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How To Prepare For CAT In 28 Days?

How many mocks should you take? Should you start any new concepts? How to be in the right mindframe while attempting the mocks and exams? How to analyse the Mock tests? How to get to the 99th percentile in 28 days? These and many such questions to be answered in this live chat by Srinivas Akkapeddi, IIT Dhanbad and IIM Indore Alumnus. He has been coaching students for CAT for close to 6 years.

CONDUCTED BY:
Srinivas Akkapeddi
Oct 28
06:30 PM

Oct 28
07:30 PM
  • Profile Picture Om Prakash

    Hi sir

    12:56 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    Hello sir.

    12:56 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    I wanted help regarding 3 areas.

    12:56 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    1. I am getting tired towards the end of the exam and missiing easier questions in QA. If my scores are good in Verbal my scores aren't that great in DILR because of this fatigue. 2. I have not done topics like Trigonometry, Logarithms and coordinate geometry yet. Do you suggest to spend a day or two on learning them or is it best to leave thsm.? 3. How do I analyse mocks throughly?

    01:00 PM

  • Profile Picture Om Prakash

    in June to July in time aimcats I used to get around 90 to 92 percentile,but due to some more responsibilities I couldn't devote as much time in cat prep in Sep and Aug.My percentile in aimcat has reduced to 75 to 85 ,what should I do now.I am frustrated.Especially ,my quant percentile has decreed from around 90 to 95 to around 80 to 85.

    01:01 PM

  • Profile Picture Akash 95

    sir could you please tell how many mocks is it advisable to write from now and in between mocks should we do chapter wise tests or sectionals tests as whole

    01:04 PM

  • Profile Picture Shilpa Thakur

    I score high in verbal, avg in dilr but quite low in qa.... Done with concepts and all but there is a lack of practice..... How should i proceed from now?

    01:10 PM

  • Profile Picture Akash 95

    sir could you please tell how many mocks is it advisable to write from now and in between mocks should we do chapter wise tests or sectionals tests as whole

    01:04 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Dear Akash, There are 4 Sundays to CAT (29th/5th/12th/19th). Take 4 of them in the same slot as your original slot for CAT. In addition, you may take 3 to 4 more (if your strategy is NOT Set)

    01:11 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    1. I am getting tired towards the end of the exam and missiing easier questions in QA. If my scores are good in Verbal my scores aren't that great in DILR because of this fatigue. 2. I have not done topics like Trigonometry, Logarithms and coordinate geometry yet. Do you suggest to spend a day or two on learning them or is it best to leave thsm.? 3. How do I analyse mocks throughly?

    01:00 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Nikhil, One way to improve stamina is by taking a MOCK and then another ONE hour of QA Sectional Test. You may change the Sectional test to LRDI for one or two mocks that you write from now onwards. The idea is to give your body a clear indication that you have to be in your senses for 4 hours!!!! 2. As for the topics you listed, you may want to skip them. 3. Analysis of the Mock is on two counts

    01:13 PM

  • Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    HOW TO ANALYSE MOCKS:

    01:14 PM

  • Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    I am writing here to ensure that you know what to do for Analysing.

    01:14 PM

  • Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    a) make sure that your time limits are maintained correctly. The biggest reason for doing badly in exams is bad time management. It is imperative that you check your Time Analysis (question wise/set wise) so that you don't overshoot the time allotted. 2. You have to check the areas you have gone bad in and use the MOCK to ascertain such areas - use the intervening time (between Mocks), to revise those topics - again from the MOCKS only !

    01:16 PM

  • Profile Picture Om Prakash

    Sir,please I need serious help .I have posted my question above regarding my decrement in percentile.

    01:16 PM

  • Profile Picture Shilpa Thakur

    I score high in verbal, avg in dilr but quite low in qa.... Done with concepts and all but there is a lack of practice..... How should i proceed from now?

    01:10 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Shilpa, The fact that you said you are getting low in QA and that you are done with Concepts - is a contradictory statement. Clearly, your ability in all concepts is NOT the same. Identify those topics among QA which you have been consistently getting better strike rates. Concentrate on those topics when you are writing the exam. This way, you will not waste time on those areas which you have NOT been getting good scores in. For eg: if of the 20 odd individual topics, you are good only in 8 of them, look for these 8 topics from among the 34 questions in the Mock. You will first do them and only then look at other questions. There should NOT be a question of "I feel I can do therefore I am attempting" kind of thinking. Either you can OR you can't. Make firm decisions while doing the exam.

