You may invest a whole lot into cracking the Common Admission Test on November 19, but, according to CAT trainers Gautam Puri, Rishi and Arindam of Career Launcher, strict time management on D-day is what will seal the deal.

Their advice during a chat on September 20: "To balance time in the paper, you will need to ensure that you give equal time to all sections and move out of them even if you have attempted only five questions in 40 minutes. Secondly, you need to check out how many difficult question have been attempted by you and how many easy questions were missed out. Finally, revise all important questions from the mock tests and Full Length Test (sample papers with no official vigilance)."

For those who who missed the chat, here's the transcript:

s.manoj asked, jst 2 months are left hw tp prepare for the exams frm scratch

rishi answers, If you have taken CAT earlier, just prioritise on Number Theory, Algebra and Geometry. I think this is possible. Take MOCK CATs seriously

madhukar asked, Hi,i m starting my preparation now.I have taken CAT two years back and im quite good at DI and Quant.I have taken a test series but as of now my accuracy levels are low.I need to brush up a few things.My biggest problem is RC.can u suggest any strategy for me.

Arindam answers, In order to improve your accuracy initially in your practice tests, mark only those questions which you are sure of and then progressively increase attempts with a few intelligent guesses. Your attempts may reduce but the score will improve. Reading Comprehension: Focus on direct from passage questions and again focus on lowering attempts and improving accuracy

sandy asked, If I start preparing now what are the my chances

rishi answers, Depends upon your previous experience with CAT, if you are a first timer, it is slightly difficult. Even then you can focus and prioritise and come out with a better test taking strategy.

Shashwat asked, im really unable to devote time wit college...wat to do??

rishi answers, Shashwat, you have to balance it out. If you don't find time just strech yourself a bit. May be couple of late nights. Time Management is the key in the preparation.

manju asked, i have study by 10th pass how to study the cat.

Arindam answers, Not clear. What do you mean by "study by 10th pass"?

manju asked, is there any age limit for CAT ?

Arindam answers, There is no age limit for appearing in CAT so far.

shishir asked, tell me abt syllabus

rishi answers, No prescribed syllabus available. For Quantitative Ability is is Number theory, Arithmetic (Class X level), Geometry/Mensuration (Class X level), Algebra (Class X + a bit of Class XI) and Permutation-Combination. For English, be thorough with Grammar.

RAGHUL asked, is there any age limit for CAT ?

Arindam answers, Rahul, there is no age limit for CAT.

saurabh asked, can u plz suggest me how to cope up with vocabulary.there are so many word to remember .

rishi answers, Don't try to mug up difficult words, put an emphasis on usage. Even last year CAT asked words like "Hand", "Near" etc. Also try to deduce from contextual meaning of a word; in other words when you encounter an unknown word, try to guess the meaning from the context in which it is used.

Rehan asked, What is the ideal time/day if one starts preparing from now on and how should one plan for it i mean proritize accordinly????

Arindam answers, Rehan, difficult to comment. Depends on what is your ability in each area. Generally speaking, you will need two to three hours minimum study each day (other than the time for practice tests).

rahul asked, I am a BBA student i need the information regarding how to prepare for CAT?

Arindam answers, Rahul, if you are in second year, this is a good time to start preparation. Start with the basics in English and Maths. Also start reading as much as you can from now onwards.

Rahul111 asked, Can u plz suggest for some books for LR .

Arindam answers, Rahul111, not many standard books. You can try puzzle books by George J Summers and Shakuntala Devi.

Shiamak asked, After writing several AIMCATs I realised that I need to improve my speed in VA n RC so that I am left with sufficient time for QA n DI... How can we increase our speed in VA and how do we optimise ourselves for RC considering the kind of tough passages that have been coming in CAT these days....

rishi answers, Hi, you need to aim for the cutoff in Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehesion. Take only one passage and be accurate. And then sweep off the remaining VA questions. Discipline yourself so that you do NOT cross 52-55 minutes in VA/RC.

saurabhkapale asked, Does GRE Preparation help in CAT preparation ??

rishi answers, To some extent, yes. But there are lots of differences too. So, you need to take specific preparation for CAT also.

radhika asked, sir .. for how many hours approximately shud one study for CAT on a daily basis?

