shariq: Sir, my DI and Quant is quite weak. But I've noticed my Verbal is bit on the stronger side. Also, by answering Verbal properly and very few DI and Quant questions in AIMCATs, I've been scoring 72 to 75 %ile. Pls tell me what are my odds? If I devote good amount of time from now on, can I make it into a good colleges?
sai: Your odds for the IIMs are ZERO. If you can get 85+ then you can get into some Good B-Schools

elvis: Hello Sir, I have a low accuracy of usually 50-60% in VA. How can I improve it?
sai: What are the Q types where you face these problems?

shariq: Sir, how is the approach of doing and analysing the solutions of, one mock/old CAT paper everyday from now on till the D-day? Can I score a 97 above like that?
sai: Dont do the Original CAT papers till you have finished atleast 80% of your prep. You can certainly get a 97+

pallokapoor: SIR ,I AM IN HABIT OF READING PASSAGES LOUDLY.HOW TO REMOVE THIS HABIT
sai: Stop doing it immediately. vocalizing reduces your speed of reading

elvis: Anybody there?
pcr: elvis, we're here, fire away !!

neha: dear sir..what wud u suggest for grammer preparation..any book or any strategy??
sai: TIME study material and a good Grammar book like Wren & Martin for the basics

shariq: Sir, pls tell me that considering the fact that there are still 14 AIMCATs left, and my score now is 72, is there a strong chance that I gradually excel from now on in every AIMCAT and get %iles in the range of 90s.
sai: YES it id definitely possible provided you put in atleast 5 hrs of work everyday

josh: Sir,Time is very little for CAT. So how should we prepare.I dont Want to use cue cards.How can we improve our score in VA without learning the tough words? Tell me some techniques please...
sai: No short cut.....you have to burn the midnight oil

manoj: Hello Sir...I have a problem in the 'Choose the right word questions'. How do I improve in those questions?
pcr: manoj, i suppose you're referring to the sentence completion questions. Please try to understand the sentence from the context - other key words can serve as pointers - once you have some idea of the context look at the choices. Use some recognition of grammar - what part of speech the blank needs, what sort of preposition may be associated with the blank and so on

: good evening sir.....while answering AIMCATs Iam solving two RC passages ...but there is a lot of ambiguity in answers like author's view,tone of passage etc., please tell me how to answer these type of questions.....
pcr: The tone of the passage is what you understand his/her interest level and attitude to be. The sorts of words used, especially adjectives and adverbs are pointers to this. The authors purpose is indicated from the way he/she organises the presentation - the way the thoughts are linked

suhail: sir,i score high in quant(90-99%), di(90-95%) and overall 90-96 percentile.But i suffer in va.can u suggest me on good way of improving va.I have just started goin thru baron's wordlist and planning to go thru practical english usage by michael swan.Will i be able to improve va in a period of 3 months.I'm enginnering final year student.
pcr: suhail, no reason why you can't. but remember, just word lists and grammar texts won't do. What you get from these you have to actually see in operation/application - and that means regular and active reading, with some variety

cattie: sir should one go for rc when it has got an overall weightage of 25% but has many lengthy passages with only 3 questions each?
sai: That would depend on the Difficulty level of the other Qs and your proficiency in RCs

punu: how can I work on para jumbles? zeroing on on one option of two is difficult!
sai: Read a daily newspaper especially the short articles, letters to editor etc. to understand how an idea is developed and connected to other statements.

parshva: Sir,how to get through RC easily and quickly
sai: No such short cut method is available unfortunately

cattie: sir when will we get the score 4 aimcat1015
sai: 10 days later

catastrophe: sir i got detained in final sem of engg?will this hamper my chances of securing seat in a good college or iims?
sai: NO as long as you get a 99+ in CAT

shariq: Sir pls answer this, you said 80% of your 'prep'? Are you talking about prep in terms of doing SM's? Why cant i do the papers and directly learn from analyzing them itself?
sai: You would be wasting an opportunity of doing an Actual CAT paper and comparing yourself with the cutoffs of that year

abhishek: Hello sir.i read intenational dailies like nytimes and washington post.they hv helped 2 acclimatise 2 online reading.do i need 2 read more given that i spend an hr daily doing that
sai: it is a good idea as the articles are of very high quality

pallokapoor: SIR I ATTEMPT QUESTIONS QUITE FASTER WHEN I READ THEM OUT
sai: Then keep reading aloud if you are getting the ANSWERS right!!