    01:19 PM

  • Profile Picture Anirudh Mackar

    Sir! If we find that we are weak in certain areas through Mocks, shouldn't we go back to the basics revision?

    01:20 PM

  • Profile Picture Om Prakash

    in June to July in time aimcats I used to get around 90 to 92 percentile,but due to some more responsibilities I couldn't devote as much time in cat prep in Sep and Aug.My percentile in aimcat has reduced to 75 to 85 ,what should I do now.I am frustrated.Especially ,my quant percentile has decreed from around 90 to 95 to around 80 to 85.

    01:01 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Dear Om, Please work everyday for 5 to 6 hours for the next 10 days, you will find your mojo back! What you have lost is Rhythm!

    01:22 PM

  • Profile Picture Anirudh Mackar

    Sir! If we find that we are weak in certain areas through Mocks, shouldn't we go back to the basics revision?

    01:20 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Frankly my dear, you can't improve on weak areas. Here's my suggestion. Divide all topics into three colours : Red / Orange /Green Red - Weak Green - Strong Orange - In between weak and strong. All topics in RED should be ignored and ONLY Orange and Green Topics to be concentrated upon for the next 28 days !

    01:24 PM

  • Profile Picture Om Prakash

    Sir,please I need serious help .I have posted my question above regarding my decrement in percentile.

    01:16 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    I have answered that Om. You are definitely NOT in the minority! You just forget what happened and concentrate the next 28 days. Take 6 to 7 Mocks. And Work on areas that can improve your scores. Forget those areas/topics which are not comfortable/weak!

    01:25 PM

  • Profile Picture Shakeb Ajaz

    Sir, what is the proper way of analyzing mocks in order to achieve the maximum out of it?

    01:29 PM

  • Profile Picture Nivethapriya Priya

    Hi, i am currently consistently in around 70-75 percentile and I really trying my best to prepare properly in this month..is there any possibility that I can improve my percentile to 85+ minimum?

    01:30 PM

  • Profile Picture Shakeb Ajaz

    Sir, what is the proper way of analyzing mocks in order to achieve the maximum out of it?

    01:29 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Dear Ajaz, I have written the same a while back. 1. Analyse your Time Analysis (which will help you to figure out how you have been spending time in each question and sets). Eg.. if you had spent more than 4 minutes on a question, it is WRONG. No matter if you got that Correct. However, if you had given 4 minutes to that question after having exhausted all other questions, then the 4 minutes is considered correct ! 2. Solve Each Question - both the ones you got correct and the ones you got wrong. Make a plan to avoid the mistakes you did in the first point. In the second mock that you write after this, check whether you have achieved the objective (You won't). And refine your process!

    01:33 PM

  • Profile Picture Akash 95

    sir writing startegy for verbal?.Should we first do the rcs . it is is generally advised to select easy q first but then how can you know which rc is easy within the first 5 mins which is the usually advised time for q selection?

    01:33 PM

  • Profile Picture Nivethapriya Priya

    Hi, i am currently consistently in around 70-75 percentile and I really trying my best to prepare properly in this month..is there any possibility that I can improve my percentile to 85+ minimum?

    01:30 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Very easily Priya. 75%ile to 90/95%ile is very much possible in the next 25 days . Please go through the article I have written (40 days to CAT) and it has a detailed method. 25 days is a long time to improve !

    01:35 PM

  • Profile Picture Akash 95

    the time in between mocks should we write sectional test for the topics in which we are weak and should they be timed tests?

    01:35 PM

  • Profile Picture Nivethapriya Priya

    Thanks for the positivity!!

    01:37 PM

  • Profile Picture Akash 95

    sir writing startegy for verbal?.Should we first do the rcs . it is is generally advised to select easy q first but then how can you know which rc is easy within the first 5 mins which is the usually advised time for q selection?

    01:33 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    I have no idea who has advised you to select easy questions in RC !!!!!! There are RC passages and questions and TRY to do ALL ! You will not be able to gauge the difficulty level (in a short span) sitting in the exam for RC ! As for doing VA or RC, please decide whatever works! In the next 6 mocks that you may want to take up - do 2 of them with VA first and 2 with RC first and check if there is any change in Rhythm. Use whichever works for the last 2 mocks and the final exam. Don't then change at the last minute!

