrance exams force many individuals to move beyond their comfort zone. Aspirants have to read novels or perform arithmetic calculation mentally, things they would possibly never have done otherwise. You can appreciate the changes that the process of preparing for the MBA entrance examinations has brought into your lives.

Conclusion: A Praqtical Look

CAT exam is supposed to be one of the toughest competitive exams out there. There are those who start preparing in advance, yet appear for the exam with very little confidence. Then there are those who just walk into the CAT exam confidently, despite not preparing for it, and still ace it.

While one may not consider such instances to be meaningful examples, we can definitely see how a different mindset leads to a great difference in results.

How important do you consider mindset to be for performance? Please tell us in the comments.

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preparing for CAT exam

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How to prepare for different MBA entrance exams?

Praqtise — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:21:15 +0000

Anuj is an employee at one of the best IT companies in India. However, he wanted to transition from an engineer’s job to a management job. So, he decided to take up MBA. He spoke to Mahesh, one of his friends, about this. Mahesh’s brother is preparing for MBA entrance exams. Their conversation was as follows:

Anuj: I quit my job a week ago to devote my attention to preparing for entrance exams.

Mahesh: That’s a good decision. It would have been difficult to work and then study.

Anuj: I might have ended in the situation of a jack of all trades, master of none.

Mahesh: So now, for what all exams do you intend to appear?

Anuj: CAT, I guess.

Mahesh: Why just CAT? My brother is appearing for other exams as well.

Anuj: What other exams?

Mahesh: Well, he said, IIFT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT and few others.

Anuj: Oh, I have heard of them. But I don’t know how to prepare for them. Are they any different from CAT?

Most top B-schools in India have their individual testing criterion, while many colleges accept admission based on various standardised tests. But if you are planning to get into one of the top Management Schools then you have to prepare for multiple MBA entrance exams. Though Anuj’s situation may not be the situation for many candidates, but the question remains the same. How to prepare separately yet simultaneously for different MBA entrance exams? We have compiled comprehensive information and tips for various exams in this article. You can use this article as a guide while preparing for exams.

CAT 2016

Common admission test (CAT) is a test conducted by the IIMs each year. Cracking the CAT can get you admission into IIMs and many other top B-schools.

Praqtical Fact file: CAT 2016 exam structure

Section	Number of Questions
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)	34
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR)	32
Quantitative Ability	34

This year, CAT exam pattern has included non-MCQ questions. This means that the candidates must work strenuously to understand the basic concepts. Since the section duration is 1 hour, students must maintain speed and accuracy. Preparing per section and taking the mock test for CAT could be the best way to prepare for the exam.

Practical Fact file: CAT 2016 exam pattern

Aspects	Details
Duration of the Test	3 hours
Total Number of Sections	3
Sectional Duration	1 hour
Total Number of Questions	100

XAT 2016

XAT is Xavier Aptitude test is conducted by Xavier Association of Management Institutes. This test score is accepted by many B-school across India. Here, along with the standard sections of Quant and DI, VA and LR, you have to focus on the preparation for sections such as Decision Making, Essay Writing, and General Awareness.

Praqtical Fact file: XAT exam structure

Section	No. of question	Duration
Decision making	25	140 min
Verbal and logic ability	30
Quantitative ability and data interpretation	36
Essay and general awareness		35 min

The Decision Making section tests your interpretation skills and logic. These kinds of questions require a logical approach and a clear understanding of the situation. The Decision Making section is a combination of RC and LR, so, proper practice of these two sections might help as well. Solving previous years’ papers can also help.

In the essay writing section, the topics are usually abstract in nature, and you must relate it to a subject of relevance. Reading skills are the best way to prepare for Essay Writing. The more you read, the more you would know the current issues and relate it to your topic. Exercise writing an essay of 200-300 words each day to be familiar with the habit of writing using a pen and paper.

IIFT 2017

IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) offer numerous programs, especially in International Trade & Business. The exam is held in an offline format. The duration of exam will be 2 hours, but the number of sections may vary. Last year, three sections were incorporated.

English comprehension
General knowledge and awareness
Logical reasoning and quantitative analysis

IIFT is an examination which allocates differential marks per question to each section. There is a penalty of 1/3^rd marks for each wrong answer. This year, the experts are expecting that three sections will be included in IIFT MBA 2017. The English section requires applicants to have good knowledge of the language. The questions may include RC, verbal reasoning, para-jumbles, vocabulary based question, etc. Thus, the thorough practice of the language and different type of questions is necessary.

For the GK and awareness section, an applicant must be abreast with current affairs and static GK. Reading the newspaper regularly along with specialised magazines and blogs can help. The questions can be broadly based on international trade, sports, economy, politics, etc. The QA and logical reasoning section is similar to that of CAT. However, the length and level of difficulty of questions might vary. Conceptual clarity and practice of previous years’ papers might come in handy.

