As a culmination to the 75 days to CAT 2015 series, this will be a last minute tips article for all our readers. It has been a great journey over the last two and a half months all the preparation, effort, boils down to this – a 3 hour test that would determine the few who would take on another step towards their dream institute.
The day before the test
It is extremely important to be in the best possible frame of mind when you are attempting the test. You have already put in whatever you could and have a fair understanding of what to expect during the test. So, stop worrying about gaps in preparation, weaknesses, speed or rather a lack of it, what happened in your last attempt and so on. A lot of people get obsessed with doing something great that they forget the basics. There would be a lot of hype around you over the next couple of days be it in terms of activity on forums, consolation and motivation quotes/articles/posts/etc. (including this one of course). The trick is to channel the nervousness positively and be confident in your ability.
Taking a mock is not really recommended as you never know what that would pan out like. Also, taking a mock is mentally exhausting and will not really be a rewarding experience (if you score well, you might get a bit complacent and if you score badly, it can lead to a sleepless night which will be further damaging).
Instead, do what you like doing the most. Take a stroll, read a book, watch a movie (The Pursuit of Happyness, any of the Rockys, Cinderella Man, The Shawshank Redemption are some of the favorites), go out with friends, or simply relax. It is better to go to the exam wanting to lay your hands on the paper rather than doing it as a chore.
Before the test
Make sure you have had some food (a light snack rich in carbs and proteins should be preferred to a heavy, spicy, oily, brunch). Never go to a test on an empty stomach as it would only worsen with the passage of time. Do not take excess fluids before the test as you would not be allowed any breaks during the test. Even if you are feeling thirsty, it is better to sip than to gulp.
It’s better to wake up early after a good night’s sleep and reach the center before the scheduled time. Make sure that you carry the admit card and the photo id proof with you. Travel as light as possible so as to cause minimal strain. Those taking it in the morning slot would find the environment extremely peaceful and pleasant and that should take care of the nerves. Those taking it in the afternoon slot will probably be a bit more relaxed going to the venue (the outgoing students will make sure you are nervous again, though).
Once you reach the venue, you will find around 100-200 students at the center. Few of them would be doing some last minute prep. Pat yourself on the back for getting done with the prep part earlier and wait for the gates to open. It might sound juvenile but it is better to stand/sit at one place preferably in the shade than to pace nervously. Around 25-30% of the candidates do not appear for the test and considering that the number of applicants this year has gone through the roof (almost doubled after the extension of the window), there will be a lot of people who won’t bother turning up. So, if you reach your center, you are already better than a third of the junta.
The wait
Once you are done with the biometric process, you will be directed to the lab and will have a good 30-45 minutes to stare at the screen. Just go through your prep stage once, recollect what you have prepared and be ready for the test. Taking a nap/chitchatting with fellow aspirants won’t do much good as it might bring a bit of casualness to your mental state. Stay focused and remember the happy moments leading to your prep.
Around 2.2 lakhs have applied to be tested. The mock regulars would have figured out by now that the number of mock takers hover around 20,000 for the most populous of test series. There will be overlaps between test series and so, the total number of serious aspirants who have prepared in some way or the other cannot possibly cross 50,000. The rest will hope for some luck to go their way and stand a lesser chance than you going into the test. A simple calculation tells you that you are easily at the 75th percentile. Sounds way better than starting at 0, doesn’t it?
During the test
- As is wisely said: Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – Francis of Assisi
- Avoid guessing or getting into the quick solving mode.
- Relax and give it your best shot. Keep checking the timer but do not get obsessed with it.
- Leave questions freely. Ask any good aspirant who is repeating and s/he will tell you that this obsession of soothing one’s ego by solving everything hurts the most.
- Do not get obsessed with an ‘x’ number of attempts and focus on the accuracy part of it.
- If the paper is easy, it is easy for all those who have prepared. Do justice to the paper and maximize your score through pinpoint choices and accuracy when it comes to selecting and solving a question
- If the paper is difficult, it is difficult for all those who have prepared. Focus on accuracy in this case and be extremely selective when it comes to attempting the paper. Remember that CAT used to have the overall cutoff at around 35% of the total marks when the papers used to be difficult.
- Just because CAT 2014 was a bit easier than the previous ones, do not assume that it would repeat. If it does, see bullet 5, if it doesn’t see bullet 6.
- Avoid the calculator as much as possible.
- Use the rough sheets judiciously. Check with the supervisor during the waiting time as to how many sheets would be allowed and if you would be allowed to keep the previous sheets. Also, maintain your pencils and eraser well. Sounds juvenile but you never know what could happen during the test.
- Avoid checking and rechecking your answers. It eats into your time. Keep the flow as natural as you can. This is just another mock, isn’t it?
- Remember that your percentile in CAT 2015 is bound to be more than what you usually score in your mock tests. The reasons – consistent environment, probability of an easier paper compared to what is given in mocks, more focus and seriousness while taking the test, more deadweight when it comes to the number of takers, and almost no chance of cheating as it happens in cases of mocks.
- Remember that if it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse. Avoid thinking about slot differences, injustice, normalization, etc.
Do share your test taking experience with us after you are done. We would love to hear from you. A big thanks to all our readers for bearing with us and coming up with wonderful suggestions from time to time. It has been an intellectually stimulating experience. We will be coming soon with another series to help boost your prep.
All the best to all the aspirants!
