How to Improve CAT Mock Scores?-Detailed Guide on CAT 2023 Preparation Strategy

With only a few days left for the CAT 2023 exam, the preparation is on the fast track for all the applicants. Apart from a full-time commitment to studies, it is high time to make your preparation strategies. These strategies can only be made when you get a clear idea of the exam syllabus, exam pattern, marking scheme, and sectional time limits. 

The registration process for the CAT exam 2024 started on 1st August and the last date is 13th September. To know more click here. 

Mock tests are one of the best possible ways to practice for your CAT exam with only a few days left. Attempting these tests helps you analyze your performance for the exam & makes you work on your weaker sections. Moreover, it helps you manage your time for each section of the exam which is vital for you & makes you score better in the final exam.

In this article, we will be discussing some of the tips that can help you improve your CAT score, the benefits of the mock tests, & the best web & offline resources to prepare for CAT 2023.

Tips to Approach High CAT Scores

Most of the CAT applicants aim for IIMs, thus, they need to score quite high if they wish to land any of the IIMs with this CAT attempt. If you are one of them, tighten your seat belts & aim for scoring at least 99 percentile. For this, you need to have a foolproof plan for your preparation strategy. 

Here are some tips that can help you get a high CAT score in 2023.

• Practice with a good number of mocks and analyze their results thoroughly.  
• Identify your strong and weak sections and work accordingly.
• Attempt for CAT's previous year's papers to get the actual idea of difficulty levels & time limits.
• Practice to improve the accuracy level in your weak section.
• Analyze your performance section-wise and target to get a high score in that term only.

Facts You Should Know About Mock Tests

Mock tests are a key part of the CAT preparation strategy. They help you develop an idea of the type of questions that are asked in the exam with the matching difficulty level. Those who miss out on practicing with mock tests lack the idea of what an actual CAT exam looks like.

A few facts about mock tests are listed below that you might know.

• The number of candidates appearing in the CAT exam is higher than the number of candidates in the mock tests. Thus, low competition in mock tests makes you score higher which motivates you for your actual exam.
• Mock tests make you analyze your weaknesses and strengths by providing you with a measurement of your knowledge. 
• Attempting more mock tests helps you attain a good accuracy level & manage the time as per the set limit of each section.
• One of the best advantages of practicing with mock tests is that it makes you calculate risks, eliminate options, and assess your preparation level. 

Steps to Improve Your CAT Mock Percentile

• Take a Mock Before Your Final Preparation

Attempt a mock test before the final CAT preparation. It will make you assess your knowledge and performance based on the preparation you have done so far. Thus, you will develop an idea of how much you still need to focus on specific sections. Moreover, giving a mock in between the preparations will give you a real-time experience of what an actual CAT exam looks like.

• Do not Attempt Uncertain Questions

It is challenging to leave any questions, particularly ones you are aware of but are hesitant to try. However, bear in mind that it is still essentially a bet, and you could wind up losing rather than earning points, which would hurt your percentile. It is not a good choice to attempt questions you are unsure of on a test like the CAT. Thus, focus your time and energy exclusively on the questions you are certain of.

• Attempt Questions You Feel Confident About

Always glance through each component in the first several minutes, paying special attention to the sections of Quant and DILR. Decide which sets of questions and answers you can answer quickly and accurately. If there is still time, make sure you answer every question you are comfortable answering before trying your hand at the ones you are not 100% sure about.

• Solve a Good Number of Mock Tests for Practice

Start with an aim of at least one mock per week and increase it to a frequency of 2 mocks per week. This way you will be able to get a hold of the areas you initially did not feel confident about. Practicing with more mocks will strengthen your test-taking strategies.

• Analyze the Results of Each Attempted Mock

Every mock you provide needs to be carefully examined so that you don't make the same mistakes twice. It's like firing arrows without caring if they strike the target when you take a mock and don't analyze it. It is essential to spend a few hours reviewing each mock exam in detail. With this, you will be able to determine which simple questions you overlooked, which ones you ought to have skipped, and how to properly organize your time so that you may get the most points possible.

Section-wise Tips to Improve the CAT Mock Percentile

Since mock tests help you improve your actual CAT score, they are also helpful in making you analyze your weak section. This way, you can emphasize more on that by practicing for the other sections at the same time. The strong & weak sections vary from candidate to candidate, thus, a few of the tips to improve the CAT score in a particular section are listed below.

How to Improve VARC Score For CAT?

• Strengthen your basic concepts of verbal ability.
• Read newspapers, articles, etc., daily to improve your reading skills.
• Try to solve one reading comprehension daily during the preparation time for the CAT.
• Do not use gimmicky techniques like speed reading, skimming, surfing, etc. while practicing reading comprehension.

How to Improve DILR Score For CAT?

• Improve your logical thinking and thought process by solving puzzles like SuDoKus and KaKuros in your free time.
• Practice various types of sets as “practice makes you perfect.”
• Practice with a good number of mock tests and analyze their results thoroughly for a positive outcome in the CAT exam.
• Work on your time management skills and do not spend too long on a single set. 
• Take mock tests to improve your time management skills as it is a very important factor to be considered while taking the actual exam.