Praqtical fact file: Last year’s IIFT exam pattern

Section	No. of Questions	Marking Scheme
Data Interpretation	19	1
RC	16	0.75
Quantitative Ability	25	1
Logical Reasoning	20	0.75
General awareness	28	0.5
Verbal Ability	20	0.75

SNAP 2016

Symbiosis National Aptitude Test is a national-level test organised by Symbiosis International University. It is 2.5-hour paper-pen based exam.

Praqtise fact file: SNAP 2016 exam pattern

Name of Sections	No. of questions	Total Marks
General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability	40	40
Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency	40	40
Current Affairs (of last two years)	30	30
Analytical & Logical Reasoning	40	40
Total	150	150

In SNAP, the candidate gets +1 and -0.25 of the marks for each correct and incorrect answer respectively. The candidates can refer to the previous years’ papers, model papers, practice papers, etc. for getting comfortable with the exam pattern of SNAP. The English section of the paper is like CAT. However, the level of difficulty might vary. Along with this, the candidates must also practice their verbal reasoning and ability skills.

In the Quant, DI, and data sufficiency section, the candidates’ mathematical and data sufficiency skills are tested. This section covers topics such as Arithmetic, Geometry, and Business Mathematics. Thus, the candidates must polish their formulas and concepts to be quick in mental calculations.

For the current affair section, one must be aware of current issues in India and the world. The candidates must follow newspapers and yearbooks to prepare for this section. In SNAP, the Analytical & Logical Reasoning section is the most important one. This section consists of questions that test the candidates’ analytical and logical skills. Thorough knowledge of basic concepts and the practice is the best way to tackle this section.

NMAT

Narsee Monjee Management Aptitude Test is conducted by GMAC. The NMAT test scores are widely accepted in numerous colleges across India. The duration of this test is 2 hours and the total number of questions to be answered is 120. The sectional details of the exam are as follows:

Serial Number	Sections	Number of Questions	Time Allotted (in minutes)
1	Language Skills	32	22
2	Quantitative Skills	48	60
3	Logical Reasoning	40	38
Total		120	120

This test basically aims to assess the basic knowledge of the aspirants and their problem-solving skills. The test has 3 sections. The first section tests the student’s language skills, in other words the fluency, proficiency and reading skills. This section consists of 32 questions to be answered within 22 minutes.

The second section, Quantitative Skills, aims to test the mathematical skills of the candidates. It consists of 48 questions, and the time allotted is 60 minutes. This sections requires the students to mathematically skilled, and to be able to perform calculations without a calculator.

The third section, Logical Reasoning, tests students on their reasoning skills. There are 40 questions in this section, which are to be answered within 38 minutes.

Other MBA Entrance Exams

The other entrance exams, namely CMAT, MAT, ATMA and IBSAT are of a similar pattern. If you are well-prepared for CAT and XAT, you can appear for these tests. Apart from CMAT and MAT, which have sections of General Awareness, the other exams have standard sections of Quant, Verbal Ability and Reasoning. The difficulty level is much lower than CAT or XAT.

Apart from these, most of the states in India conduct state-wise entrance examinations for MBA. These entrance examinations are usually a lot easier than entrance examinations like CAT, XAT, NMAT, etc. For each of these exams, it is a must to have conceptual clarity. You must read a lot as all exams have a dedicated VA section. Take multiple mock tests for getting familiar with the pattern. Taking mock tests help the candidates prepare their strategy for the final examination.

Praqtical look:

As stated above, conceptual clarity, reading and practice are the key to getting a good score in any exam. Apart from these, the candidates’ confidence and dedication can further their chances of securing admission to the best B-school.

Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.

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3 CAT preparation tricks that will help you crack the Verbal section

Praqtise — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 12:10:01 +0000

Sumedha is a CAT exam candidate. She is in the final year of her engineering course. Her CAT preparation has been very quant oriented because she likes mathematics as a subject. Hence, she has been scoring well in the quant section, but is unsatisfied with her performance in the verbal section. She speaks about this to her mentor.

Her mentor, like the senseis of yore, takes out a dusty box from the top shelf. As he wipes the dust off the box, the words “Scrabble” come into picture. Sumedha looks at the box in bewildered confusion and exclaims, “How do I master one of the top examinations in the country by playing a game of Scrabble?”

“The problem, my child,” says the teacher in a tone that borders between light-hearted fun and intense focus, “is that you are not looking at the bigger picture. To truly master something like the CAT question paper, especially the verbal section, it is important that you pay more attention to how much more interesting and fun you can make the process.”

“So, let’s play!”

CAT Preparation- Having the right approach for Verbal Ability

Verbal Ability is the section that can really boost your result. This can also be a differentiating factor in getting a higher percentile than your peers. But the problem with verbal section is that it is very unpredictable. You can practice a lot for quant and be sure that the questions would be solvable due to similarity in pattern. But in verbal section you can never be sure, even after practice. The reading comprehensions are different each time. Other questions are equally different. So, now the questions are how to crack such a section?

