Based on my poor experience, my advice to the future aspirants is to self-study. Nothing beats that. You can join coaching if you feel the need but it's not at all the only way to crack CAT. There are umpteen free and paid resources (cheaper and better than coachings) available on the internet.
How I stuck through & overcame challenges
The first time I gave CAT (2018), I thought I would easily sail through VA. But boy, I was wrong. The ability to distinguish between two seemingly similar options was hard and required extensive practice. Another thing was time management - squeezing time out of each day.
So I,
- Watched QA concept videos while commuting to and from office
- Solved a few questions on those concepts at night
- Tried reading newspaper articles sometime in office
- Solved 2 RCs daily with a study group I joined through FB
- Gave mocks on weekends
I had often been told that CAT is all about playing on your strengths. I tried applying this to myself. Firstly, I identified my strengths with a few mocks and worked on perfecting those. At the same time, I did not completely ignore my weaknesses which were in RCs and some topics of Quant and LR. For those, I stuck to clearing my basics and not mugging up the formulas. I diligently solved at least 1 RC and 1 LR question each day, come what may.
At times, things felt a bit overwhelming, but my family and friends were always there to back me up.
The secret sauce of success (Apparently, this is not a secret anymore)
I would like to highlight 4 key things that helped me to prepare for CAT without coaching, to sail through the exam, and to prepare for PIs as well.
Firstly, taking and analyzing mocks. There's a consensus that to ace the CAT exam, one must enroll with at least two test series and take umpteen mocks. I don't agree with that. It's not the count that matters but what you learn from the mistakes in those. I took like only 6-7 mocks but diligently re-attempted them without timer and analyzed each one of them in the end. It is important to experiment with your test-taking strategies and find the right one that works for you.
Secondly, time management. No matter if you are a student or a working professional, you need to have some timelines to finish your syllabus and to take mocks. Create a schedule of your own, and stick to it.
Thirdly, it’s very important to stay positive throughout the preparation phase. At times when you feel low, talk to your mentors, friends, teachers, or family who has been through this.
Lastly, keep calm during the exam. It is also important to learn to maintain composure till the end, and not let the performance of one section affect another.
Be wise when it comes to the selection of resources
Finally, time for the reveal you were here for.
Look at the positives of the COVID situation. It comes up with such a big advantage - a lot of extra time at your disposal. Make sure to make the best of it.
There are a lot of free resources available on the internet. RC99/ RC100 PDFs are the Holy Grail for VA preparation. For LRDI, I would suggest following ElitesGrid and MBAInt LRDI series on YouTube. After clearing your basics through these videos, you can solve LR questions from previous years' papers and mocks. That would very well suffice for your prep for this section.
For Quants, you can watch Takshzila videos to clear your basics (the lesser said about it, the better) and then practice questions from any source (Arun Sharma, or any coaching institute's booklets). You can also follow ElitesGrid / MBAInt channels for some peculiar concepts related to CAT.
And lastly, take mocks but most importantly analyze them.
P.S.: Do not get bogged down by the number of material others are referring to. Be wise when choosing what resource works for you & what does not.
Comments
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Drop me a message on LinkedIn or an email at apeksha.gupta212@gmail.com if you want any help/ guidance or resource recommendations.
29 Aug 2020, 07.17 PM
amrita tiwari
This article is everything for an IIM aspirant. It would help a lot as there's a lot of confusion regarding the preparation strategy and usage of right resources for the same. Thankyou for this guiding light!!
29 Aug 2020, 09.45 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Glad you found it useful, Amrita :)
3 Sep 2020, 01.02 AM |
ankita Tiwari
Very informative article
30 Aug 2020, 10.50 AM
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Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
:) :)
3 Sep 2020, 01.02 AM |
Aayush Deo
Hello Miss Apeksha!! This article is quite useful and inspiring. I wanted to know how many months before the CAT did you start your prepration.
31 Aug 2020, 10.26 PM
+Read Replies (3)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Hi Aayush, Glad you liked it. I started my prep 5 months before the D-Day, but I had taken CAT (slightly prepared) a year back too.
3 Sep 2020, 01.01 AM |
Aayush Deo
Okay thank you. I anticipate your reply to my email.
3 Sep 2020, 11.20 AM |
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Done :)
4 Sep 2020, 07.43 PM |
NIHAR RANJAN
Inspiring!
2 Sep 2020, 11.04 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
:D
3 Sep 2020, 01.02 AM |
Parag Aggarwal
Very informative. Nice article.
2 Sep 2020, 11.57 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Thank you :)
3 Sep 2020, 01.01 AM |
Anchal Gupta
Very useful for beginners. Thank you for sharing.
3 Sep 2020, 12.00 AM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Glad you liked it :)
3 Sep 2020, 01.01 AM |
VIjay Srinivasalu
Great Work Apeksha !
4 Sep 2020, 06.52 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Thanks Vijay :)
4 Sep 2020, 07.43 PM |
PATIL ANIKET AVINASH
Great! All the best to the aspirants
4 Sep 2020, 07.53 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
:) :)
4 Sep 2020, 09.29 PM |
asher namchyo
This is really and intresting and insightful article. It will be very helpful for all the aspirants, nicely explained by the author.
4 Sep 2020, 08.27 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Thanks Asher :)
4 Sep 2020, 09.29 PM |
Ayurshi Kapse
Very inspiring! Great work Apeksha :)
4 Sep 2020, 09.12 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Apeksha Gupta
Apeksha Gupta PGP (2020-2022), IIM Lucknow (Email: pgp36108@iiml.ac.in) I am a Computer Science graduate from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. I have 4 years of work experience across industries. I am a yoga and fitness enthusiast and enjoy playing sports and board games. On top of it, I love to trek and travel. I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.I got calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and all the new and baby IIMs. I feel blessed to have converted all of them. I am currently pursuing my MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Thanks Ayurshi :))
4 Sep 2020, 09.29 PM |