CAT 2009: how to get ready for it :)

Starting early enables a student to work out the best possible strategy and implement it effectively.

Here are the few few measures students should take during preparation -:

1. Identify the time of day when you study the best

2. Subscribe to a daily newspaper and/or a weekly news magazine

Sixty per cent of the Verbal Ability section in a typical CAT paper comprises of Reading Comprehension passages. Cultivating the reading habit is therefore essential to your CAT preparation.

3. Study in bursts

Practice studying in short productive bursts (typically 45-60 minutes) and take breaks in between. It will be hard to start concentrating immediately after a break in the initial stage, but soon you will get used to it.

4. Get your theory right

CAT tests you on the theory that you learnt in school, so there really is no excuse for getting it wrong. If you have lost touch with high school maths, and especially if you are a working professional, it may be a good idea to set a week aside to actually go through maths formulae that you will need as well as a few basic proofs

5. Develop a proper test-giving routine

This is the most important part of your CAT preparation. CAT does not ask you complicated PhD level questions. Instead, it puts pressure on you by giving you far less time to solve the paper than is reasonable. It is up to you to develop the best possible test-giving strategy you can, to solve the CAT paper.

6. Keep experimenting

Keep changing things -- the section you attempt first, the target number of questions you want to attempt, the time you spend on each section etc.

7. Start doing crosswords, logic puzzles etc

Solving the daily crossword (and checking the solutions the day after) improves your vocabulary by leaps and bounds. Solving logic puzzles will help you immensely in Logical Reasoning questions which have become an integral part of Data Interpretation sections in recent years.

8. Develop a hobby

Seriously. It gives you something to do in your free time. After all, you can't be expected to study 24x7. It gives you perspective. CAT is only an exam, not a life-and-death situation. Finally (and this is planning ahead at its best), if you do crack the CAT, it shows you to be a well-rounded personality and gives you something to talk about during your Personal Interview.

9. Avoid over-preparation

There is a limit to how much a person can do, and every person has his/ her own threshold. The minute the CAT starts getting to be a drag, take a break.

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Read more on - Rediff