CAT's a speed game

Get Ahead invited readers who successfully cracked the Common Admission Test to share their tips/mantras for success. Select entries now form a series of reader-driven articles on how to ace CAT.

ith barely a month to go before D-day, here are a few things you can do to improve your chances at CAT.

Work on your speed.

Cracking CAT is not that difficult if you have unlimited time. Unfortunately, the time you have on hand is limited.

This means you have to improve your calculation and reading and retention skills.

Some people have found techniques like Vedic math and speed math training useful. You could see if they work for you by testing them in stressful situations like the All India Mock CATs conducted by one of the bigger CAT coaching centres.

The simulated CAT

Attempt Mock CATs or Sim CATs and track your rank at a national level -- if possible, on a section-by-section level as well.

Solving Mock CATs will help you get a feel of the areas you have covered. It also gives you an indication of the areas that you need to concentrate on.

You will know how you fare at the national level.

Besides, there is the added benefit of getting into the right rhythm and mindset.

Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!

Accuracy is as -- if not more -- important than speed.

Don't forget about the negative marking system -- each question you get wrong reduces the credit you have accumulated with your correct answers. If you don't know the answer, don't guess!

The percentile factor

Paying too much attention to the percentage or the actual score or the number of attempts is not necessary as long as your rank is good.

A 'good' rank is anything within the top 100-150, assuming over of a couple of thousand people have taken the test.

Otherwise, you need to be in the top one or two percentile of the number of people who've taken the test.

Don't forget to analyse the pattern of your attempts.

I noticed that I tended to leave out some question 'groupings' across successive Mock CATs.

For example, I left out question groupings consisting of five or six questions based on data interpretation from pie charts. This indicated the area I needed to brush up on if I did not want to lose out in a big way.

This kind of pattern is usually visible when you compare two or three of your successive Mock CAT solution papers.

Which brings me to another point -- mark your Mock CAT solutions in your question paper as well so that you can immediately start tracking your performance after the test.

Groupism helps

Try to form study groups to keep your motivation and interest levels high. Discussing your aspirations and goals with friends makes them more 'real' and makes you want to put in more work.

Finally, even if your Mock CAT scores are not very encouraging, don't give up on CAT. I've seen quite a few of my friends turn in a superb performance just when it mattered the most.

Set your target high and work towards it.