deba: sai are u there
sai: YES

priya: sir while reading passages with normal speed i select right answer..but when i increase my speed i select wrong answer..how i can improve this???
pcr: priya, you have to ensure that when you first read an RC passage you do it quickly, but work out the structure - ie. the key idea in each papragraph, the flow between the paras, and therby the theme or central idea. This will help you with the broader questions. For the more specific ones, you will know where to go back to look, and when you do, read those bits with care.

praveen reddy: Sir,i'm perfect with barron's wordlist.Is that enough?
sai: quite good

priya: sir,iam tensed while doing the VA section,end in getting low score.I feel my preparation is not upto the mark.I read newspaper rgularly.how should I start my preparation to get away from tension
pcr: priya - you've identified the reason, you feel you're not prepared. Please prepare then, look at the answers we've posted to some of the earlier questions and put together your prep plan on the basis of those tips. If you'd like a more detailed help for a plan, send us a mail - info@time4education.com

ram: hello sir...in AIMCATS....I'm getting only 50 marks...how to improve my score...should I expect the same score in real CAT exam or can I improve...
sai: You will certainly improve

abhishek: do we need 2 refer wren and martin for grammer
sai: YES

ripool: what is the 1st step in preparing verbal?
sai: Reading a newspaper on a daily basis; reading RC passages on the TIME website; Focus on the rules of Grammar

abhishek: sir will we able 2 view our score 4 aimcat 1015 like 1017 b4 actual percentiles are declared?
sai: Yes you will be...wait for the instructions to be sent to your mail-ID

aks.cbma: There are some options that contain some words ditto as given in the passage is it correct to eliminate those while answering? As most of the questions are inference based and have obscure conclusions..
sai: Infact those kind of Qs are easier to answer

krish: sir, is it possible to crack verbal by attempting the least number of RC questions possible?
sai: Quite difficult

vrishali: Is Wrine & MArtin sufficient
sai: It is quite good and helps get a grip on the basics

priya: sir i used to learn 10 word-meaning daily..but i can't memories it for long time..what should i do to learn word-meaning???
sai: Try to put the word in a sentence and this helps in better retention

cattie: sir there r places where wren n martin and grammer sm of time donot match-only a couple of them.which one of the two should be followed?
pcr: There are some areas, especially of usage, which are undergoing change. When you're in doubt, and you can't verify something, just send your doubt to us - info@time4education.com - and we'll clarify things

fahrenheit: I am unable to pick out the "right usage of the word " in the given sentences please help me on that
pcr: degrees F, there's an earlier post this evening explaining that you must try to understand context from the sentence overall, from 'trigger' words and from connectives like prepositions etc.

shariq: Sir doesn't analyzing the old papers after doing the is as good as normal preparation for CAT? Then why can't i start doing the papers from today itself?
pcr: shariq, while analysing papers helps you figure out question types and how to approach them, the content you need for answers can only come through study and practice. So, please do both, unless you've already completed your preparation!

raksh: sir please guide me of how to prepare verbal abillity sections in the left 3 months.
pcr: raksh (and lahoti, too) - there are 3 months left. Please revise grammar, work on vocab everyday and read something well written, about 45 to 60 mins EVERYDAY. Use your reading not only for RC variety, but also for vocab and grammar practice, through 'practical application'.

cattie: sir , time's website contains no updates about the announcements of various management exams like iift,jmet,irma.why is that so?
sai: It is available on the Notifications link on the Home Page

panjag: how can i increase my reading speed?
pcr: panjg - primarily, of course, by reading as much as possible, everyday. Also, concentrate on thought-groups instead of individual words. When you have to examine a sentence closely for its construction, then you can look at individual words.

cattie: sir i am a 4th yr btech student.i am getting a percentile of 97 consistently in the aimcats.should i apply for irma?
sai: YES

sp: sir is it possible to get a 99+ percentile by just attempting rc questions?
pcr: sp - no sir, it's not. please prepare other va areas too.

zo: Good evening Sir,For a starter what should be the minimum number of hours to be put in,for a 99+
pcr: zo, with 3 months to go - as many as you can manage - seriously !! plan your day, do everything you REALLY NEED TO in quick time, and devote ALL THE REST of your time to CAT preparation

krish: i got 96 percentile in CAT08. this year i have averaged 95%ile in the paper-pencil format but only 85%ile in the online aimcats. i tend to attempt questions in a linear fashion during the on-line format and i tend to loose a lot of time on questions which i would have otherwise ignored. pls suggest a way out of this web before it gets too late.
pcr: krish, you know that there isn't going to be much change in the pattern - which means that you should be able to navigate through the paper and pick questions to do. So, get some 'reading on comp' practice in, and try to do what you would do with the paper test - with practice you will be able to !