We have a list of 3 CAT preparation tricks that can help you achieve higher percentile by scoring good in verbal section.

Praqtice Fact file: The CAT Verbal Ability section usually has 5 types of question – Critical Reasoning, Paragraph Forming (Para Jumbled Questions), Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension.

Here are the 3 tricks for verbal section which need to be a part of your CAT preparation:

Measure time taken for each question

It is important to increase the reading speed, but it is also equally important to also focus on the average speed to answer RCs. The trick is in being speedy yet accurate. Just rushing and skimming would not help. While you practice for the verbal section and RCs in particular, you should always challenge yourself against the clock. Try to improve with each phase of your CAT preparation.

Not just practice, but PRAQTISE

Verbal section requires a lot of practice undoubtedly. However, the approach that you take towards practicing is what makes the difference. Why practice using traditional pen and paper methods when you can record and measure your speed, accuracy, and historical performances. Instead of studying the verbal section, you can actually play it out with your friends and challenge them to earn points and awards.

Error checking

While many other blogs will advise you with tricks like ‘read more’, ‘practice as much as possible’ and ‘stay calm’; we would advise you with a more practical approach. While you keep reading and practicing, you must invest proper time in checking the errors you made, the answers you got incorrect and the repeat mistakes. Forums like PRAQTISE help you out with fully worked solutions for each question. If you proactively keep checking for the errors you make, you are less likely to be bothered even by the trick questions in the exam.

A PRAQTICAL APPROACH: With the quantitative aptitude section, you can learn a few finite rules that will help you solve questions correctly and quickly. However, with the verbal reasoning section, there are no formal set of rules. There are just customized tricks and techniques. Your approach to learning and answering makes a major difference here.

A Praqtical Look:

As already mentioned the VA section can be a game changer. But it is unpredictable at times. So the best way to crack the verbal ability section is to read a lot, practice, solve the doubts, identify strengths and weakness. You need to monitor your performance closely during the entire preparation period. Then devise a strategy for tackling the verbal part of the CAT syllabus. Choose the questions wisely and attempt accordingly. Remember, that great strategy is not only about opening the right doors, but also about closing the wrong ones.

Do you agree?

Let us know your opinion.

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5 Unique Tricks for CAT Exam from Toppers

Praqtise — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 07:36:32 +0000

Rahul and his father are sitting together for dinner for the first time in 3 months. Rahul usually came late from MBA coaching and ate alone. He is preparing for CAT exam and aspires to get into a top management college. His father is a government officer, working in a different city. He gets a chance to come home once in a few months.

Dad: Rahul, how is your preparation going on? I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to you about it.

Rahul: CAT exam is approaching, dad. I am giving my best by preparing and giving mock tests regularly. But honestly, I am really nervous.

Dad: Why so?

Rahul: I score well, but some people are performing far better than me.

Dad: Why don’t you try to speak to such people and know what they are doing differently than you? Then maybe you can work on your strategy for the exam.

The people who have been there, done that!

Many times, CAT aspirants do all in their capability to prepare for the exam but get a low percentile. They don’t know why some people score better than them. What is it in their exam preparation method that gets them higher scores? It was a mystery. But not anymore.

To help you here’s a compilation of 5 unique tips and tricks from CAT toppers.

PRAQTISE Fact File:

Name	CAT year	Percentile
Sneha Mittal	CAT 2013	97.91%ile
Pranjal Agarwal	CAT 2015	100%ile
Nishchay Budhiraja	CAT 2015	100%ile
Tanya Gupta	CAT 2013	99.47%ile

1) Group preparation

Sneha Mittal, CAT exam topper 2013, says, with a group of fellow CAT aspirants, brainstorming and trying to solve each other’s doubts can be of great help. It lets you think differently. When in a group you also get to learn new ways of solving a problem. For this purpose, she had a particular WhatsApp group where she and her friends posted questions. This method was easier and less time consuming.

2) From the beginning? No!

On asking a question about CAT preparation, Pranjal Agarwal says “Don’t study everything from the beginning, because some topics are too basic to spend time on”. Pranjal has joined IIM-A for the batch 2016-18. CAT has topics from 10^th class Math and English which is elementary level. So, instead of studying them again why not spend time on building on those basics.

3) Don’t practice topics in isolation

Nishchay Budhiraja, CAT exam topper 2015, says “Take sectional tests which cover questions from all topics”. This will help you solve questions which are cross-sectional covering 2-3 topics in one question. It will allow you to get better understanding of the applications of concepts.

4) Shortcuts

“Try skimming through the passage instead of understanding each and every word”, say Budhiraja. But he also mentions that this trick only works with the right type of passage. He talks about how the ability to use other shortcuts to save time can come in handy during the actual exams.

