CAT 2012: Honing Calculation skills with speed is the key for DI section

CAT 2012 aspirants must ember that most DI questions will consist of a bunch of statistics, numbers & diagrams that might look scary at first instance but are actually not at all difficult to solve.

In fact the trend has been that the scarier a DI set/caselet looks, the easier it is to solve. So before you lose heart & move on to an easier-looking set/caselet, scan that scary set & the list of questions in it. There will be at least of couple of “sitters” (questions that can be easily answered).

The Data Interpretation section is calculation-intensive. And by “calculations” we mean stuff like 556/874 and not 2*9=? Such calculations can eat up your time. It is imperative, therefore to get very, very comfortable with calculations. Learn shortcuts that will help you calculate in your head or better still; figure out how Vedic Math works. It will help you a lot.

Author: MBARENDEZVOUS.COM

CAT 2012: LR needs to be tackled differently

CAT 2012 aspirants should note that LR section is quite different in nature compared to other sections. Hence one needs to highlight some general strategies specifically applicable to LR.

Accuracy is far more important in LR. There is no bigger mistake than getting the complete set wrong. Avoid making guesses or reading in a hurry as it would lead to decreased accuracy. As far as possible do not attempt LR in the beginning. If you get the set wrong or if it is tough and takes more time, that would affect your performance subsequently.

Use the option substitution method judiciously. LR questions are typically not meant to be solved using substitution of options. The most effective way is to understand the logic behind the question and solve it. There are exceptions to this rule though and you should use them wisely.

Read and understand the common data and questions thoroughly. LR questions appear lengthy as compared to DI sets as they typically offer more information in text. While reading them, one might feel a lot of time is wasted.

Practice with Mock Tests and achieve mission CAT 2012.

Author: MBARENDEZVOUS.COM

CAT 2012: Build strong Vocabulary for VA section

For VA section of CAT 2012, a good vocabulary is very essential, although CAT does not test candidates on their knowledge of difficult words directly. This is because the passages and answer options given in the Reading Comprehension section (RC) may have some difficult words.

Not knowing their meaning could decrease the candidate’s ability to understand the passage. Also, consider what may happen if you do not know the meaning of a word contained in one of the options, your ability to make the correct answer choice may be seriously compromised in VA and that can be suicidal.

An innovative way to remember the meanings of certain words is to know their origin. Quite a few words have an interesting origin, and there is a story, legend or myth associated with them. A number of words come to us from Roman or Greek mythology. Very often, we find that we remember the story more than the meaning per se and that it helps us recall the meaning of the word itself.

Build strong vocabulary and be winner to achieve mission CAT 2012 !!!

Author: MBARENDEZVOUS.COM

CAT 2012: You need to control your anxiety and stick to your strategies

It’s almost 40 days to CAT 2012 now. It is very obvious that the aspirants must be feeling anxious about their preparation and revision; however, this is the time when you actually need to check your anxiety and stick to your strategies. Few points worth mentioning at this point of time are mentioned below:

Now that CAT 2012 is almost at your doorstep, you should not gamble with your test-taking strategy at this late stage. Until now you must be sure whether the strategy you are using is giving you rewards or not. If it’s rewarding, don't change it else, stick to the basics and keep on attempting mock tests and take guidance from your mentors for the right approach for you. 

For example, you would know if your best bet is to scan a passage and then move onto to the questions, while another person could be more at ease scanning questions before going onto the passage. So, just stick to whatever works best for you.

Adhere to whatever you have planned and achieve mission CAT 2012.

Author: MBARENDEZVOUS.COM

CAT 2012: WAT can be a precursor to PI

Written ability test which you will write in the first half of the personal assessment round can generate some questions in the interview round. 

The panel could ask you questions about the WAT and you have to defend it. Questions on the topic can also be asked, which means you will need to know a lot about the topic. If you don’t know something, simply admit it. 

WAT has gained importance in the admission criteria of IIMs but the main concern is the time limit hence, it is important to develop the ability to think and articulate quickly.

The best way to practice is by picking up one current-affairs topic every day and writing as much as you can for 10 minutes.

Your focus should be on starting WAT and putting in as many important points as possible. There is no compulsion to present the matter in impressive or flowery language. Instead, accuracy and correctness of spelling and grammar take precedence.

Get on to practice as WAT is very important component of admission in IIMs.

Author: MBARENDEZVOUS.COM