vic: what is the secret to crack the VERBAL section
sai: OPEN SECRET: Lots of reading, practice and more reading

ratantata: I AM SCORING GOOD IN THE WRITTEN TESTS BUT CBT TESTS I AM SCORING VERY LOW.HOW CAN I OVERCOME THIS ?
pcr: please get in some 'reading on comp' practice, also start making quick and effective notes, this will enable you to navigate through a test as you do with the paper ones.

jjjj: other than time material which book we can follow for vb.
pcr: jjjj, you don't really need any other practice material. Refer to a good dictionary, though. Also, please add a grammar text for quick reference if you need it. Apart from this, read, read, read, regularly and in wide variety.

ratantata: CAN U PLEASE TELL ME THE GOOD WAY IN ANSWERING THE RC'S IN CBT FORMAT
pcr: rt, please look at some of the earlier posts, where we've suggested an effective reading method supplemented by quick and concise notes

lahoti: As the time is less, we need to work efficiently!!.. what in your opinion is the most efficient way for improving grammar and vocab.
sai: There is NO shortcut....work out the exercises in the SMs and go through the rules of Grammar to avoid making errors. For Vocab, focus on the cue cards but do not overdo it as acquiring a great vocab will take a lot of time

jaivijay: I hav heard that cat normally focuses on those words which r recently used --like in editorals and new magazines.Is it true? I regularly keep track of new words 4m papers is it sufficient
pcr: jaivijay - it's about standard english, and that certainly includes words currently popular with writes. so, please read some variety and keep track of the use/context of the new words you come across

ram: Hi PCR Sir when u referred to " Read something well written " , Can u please elucidate a bit on what exactly to read(which news papers or magazine or material on SHP)?
pcr: ram, a well written paper like The Hindu, magazines like I Today, Outlook, The Economist, RD - and books. Want a list? Send us your email ID

kirtiraj: sir what should be my strategy for improving my vocabulary and how to tackle with 'missing sentence' questions
pcr: kirti, there have been a lot of posts about vocab so far, please take some tips from those. About para formation and completion, please read up a bit about paragraph writing styles from any good book on grammar and composition. This would have been explained in class, but a quick reference will help.

cattie: how much accuracy in rcs is desired?plz donot tell me 100%plz gimme a realistic picture.i say this bcoz inferential questions are hard to crack but very tempting thus inviting guesses in a passage where mostly there r factual questions.
sai: If you can get to about 70% that would be quite good

poo: Is doing old papers a gud enuf preparation?
pcr: poo, no, it's not. Study, reading and practice are the primary methods

raksh: while doing through paper its really simple to mark the answers and search the words but online reading makes it irritating and tedious,sir please guide me through some tricks of online reading while solving RC passages
pcr: raksh, please ge into the habit of making quick little notes. Nothing elaborate - just a few words phrases for each para that will help you track the idea flow and help you identify bits that you may want to read again when you see the questions.

kirtiraj: sir i am little bit weak in communication,what should i do for improving it?
pcr: kirti, please communicate in english more often - try to converse and write in complete and corret sentences. you'll recognise your errors when they happen - make note of them, find out how to correct them, and put that into practice

kac9r341: Hi, I got 95+ percentile in CAT 2008. I have given 5 AIMCATS upto and scored 96+ on two occassions and 98+ on two occassions.I have done my analysis but i couldnt find out where I went wrong which put me out of the TOPPERS LIST. Can you please help me SAI?
sai: Send a mail to me and we will discuss this offline. My mail ID is sai@time4education.com

ratantata: HOW MUCH EXTENT SHALL I WANT TO LEARN NEW WORDS(MEANINGS) FOR THE PREPARATION OF CAT
sai: At thos point dont focus on this too much

ratantata: ARE THERE ANY EASY METHOD TO FIND THE MEANING OF THE WORDS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE
sai: The root word approach helps a lot

ratantata: I AM NOT ABLE TO LEARN WORDS FROM THE CUE CARDS.CAN U PLEASE TELL ME A PROCEDURE TO LEARN THE WORDS
sai: Use it in a sentence and try to remember the context

ratantata: HOW MUCH TIME SHAII I ALLOCATE TO VERBAL INDIVIDUALLY FOR BOTH VA AND RCS.
sai: Around 45 minutes atleast

cattie: sir , as far as the questions related to usage is concerned, these i find to have been typically lifted from oxford dict where meaning of a word with all its usage is mentioned.surely no one can learn all the oxford words and practically every word has more than on typical usage.so should not time provide a list of good words to us like q cards.it will be very useful for us.
pcr: cattie, please remember that cue cards and word lists are effective, but only as support to a good reading habit - that is really where you become more familiar with usage

arup: Dear sir...my question is, normally I read newspapers regularly...but do I need to read story books also?
pcr: Arup, yes, please do read a few books too - fiction, non-fiction - anything provided the language is good. Here's where your exposure to different styles and tones will increase, apart from the width of perspective. Need a list? send us a mail!