5) Strategize wisely

When Tanya Gupta, CAT topper 2013, was asked how to prepare for CAT, her reply was simple. “Start preparing for CAT five months in advance.” According to her, the strategy is “to first solidify the basics for all the sections and then deep-dive into each one of them. It is important to go for an exhaustive numerical practice and tests for each section. ”

A PRAQTICAL Look

Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. With the CAT exam approaching, it is imperative for students to prepare as much as they can because that is the key to success. But along with this, you also have to work smartly.

By using the tips mentioned above, you can enhance your strategy for the main exams. But the ultimate war is yours to fight. So, gear up soldier because those who have prepared have half won the battle.

Did you find this article helpful? Do let us know in the comments below.

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CAT paper – How Creating a Confidence Index for each section will help you

Praqtise — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 00:04:17 +0000

I looked out of the window of my car at the polluted, bustling city road, amidst a plethora of noise and voices. After eight hours of constant preparation for the CAT paper, my head was throbbing with a painful headache. As I sat, contemplating on whether all those hours seemed to make any difference to my knowledge, my eyes fell upon a group of beggars. These little children in rags were moving around amidst the automobiles, with little trinkets in their hands. As I started to observe them move around, I started to notice their “marketing strategy”. It was incredible to see how they somehow changed their begging techniques or “marketing approach” as an MBA aspirant would say, according to the people they encountered. They somehow picked the people who looked more prone to sympathy and spent more time and effort on them.

This gave me a brilliant idea. As the signal turned green and the chaos on the street lurched forward, I wondered if I could systematically arrange my CAT preparation. This was when I decided to create a confidence index for my CAT paper preparation.

Confidence Index for CAT Paper

Preparing for the CAT exam requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Considering the enormous number of applicants who take CAT each year, one must regularly analyse their performance. Creating a confidence index that will help you in evaluating your performance will guarantee an improvement.

A confidence index is a tactically designed method to assess your weaknesses, using which one can efficiently work on the challenging subjects. This is similar to the technique that the urchins on the road use, whereby you segregate the chapters that you feel most confident about, while simultaneously singling out those chapters in which you are weak. Studying with a more structured approach, by planning out your study hours, while you compare your performance routinely will boost your percentile.

PRAQTISE FACT FILE: THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF ENROLMENTS FOR CAT EXAM WAS IN THE YEAR 2008, WITH 2.76 LAKH REGISTRATIONS. AND THE LOWEST NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS WAS RECORDED IN THE YEAR 2014 WITH 1.89 LAKH.

Take a diagnostic test

Before beginning with CAT preparation, take a dose of diagnostic test. Start with this test, as it is an eye opener that gives you a reality check of where you stand.

CAT paper comprises of topics divided across the three broad sections including Quantitative Aptitude (QA) to Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VRC) to Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR). Evaluate each section by checking the number of question attempted. Based on the number of attempts, rank each section from high to low in terms of confidence. Concentrate on sections based on the rank, by giving more time to ones with that are lower on the confidence index.

Section	Attempts	Confidence Index
QA	20/34	Medium
VCR	18/34	Low
DILR	25/32	High

Next, set your minimum target score for each section that you want to cross within a set amount of time. This will give you a direction by quantifying how much effort you need to put in while preparing to reach your set target.

Divide and Conquer

This is the basic step for building up your understanding of the subjects and concepts. Each section being equally important, one must begin by getting their fundamentals right for each topic. Be it quantitative or qualitative your syllabus must be at your fingertips.

As you start learning from scratch, you would be amazed by the confidence that you will gain by building a robust foundation. An in-depth, pragmatic approach while preparing for the CAT paper would be to keep a close track of your problem areas. This enables students to ensure that they work on their lacking areas correctly. So, jot down the topics from each section and segregate them on the basis of your confidence, while you solve questions from each topic. Also mentioning your problem area for each topic would help you plan out your study hours effectively. This is an effective way to ensure that one doesn’t neglect their drawbacks.

Quantitative Aptitude: Confidence Index – Medium
Topic	Problem area
Number System	Nil
Complex Number	Slow Speed
Probability	Concept, More practice of sum

Empowering mock tests

To become perfect at any thing requires regular practice. This applies for your MBA entrance exams as well. To get acquainted with the CAT question paper style you must get used to it. This is achievable only if you develop the regular habit of giving a complete test. More the number of tests you give, better are your chances to score more.

Begin giving mock tests at least three months before the day of CAT exam. Fix a day in a week to give the test and make sure you attempt the test as a real one. This exercise might drain you mentally initially, but as it becomes regular, you will feel more comfortable sitting for 3 hours straight. This is a fruitful exercise because of two main reasons:

You will understand time constraints while attempting examinations and will also be able to get a better idea on how to manage your time efficiently while jumbling between questions or entire sections.
You will know which area or section you are weak in, hence allowing you to track your performance intricately.

A Praqtical Look: As you prepare for entrance MBA exams, you will have your strengths and shortcomings with each section. But, remember no one is perfect. It is practice that makes one perfect. Don’t focus too much on the end score. Keep your focus on the present task, as this will improve your overall result.

