CAT 2020 exam is approaching. How you perform on the day of the exam is all that matters! If you are positive, remain cool and calm throughout the exam, you can score high and remain motivated. Any feeling of pessimism or the stressful feeling, fearing some problems related to preparation, exam room strategy or unanticipated technical glitches just before CAT 2020 is uncalled for and unfounded.
Only 3 Days to CAT 2020: Here’s what you Should and Shouldn’t Do:
With only 3 days left to CAT 2020, many CAT aspirants must be wondering how to make the best out of their time. The right last-minute preparation tips can help you to score your best and get into any of the top B-schools of the country. The last few days before a national level entrance exam like CAT, candidates tend to get nervous and anxious. But anxiety during this time can only do more harm than good.
The competition will be tough and candidates need to work very hard and at the same time keep their cool to give their best shot on D-day. Here are a few last-minute tips that might help all the CAT 2020 aspirants:
Stay Determined
Remember, you have prepared for this all through the year and you are capable enough to get through. Have confidence in yourself; motivate yourself that you can do it. Don’t let the exam pressure affect your confidence and will to crack the entrance exam.
Time Management
With CAT around the corner, you must focus on time management which is very much essential to finish the exam on time. Learn ways to solve problems easily, for smaller problems rely on mental calculations. This will save time and let you attempt maximum questions in a limited time.
Practice More
Proper practice along with time management is the key to get a top score in the exam. You need to do more mock tests and sample question papers so that you can understand the question pattern and practicing more means reducing the chances of mistakes and errors in your test paper.
Make Notes
Make note of anything that you find important and worthy of last-minute revise before the exam, note down important formulas and points that you have covered throughout the course of your preparation. Go through these notes daily until the day of your examination. A quick revision a few hours before the examination can boost your confidence.
Emphasize your Strengths
Identify the areas you are strong at, make sure you attempt all the questions from those sections, and solve them correctly. Your strength areas will help you score the maximum marks, hence be well versed in those areas.
Do Not Bother Much about your Weaknesses
You have already put in most of the effort that you can for CAT preparation. It might not be possible for a candidate to master every topic from different sections. Do not panic, practice those that you are good at and let go of the ones that you think needs more time. Devoting time to learn new things at the last moment is definitely not a wise decision.
Know When to Stop
Candidates must know exactly when to stop, you might come across a question from a particular topic that you have practiced very well but it may happen that you cannot solve the question at the exam hall. In such a situation, do not sit and think about where you went wrong, rather attempt the next question. Remember not to leave behind a couple of questions just to answer the one that you thought will fetch you full marks.
Take Adequate Rest
In between all the preparations, do not forget to take adequate rest. Sleep for at least 8 hours a day to rejuvenate yourself. Remember to appear for the exam with a fresh mind. Avoid fatigue by not putting too much pressure on yourself in these 3 days.
Don’t skimp on sleep: Try to go to sleep on time and wake up on time. Some of you might have been studying till late at night. I guess it is time to stop that now and get your body clock back on track. Get a lot of sleep before the exam, it helps much more than studying or watching videos until 1 in the morning.
Avoid learning anything new at this time: Don’t touch any new area as it will lead to confusion and less confidence. You never remember the things you cram the period before the test. Start preparing early. Give your brain time to absorb the ideas. Never mug up new concepts at this time
Keep revising the important points and keep practicing: Revision is Vital. Revise formulae. If you have notes made from many months of preparation, use the same. Stay in touch with things that you already prepared for.
Avoid over-stressing and take periodic breaks: Take breaks in between your preparations. Give your eyes and brain a rest before they start to hurt. Watch a movie, play football, watch YouTube videos of Lionel Messi, take a nice ride/drive. Do whatever it is that puts you at ease.
Eat healthy and avoid any distractions: Eat three square meals a day. Treat yourself to some healthy snacks. Keep yourself hydrated. Don’t have distractions near you. Eliminate them. One by one. The Internet is a giant distracting sinkhole. Handle it carefully.
Take One mock test and devise exam-taking strategies accordingly: It is very important to have a strategy while giving the paper. The best way of developing a strategy is by solving mock papers. Try different strategies and see which works out the best. A plan which gives you more accurate answers within a short time in your mocks is the one that you must implement for the D-day. Also, make a note of the amount of time you spend on each question. Don’t spend too much time on one question, skip and you can always come back to it. A great practice you can follow is to keep you rough copy clean and numbered. Don’t just scribble on it. This will help in case you want to come back to the previous question that you had left halfway. You need not solve it from the start, and this will help save a lot of time.
Be confident and motivated: Do whatever you can to stay calm. Breathe deeply, go for a walk, blow bubbles, crank up your music and dance around the house, etc. Get rid of that nervous energy. If your stress levels spiral out of control, your brain will stop functioning. You have to take the bull by the horn. Be confident and remain motivated, any dip in the confidence level at the eleventh hour may turn the tables against you.
Get the small details right: Fuel your vehicle, check the hall ticket, verify if the photograph is the same, have your comfortable t-shirt ready, etc.
Although your task is daunting, it is not hopeless. There is one last CAT strategy that you should remember on test day—stay positive. A positive mental state will have beneficial repercussions. You’ll be more confident and more self-assured, and you’ll trust yourself more during the test. So remain upbeat and positive as you study and when you walk into the testing centre. At that point, a lot is out of your control, but you still have control over your attitude and approach.
Don’t panic. Stay motivated, keep working hard, and make it happen!
Good Luck!!
Author – Rahul Singh
Rahul Singh ( Director CATKing ) – CATKing is a premier MBA Coaching institute of Maharashtra which focuses on strategic, engaging and high quality education
Brief Profile of the Author:
Education :
- Harvard Business School (SPNM)
- MBA :SP Jain Institute of Management & Research
- Master of Information Technology, Virginia Tech
TEDx Speaker at IIM Calcutta and NMIMS inspiring young minds on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Awarded Best Online CAT Coaching in India 2020
Awarded Leader in Digital Engagement Strategy Consulting (Engage7x) 2019
Awarded Management Coaching Institute Of the Year – Entrepreneur India Education Congress 2018
Awarded Coaching Institute Of the year 2017 – Higher Education Review
Published in Harvard Business School’s “The 20 Years of Impact” across the Global
Digital Entrepreneur of the Year Awarded for Skill Development & Employability by Times Network, Digital India Summit 2016
Social Entrepreneur Award 2015 by Entrepreneurs India