The CAT could be your key to an IIM education and a career in management.
But with little more than one week left and after a year of preparation, are you truly ready?
Which techniques can you employ to maximise your percentile?
What's the best way to beat the stress?
And how exactly should you allot your time on CAT day? Which sections deserve the most attention?
CAT experts Priya Varat Singh and KB Sharma joined us on November 8th to discuss these questions and more. For those of you who missed the chat, here's the transcript:
bhanu asked, hi im a graduate with no experience as i graduated this year in english literature but im am giving cat this year will lack of workex cause a problem in the gdpi rounds ? and please tell m e how to score well in di and geometry?thank u
Priya Varat Singh answers, First of all concentrate on 18 Nov. 2007 paper and give your 100%.
saumya1 asked, What is the optimum number of questions for DI to attend
Priya Varat Singh answers, Optimum number of question shold be one third of the number of question in DI and with more than 80% accuracy.
hitheree asked, my cat admit card has not reached yet wht do i do ??
Priya Varat Singh answers, Get print out of your admit card from IIM site and go for exam. with that along with your college ID card and two snaps
hihi asked, i am giving cat this year but have not given mocks wht do i do ?
KBSHARMA answers, no problem, you can take online tests from tcy
Aarti asked, PV, honey could u tell me that what all universities comes under CAT???
Priya Varat Singh answers, Please go with CAT Form.
sam asked, how much time approx shld i spend on each section. i'm good at quant but weak in eng
KBSHARMA answers, the strategy has to be decided on spot,else easy, moderate, difficult, should be the order
tej asked, ay predictions for this yrs cat?
KBSHARMA answers, even an astrologer cannot predict CAT
imhere asked, wht shuld be last week stratergy im weak in di and geometry please help wht to do ?
Priya Varat Singh answers, If you are strong in other part of quant then practice that more and don't worry for geometry. If there is any easy question from this topic then go with that otherwise leave. For DI analyse your previous MOCK mistakes and work on that.
swati asked, Sir, how many mocks shld i do before CAT?
KBSHARMA answers, time for mocks is gone, its time to revise
CATboy asked, what is the best thing to practice in last week before CAT?
KBSHARMA answers, concepts and their application
tej asked, ay predictions for this yrs cat?
Priya Varat Singh answers, No proper pattern help anyone . This is your preparation which will maximise your score and not the pattern
shweta asked, what topics are being discussed in GD?
KBSHARMA answers, economy, international issues, society, the best way to prepare is to keep in touch with GK
tamanna asked, Should we do more of sectionsl or full tests now?
KBSHARMA answers, full length tests with proper time management
Raja asked, Sirrr ..... My mock CAT scores are behaving like sensex. Kabhi ooper kabhi neeche.... what's the best thing to do now in last 10 days?
KBSHARMA answers, variation in score means lack of stategy, plan your move and brush your basics as well, do not add anything new
vc asked, do cat help for gmat exam which i gonna take later.how diff is cat from gmat. other question what happens if one faced wrong question for ex previous year i attempted CAt but i got a fault question where i got stucked for 15 mins much of time has taken by it.wat is the strategy to follow at that moment.please explain
Priya Varat Singh answers, Gmat is Computer adapted test and CAT is paper based test. In CAT you have choice of questions but in GMAT you have to attempt each and every question. If you stuck on a particular question it is better to leave it and move to next question.
shweta asked, which all b-schools give preference to verbal section?
KBSHARMA answers, verbal section cannot be ignored, as the entire process is based on verbal, as for quant, iim calcutta is much concerned of the same
shweta asked, what topics are being discussed in GD?
Priya Varat Singh answers, First give paper on 18 NOV.
anu asked, which is better,a fresher mba progrm or a exicutive mba program ?and why ?after how many years of experiences one should do the mba program?
KBSHARMA answers, there are more freshers than proffessionals taking up the cat
Mahesh asked, My name on the CAT form has been misprinted. What do i do?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Mail them regarding this
dev asked, Dear sir, will there be more free tests to be uploaded on your site?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Yes and more over you can have revision notes on our site www.tcyonline.com
catfear asked, wht r the best colleges in mat?
KBSHARMA answers, christ, bimtech, iif, alliance, amity
rajiv asked, kindly tell me where i can view last years CAT exams with analysis
Priya Varat Singh answers, Visit www.tcyonline.com for online analysis of previouis CAT papers. You can also visit on CAT day for 2007 paper analysis.
