zombie: Hi ALL, is anyone in there?
kranthi: yes.

mukul: gud eve sir I wanna ask u hw much time should we devote for each section ??
kranthi: 45 minutes atleast.leave ur self a buffer of 15 minutes and use it judiciously.

neil: Hi...any news on new iims.
sai: Wait for the notification to throw light on it

sniper: Sir, in what order should the sections be attempted. Should we attempt the section we are strong in, first or weak in, first
sai: strongest section first to give yourself confidence and then the weakest section followed by the 2nd strongest section.

cat_moused: Hi Sir, What is the most probable pattern for CAT 2010?
kranthi: only iims can give a final answer about it. wait till they come out with that info.

sniper: and when should the neither strong nor weak section be attempted
kranthi: may be towards end.but do not go by rigid classifications.look at the difficulty level of each section.

lak: which section do you think is best to attempt first
sai: Your strongest section!

mukul: my more time is consumed in the verbal part ..... Hw to reduce it ???
kranthi: set atime limit and STICK to it.

nick: gud evening...... thru which section we shud start..?
kranthi: with ur comfort zone.

zombie: I find The DI section too tuff, is it proper CAT level or tougher than that?
sai: It is slightly more difficult than the CAT Di sections of previous years. It isnt too tough. if you are finding it too tough then it shows that iot is your bete-noire and that you need to work on it

sniper: while the number of questions is being varied in the various AIMCATs, all of them are of 150 minutes duration. Is the same to be expected in the real CAT
sai: After the Aug 30 notification we will decide if this needs to be changed.

cat_moused: Sir, I am confused with the idea of maximising the score in our strong section after scoring the cutoffs in other sections. But how can we be sure that we covered the cutoffs?
sai: With practice and therefore use the 23 AIMCATs to good effect

lak: tell us few books to enhance our reading comprehension skills
kranthi: visit magportal.com.read newspaper editorials and supplements regularly and read magazines like frontline along with time material.

nrmstar: Hello Sir, I am weak in Verbal Section. Quant and DI quite OK? How to increase accuracy? My RCs are always wrong Any Improvement Suggestion?
kranthi: read extensively.analyse the reasons for mistakes. get in touch with english faculty.

sniper: With a paper and pencil test it was possible to estimate the "length" of a passage by just looking at it, while the same is not possible in an online test. Is there a way to know which passages are lengthier in an online test
sai: You can still do it in a CBT AIMCAT by just scrolling down!! use the scroll feature

nick: as 4m dis year cat gonna be cbt, how can we choose a set which is...???
sai: Lets wait for the notification to come which will tell us whether or not students can navigate freely to any Qs/section

wall: My verbal marks have been flutuating .some times i get around 30-40 marks while sum times i get arnd 10-15.How can i get consistency.
kranthi: one odd fluctuation is o.k. identify ur weak areas and cement them.

krish: sir, how would you rate the sectional tests on the SHP. on par with the AIMCATS or below par.
sai: Sectional tests have been compiled from replicas of previous AIMCATs so they are high quality questions

sai: sir, what will be the new strategy for online RCs??? we cant underline this causing real problem
sai: Try practicing RC on the sectional tests to get rid of this habit. When the CAT was a Paper pencil test the IIM call getters had a large %age of students who NEVER underlined the RC passages and yet scored phenomenally in this section

cat_moused: Hi Sir, My percentiles were around 95 for the 4 Aimcats. But got only 63%-ile for the last one. Is there anything I need to seriously worry about, or does these off ones happen once in a while?
kranthi: once in a while is normal.but analyse the causes for low score and avoid the same.

shw: Sir, plz tel me which section to start first?
sai: Answered

mukul: Sir i am chosing the difficult questions in verbal area along with the easier ones . So please tell me the method of selecting the easier ones..........????????
sai: Answered

mukul: Sir i am chosing the difficult questions in verbal area along with the easier ones . So please tell me the method of selecting the easier ones..........????????
sai: There is NO sure-shot method of doing it otherwise we would have taught it to our students! It comes with practice and taking lots of AIMCATs

tuhin: i m having a problem wid da accuracy of rc .sometimes mu accuracy is 80% n sometimes 40%.wht 2 do?
sai: SLOW down a bit and your accuracy will pick up. Aim for an accuracy of around 70%

sreejith2009: Sir, My percentiles are fluctuaing in aimcats, 17,64,69,44 .Seriously, I was slowly losing my hopes, What to do? Pls answer.
sai: Sreejith, fluctuating percentiles wil happen till the end. the AICMATs are not the be all and end all of your prep. Focus on analysing every AIMCAT after the test is over and try to figure out the 'right' way of solving different types of Qs. This stratgey will help you negotiate the D-Day better

sniper: Sir, my achieving cutoffs in DI and quant sections is becoming mutually exclusive, while i am able to achieve the cutoff in Verbal every time, i am able to reach the cutoff in only 1 of DI and quant sections. The other one i am missing by a maximum of 1-2 marks. Could you suggest a remedy for this
sai: This is a classic problem of time management. Work on your discipline and stick to the 40-40-40 + 30 min buffer strategy

ron: Sir i usually give more time to one of the sections . how to reduce it ?
kranthi: set time limits and stick to them.

krish: dear kranti sir, you once told me about following yojana kurukshetra magazines for IRMA exam. if this is a monthly magazine, then how many issues should i be covering by the exam. will this also serve for the GDPI at IRMA. finally, where in hyderabad do you think i can find this magazine(koti?)?
kranthi: last 12 issues.you can find them in leading bookstores and magazine houses.places like city central library and sundarayya vigyana kendram have them u can visit these places for reference.