Was this suggestion useful? Do you already use a confidence index? Let us know in the comments.

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[1]

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MBA Entrance Exams – The need for variety in your preparation to get success.

Praqtise — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 11:08:54 +0000

Let’s take a look at what students think is the best way to tackle MBA entrance exams.

“Guys, I think constant preparation for 6 hours a day, 2 hours for each section for a year will take me to the desired percentile,” Ashish said.

“True, but I think only practice would not be enough. We have to add variety in our preparation such as different approaches to paper solving, balancing between speed and accuracy, etc.” Bhaskar replied.

“According to me, we have to plan our preparation for each section, but if we can maximise our score in our focus area, we can expect the desired result. We should try to identify our strengths and weaknesses and allocate weight accordingly.” Chandresh remarked.

From the above conversation, we can make out that no particular strategy suits all the students for every MBA Exam.

PRAQTISE Fact File:

Exam	General Awareness Weightage
IIFT	23%
SNAP	29%
CMAT	25%
MAT	25%

Preparation for CAT

CAT is one of the most significant MBA exams. You have to plan very systematically for CAT. You have to identify the strongest and the weakest section as difficulty levels may vary from section to section. It may happen that your most substantial section may be the toughest one and the most vulnerable may be the easiest. So, there is a constant need to add variety to your preparation style for success. We have provided a few examples below to add variety to your training.

First, you may fix a weekly schedule. You may provide a fixed number of hours to each section. On the last day of the week, you can revise the topics you prepared throughout the week.

Second, you can prepare one section for a week and another section in the next week. You should not study only one section for a long duration. CAT tests your ability to apply knowledge. The syllabus has interlinked concepts across sections. Something you learn in DI may help you in solving a QA based question. Hence, one should try to have a balanced preparation plan.

You can prepare a chapter or a few number of chapters at a time and take a sectional test to scale your progress. It is necessary to revisit the test once it is over and reattempt the questions that you did not solve.

Third, you can prepare all the topics from all the three sections. Once you have covered the entire CAT syllabus, you can start taking mock tests. You can use various approaches such starting off with a different part of the paper (QA/VA/DI) each time. Please keep in mind that in CAT 2016 you will get only 60 minutes for each section.

Preparation for non-CAT MBA entrance exams

There are many MBA entrance exams other than CAT. These tests differ from CAT in many ways. So, you need to change your preparation style if you are targeting b-schools other than IIMs. Here also, variety in training plays a vital role in success.

First, many MBA entrance exams such as IIFT, MICAT, SNAP, MAT, CMAT have an additional section for General Awareness. It has an average weight of 1/4^th of the total marks which cannot be ignored. G.A. cannot be learned overnight so you have to read every day to be comfortable with it. Hence, you can study the other three subjects, but you must cultivate the habit of reading a daily or a magazine every day. You can take regular sectional tests when you start reading static and business G.A.

Second, as these MBA entrance exams have a different exam pattern, you can take a few mock SNAP, mock MAT, mock IIFT, mock MICAT, etc. Few of these are still pen and paper format tests and so taking such mock tests every month will be helpful.

Third, the difficulty level of the questions of these MBA entrance exams may also vary from CAT. Hence, you can solve the questions from other competitive exams such as IBPS, RRB, RBI, SBI, UPSC, etc. to become comfortable with more diverse types of questions.

Fourth, there are few exams which have specific requirements. For example, XAT has essay writing so students can practice writing an essay every week. Social issues, political issues and any current affairs are ideal points to start practice.

A PRAQTICAL Look: How reading can transform your life?

MBA entrance exams are a great opportunity for one to get into the habit of reading. One does not have to read things from the syllabus, rather it is necessary to relax and do some casual reading.

Reading newspapers, magazines and books enriches your thought process. It is the best way to develop a seasoned and matured perspective. Reading not only enhances your vocabulary but also magnifies your chances of sailing through the RC section.

The only challenge here is to read the right things. While popular novels and mainstream newspapers seem to be an obvious choice, the true objective is to go beyond your comfort zone. Pick out publications that use sophisticated English and provide dense amounts of information. Read novels that talk about serious or abstract topics, subjects that you would generally not read about. Treat it as an opportunity to enhance your understanding of the world.

Have you included reading and general awareness in your preparation plan? Do you think that it helps improve the overall performance? Please let us know in the comments.

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Tips for people with non-math background

Praqtise — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 13:48:36 +0000

“CAT Syllabus – Does it provide an edge to students with a Mathematics background?”

Ashish goes to a career counselling seminar. The following conversation takes place between Ashish and the counsellor which may be helpful for many MBA aspirants.

Ashish – “Sir, I am a commerce student, can I prepare for CAT exam?”

Counsellor – “Yes, of course, graduates from any stream can appear for CAT.”

Ashish – “But I am not an engineer and do not have a mathematics background.”

