Tag Archives: CAT
CAT Data Interpretation strategies
Data Interpretation consists of three sections viz. Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency and Reasoning. It is easily the most scoring section of any exam- if the fundamentals are in place.
Data Interpretation (D.I.) : contains information presented in the form of Bar graphs, Line Graphs, Pie Charts, Tables, Histograms etc. The student is required to analyze the information provided and supply the answer to asked queries related to the data given. Students who are good at heavy mental calculation are at an advantage as it is one of the keys for doing well in this section. This section tests the students’ skills in Percentage calculation, Profit and Loss Analysis, and Ratio Proportion.
Data Sufficiency: is a section where a statement is given and with it are provided two options which could hold the key to the answer. The student is required to independently analyze both the answer keys and see from which the answer can be derived. The student has to tick one of the five options for the answer.
CAT: A winning strategy to crack RC
The greatest undoing of many CAT aspirants has been the fear of the reading comprehension (RC) section and the consequent inbuilt resistance to RC-based questions. Some test-takers believe, mistakenly though, that RC-based questions are subjective and the right answer could depend upon the opinion of the test-maker, which the test-taker does not necessarily share. Nothing could be farther from truth.
Another misconception is that the online format makes RC more difficult. Some of the fallacious reasons advanced are:
The test-taker can no longer underline important parts of the passage that would have been helpful in locating the correct answer.
Since the passage is displayed on only half of the screen, the test-taker has to scroll up and down a number of times to read the passage.
VERBAL ABILITY FOR CAT
The stage has been set for the CAT November 2010 exams. With the CAT going online from last year, and the format also undergoing a change, it is essential to ensure that we get the basics right.
One major factor, which I notice, is students complaining about CAT going online. There was this fear of the unknown which haunted nearly everyone.
The only difference is, instead of a paper and pencil test, the test will be online. Everything remains the same. Students are given sheets to make their rough calculations. The right answer has to be clicked using the mouse. Candidates can scroll the entire paper and start from wherever they want. Likewise they can also change their answers.
If we look at GMAT, it is a computer adaptive test. A computer adaptive test will throw up questions according to your level. Just to cite an example, if you have clicked on the right option of a question which is difficult, the next question will be more difficult than the previous one. If you get this question wrong, the system will again start throwing questions, depending on your level. The marking will also happen according to the level of difficulty. If a candidate has got lot of difficult questions right, he will obviously get a higher grading than a student who has answered all simple questions correctly.
The Right Way To Start Preparing For Cat
People often go to soothsayers and astrologers to find the most opportune time to embark upon a project of importance. Whether or not that helps is a matter of personal belief. We, however, have some timely advice for those preparing for CAT this year. Most serious CAT aspirants will give anything to find out the perfect moment to start preparing for the exam. We spoke to Vaishnu Dass, Quant faculty at TCY and sought his expert views.
Vaishnu is an authority on Quant preparation and gives coaching for CAT, GRE & GMAT. Faculty at TCY, he has been coaching aspirants for these exams for the last 14 years.
Is there a ‘magic number’ of hours of coaching that one should get while preparing for Quant part of CAT?
There is no ‘magic number’ of hours as such. Nevertheless, there are an optimum number of hours of classroom lectures that are required. From my experience of over 14 years, I feel that at least 84 hours must be allocated for Quant in order to excel in it.
B-school admissions: Real IIM GD topics
Contributed By IIM Lucknow Students
As the B-school admissions pick up steam, candidates are busy preparing for the nerve-wracking group discussion-personal interview phase. To assist aspiring management grads in their preparation, students at IIM Lucknow [ have come together to pool their experiences of the admissions process and present these tips.
IIM Lucknow’s post-CAT selection process consists of three parts:
1. Written ability test (of 15 minutes duration)
2. Group discussion (on a given topic for 20 minutes)
3. Personal interview
Last year, the process began with the written ability test, which is typically an essay-writing exercise. Over the past three years, the topics for this test have been one line abstract topics and the time allotted for this is 15 minutes.
Evaluation of the essay is done on the parameters of perspective and communication. This is followed by a group discussion on the same topic. The maximum time allotted for the GD is 20 minutes.
Feedback