Why I decided to take CAT?
1. to seperate myself from the bunch of software engineers
2. Inclination for Higher Education
3. huge pay and decent Job Profile
What went wrong in CAT2007?
1. I was banking on Quants to be my strongest section which proved to be my nemesis on the D-Day.Let me tell you with one strong section one can never crack an exam like CAT.Learned later.
2. I never did the basics meticulously.I did things I loved doing.
3. My weakest link was English.I knew that before and started working on that. But all I did was reading news papers,reading VA from PG,doing silly grammar exercises.All haphazard.I never took RC seriously.The time I realised that it was nearly all over.
4. Regarding mocks the only thing I focused at was my rank.I never realised that my accuracy is too less though I touched 95 many a times.
5. I took too many mocks and that had too much of a effect on me. TIME and CL paper were like preparing me for Olympliads.Though TIME was better but their DI/LR section were so tough that I lost confidence in it.That really took a toll on me and I performed badly in this section(though the section was a sitter).
6. In between I felt that I am not preparing well for CAT and then started spending more time to satiate me but all random.
7. I lost confidence many a times in between with my score in Mocks. CAT is such a high pressure exam where u cannot afford to lose confidence for a day.
8. Too focused on CAT and subsequently did not performed that well in other exams.
Things went on like this and finally the D-Day came. All geared for the day.A bit nervous.Started with Quants.Totally lost to see that there were hardly any questions from numbers and Geometry.Was expecting few questions from this area.I was strongest in these two sections.Felt like a shock.Then searched from here and there did 10 questions and went ahead.Next was verbal.Was not feeling good the time I started VA since I didn't do well in QA.My biggest mistake was I had to be strong in two sections which I was not. By the time I reached DI I lost the battle.
CAT exam is divided in threee parts.
First 1 hr - will give you confidence and will set the stage for you.50% looses here.
Second 45min- People try to score maximum and murder themselves.again 30% losses here.
Third 45min - People who crosses this wins the battle.
Expect the Unexpected.Things you aren't comfortable can fill the paper.Thats what happened with me.I think I lost in the first hour itself. I scored 94 percentile in CAT2007 though I think I could have done a lot better.What I learn't is basics is what is asked in every exams and one has to be strong in that.Do not ovedo. Too many mocks sometimes prove fatal.Confidence is something that has to be with you throught this time.If one is loosing this,one is going away from CAT.
Let me tell you frankly that preparing for CAT is fun. Try and you will know what I am taking about.Planning to appear for CAT2008. Lets see how things shapes in this time.
Good day.