Counsellor – “Mathematics education does not guarantee success in your career. Non-math students have to plan their preparation differently according to the CAT Syllabus; that’s it!”

Numerical Aptitude is given utmost importance in the CAT syllabus. It is not baseless at all as two major sections of the CAT namely Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation test mathematical knowledge. So, it is considered that CAT exam is more difficult for students with non-mathematics background than it is for engineers. In this article, we have given a few tips for students with a non-math background to succeed in CAT.

PRAQTISE Fact File: Nishant Gupta, a student with a non-maths background who scored more than 99 %le in CAT

NAME YEAR Q.A %le VA %le LR & DI %le CAT %le

Nishant Gupta 2016 95.8 99.7 99.6 99.97

Quantitative Aptitude

Quantitative Aptitude is the most feared section of the CAT syllabus for students with a non-math background. Students should plan their preparation topic wise. Those students who are not so comfortable with mathematics should spend more time on the core chapters and practice as many questions as possible. The titles mentioned below are considered to be among the easier ones:

Percentage
Profit and loss
Ratio, Variation and Proportion
Time, Speed and Distance
Work and time.

Once students are comfortable with basic chapters, they can move on to tougher sections. Students should first try to identify the difficulty level of questions based on such topics. Attempt them only if you are comfortable with the question to avoid negative marking. The topics listed below are considered relatively difficult:

Permutation and Combination
Probability
Numbers
Higher Mathematics.

Logical Reasoning and DI

These are the sections where the non-math students can score to get a high percentile overall. This section has almost 1/3 the weight of the overall CAT syllabus every year. It has two sub-sections called Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. Students with a non-math background can focus more on logical reasoning questions as it does not involve complex calculations. On becoming comfortable with analytical reasoning, one can try to increase his/her speed using short-cut tricks and Vedic Math methods. Students can start solving Data Interpretation sets once they are comfortable with calculations.

Verbal Ability

It is crucial to get a good grip on the Quantitative Aptitude questions and Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation for CAT. At the same time, one should not ignore the Verbal Ability section as IIMs, and other top B-schools, have sectional cut offs. Verbal Ability is a crucial part of the CAT Syllabus. So, Verbal Ability section should be given due importance in preparation. If Q.A. is the weakness, a student can focus on the Verbal Ability section to get the desired percentile. Verbal Ability has two subsections:

Grammar: Students can concentrate on the fundamental concepts of grammar such as tenses, articles, conjunctions, voices, degrees, verb, noun, adjectives to get closer to cut off. Also, para jumbles are an easy target as one can master them with little practise.

Reading Comprehension: RCs are considered as relatively tough questions. Students should make a habit of reading on different subjects from news-papers and magazines. Magazines such as Readers Digest and India Today are usually the source for RC questions. Attempt RC sets from familiar topics first and then abstract and unfamiliar subjects if time permits.

A PRAQTICAL Look

As per the new paper pattern, students can only spend 60 minutes per section in CAT. Each section should be individually completed within 60 minutes. Hence, it is crucial to have a plan in place for tackling the quants section.

A non-math background should not hinder an aspiring MBA student to get into his dream college. The right approach is to leverage your strengths and acquire a basic level of comfort in areas of weakness.

Was this article helpful? Please, tell us in comments.

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Daily Prescription Pills for CAT Exam 2016

Praqtise — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 11:37:00 +0000

For a brief moment, I looked up from my paper. Hardly a second, maybe even less. I knew I had already made a mistake when I looked around me. Hands moving feverishly, the rattle of the AC, and 35 people unanimously struggling to do better than the one seated next to them. This was just another CAT mock test in class but I couldn’t help imagining the magnitude of the competition in the actual CAT exam. The singular ‘I’ against the brightest hundred thousand of this country. The moment of clarity had hit me. I had to do more than just practice. It was time.

It is true that preparing for CAT exam exposes you to tumultuous pressure. The number one reason for concern according to most aspirants is the intimidating CAT syllabus. While there is very little to be done except to overcome it, there are certain hacks that will help you keep calm and focused in the final few months of your preparation.

Prescription for Your CAT Well-being

Time Yourself:

Every bit of your CAT exam depends on how well you manage time. Time yourself in each category. You can begin by solving CAT question papers and mock tests with a set time limit on each section. This will give you a clear and concise idea as to which areas you need to work on.

Create A List:

Based on your performance in the mock tests, make a note of the areas where you need to put in efforts. Use this list as a reference regularly to touch up on your weaknesses.

Read Newspapers and tabloids:

It is extremely important to stay up to date with the current affairs of the world, not just for the CAT exam but in the best interests of our daily lives. Cultivate a habit of reading newspapers that will not only enhance your general knowledge but also help with your verbal and written communication skills. Reading Comprehension is one of the most scoring sections on a CAT paper. Daily reading will better your chances of scoring in this particular section by heaps.

