Mistakes one shouldn’t do while preparing for CAT

Students consistently make the same kind of repeating errors while studying for the CAT. It will take a lot of hard work and long hours to reach your eventual destination—getting accepted into one of the prestigious MBA programmes at IIMs or another prestigious institution. But the best method to ace the CAT is to develop a clever plan and improvise it as you go along with your training. You also need to be aware of the typical errors made by CAT applicants.

Here are some mistakes that aspirants knowingly or unknowingly make:

Not knowing the syllabus properly

The CAT applicant’s first and main task should be to carefully go over the curriculum. It has frequently come to our attention that the pupils only have a hazy understanding of the subjects that need to be taught. For instance, it is crucial that you be aware that a significant portion of the Verbal ability test of the CAT involves reading comprehension. List the topics that fall under each of the following categories: verbal ability, reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and quantitative aptitude (QA) (VARC). You can better comprehend the CAT test structure by reading through it.

Procrastinating

Simply speaking, procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing a task. Many CAT applicants struggle with this serious issue. Students put off their CAT study since it is difficult for them to concentrate on all the numerous entrance test topics. The time is now, so go to work on your planning.

Failing to develop a strategy or study plan

Sometimes when preparing for the CAT, students would study for just one or two hours and skim the material. It’s like trying to navigate a maze without a map or a plan of attack. Your strengths and weaknesses should be taken into consideration while creating the study plan. Additionally, one must be aware of the weight assigned to each exam part. Additionally, applicants must prepare for the WAT, group discussion, and personal interview stages after the exam. As a result, it would be sage if you made reading newspapers and magazines a regular practice to keep up with current events.

Either not trying mocks enough or trying them too much

The purpose of CAT mocks and CAT test series is to serve as a guidance for CAT aspirants. The kind of questions that are asked in the various CAT exam parts offer students an indication of the amount of study they will need to do. After completing a mock test, you may evaluate your abilities and areas for improvement with reference to numerous subjects. However, you should exercise caution not to overdo the mocks. Some students enter the real CAT exam with preconceived assumptions formed during the practice exams, which might negatively affect their results.

Not giving each issue adequate attention

Another issue is when students move on to another topic without giving the concepts enough time to sink in. You should initially concentrate on comprehending the fundamental ideas of each section rather than hurrying to finish the course. You cannot do well in the exam if your understanding is lacking. For instance, you should comprehend terminology like inference, assumptions, and so forth when answering problems requiring critical reasoning. In other words, you must familiarize yourself with the various question types for each part.

Not analyzing the mocks

Students cannot identify their areas for growth if they do not evaluate mock exams. You may gain insight into issues such as the relationship between the quantity of attempts and correctness, the amount of time spent on each question, the proper choice of questions based on difficulty level, etc. through test analysis. To get a decent score, it is essential to estimate and predict each of these factors. Thus studying the practice tests is a significant component of your CAT preparation.

Over-emphasizing or omitting a topic

The imbalance in their study plan is one of the most fundamental reasons why students struggle on the CAT test. This might indicate that they are placing an undue emphasis on particular areas, such as practicing verbal and quantitative aptitude tests, which are daunting. In the second scenario, less emphasis may be placed on concepts like comprehension and data interpretation.

Not establishing goals

Students who don’t establish goals wind up spending a lot of time on subjects that ordinarily just need a short amount of preparation time. Therefore, it is advised that you create goals for each day and plan your study time accordingly. This is crucial since some subjects are weighted more heavily in exams than others.

Ignoring the problems with the fundamentals

Due to the complexity of mathematical or verbal ability challenges, applicants frequently overlook the importance of fundamental ideas in resolving higher-level difficulties. This might result in answering a question incorrectly and failing to achieve the desired outcome.

Disrupting your sleep schedule

We are all aware of how crucial these competitive tests are, and that they are worth losing a few hours of sleep for. But the thing we overlook is returning to our regular sleeping schedule a few days before the test. As a restless night the night before the test may impair your ability to concentrate during the test, this is one of the most frequent blunders made by students.

Adopting a negative stance

Getting discouraged or feeling hopeless opens the door to failure. Such a mindset will make your preparation more difficult than it would make it easier. You should get assistance as soon as you can if you are having issues with any subject or topic. Keep in mind that a bad attitude is more likely to sap your energy than to be of any use. It’s best to maintain a good attitude and your goals.

Too many reference books

After learning the curriculum, students go to reference books for direction. Many people take on many reference books because they’re unclear which to choose, which causes a lot of confusion. Students should restrict the number of reference books they use to prevent basic and conceptual misunderstandings.

Avoiding the scoring topics

It’s critical to understand what subjects can be scored in any competitive test, especially since negative marking is a key factor in determining a candidate’s future. The idea that students struggle with is this one. They thus fail to understand the secret of the profession.

Not using self-preparation techniques

Not everyone can study equally well. Some pupils are skilled at retaining concepts, while others have strong analytical abilities. Finding the ideal study technique for each individual student is essential since every student is different in this respect. You would get better outcomes and feel more confident in your own talents if you developed your own preparation procedures. Avoiding self-preparation will make things more challenging.

There is nothing stopping you from scoring well and accomplishing your objective if you go by the aforementioned advice and do not make the mistakes indicated.

Best Wishes!!