How to Improve QA Score For CAT?

• Strengthen your quant basics including formulas and fundamental concepts.
• Learn the shortcuts to solve a question. Shortcuts provide you with accurate results in a short time.
• Solve more and more mock tests and previous papers as only practice will make you attain the desired accuracy level.
• Avoid spending too much time on a single topic.
• Improve your speed and accuracy as it will make you attempt more questions within the set time limits.

How to Analyze the CAT Mock Tests

Following your mock effort, you can evaluate your performance and make improvements by following the instructions provided:

Step 1: Retake every question on the paper that you answered incorrectly or did not attempt.

Step 2: Analyze the questions individually and group them into six categories: well left, missed opportunity, double negative, risky shot, unforced error, and good shot.

Step 3: Examine the paper section by section.

Step 4: Determine your weak points.

Step 5: Answer questions about your areas of weakness. You should devote three to four days a week to this.

Step 6: View the expert mock attempts that match with it. You can tell the difference in the outcome if you use their methods.

Step 7: Start the subsequent mock!

Importance of Mock Tests

To get fully prepared for the CAT exam, attempting mock tests is quite important. It makes you understand your level of preparation in terms of percentile and marks. Some of the key benefits of practicing with mock tests are listed below.

• Mock tests give you an actual idea of the exam atmosphere. Since it is designed on the real pattern of the CAT exam, it makes you aware of the level of difficulty and the time limits of the exam.
• Practicing with mock tests will help you handle the exam stress and anxiety during CAT. It will prepare you mentally for the exam and reduce your nervousness and anxiety.
• Mock exams will make you understand the exam pattern at a deeper level. With the variety of questions you get asked in each section of the CAT exam, you will be plan your exam strategy more effectively.
• Mock tests are vital in improving your speed and accuracy as practicing more of them will help you in your revision.
• These demo tests make you analyze your weaker and stronger sections of the CAT exam. This analysis helps you improve your performance in the weak sections for a better result.

Best Resources and Study Materials for the CAT Exam

A major portion of the CAT applicants take coaching classes to crack this one of the toughest competitive exams. For them, the study materials and notes are provided by their coaching institutes which is quite sufficient for the preparation. However, there is a large number of candidates who attempt CAT with an independent learning approach. For them finding out best books and study materials is the primary challenge.

Here is a list of some of the best-recommended books for CAT preparation.

For Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Section:

Book Name	Author Name
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension	Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
Word Power Made Easy	Norman Lewis
Mastering the Verbal Ability for CAT	Ajay Singh

 

For Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Section:

Book Name	Author Name
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation	Arun Sharma
A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning	R. S. Agarwal
Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation for CAT	Nishit Sinha

 

For Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Section:

Book Name	Author Name
Quantitative Aptitude for CAT	Nishit Sinha
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude	Arun Sharma
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations	R. S. Agarwal
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT	Sarvesh Verma

 

The above-listed 10 books are available both in offline and online (like Amazon) stores.

Best Free Web Resources to Use to Crack the CAT Exam

The best part of this digital education era is that you get access to free online academic content in just one click. Not only for school-level courses but for competitive exams like CAT, you have the opportunity to study online at zero cost. 

 

Mentioned below is a list of the best free online resources that can help you crack CAT 2023 that too with 95+ percentile.

• IQuanta YouTube Channel: Iquanta has hundreds of useful videos, especially for the QA section. The best part is that these are short videos which makes it more interesting for the candidates.
• 2iim: 2iim is an online platform for CAT preparation. It provides around 1600 questions and 300 videos for free. Its videos explain the quick tricks and methods to solve even complex problems most lucidly.
• Bodhee Prep: The YouTube channel of Bodhee Prep provides free CAT materials to help students prepare well for the exam. In addition to these free videos, you can even buy their paid CAT preparation videos.
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is quite popular for its free CAT MBA exam. It offers plenty of CAT preparation videos on its YouTube Channel for free.
• T.I.M.E.: It is one of the most popular names in the CAT preparation. It provides free conceptual videos for all three sections delivered by TIME faculty.
• Cracku: Here you learn the CAT exam formulas, shortcuts, tips, and tricks for all sections. These free videos help you manage your exam time section-wise.
• GMAT Club: This website provides you with downloadable CAT question banks in addition to the free study material. Thus, it is quite useful in the revision phase of your exam.
• Rodha: CAT aspirants can find excellent concept videos for VA-RC, DI-LR, and QA sections on this platform. These free videos are quite valuable for your concept clarity.
• CAT-Holic: This blog-oriented platform was established by two IIM graduates, one of them being a ten-time CAT 100%iler in the QA. This platform provides you with a question bank based on sub-topics of the CAT exam.
• Tathagat: It is one of the best CAT preparation institutes in Delhi. Its YouTube channel has a lot of CAT preparation videos for each section of QA, DILR, and VARC.
• TCY: This platform provides free CAT mock tests to help you practice for the actual CAT exam.

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