Mistakes to Avoid for CAT Exam Preparation
CAT 2022 Exam dates are out and the test will be conducted on November 27, 2022. With nearly 4 months left to the exam, it's time for all the aspirants to make their preparation even more intense. Apart from preparation, there are many things that can affect aspirants' CAT scores and one of them is the mistakes committed during the time exam preparation. Almost 2,00,000+ aspirants every year apply for CAT but why only a few are able to clear it with high rank?
All the aspirants have to read and solve the same syllabus, all of them have the same time and face the same competition in the exam. But why do only five thousand out of 2,00,000 get the chance to study in IIMs? So the reason behind their success apart from all of their hard work, and dedication is that they realize their mistakes during the time of preparation. They learn from their mistakes and improve their performance which gives them an extra advantage over others in CAT Exam. So let's look at some common mistakes done by CAT aspirants and also find out the ways how they avoid these mistakes
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Common Mistakes Done by CAT Aspirants
Not Understanding the CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Many candidates start preparing for the exam without gaining complete knowledge about the syllabus and exam pattern. Without a proper understanding of the syllabus, it’s almost impossible to guide the preparation strategy in the right direction. Candidates are required to have the knowledge of topics that are part of the syllabus to find out the topics which require extra effort. Also, they must have information about the time duration, marking scheme, and weightage of each subject.
Learn About - CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Not Having A Proper Study Plan
To achieve anything the first and most basic thing required a proper plan. A perfect study plan consists of study time, topics to cover, key checkpoints, evaluation criteria, and flexibility. Many students start their preparation without a plan and failed miserably after some time. A well-structured plan works as a guide throughout the preparation and provides some useful insight.
Avoid Solving the Previous Year Papers or Mock Test Series
Most of the time aspirants rely on the books and the topic mentioned by teachers. And they completely ignore the importance of the previous year's papers and mock test series. In an exam like CAT, it becomes important to measure your performance on a regular basis to get useful insight about performance. Solving more and more paper gives you confidence, and knowledge of the type of questions asked, improve your skills and make you familiar with exam pattern.
Check Here - CAT Previous Year Papers
Failed In Managing the Time
It is crucial to manage the time for success in the CAT exam. As mentioned CAT covers a vast syllabus and it’s important to complete the syllabus in a timely manner. But sometimes aspirants negate the cost of a minute wasted in solving one question. They kept themselves stuck in a topic in order to solve it. And we all know that candidates will get a limited amount of time in exams. And wasting time on a single question can cost a place in high rank.
Learn More About - Time Management Tips For CAT
Wrong Implementation of Exam Strategy
Creating a suitable plan is only half work done the remaining half is to implement it in the best possible way and make necessary changes to it. It’s on candidates that they do not compromise while planting their plan in practical use. Candidates need to check their performance and compare it to the desired result. If they found a mismatch in the results then they need to identify the areas to improve and make changes to the strategy.
Not Giving Importance to Other Stages of CAT - GD, and PI
One of the major mistakes to avoid for CAT is not preparing for the group discussion and PI round. Candidates give more emphasis to the online exam stage in comparison to GD and PI. But these two rounds are also an important part of the whole CAT selection process. Sometimes the topper of the online exams failed to get admission due to poor performance in GD or PI rounds. All the aspirants have to understand this they need to outclass other aspirants to secure seats in IIMs in all stages.
Read About - Group Discussion | Personal Interview
Taking Excessive Stress of Result
It's human nature that we start thinking about the outcome before doing the work. Sometimes it’s helpful and sometimes it can destroy your chances of success by killing your willingness. Candidates start assuming about their results before giving the exam and this can harm their preparation. Short-term stress is good but if overthinking stays for long then it’s not a good sign not only for the CAT exam but also for health.
Giving Importance of One Specific Topic
Aspirants sometimes start giving more effort and time to one specific subject. They need to know that all the questions in the exam are important and carry equal weight. If they do not cover the whole syllabus then their chances of selection become less. It is strongly advised to candidates that try to divide their efforts and time equally to all the topics.
Using the erroneous Resource
If a candidate opens the internet and searches for “CAT Preparation Resources” she or he can find thousands of results for that. Since information is available everywhere so it becomes essential to identify the right resources. Sometimes candidates follow resources that are not as useful in comparison to others for example choosing the wrong coaching classes. So one does not fall into the trap and chooses everything wisely.
Check the list of - Best CAT Coaching Institutes
Ways to Avoid the Mistakes during CAT Preparation
- Before reading for the exam just gain information about the exam like syllabus, pattern, edibility, and level of difficulty.
- Conduct a self-assessment to identify your strong areas, weak areas, and your standing and mark them as they will help in assessing your growth.
- Avoid studying for long hours, just study for one hour then take a rest of 5-10 minutes and start reading again. It will make you study longer than usual and give your mind relaxation which boosts your memory.
- There is no better way to assess your performance than to solve the mock test and previous year's papers. So solve them as much as possible.
- Distribute your time according to your command over each topic so you can cover more and more areas of the syllabus.
- Ask experts for the resources which are helpful. Do your own research and avoid using everything. Because the same strategy won’t work for everyone.
- It is advised not to take any kind of stress during the period of CAT preparation because it’ll impact your mental health and also waste your time
So we have shared all the mistakes to avoid for CAT and how you can overcome them. Candidate can improve their ranks by practicing these simple points.
Also, Check - Group Discussion Topics