Arindam answers, Radhika, it will depend on your specific needs. Even if you start now, an average student should take two to three hours of preperation time daily.

swet asked, You asked, hi,iam getting around 90-94 percentile in my mock tests right now my problem lies with the last section that is which ever section i attempt last goes for a toss plz can u suggest how i can avoid doing this

rishi answers, Most probably you are messing up with time allocation. Self discipline is the key. Allocate adequate time for the "LAST" section of yours. Your score will improve

MK asked, I have 10 years exp. in IT Industry, should it OK for me to go for CAT? If Yes, What will be the career prospect after CAT, Pls. advise.

Arindam answers, If you already have 10 years of experience, your options could be joining ISB (Hyderabad) or a one-year executive programme from any good B-school

swapna asked, Iam preparing for the past six months. What should be my preparation strategy till my exam?

rishi answers, Now you should experiment with test taking strategy so that with same level of fundamentals, your score may improve. Try different sequence of attempts, allocate slightly more or less time in a particular section. And mostly improve your observation power so that question selection improves

Priyadarshi asked, what's the best way to prepare the DI section?

Arindam answers, Given the LRDI pattern of question in CAT in the last couple of years, it is better to generate interest in solving puzzles. Include sudoku.

cain asked, Hello Sir, I go blind by looking at the questions, But after the test i see , lot of sitters ? How to get rid off this phophia? Please Answer me Sir. Thanks

Gautam answers, Cain, in the paper target attempting very few questions and attempt only those that you are very sure of solving correctly. For instance, in QA target attempting only 10 questions

sateesh asked, I am scoring 85-87 percentile with just crossing all cut offs. what should I need to do to cross over all cutoffs

rishi answers, Stress on your strongest section. Stretch yourself a bit. I think you are almost there.

Rishabh asked, Is there a possibility of more than 3 sections this year since they have increased the time to 2.5 hrs?

Arindam answers, There is always a possibility :). But in a lot of places in CAT bulletin, it is given as three sections.

anandK asked, Hi Rishi, Can you suggest how many mock test should I take before CAT? If I concentrate and do a english well DI goes for a toss and If I do DI well English goes for a toss :( Please suggest what shall I do ? -Anand

Gautam answers, Anand, focus on giving equal time to each of the three sections in the paper. If you find that the last section is your problem area you could give it 5-10 minutes extra and cut time from the other two sections

swet asked, with 2 months to go how shiuld i study now wht should be the focus on most

rishi answers, Do not waste time in going back to all the basics, rather concentrate on test taking strategy. Try with different sequence of attempt. Be wise in questions selection etc. That will improve your marks. BOL.

madhukar asked, do u think 2 months is sufficient time to crack CAT??I have taken CAT two years back..

Arindam answers, In case you are determined to give it yr best shot - 2 months is also enough (since you need to refresh yr prep from 2 yrs ago). But it depends on YOU and you alone

Sandeep asked, does CAT and MCA entrace have same syllabus?

rishi answers, No Sandeep, MCA entrance also include higher maths and calculus etc.

Girish asked, Hi Arindam,I am in dubai rite now working as a web programmer for past 3 years but i wnt to do CAT next year, please guide me how I can get success in my first attempt, and what are the odds ?

Gautam answers, Girish, CAT requires two to four hours of effort ever days for six to eight months. Pick up a corresspondence course (like pegasus@home by Career Launcher) and be disciplined in your preparation. The paper itself is a Class X paper in fundamentals and concepts. It is the competition that makes it difficult.

saurabhkapale asked, How do u rate SYMBI ???

rishi answers, SCMHRD is definitely good, within top 12 in the country SIBM follows closely

koolguy asked, do u think work experince would help for one who wants to do an MBA?

Arindam answers, During an MBA programme, a person with work experience is better equipped to learn effectively in quite a few courses. It does help.

Tomorrow: Part II of the transcript

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