    01:37 PM

  • Profile Picture Shilpa Thakur

    Great... Thanks so i should focus more on sectional tests right now than mocks?.... And you said something about revise your topics from mocks, i didn't get it?

    01:38 PM

  • Profile Picture Nivethapriya Priya

    Thanks for the positivity!!

    01:37 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    No one knows Priya. Trust me. If you ask diehard fans of TIME, they say TIME ; die hard fans of CL, they will say CL and likewise for others. The reality is that CL, TIME and others make sure that they have all kinds of difficulty embedded in the MOCKS that they give to students and thus preparing them for any eventuality.

    01:39 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    Sir. Is it advisable to spend say 5 or 6 days from now to just do concepts and basics of every section of QA? Ex. Arithmetic on 1 days, Algebra on the next and so on

    01:39 PM

  • Profile Picture Akash 95

    the time in between mocks should we write sectional test for the topics in which we are weak and should they be timed tests?

    01:35 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Use this time to improve your 'Test Taking' for a particular section by taking sectional tests OR use them more so for REVISING areas which you have to increase your proficiency in !

    01:40 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    Sir. Is it advisable to spend say 5 or 6 days from now to just do concepts and basics of every section of QA? Ex. Arithmetic on 1 days, Algebra on the next and so on

    01:39 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Yes, But that would be between writing of the MOCKS. and that too use the MOCKS again to revise the concepts!

    01:40 PM

  • Profile Picture Shilpa Thakur

    Great... Thanks so i should focus more on sectional tests right now than mocks?.... And you said something about revise your topics from mocks, i didn't get it?

    01:38 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    No Shilpa, I didn't say that. Write 4 Mocks at least - Next FOUR Sundays. In the intervening time, use the time to improve on individual sections (by sectional tests) and then revise the topics (again picking say 2 per day) from the Mocks ! Hope this is clear.

    01:42 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    Okay. Sir. Thank you. What would be the ideal AVG percentile in the mocks to ensure we get atleast 98+ in main cat?

    01:42 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    Okay. Sir. Thank you. What would be the ideal AVG percentile in the mocks to ensure we get atleast 98+ in main cat?

    01:42 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Which Mocks are your writing?

    01:43 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    TIME

    01:43 PM

  • Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    About 92-94

    01:43 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    Thank you sir. Been scoring around 85ish. I can improve that right?

    01:44 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    You sectional breakup is VA 85 to 90 DILR 86-94 and QA 70-80

    01:45 PM

  • Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    yes, there are 25 days my friend. You should target to improve your strike rate by 10 percentage points. You will get 12 marks extra and that would be sufficient!

    01:45 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    You sectional breakup is VA 85 to 90 DILR 86-94 and QA 70-80

    01:45 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    You can improve in all areas !!!

    01:45 PM

  • Profile Picture Nivethapriya Priya

    Based on previous CATs,Can you suggest which topics in quants have more number of questions occurring?and since DI/LR are the toughest in CAT , any tips for them?

    01:45 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    How important is doing previous year question papers? Do I devote more time on mocks and analysis or on solving previous year papers?

    01:46 PM

  • Profile Picture nikhil30875

    How important is doing previous year question papers? Do I devote more time on mocks and analysis or on solving previous year papers?

    01:46 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    All MOCKS will include previous question paper types. So give more time to MOCKS

    01:52 PM

  • Profile Picture Nivethapriya Priya

    Based on previous CATs,Can you suggest which topics in quants have more number of questions occurring?and since DI/LR are the toughest in CAT , any tips for them?

    01:45 PM

    Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    " Since DI/LR are the toughest in CAT" : Who has given you this information? Then Convenor of IIM L? Don't go by what is written on Social Media pages ! And did you know that if the paper , as you say, was tough, the cutoff was 24 out of 96? And for a VARC, which was easy. the cutoff was 50+ out of 100? Please don't get easily fooled by Social Media pages. NO ONE KNOWS how the paper will be. Hence, you plan your exam for all eventualities. Mark my words, If the LRDI this time is the easiest of all three sections, there are many people who have written CAT the last two years and who heard from their seniors would make a MESS of it.

    01:56 PM

  • Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Dear Friends, I guess, if you have any questions, please feel free to write to arkss@careerlauncher.com ! You can whats app me (give a back ground please) at 9901922776 !

    02:00 PM

  • Profile Picture Srinivas Akkapeddi

    Wish you all the very best !

    02:00 PM

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