Revise Your Fundamental Concepts:

Every CAT topper emphasises on the importance of a clear understanding of concepts. A thorough revision of every topic will definitely add to your confidence level. In fact, some CAT toppers even go on to say that CAT can be a relatively easy paper to crack with clear concepts.

Give Time to Yourself:

Even though it is known that CAT exam preparation will take up a lot of your time, it is still absolutely necessary to delegate some time for yourself. A happy and calm mind ensures mental and physical well-being before and during exams. Exercising, sports or simple meditation can bring about a positive change before CAT.

Practiqal Approach: In 2013, Gavin D’Souza from Goa scored an impressive 99.49 percentile in the CAT exam. In an interview with Rediff.com, D’Souza mentioned how it is extremely important to unwind while also preparing for CAT.

In the final few months before CAT, it is no longer important to know how to prepare for CAT. It is however of greater significance to know what exactly to prepare during this time. In reality, the preparation over the last 3-3.5 months is what makes the ultimate difference. That is to say that a significant change in your CAT performance can be made with the right attitude during these crucial few months.

Practice Fact File: In a batch of students of a CAT Coaching center who enrol themselves 12 to 18 months prior to CAT exam, only 5% students remain regular with their attendance. Most students lose focus and remain under the impression that they have a significant amount of time in hand to prepare, which ultimately leads to a loss of impetus required in the final moments before the exam. Thus debunking the myth that all those who start early win the race. Preparation strategies in the final months make a much larger impact than starting preparations early.

Are you targeting CAT 2016? What strategy are you following in the final phase of preparation? Can you share some wisdom? Please do so in the comments.

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5 Reasons Why Praqtise is Your Genie for Overcoming the CAT Syllabus

Praqtise — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 08:07:36 +0000

Not Again! My exasperation had driven me to fling the console across the room. It landed with a soft thud on the carpet. Why was it so difficult to defeat this guy? After 15 matches with him, I still had absolutely nothing to brag about. If you haven’t guessed it already, I am extremely competitive. But my constant losses at the hands of this gaming ninja had devolved my spirit for the day.

I spent a lot of my free time in the virtual world. When I wasn’t studying, I was gaming. My zeal was held up high with two things, my MBA entrance exam preparations and Fifa; both of which were online. My desperation to beat him at something made me think of all things possible. And then I thought of my mock test scores. Maybe I could beat him at the CAT syllabus! I could take him down. There was hope! But Alas! Why would such a game interest him? Does he even Praqtise?

Praqtise Fact File- On an average, an MBA aspirant spends at least INR. 25,000 a year on CAT Coaching.

5 Reasons why Praqtise Makes YOU Perfect

1) Competency Based Learning

While the road to your MBA dream requires you to overcome the entire CAT syllabus, individual pace is what we emphasize on. Our online study modules adapt to your pace of learning and level of competency. Contrary to most coaching centres; online or in real time, Praqtise banks on the principle of adaptive learning and not that of herding.

PRAQTISE Fact File:

Adaptive Learning is an innovative style of education where technology is clubbed with a customized learning program to suit individual requirements of students. This style of learning demarcates itself from conventional learning processes through the personalization that comes with it. This is of great use for tackling the CAT syllabus.

2) Mock Tests

No MBA entrance exam is close to completion without CAT Mock tests. Practice at absolutely zero costs or upgrade to a premium paid version with over 700 questions for you to solve. You can test yourself in either Praqtise or Mock mode. Created for the profoundly competitive minds of this era, Praqtise has a unique competitive learning system that rewards you with medals and scores.

3) In-depth Analysis

Every CAT mock test on Praqtise is analyzed, topic wise to give you an in-depth report of your understanding of concepts. Based on your accuracy and average time spent on each question, our analysis points out strengths and weaknesses so you know exactly how to prepare for CAT.

4) Gamification

We live in a world where Counter Strike, Fifa and numerous other online gaming portals take away our free time unlike learning, which is a strict no-play zone. At Praqtise we break that stereotype by incorporating a good challenge with the art of learning. You can prepare for your MBA entrance exams with your fellow aspirants with the same enthusiasm as that for a good game!

5) Illuminating Guides

Imagine a mall, or a supermarket. The first thing that comes to your mind is most probably the conglomerate of brands or goods. A supermarket stocks everything from groceries to furniture and all that a household needs. Praqtise is essentially the supermarket for your MBA dreams, except it is free. Seeking information on anything related to CAT, Praqtise is your best bet. Get tips for smoother practice tests, to reports to anything remotely related to CAT. Our Blog has answers to all your MBA questions, from CAT preparation to the career after MBA.

A Praqtical Look: Mock tests are as important as studying the CAT syllabus

Sanuj Mittal, who scored 100 percentile in CAT 2015, in an interview said that taking regular mock tests spearheaded his triumph. In fact, most CAT toppers harp on the importance of getting familiar with the pattern of the paper, and not just the CAT syllabus. Speed and accuracy can only be built with a steady practice schedule; that in turn will tell you of the appropriate time you need to spend on each section. Solving mock tests every day, as vouched for by every CAT topper, literally wins over 50% of this ardent battle.