krish: sir, why cant we have a few AIMCATS where there is an option to scroll down and view several questions at a time?
sai: Lets wait till August 30 and see if that is required

santosh: sir,skipping RC qus. will do not?as it takes too time
pcr: santosh, it's not clear what your question is. If you're asking whether you can skip RCs - sorry, not if you want to make it through

sun: Hi Sir... I have read word power made easy book completey and done few other vocb excersies from new papers etc... stil i find it difficult to identify meanings of the words that appear in exam... in fact ... this seems to be big problem... is it possible to clear cut offs in cat... just concentrating on RC and grammar section?
pcr: sun, please remember that vocab preparation is not just for vocab questions - it helps immensely with RC and LR questions too. So, please don't give it a pass. Have a look at some of the earlier posts for tips

sbk: sir i thought of reading from wren and martin then shifted my attention to read more things like newspapers and novels...should i shift to reading grammar books or continue reading newspper and other stuffs
pcr: sbk, please try to adopt a judicious mix. The grammar books and practice will help you with the functions and sentence structure, the general reading will help you with content and perspecive.

sbk: what should be the optimum time that should be allocated to rcs
pcr: sbk, between 8 to 10 mins per RC. Overall, if half the questions are RCs (eg.20 out of 40), ensure that you attempt AT LEAST 60% of them

rahul: i want to know that at this time is it good decision to take admission in ICFAI....Pls reply.....
sai: First write the entrance test and then take a call based on whether you get a GDPI call or not

rahul: What is the scope of doing MBA from IRMA???
sai: Very good

ashish: Hi sir,can you enlist some good books or novels that one must have read to get better idea or language and prose in varied fields?
sai: Books by Ayn Rand, CAtch 22, and some contemporary books on Economics like 'Freakonomics'

neha: sir..whats the date for ITM written exam ?
sai: Wait for the notification

rens: Sir, I read and write down the main points in the editorials and 2 rc per day (from time booklet) and read word power made easy. Is that enough?
pcr: rens, not bad for rc practice - however please put in some time on regular reading too, a variety of content, and at least 40-60 minutes every day.

sbk: i use flash card dictionary in my mobile and prepare words from it by marking words i refer from novels,magazines and newspaper...is my approach correct or should i start learn words from BARRONS or GRE BIBLE software or other stuffs
sai: Your approach is fine

kamlesh: sir what is the best approach to attemp rc questions whether to read questions first and then passage or first read passage then questions
sai: Tr out both and use the one that works best for you

nikky: In RC i am able to get the central idea of the passage but I'm wrong when I mark the answers..how to improve. It's really frustating.
pcr: nikky, look at an earlier post - get structure, thought flow, central idea, style and tone first - get back to specific parts for more careful reading depending on the ques to be answered.

rahul: But sir if there is no use of taking admission,then why do i waste my money on form???So pls tell me that ICFAI is UGC affiliated or not and is it good to take admission or not???
sai: Rahul..Please DONT SPAM......you have psoted this Qs some 20 times.....ICFAI MBA is a decent institute

ashish: What should be the ideal speed(in words per minute) that one should have attained before the D-day and how to gradually build it from now on?
sai: Around 200-250 is fine. Speed comes with familiarity so read lots.

cattie: sir plz suggest sm books on vocab building apart form norman lewis word power.its so boring....
pcr: cattie, please look at the earlier post in answer to your own question

cattie: sai sir,what do u mean by 'trigger' words(@fahrenheit)?
pcr: cattie, trigger words are those that give you a sense of the context of the sentence

rachel: Hi Sir, Please Suggest ways to summaries RC
pcr: rache, just answered a similar query. pl have a look at it

raksh: sir please give some tricks to solve rc passages in less time
sai: Develop reading speed and a sound comprehension and you should be abl;e to do RCs in quick time

cattie: sir can we contact u later also to clarify our doubts?if yes , plz give yr email id.
sai: Answered

bandhu: how is itm chennai campus,what can v expect as salary
sai: Good B-school...can expect around 6-8 lacs

cattie: sai sir and pcr sir,can we contact u later also to clarify our doubts?if yes , plz give yr email id.
sai: sai@time4education.com

ashish: Thanks a lot for resolving my queries
sai: Welcome

cattie: sir what is the desired level of accuracy in va ( rc excluded)
sai: around 60-70%