Bird asked, how much percentile i will get if i just clear cut - offs i.e.., 20 QA , 20 DI & 10 VA
KBSHARMA answers, depends on how many actual cat takers were there
Mahesh asked, What is the email ID for getting my name corrected for CAT Examinations? By when should they receive it for rectification?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Go to IIM site and have that or you can download your admit card copy from their site.
Raul asked, Hi! I have 3.5 years of work ex. What do you suggest - 1 year of MBA from ISB or two year MBA from IIM?
Priya Varat Singh answers, For ISB you have to give GMAT with a score of 680+ but for IIM give CAT
ankit asked, sir i m geeting consisently about 97 % in mockcat but i dont regularly clear all cutoffs..so what kind of percentile i can accept in CAT and what stratergy should i employ..with quant being my weakest area?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Ankit it is better for you to attempt you paper in two rounds . In round 1 do optimum question from your strong topics in each sections to get youir sectional CATOFF then in round 2 maximise your score from any of the topic you are strong in. 97 percentile in MOCK is not passport for same percentile in CAT.
Raul asked, Sir..for DI you said that 1/3rd attempts with 80% accuracy should be optimum. Similarly what should be the target for VA and Quant? Will that get me IIM calls or just clear the cut off?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Same dear
Nigel asked, Hi Im concerned because my SImCAT scores fluctuate wildly. Right from 30 to 85-90. Im getting very depressed and anxious. Wat do I do..? Also, wil this years CAT DI be fully Logical..?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Fell your self cool and start working on your last SIMcat mistakes so that you will not repeate them in future. Well for DI we can't say what will be the picture on that day.
goodboy asked, what are the revision notes?
Priya Varat Singh answers, That are the notes on each quant topic.with shortcut and method of attempting a question based on them
bhanuu asked, pls tell wht is cut off for sibm and fms?
Priya Varat Singh answers, This can be said after the papers and both are having different exams
Nigel asked, Wat would be the ideal strategy for a person who's very good in VA and exceptionally bad at Quant...?
KBSHARMA answers, because cut offs would be impossible to clear in such case, it is advised to go for maximum score.Go for clean sweep in the VA section and for the remaining try to work on accuracy.
Nigel asked, Wat would be the ideal strategy for a person who's very good in VA and exceptionally bad at Quant...?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Try to do Quant and DI only upto that point which can clear his CUTOFF and then try maximum score in Verbal to get high percentile.
Nigel asked, Logical Reasoning. I can't do those under pressure.
Priya Varat Singh answers, Don't allow pressure to overcome your performance.
shweta asked, sir what should be last 1 week strategy?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Revise revise and revise and overcome your previous mistakes.
brij asked, hi tell me can we crack cat widout coaching.
Priya Varat Singh answers, Depends on you
shweta asked, which all institutes give preference to Quant section?
Priya Varat Singh answers, Institutes give preference to overall percentile not only Quant
qwe asked, ho wmuch does workex count in the process ? @kbsharma
KBSHARMA answers, you may get calls in case the institutes consider your workex
abc asked, Give some hints to spot the crackable DI sets or RCs.
KBSHARMA answers, refer article "unlock reading comprehension" on rediff, and you shall get the entire stategy on how to crack RC with maximum accuracy
vandana asked, sir as last year quant ws the scoring section shall we concentrate on quant this time again
Priya Varat Singh answers, Yes you can't ignore quant any time in CAT. It is always a scoring section if you do it logically and properly
raman asked, Do you have original last years IIFT, FMS?
Priya Varat Singh answers, You can have IIFT paper on our site www.tcyonline.com
nandita asked, I have not written any full length tests / mock tests till now. How many should i attempt before cat
KBSHARMA answers, time for mocks is gone, its time to revise. still you can take atleast 1-2 online tests available on www.tcyonline.com
abc asked, hi Priya plz tell me how 2 spot some easier n carackable sets of DI n RC.
Priya Varat Singh answers, In DI spot that type of sets which you have done previously and then choose the easier according to your choice
rohan asked, can I get my CAT test center changed??
Priya Varat Singh answers, No
rohan asked, hi!! Doing MBA from Welinkar Institute would be worth or not??
Priya Varat Singh answers, Good to do MBA from there
c asked, guys why are u avoiding my question ..which are the best b-schools for entrepreneurship in india ?
KBSHARMA answers, iift,aima,imm, xlri, xim, iimm sp jain
amilate asked, Does SPjain require sectional Cut Offs?
Priya Varat Singh answers, No sectional cutoff.
Fantoos asked, When will we get CAT 2007 analysis on your site
KBSHARMA answers, 18th nov at 2:30 pm