Countdown to CAT 2017: Focus your preparation on syllabus, attempt Mocks; key tips from toppers

Countdown to CAT 2017 has started with barely 15 days left for the CAT exam date on November 26. You need to take lead from the CAT Mocks to cover the revised CAT Syllabus in revamped CAT exam pattern to prepare for CAT 2017 exam in next 15 days as suggested by CAT toppers and students of IIMs and FMS Delhi.

Important links:

• CAT 2017: Follow the turns and twists in revised CAT syllabus and CAT exam pattern to score 95+
• CAT 2017: QA preparation - 5 mistakes to avoid in revised CAT exam pattern
• CAT 2017 Admit Card: 5 must compliance points; don’t skip to avoid loss of candidature

Take more and more Mocks: Suggest CAT toppers

Official CAT Mock Test  is the best source to understand the revamped CAT 2017 exam pattern and CAT syllabus. In fact the CAT Syllabus is based on past trend of CAT exams and the CAT exam syllabus is the outcome of the topics which have earlier appeared in CAT exam.

Gyayak Jain CAT topper with 100 percentile and IIM Ahmedabad student says, “My overall preparation strategy for CAT 2016 revolved around giving mock tests, reviewing my performance and improving in the areas where the performance was not good enough.”

• Take official CAT Mock test to assess your performance
• CAT 2017 Mock Test reflects changed CAT exam pattern: Non-MCQs reduced, answer options increased
• CAT 2017 success mantra by IIM Ahmedabad CAT 100 percentiler, Gyayak Jain ‘Mix match various type of problems’
• CAT 2017: What type of Mocks you should take in next 30 days? Advice from IIM toppers & experts

The CAT exam syllabus is based on the mentioned guidelines and current structure of CAT exam as reflected in official CAT Mock released by IIMs. The CAT exam syllabus and pattern overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. CAT exam Syllabus covers all the major topics on these test sections. CAT 2017 syllabus is based on the official CAT mock test released by IIMs which contains questions from all these sections.

Major topics in CAT 2017 syllabus are available now and according to CAT preparation expert Prof S K Agarwal, you should prepare in accordance with the CAT syllabus topics alongwith attempting more sectional tests and CAT Mock tests.

The revamped CAT syllabus

CAT syllabus for each section has been revamped for CAT 2017 exam. Following are the key sectional changes in CAT syllabus

CAT Syllabus for VARC

CAT exam Syllabus for VARC section in CAT 2017 is divided in 2 parts. The 1st part of CAT 2017 syllabus covers questions based on Reading Comprehension passages and the 2nd part of CAT 2017 exam syllabus on VARC is based on questions on different topics on Verbal Ability.

Verbal Ability part will have 10 questions while RC part will consist of 24 questions in CAT syllabus, if the exam pattern is not changed this year. Key topics in Verbal Ability are Jumbled paragraphs, out of context sentence, para summary.

Other expected topics on which questions could be framed are correction of errors in sentences and paragraphs, Facts-Inference-Judgement, Fill in the blanks with correct vocabulary words, using the vocabulary in correct context.

CAT Syllabus for DILR

Separate DILR section in CAT exam was re-originated after keeping the section in abeyance for 4 years. During this period the DILR questions were clubbed to Quant and Verbal Ability sections respectively. In 2015 IIM Ahmedabad, the then CAT convening IIM decided to re-introduce the DILR as a separate 3rd section. The pattern was followed by IIM Bangalore in 2016 also.
 

CAT exam Syllabus for DILR section in CAT 2017 is divided in 2 parts – Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. The 1st part of CAT 2017 syllabus covers questions based on Data Interpretation (DI) and the 2nd part of CAT 2017 exam syllabus on DILR is based on questions on different topics on Logical Reasoning.

CAT syllabus for Quantitative Ability

Syllabus of CAT exam 2017 for Quant section is very wide. Quantitative Aptitude (Quant) is the 3rd and last section in the revamped CAT exam pattern. Syllabus of CAT 2017 for Quant is vast and covers everything in Mathematics that you may or may not expect.
 

CAT 2017 exam syllabus on Quant is based on questions on different topics on Arithmetic, Algebra, Modern Math, Geometry, Mensuration, Trignometry among others.

