Want To Score Well In CAT 2025?

'Ensure that you are active during that part of the day as you come closer to CAT.
Ensure you have a good sleep of seven to eight hours a day in the days leading up to the exam.'

We'd asked you, Dear Readers, if you had questions about your preparation for the Common Admission Test 2025, scheduled for Sunday, November 30.

A student's performance in CAT 2025 decides if they are eligible for admission to the top management schools in the country. 

Approximately 300,000 students will appear for the exam this year, hoping to get admission into management programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management (5,500 seats) and the Indian Institutes of Technology (approximately 760 seats).

Ahead of the exam, rediffGURUS and CAT experts -- Aashish Sood, an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, and Patrick Dsouza, founder of Patrick 100, that trains aspirants for management exams -- have been answering your questions.

• You too can post your CAT and MBA-related questions to rediffGURUS HERE.

Anonymous: Sir, I've been trying very hard every day. There is so much pressure because it's my second attempt but still I'm getting around 45-60 marks which converts into 75-85 percentile after analysing the mocks. I see myself in 80s. I am making some silly mistakes by not picking up the correct question. I want to know what I should do to pick the right Qs. Will I be able to score 97-98 percentile?

Aashish Sood: While writing mocks, I would implore you all not to focus only on the scores.

Instead, focus your energy on doing the following:

1. Attempt the test again at home and identify if the shortcoming in scores was due to time pressure OR due to lack of preparation.

2. Identify your strong and weak areas.

3. Look at solutions and identify ways to improve your approach.

4. Tabulate all your data so that you can analyse your performance at one go.

5. Try and finalise an approach for the next mock.

Try these, and there is no reason for you not to hit 97 to 98 percentile.

Anonymous: I'm getting around 35 to 40 in the last 4 mocks I attempted.
Honestly, I was working and planning on attempting it seriously next year but I resigned last week so I need to crack it this year.
My preparation hasn't been up to the mark but suddenly I feel the pressure, like I may not have time to waste another year.
MBA has to be my only option. What do you think I should do?

Aashish Sood: Putting this type of pressure on yourself is not really going to help you at all.

If you have not prepared seriously till about a week or so back, I doubt if this week would make much of a difference.

Go for the exam with the mindset that you want to crack the CAT this year.

However, at the back of your mind, keep the possibility open that it might not happen.

Start planning for an alternative course of action as well.

All the best for your exam.

Anonymous: Share some strategy for DILR; VARC (Data Interpretation-Logical Reasoning; Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension).
What to revise, focus on?

Patrick Dsouza: For VARC, read and go through your past mistakes.

For DILR, you can solve one or two sets daily and go through your past sets.

Anonymous: How to manage sleep schedule? I am very nervous.

Patrick Dsouza: Ensure that you are active during that part of the day as you come closer to CAT.

Ensure you have a good sleep of seven to eight hours a day in the days leading up to the exam.

Anonymous: I've been scoring well in sectional tests but keep messing up full-length mocks.
I usually study 2 to 3 hours on weekdays, focusing on arithmetic and RCs.
My accuracy in sectionals is around 80 per cent but the moment I take a mock with a timer, my accuracy drops and I panic.
I'm not sure if it's a stamina issue or a strategy issue. How do I fix this?

Patrick Dsouza: I believe the clock is the problem.

Your scores are affected because you are panicking.

Learn not to panic.

Try to go to the exam with a carefree attitude. That should help.

• You too can post your CAT and MBA-related questions to rediffGURUS HERE.

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