Abhishek Tahlan

Each IIM as well as CAT related institute (e.g. MDI) has separate sectional cutoffs. Missing out on even one may rule you out of a call. As a rule of thumb, aim for at least 80 percentile in each section. This will help you get calls from most IIMs provided percentile is good.

02:35 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Entirely depends on the difficulty of the paper. In CAT 2014, VA/RC+LR section was fairly easy so around 38-40 correct (of 50 attempted) brought me 99.96 percentile. This years is anyone's guess. Attempt as many as you can with 75-80% expected accuracy

02:37 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

For strong section : I need to boost my score here for high percentile. Don't waste time on questions. Keep speed high. Weak section : Damage control. My aim was 90 percentile. Keep accuracy high. Rule out the toughest 10 questions (since these are the hardest in the toughest section). Spend more time on easy and intermediate questions. Lower no. of attempts is OK as long as accuracy is there. Ultimately, approach will depend almost entirely on difficulty of each section. Judge difficulty of each separately and then attempt.

02:40 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Very good. On par with IIM-L, so in the top 5 in India. The competition is absolutely elite, before and after joining, so its a great learning experience.

02:41 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

I'm sorry to not answer this question. Aim for 75% accuracy and covering all questions so as to not miss any. The number of attempts will take care of themselves. For medium difficulty, an attempt in the 70s with good accuracy is decent. Forget about the number attempted during the exam and focus on speed and accuracy+not missing any sitters.

02:45 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

1. There is an extra decision making section, with subjective as well as objective questions. Look in the previous year XATs for details. 2. A GK section in XAT, but it isn't evaluative at interview stage. 3. An essay. 4. XAT was reputed to be tougher than CAT, but both have been experimenting with difficulty lately.

02:46 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Impossible to say, especially with the advent of subjective questions. Concentrate on what worked in mocks. Optimum question selection and avoiding mistakes, and doing your best will make achieving 99+ percentile a lot easier. Don't miss any easy questions and waste time on tough. Maintain a good accuracy. Keep enough time for marked question attempts. That's it.

02:48 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Ya cutoff will be expected to increase, as it is a function of difficulty and no. of questions. Any surprises will be same for everyone. Stay cool and give your best attempt.

02:49 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Not at all. One should relax before the exam. Doing tough topics will only cause panic. If you absolutely must, do a quick overview of things you are already comfortable with, to cement them and give you confidence. Absolutely do not study tomorrow.

02:52 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

This was my weaker section as well, and I got 81 percentile in it! The strategy is to skip the questions from the toughest topics. Choose the easiest 15-20 to attempt in the first half hour. Don't even attempt the intermediate ones in the first 25 minutes. In the second round you can do a few of the intermediate ones and ones which you could not do in R1. No of attempts will be lower than quant gods, so focus on accuracy. All the best

02:55 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Cat 98.16 - Calls MDI new IIMs, didnt convert anything. XAT 99.82 - Converted XL BM and HR. Key difference was percentile in the weaker section - 81 in cat quant and 92 in xat quant

02:56 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Overall percentile is just based on your total and scaled score of all sections. RC/VA weightage will be based on total questions from that section. Leave the scaled score to IIMB and focus on your total score, with at least 80 percentile in each section. All the best.

02:58 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

I believe a lot of candidates are naturally better in the other exams, like IIFT and SNAP, along with XAT. This may also be because we put too much pressure on us during CAT. To maximise your scores in these exams 1.do the last three year's question paper 2. Prepare as per format changes (e.g. snap had lack of sectional cutoff - modify attempt accordingly). 3. Maintain focus after CAT. Take a few days off and resume proper preparation.

03:02 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Yes of course. My email ID is a.tahlan@gmail.com. You (and anyone else) are free to ask any XL and MBA related questions anytime.

03:03 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Anytime. Best of luck for tomorrow!

03:06 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

You have great relevant work ex for marketing, as well as a good choice in colleges, since - 1. XL welcomes GEMs, if they do well in XAT and interview and 2. XL is known for its marketing and sales placements. If you want to do a marketing MBA in india, then XL is a great option. My recommendation is to prepare wholeheartedly for XAT (after a proper break post CAT). Keep researching options meanwhile.

03:09 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Sure. Best of luck!

03:12 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

I didn't give too many, because a lot of mental energy is needed for full mocks. I gave short tests on topics which I was comfortable with but wanted to improve. Similar to focusing on muscle groups in gym! take at least two to familiarize yourself, at most 3. Spend the remaining time on improving whatever you want, especially decision making.

03:18 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

That was generally the case, but in the last few years both tests have experimented a lot. XAT quant preparation is mostly CAT quant preparation, plus 1. last 3-4 year XAT papers analysis 2. Revisit a few topics in the next one month which you know well but need practice with (selected preparation). 3. Fine tune your attempt on the XAT day according to the difficulty and format.

03:21 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

There is no shame in having a weak section, most of us have one. The key is to rule out the toughest questions (or topics you don't like). Then of the 30-35 odd left, you are left with more time to spend on each. Focus on accuracy, i.e. don't attempt just because you are low in number of attempts. If you are unable to solve many, do those which take some more time but can be solved (time or calculation intensive). Also don't rush too much (avoid silly mistakes) don't miss sitters (scan the section well) Do the 3-4 questions which can be done by putting options in the question one by one. This will lead to a respectable sectional percentile.

03:25 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

The RC in mocks is harder than CAT. You will do better tomorrow. If you struggle in RC accuracy, then skip questions with options that are vague or very close to each other. Skip one most complex or lengthy RC to spend more time on the rest, if speed is an issue.

03:27 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

Depends on the difficulty entirely. Focus on good question selection (spending right amount of time on those attempted), accuracy (not taking unneccesary risks or being to conservative). Complete the first round of attempts in the section in at most 40 minutes. Then even 99+ is within reach. Best of luck.

03:29 PM

Abhishek Tahlan

best of luck!

03:29 PM