You should therefore focus your CAT 2017 preparation as per the updated CAT syllabus and cover the entire CAT syllabus in next 15 days brushing up all the important topics in all the 3 sections of CAT 2017 syllabus in accordance with the revised CAT exam pattern, is the key success mantra from the CAT 2016 toppers now studying at IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Indore and FMS Delhi.

CAT 2017 Sectional preparation

CAT preparation should be synchronised with CAT exam syllabus. This is advised by the CAT toppers who have shared the CAT preparation tips which will synchronise your CAT preparation with CAT syllabus.

Section-1: VARC

Almost all the CAT toppers, even the ones who have scored 100 percentile in CAT have shared that VARC was a weak point for them. But how all of them significantly improved in it and cracked it with high score is an inspiration for all the CAT 2017 aspirants.

Priya Sahni from IIM Indore says, “For VARC section, the most important part is the maximum time that you can devote to reading. Read a lot. Apart from this practice at least 5 RC’s in a week and analyse them after solving them. Try to find out why your answers went wrong. Do the RC’s in a strict time frame.”

Atul Goyal from FMS Delhi shares, “For VARC, I used to read a lot. It does not matter what you read. You can read newspapers, novels or some books. It is one of the best ways to get comfortable in VARC.”

Akhil Garg from IIM Ahmedabad says, “I wrote down whatever new words I encountered after reading at least 5-6 newspaper articles every day.”

Mukesh Goyal, CAT topper with 100 percentile and FMS Delhi student says, “I was weak at VA section. I practiced sectional tests and topic specific tests in order to improve this section. I used to focus on analysis part of these tests. I used to solve a lot of RCs and CR questions.

Section-2: DILR

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) are equally important in the revised CAT exam pattern. Covering the topics in DILR syllabus is now as important as for other sections since it forms a single and separate section now. You are supposed to qualify at least with a minimum prescribed cut off in DILR section also, if you wish to get shortlisted by IIMs.

Now you need to understand, how did the CAT toppers cover the CAT DILR syllabus with their smart preparation strategy. 

Select the easy questions
Chanchal Gupta (IIM Ahmedabad) says that she was weak in DILR. Instead of solving all questions of a common data set, she solved only the ones which took less time.

Section attempting strategy
Gyayak Jain from IIM Ahmedabad and CAT 100 percentiler says, “I came out with a section attempting strategy. It was selection of appropriate sets out of 8 sets of questions, in which mostly 4 were DI and 4 of LR. I tried to look through all the sets in one go in starting in first 2-5 minutes and decide on (based on my comfort level of those type of problems) which were my first 2 sets to be attempted, then next 2, and so on. I tried distributing these 2 sets by selecting 1 set from DI and 1 from LR.

Solve one set every day
According to Atul Goyal, FMS Delhi student and CAT 99.99 percentiler, “For DILR, doing one question per day is enough. You just need to do different types of problems every day.” Endorsing the view, Priya Sahni, IIM Indore student says, “DILR gets better the more you practice. Try to solve one set every day and never leave any set unsolved no matter how much time it may take.”

Use Approximation techniques
Akhil Garg from IIM Ahmedabad shares, “For DI, I practiced approximation techniques for quick calculations.”

Section-3:Quantitative Ability
Quantitative Ability (QA) section is easy and high scoring for those who have the Mathematics or Engineering back ground- is the general perception. However, it is tough for those who are not so conversant with it.

Get acquainted with solving tricks
IIM Ahmedabad student and CAT topper Gyayak Jain with 100 percentile shares, “For Quant, I used TIME study modules to get me acquainted with various formulas and tricks of solving various types of problems. The practice for it was done in mock tests.

Leave the uncomfortable Qs
Gyayak further says, “I had no guilt in leaving questions which I was uncomfortable with or was unsure about. I did not waste time in re-solving a question more than once if I am not getting any of the options.”

Clarity on Basics must
Atul Goyal, FMS Delhi student and CAT topper with 99.99 percentile says, “For Quant, understanding the basics is the most important part. Your concepts should be very clear.”

Come up with own logics
Priya Sahni, IIM Indore student and CAT topper with 96 Percentile says, “For Quant practice is the key. Try to be clear with the concepts. Try to come up with your own shortcuts and logics.”

CAT 2017 is 15 days away now and from today onwards there are almost no holidays except two weekends. You should therefore gear up for the CAT exam day without any laxity. Now you need to cover your CAT 2017 preparation as per revised CAT syllabus at a much faster pace.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2017 Preparation, Syllabus, exam pattern

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