3 things to keep in mind for CAT 2016

By Gautam Bawa, Career Launcher

Nervousness, anxiety and excitement – CAT 2016 is sure to witness all of this. With some significant changes in the exam pattern introduced last year, some candidates are a little perplexed about the exam this year too.

Considering the performance of candidates in the past exams, it has been noticed that even though many candidates put in all their hard work and are well-prepared for the exam, they tend to become nervous – this is where they go wrong. Excelling in CAT exam can turn your dream into a reality – the dream of getting admission in any of the IIMs. Keeping this in mind, aspirants must ensure that they perform exceptionally well in the exam.

Shiksha spoke to Gautam Bawa, an expert from Career Launcher, who was kind enough to spare some time from his busy schedule and provided his expert views on things to keep in mind for CAT 2016. Here’s what he had to say:

1. Temperament

Temperament will play a major role in deciding how you perform in CAT. The difference between a 97 percentile and a 99 percentile is generally 16-18 marks. With a marking scheme of +3,-1 that boils down to about 4-5 questions. Since each question (that you should have got correct) that you get wrong makes a difference of 4 marks. Thus, ensure that you maintain your calm and go ahead and maximize your score.

CAT: Things to remember and do's and dont's

2. Paper pattern

CAT has always followed the paper pattern that they reveal in the sample paper. Thus, you should expect the paper pattern to be similar, however the Level of difficulty may differ. Formulate all your strategies keeping in mind the paper structure. Aim for a net score of 40+ in each section to stand a good chance of clearing the sectional cutoffs.

The addition on non-MCQ works in your favour. There is no negative marking, thus it has to be attempted. Also, it's the first time that it's being introduced, hence the level of difficulty is expected to be low. Be sure to attempt all of these. There is nothing to lose!

3. Use the platform

Ensure that you use the platform to your advantage. The question paper tab allows you to view all questions of a section at one go. This should be used to identify the questions of Round 1 and 2. Also, the mark feature needs to be used to identify which questions need to be revisited.

All in all, be calm. Trust your instincts and your preparation to stand a good chance to score well.

CAT scores are used for admission to 19 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and various other top B-Schools. Are you eligible for the IIMs? To know more, click on the image beside.

About the author

Gautam Bawa is an IIM C alumni who cracked CAT with a 99.97 percentile in 2011. He started his career with Optiver BV Holdings, Amsterdam as a Trader and is now heading the MBA product for Career Launcher. He focuses through innovations on the academic front and has been active in developing learning solutions like CL's IIM profilizer.

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