CAT 2021 Exam: Things you should know in advance

New Delhi: IIM CAT 2021 exam is around the corner and many candidates are finding it hard to strategize their last few days of preparation. Exam day jitters, last-minute confusion, nervousness, panic to cover the entire syllabus etc., are quite common before the examination, but one can easily overcome these and remain confident of nailing it all.

Munira Lokhandwala, IIM-C Alumnus and an expert at Alchemist India - a leading institute for CAT exam preparation, has shared some of the pro-strategies to follow in the last few days in an interview with Careers360.

Also read: Exam day strategy and pro tips by expert of Hitbullseye

Question 1: What points to keep in mind in the last few days of CAT preparation?

Have a routine that incorporates your actual CAT time. For example, if you are a Slot 1 student, ensure that you take your mocks at 8:30. Also, ensure that you are accustomed to waking up early. Do one physical activity every day, which will remove anxiety and release your feel-good endo-morphine hormones.

Question 2: How to manage time on the exam day?

Make sure that you reach the end of each and every section. This will be achieved if you leave difficult questions quickly without feeling guilty. As long as you are saving time by avoiding difficult questions, you need not feel guilty.

Question 3: What about mock tests?

Do not take more than three mock tests in the last week; preferably, they should be Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Do not take any mocks or study at all after Friday afternoon. Relax completely and pursue activities that you like so that your mind is fresh for the CAT.

Question 4: How many CAT sample papers or previous year papers to solve now?

Use past year papers as section tests; these are great instruments for revision. Most likely, you would have seen some of these questions in some form or the other, so taking them as full-length tests does not make sense. Ensure you look at all the nine papers from CAT 2017 to CAT 2020.

Question 5: How to attempt CAT questions to decrease the negative marking?

In Maths and LRDI, you have to find the right answer. In English, you have to focus on eliminating wrong answers. Be sure that you do not guess in Math and take the trouble to eliminate all other answers as incorrect before marking the correct answer.

Question 6: Section-wise tips to crack CAT 2021

In Math, you need to work on one question at a time. In RC, spend some time selecting passages that you find easy to read. This will ensure that your mind is fresh for the other passages. In LRDI, invest at least one minute per set before you decide on your selection. Starting with the wrong set can really play havoc with your mental equilibrium.

Question 7: Important topics to cover in the last few days of CAT preparation.

Revision of previous year’s CAT papers and daily reading of good articles should be sufficient for the last week. Working with a long list of topics will just add to your anxiety; avoid that.

Question 8: How many questions to attempt to clear IIM cut offs? And what should be the accuracy level?

We love this question. Nobody can predict this, not even the paper setter. It is a relative exam and our job is simple: maximiz our score in each section while taking the paper.