This article will consist of some major preparation tips for CAT exam with deep research, along with the pros & cons. Explaining with a suitable example would be great.

The Common Admission Test [CAT] is counted amongst the most esteemed management entrance examinations in the country. While the CAT 2020 exam is scheduled to be held on November 29^th 2020, the application window remains open from August 5^th 2020 to September 16^th 2020. Performance in the exam is a combinatorial result of knowledge and a strategical approach and in this article, we shall focus on various tips and tactics you can use to score 100 percentile in CAT 2020 exam.

How to Prepare for CAT 2020: Paper Pattern

Before starting on how to prepare for CAT 2020, here is a quick look at the important details of the nature and pattern of the CAT 2020 question paper.

 

CAT Details	Particulars
Total Questions in CAT	100
Total Marks	300
Exam Format	Computer-based
Total Duration	3 hours
Marking Scheme	Correct Answer: +3 marks Incorrect Answer: -1 mark [only applies for MCQs]
Types of Questions	Multiple Choice Question [MCQ] & Type in the Answer [TITA]
Sections	Quantitative Aptitude Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation [DILR] Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension [VARC]

 

Note: There is no defined structure of the CAT syllabus and it may or may not change every year.

How to Prepare for CAT 2020: Underlining Strategy

One of the major points to note is that the CAT question paper does not give the applicants the freedom to switch between sections and the sections are provided to them in a pre-specified order. Each section must be completed within the given time, that is, 1 hour. Typically, the exam starts with VARC moving onto DILR and lastly, Quant. Thus, while you may save up minutes in one section, it doesn’t carry over to the next one. This must be the basis of your answer to how to prepare for CAT 2020.

CAT 2020 Preparation Strategy: VARC

You will most likely be seeing VARC questions first on your paper. Around 24 questions are typically asked from Reading Comprehensions while 2-4 questions belong to Sentence Correction, Jumbled Sentences, Para Summary and Facts, Inferences & Judgements each.

• Strategy: With around 60 minutes to solve 34 questions, it is important to strategize on how many questions to attempt and which one. Our suggestion is to mark close to 28-29 questions which will easily fetch you 100 percentile in CAT. You can either focus on RCs in its entirety and leave 4-5 VA questions or go the other way round with solving whole of VA first and then attempting 4 RCs of 5 questions each. This depends on your strengths.

 

• Here is a Sample VA Question of Jumbled Sentences:

1. However, few of these will be similar including weather updates, commute time, and due bills whether its credit card or your phone.
2. Google reworked on its Google Assistant Snapshot feed earlier this year and added new cards to the service.
3. Google said that with Snapshot it is focusing on three key areas which are aggregation, acceleration, and automation.
4. These snapshots will differ from person to person depending on the kind of content they use. [Source: Indian Express]

Correct Order: BCDA

 Explanation: On first look, note the one statement that starts the narrative. Options A and C are continuations. Option C is closest but still looks like it borrows some information. Thus, option B is the correct one. Then, look for the statement that builds on the info given which is C. Now, logically, the argument of the statement is still not complete so add in Option D after which the counter-argument of option A kicks in as it has the trigger word ‘however’.

CAT 2020 Preparation Strategy: DILR

After VARC, you will encounter DILR in which generally there are 32 questions [96 marks] with equal distribution between DI and LR. Around 25-28 can be MCQs and 4-7 are non-MCQs.

• The most effective CAT 2020 Preparation Strategy for DILR is to gauge the difficulty and potential time required to solve the caselet. Typically, DILR questions merge concepts and present an integrated model of table/passage/data on which 4-5 questions are based. This includes seating arrangements, Venn diagrams, distribution matching, cubes and puzzles with tables, bars, charts, PERT/CEPM charts, etc.
• As a thumb rule, the drawn-out the set, the tougher it is to solve and the more time it will take. Further, those that involve maximization and minimization along with multiple variables and missing points involved tend to make the set even more difficult
• The last and the most important suggestion we make as to why you must gauge the difficulty level of a set is because to score in CAT 2020 100 percentile, you do not need to solve all questions with 100% accuracy. While an accurate attempt of 48-52 marks can help you score close to 99 percentile, a more solid approach and performance of 67-71 marks will surely push you to the 100 percentile in CAT.

CAT 2020 Preparation Strategy: Quant

Given below are some of the tips you can apply in your preparation of Quantitative Aptitude and score CAT 2020 100 percentile.

• In the last and final section, there are 34 questions in general with 23-27 questions as MCQs and 7-11 questions as non-MCQs. The level of complexity stands between moderate to difficult.
• The section tests the candidate’s grasp over Number System & Arithmetic, Ratio & Proportion, Percentages, Decimal & Fractions, Equations, Quadratic Equations, Probability, Progression & Series, Geometry, Set Theory, Coordinate Geometry, Trigonometry, Interest, Permutation & Combination Graphs, Logarithms, Surds, Indices, etc.
• Coming to the last section, you can be fairly exhausted and overworked. But, a lot of candidates fret about solving everything correctly and end up messing the easy ones. Therefore, to score CAT 2020 100 percentile, you must prioritize and out of the 34 questions, focus on solving 28-29 questions only but with 100% accuracy.

As a general rule non-MCQ based questions have no negative marking so, if you don’t know the answer, make use of intelligent guessing and option elimination to mark it. On the exam day, have trust and confidence in yourself and give your best.