CAT 2015 mock test: Expert tips on the right exam strategy

CAT 2015 sample paper was finally unveiled on October 30 on the official CAT website.

Going as per the CAT 2015 mock test pattern, the candidates need to attempt three section in 180 minutes (240 for PWD/DA) in the following order:

1. Verbal Ability Reading Comprehension (VARC)
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
3. Quantitative Ability (QA)

There were five passages in VARC section with 10 Non-MCQ (keying in) questions.

Data Interpretation and Logical reasoning (DILR) has eight (8) Non-MCQs while Quant section has 10 Non-MCQs.

Now that CAT 2015 sample tests are out, aspirants are trying to figure out the right exam strategy. Shiksha.com decided to talk to three MBA experts. Here’s what they said about CAT 2015 exam:

 

 

Gautam Puri

Co-founder, Career Launcher

 

It is most likely that there will be a total of 27 Non-MCQ questions. This effectively means that 27% of the paper will not have any negative marking. A point to be noted is that 60% of non-MCQ questions in the VRC section actually have options. The option number of the correct option needs to be typed in by the candidate. But since, the answer has to be typed-in; these questions will not have any negative marking.

Also, one set (4 questions) each of DI and LR has only non-MCQ type of questions which means that 8 questions from this section will not have any negative marking. Since the calculator that will be provided will be a 20 digit scientific calculator, it will prove to be a great help in questions of Trigonometry and Number System questions in which the last digit or the remainder is to be found out.

 

 

Hitesh Devalia

‎Director and Co-Founder, Endeavor Careers

Here are six points students must take care of:

1. They’ve have given a clarity on the number of questions in RC. It will be either be three (3) or six (6) questions. So with various combinations, we can expect somewhere around 15 to 18 questions in RC (out of total 34 questions). However, passages will definitely be more in depth or lengthier or both. Students need to be mentally prepared for that. Generally, it is very difficult to maintain patience while attempting long RC passage. One needs at least 15-20 minutes to solve the passage.

2. In LR and DI, the questions will be in the set of 4. CAT 2015 exam may try to balance out the level of difficulty or we can at least expect it to be easier as compared to last year.

3. In Quant section, going by online demo, CAT will provide scientific calculator instead of normal calculator (as mentioned earlier in their announcement). Now, the online demo has all the functions – log, sine, sinecos, modulus. And in the paper, there are questions on log, sine and cos. So I highly doubt if we’ll get the scientific calculator. Remember, this is just the sample paper.

4. Non-MCQ questions, contrary to popular belief, will not require too much effort. One just needs to mark the numbers. The toughest non-MCQ question can be in parajumbles because it will come across five sentences. So there will be 120 possible combinations. In case of 4 statement parajumble, then there will be more than 24 possibilities. Earlier, when we had 4 options and aspirants needed to mark answers, one would use elimination. But that won’t be possible anymore. So, the entire paper may get time consuming.

5. As far as CAT exam strategy goes, aspirants should play it carefully on the day of exam. 60 minutes for each section is quite sufficient. In most cases, students will be done by 40-45 minutes. So it be difficult to concentrate on one particular section for 60 minutes.

6. Candidates mostly commit errors in the last 10-15 minutes. So don’t give up patience in the last few minutes. At the end, one simply wants to increase the number of attempts and end up making errors. At the end of 50 minutes, you’ve attempted 18 question. So suddenly, you press a panic button and you push yourself for 4-5 more attempts and that is where you get maximum wrong. So, stay cool.

 

 

 

Alok Bansal

Director, IMS Learning Resources

This is only a symbolic phenomenon in which CAT authorities are mentioning exactly how the paper would look like. This is not how the main exam will look like. So students should continue focusing on the basics. The first section would be Verbal and RC, then LR and DI and third Quant. In terms of the pattern of questions, we should not get puzzled by the large number of jumbled sentences or other sample questions which are provided in the mock.

Initially, people who were good at Quant could score higher and that was a differentiating factor. Gradually, IIMs are looking at diversity in the background of students who are joining them. So they are clearly aligned to the fact that the verbal section could be the first section. Earlier, people would complain that since verbal was the last section, they couldn’t perform well. So it has been given a due weightage and that is why the section is number 1.

They are trying to look at a balanced performances and giving equal weightage to all three sections. So one needs to perform equally well in all the three sections. For example, FMS has clearly said that they would give more weightage to the verbal section rather than Quant section.

CAT 2015 results have been declared! Check details here.

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