How to Prepare for CAT without Coaching

If you have decided to forge your path without guidance and coaching, you may want to keep a few things in mind when it comes to your CAT Preparation. Some of the important tips which can help you with your CAT Preparation:

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Preparing for VARC in CAT without Coaching

When it comes to the CAT VARC section, the Reading Comprehension sub-section plays a vital role. It generally consists of 70% of the VARC section and therefore should be given due to importance. Some tips which can aid you in preparing for CAT VARC are:

  • Give a few minutes to analyse the paper and make a strategy on how you are going to attempt the section.
  • DO NOT STICK TO A QUESTION! This is a blunder mistake and can cost you a lot. Try to maximize your attempts. See because accuracy of 90-100% is difficult to achieve, so improve your score by maximizing attempts.
  • If you are getting bored while reading RCs try to customise your approach. For example- try doing 1 RC first and then solve a few questions of VA and then back to RC and so on, to neutralize.
  • Focus on what the author wants to convey, not what you want to interpret. Keep solving mocks and analysing them. This will help you prepare a strategy beforehand.
  • Solve regular mocks. This is one stop destination for "How to improve VARC".

If you are looking for specialized help in VARC, you can have a look at the VARC 1000 Program which will be launched in August or September which can give you an advantage when it comes to CAT VARC.

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How to prepare for CAT DILR without Coaching

The CAT DILR Section is a section which several aspirants fear in the CAT Exam. This is partially due to the unpredictable nature of the section. Some tips which can help you in the CAT DILR section are:

  • Time management- Optimising the utilisation of time is the major game of play in this exam. If you are able to do this, you are able to ace the exam.
  • Question Selection- To select which sets to solve and which not. The sets in the exam are divided into easy, moderate and difficult. Hence, selection of sets becomes a game changer.

If you wish for special assistance in the DILR section only, you can have a look at the DILR1000 Program which will be launched at the same time as the VARC1000 Program.

For more in-depth information regarding CAT DILR Preparation, please click on the following link.

How to prepare for CAT QA without Coaching

One section that all aspirants should focus on to maximize your score is the CAT QA section. It is the least unpredictable compared to the previous 2 sections as it is the least subjective. Some tips which can help you in the CAT QA section are:

  • The first step for the preparation is to learn the basics and make yourself as comfortable with it as possible. CAT is as much as a speed test as it is a skill-based test. Thus, it is important to improve the speed of solving including the speed of calculation. The different tricks and tips can be looked at in this stage to identify the ones which work for the student and which ones to avoid.
  • This will also give the aspirant a platform to boost their preparation to the next level after establishing the basics properly. The practice for this level of questions can be done using the NCERT books from Class 10 to 12 since the portion remains the same. Thus, even choosing a reference book is no longer an issue, practice and improve your speed through these books before moving on to more advanced material.
  • Following the basic preparation, the intermediate level of questions should be attempted. The concepts should be clear at this level so the focus should be on maintaining a high level of accuracy when solving these questions. The speed of solving can initially be sacrificed in order to clear the concepts further. However, once the concepts are clear, the practice to increase the speed should start in earnest again.
  • In the final step, the candidate should appear for as many mocks as possible. Attempting too many tough questions does not make much sense because the number of tough questions in CAT is very limited and usually the benefit of solving these questions is outweighed by the loss of missing out on easier questions.
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Importance of Mock Tests and Practice

One of the important things that you need to focus on during your preparation is the Mock Tests. It is an essential arrow in the bow of each CAT aspirant for a number of reasons:

  • Helps you identify your perfect exam strategy: For most aspirants, the best way to approach the exam is not to attempt each question that shows up. Keeping this in mind, your strategy while attempting the paper becomes extremely important to maximize your score.
  • Keep track of your progress: After completing a particular topic, the mock test will allow you to identify whether your preparation has been able to help you improve your performance in the actual exam.
  • Acclimatize yourself to CAT Exam: The mock tests give you an idea regarding how it would be like to appear for the actual CAT Exam. This would allow you reduce your nervousness during the actual exam and perform better.
  • Analyze your competition: Your peers are going to be your competition in the CAT Exam. Therefore the CAT Mock Tests gives you an idea regarding the competition and how you would fare in the actual CAT Exam.

These are some of the major reasons for opting for at least a CAT Mock Test Series when you are preparing for CAT without coaching.

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