At Praqtise, we believe in breaking out of the mould. While there is no dearth of training and coaching centres for the CAT syllabus, there are also very few preparation guides that can be adapted to your needs. Our approach to cracking CAT and other entrance level exams is by curating tests based on individual abilities and understanding of concepts. We believe that not everyone should be made to pass through the same hole in the wall.

What is the most challenging aspect of CAT preparation for you? Let us know in the comments.

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Tips for better experience in a CAT Mock Test series

Praqtise — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 07:31:14 +0000

CAT Mock Test – The litmus test of your preparation through late nights and early mornings

“In spite of the best efforts, I could not improve upon my performance in mock tests.” Disappointed Mr. Hardy remarked.

“Surprisingly, my performance has improved drastically over the last few weeks!” Mr. Smarty said cheerfully.

“I practice for 12 long hours a day and refer to 3-4 books for each subject” Mr. Hardy said.

“I prepare through the proper analysis of mock tests and work on my strengths and weaknesses accordingly” Mr. Smarty replied.

The minute distinction between Mr. Hardy and Mr. Smarty is the CAT preparation style. The students who aim to enter into the most prestigious B-Schools have to adapt. Let’s ponder upon the best approach to get the most out of the CAT Mock Test Series.

PRAQTISE FACT FILE: MORE THAN 90% OF STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED FOR MOCK TEST OPINE THAT THE TEST SERIES WAS CRUCIAL IN HELPING THEM PREPARE FOR CAT.

The ideal way to prepare for, analyze and evaluate the mock CAT question paper.

The students expecting favorable results in the CAT must plan their preparation very systematically and implement the planned schedule properly. In this article, we provide the preparation plan spread over 20 Mock tests to get the expected result with the best use of CAT Test Series. Students have to take the test in a phased manner as explained below:

The Analysis Phase

The CAT exam pattern and syllabus has to be the Bible for the students. It is needless to say that no test series can improve the performance unless the student has the basic knowledge of the sections and topics in CAT. So, the first and foremost thing is to thoroughly study the CAT syllabus.

In the initial 4 CAT Mock Tests, students should focus upon the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses according to sections.

Quantitative Aptitude: Target solving questions from basic topics such as Percentage, Profit and loss, , Time, Speed and Distance etc.

Verbal Ability: Attempt basic Grammar and Reading Comprehension questions on general and familiar subjects. Para-jumble questions should be the focus area for better performance in the next attempt.

DI and Logical Reasoning: Students need to have grip on basic concepts of LR and DI such as Graph and Chart interpretation, Directions, Seating Arrangements, Puzzles etc.

The Strategy Formulation Phase

This phase stretches from mock test #5 to mock test #10. Students can treat this phase as the experimentation phase. Develop a habit of solving the entire paper once, without restriction of time, after the test is done. Try to adopt different approaches in the way you attempt topics or types of questions.

Dedicate a bulk of your time to tricky topics such as

Quantitative Aptitude: Permutation and Combination, Probability, Numbers and Higher Mathematics.

Verbal Ability: Vocabulary related Questions, Reading Comprehension on Abstract Topics and Unfamiliar Subjects, Fact/Inference/Judgement sets

LR and DI: Data Sufficiency, Making Judgement, Logical games etc.

The Excelling Percentile Phase

The final phase is spread between mock tests # 11 to 20. Students must have covered 80% of the CAT syllabus by this time.

Paper Solving Exercise after each CAT mock test:

Students have to analyze each and every paper thoroughly. Solve all the questions, without setting a time limit, after each test. This is beneficial in three ways. First, you will get to learn from your mistakes. Second, it will be a reality check for the amount ground you have covered. Third, you will be able to pin point areas of strengths and weaknesses.

Make sure that you read through all the questions asked in the Mock Test. This is the simplest approach to test yourself against a wide range of questions. Develop the knack of being able to solve the same question in multiple ways. These exercises will bring about progressive improvement in this phase of preparation.

Evaluation of Results:

In this exercise students must diligently evaluate their performance in each CAT Mock Test. Students may evaluate each mock test in tabular form. For example, the table given below evaluates the performance of Quantitative Aptitude in Mock Test No.13.

CAT Mock Test No. 13
Section/ Topic	Asked	Attempted	Correct	Incorrect
Time and Work	3	2	1	1
Number Theory	4	1	1	0
Quantitative Aptitude	7	3	2	1

A Praqtical Look: We can paint a clear picture about CAT mock tests using some sports analogies. Each mock test is meant to help you reach match fitness. Disciplined preparation helps you be agile mentally. A number of cognitive processes become subconscious, enabling you to react to situations more quickly. This clears the clutter, allowing you to focus on more difficult aspects of the test in a better way.

How do you approach CAT mock test series? Do you have some useful tips/suggestions that you would like to share? Let us know in the comments.

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