cat toppers Archives - PRAQTISE - India's most fun, adaptive and personalized online preparation platform for MBA entrance tests like CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, IIFT, etc.

Can you really not compete with someone who has taken CAT exam multiple times?

Praqtise — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 08:59:40 +0000

Mehek is preparing for the 2016 CAT exam. She goes to a coaching centre where she has enrolled for a mock test series. Mehek has made friends with some of her fellow test takers. This is what they were discussing one day after a mock test.

Shubham: “I appeared for CAT last year. I got a decent percentile of 97 but could not make it to any of the IIMs.”

Mehek: “But with such a score you could have got into any other good college”

Shubham: “Yes, but my dream is to study in an IIM.”

Reema: “Shubham, you scored well last year. I got 89%ile last year and 77%ile the year before that. I also want to get into top B-school; and am therefore sitting for the CAT again this year”.

Ayush: “Wow, you guys seem to have a lot of experience in taking CAT exam. I will be giving the exam for the first time this year. What chance do I have against you experienced CAT takers?”

This got Mehek wondering. She is also going to appear for the CAT for the first time. She has many questions in her mind about competing with someone who has taken CAT multiple times.

Over the years, CAT has seen many toppers from different backgrounds. All of them had different preparation styles. Many of them were first time CAT takers, and many were CAT repeaters. What made them win? How much does prior experience in taking CAT matter? Let’s find out.

Facts and figures about the CAT exam

CAT allows students to sit for the exam multiple times without counting the number of attempts. So, every year there are many first time CAT takers and many who have taken it before.

PRAQTISE Fact File

Year	No. of candidates applying for the test	No. of candidates actually taking the test
2016	232,434	–
2015	218,664	1,79,602
2014	196,988	1,67,829
2013	194,516	1,73,714

CAT is an exam that enjoys large number of test takers because the score is valid for many colleges. Not just the IIMs, but many top b-schools in India use the test for selecting students for their business administration programs. The test is conducted every year by one of the IIMs based on a policy of rotation.

PRAQTISE Fact File

CAT Testing Year	CAT Conducting IIM	CAT Testing Agency
2012	IIM Kozhikode	Prometric
2013	IIM Indore	Prometric
2014	IIM Indore	Tata Consultancy Services
2015	IIM Ahmedabad	Tata Consultancy Services

Each year a different IIM sets the CAT question paper and the pattern keeps changing. Last year IIM-A had set the paper, and they introduced a lot of changes in the exam. According to the latest press release, this year IIM-B will be conducting the exam. They have announced that the CAT exam pattern will not change from last year, but the number of presentation of questions may vary.

Would that mean that people taking CAT again this year will have a better chance of cracking it? The answer is they may or may not. It depends on their preparation and practice. But can you beat them? The answer is a big yes!

First attempt: Winners

Despite the pattern change every year there is at least one first time CAT taker who is among the top 20. Last year in CAT 2015, Prateek Bajpai scored 100%ile. This was his first attempt at CAT. He prepared for CAT without coaching but gave lot of mock tests. Similarly, Rajeev Reddy scored 100%ile who was also a first time CAT taker. Amit Warrier was another person from same category who scored 99.94%ile. He says it was all his hard work that helped him in making a mark for himself.

The aspirants need to notice that, CAT exam has always been about testing your concepts and understanding. It all comes down to the effort and confidence of the student. It does not matter if people have taken CAT before or are taking it for the first time. If you have worked on improving yourself, you can win against anyone. Even after CAT during GDPI phase, it’s your practice; confidence and knowledge about current happenings that will help you succeed.

A Praqtical Look

CAT exam has always had a lot to do with competition. The scores and results are relative. So, it’s natural for students to worry about competing against the experienced test takers. However, being a repeat test taker does not necessarily confer you with absolute advantage. You can compete and win against anyone.

Start by calming yourself down. Look at the CAT syllabus and prepare accordingly. Have a CAT preparation strategy. Work out a timetable based on your convenience so that you can cover the course thoroughly. Once done with the syllabus, take up a CAT mock test series. It is important to take these tests because you will get used to taking the test online, your concepts will be refreshed, and you will know where you stand in the competition. Use the enhanced online facilities available for preparation.

So buck up, because as Alexander Graham Bell says, Preparation is the key to success.

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

—

Image source:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5zzLpdRp5CE/VgkUFbAwaYI/AAAAAAAAALI/0wqVRVmpWCw/s1600/arm_wrestling_logo%2B%2528Medium%2529.jpg

The post Can you really not compete with someone who has taken CAT exam multiple times? appeared first on PRAQTISE - India's most fun, adaptive and personalized online preparation platform for MBA entrance tests like CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, IIFT, etc..

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.

—

Image source:

https://www.toysperiod.com/images/bumble-bee-marbles.jpg

The post 5 Unique Tricks for CAT Exam from Toppers appeared first on PRAQTISE - India's most fun, adaptive and personalized online preparation platform for MBA entrance tests like CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, IIFT, etc..