prasanna: how to go about reading RC passages as we will now be not able to mark anything on the paper while reading .. how to note down the impoertant points in the RC passage..
sai: answred

ron: when shuld we be attending the weaker section?
sai: The 2nd section you attempt should be your weakest section

rk: Sir, How can we practice maintaining sustained concentration across the sections through out the exam without going blank at any point?And how should we handle the switch over between the sections to our advantage.I take few minutes to start handlin calculations after attemptin verbal.
kranthi: try breathing exercises and meditation to improve concentration.

nick: wat abt RC as we cannot underline... this is making a real troble in exam.?
sai: Answered

tanvi: Good evening sir.....one of the major problems i face is dealing with the pressure that builds up if i am not able to answer any question resulting which i loose out on some very simple questions. Sir please tell me how deal with.
kranthi: there are many ways to destress try breathing exercises or meditation.

hannah: although i hve complted the SM's of di,my %ile in di is just around 78-80%ile....how do i increase it,is just doing the T.I.M.E study material sufficient
sai: Do the Online sectional tests, the TPBs and the AIMCATs as well. This should be sufficient

shw: sir, my scores are not at all consistent in any of the sections..what needs to be done?
sai: First work on the concepts and the basics and then look at employing the right strategy

priya: hi..sir in paper based exam i was able to get 92%ile but in CBT my %ile is 63 . what should i do to improve my %ile?
kranthi: do not jump to conclusions on the bases of one or two tests .wait before u draw any final conclusions.

krish: how would you rate a score of 90 in AIMCAT 1015?
sai: Very good!!

tanvi: What should be the division of time to all the sections?
sai: 40-40-40 and 30 minutes of buffer time

grb: Hi, what do you think really strikes on while answering the verbal section?
kranthi: the clock.

nick: how can we choose a set which is easy...?
sai: Answered

sunny: sir, what if I attempt only 2 sets questions of DI with high accuracy?
sai: great....you will be very close to the cut-offs!!

mukul: I am facing a very low level accuracy in the DI SECTION ... Hw to improve it ???
kranthi: do u rough work neatly. read the question carefully. crosscheck calculations.improve ur knowledge base.

nikhil: sir iam having a tuff time in cracking di sets lately.i had crossed 99 %le in in aimcat18 and aimcat 16 but since then scores have dipped.how can i improve my scores in di?
sai: The sets were actually difficult and if you havent been able to score it means that you have started to identify some weaknesses in your prep. Work out the sets and figure out the 'methodology' used to crack such Qs. This will help you in the actual CAT

sniper: With an accuracy of 70-75%, what is the recommended no.of attempts in one's weaker section
sai: Around 50-60% of the total Qs

ank: Hello Sir, I have some problem with Quant section. I think its getting tougher as AIMCATS are going on. Is it correct?
sai: Yes it is...keep working harder to clear the cutoff

ray412: Hi Sir, I have a problem with the which line best completes the paragraph type of questions. What do you think I should do. And kindly shed some light on tackling the para-jumbles as well. Thanks
kranthi: try to answer these questions without looking at answer choices while u are practicing at home.

ron: sir my percentile ranges from 75 to 90's and i do many sillly mistakes and loose many marks.atleast 15 marks in each aimcat.plz help me how to reduce my mistakes in the examination durations?
sai: Concentrate more and reduce the speed at which you attempt Qs

mukul: Hw much minimum %tile is needed for the cutoff of IRMA exam ???
sai: Depends on the Difficulty level of the paper. Cant predict

nrmstar: Sir, SOmetimes we feel the questions in notes are quite easier but the AIMCAT questions are sometimes too difficult. How to increase efficiency so that we can cope up with this problem? Also by only analysong AIMCATs will we be able to get good output in actual CAT?
sai: Analysing AIMCATs puts one in a very strong position to do well in the actual CAT. You can increase your score by understanding the logic behind each Qs in QA and DI. once this is done you will add to your conceptual strength and the scores will go up.

nikhil: sir will a start up internship have a gud value in pi round?
sai: Yes it will provided you have learnt something in the internship

mukul: Hw much minimum %tile is needed for the cutoff of IRMA exam ???
kranthi: varies from year to year.They have put up that information in great detail in their mandatory disclosures.

sniper: Sir, in a section that i am not strong in, if i spend 2-3 minutes on a question and am halfway thru it, shud i pursue it or move on
sai: Pursue it if you are sure of getting the answer...Tis call should be taken at the 1-2 minute mark

rolles: sir, i have a very common question? how to maximize our score in VA section??
kranthi: try to complete all important things related to preparation by mid october.spare 1to 2hrs every day after that.the predicament is shared by thousands of other test takers.

kk: also wat books to prep for fdpi
sai: TIME SMs and the Trishna book for GDPI

mukul: Hw much minimum %tile is needed for the cutoff of IRMA exam ???
sai: Check the analysis of IRMA on www.time4education.com for the complete story on IRMA exam

mukul: Hw much minimum %tile is needed for the cutoff of IRMA exam ???
sai: Answered. Check transcript

preeti: my quant is vey weak n even i didnt find my time notes sufficient because they miss many steps n even basic is not given wel
kranthi: prepare well before u attend any class,.use school books for reference.once u have doubts meet the faculty and discuss.

cattie: sir i have an accuracy of only 66.66%,whether i attempt very few questions or a lot many .This has almost been jinxed to remain there .has not changed since my iitzee prep . now with cat also , same thing is happening. it only worsens with too many attempts(goes to 60%).i still manage a % of 97+ in aimcats.sir plz help me increase my accuray..........
kranthi: crosscheck ur answers randomly when u mark.do a post mortem and analyse the reasons for mistakes and rectfy them,.

rolles: sir, i am able to clear Quant and DI cutoff easily but i failed to do the same in VA.. what should i do?
sai: answred

laxmi: Sir, Is there any way to predict actual CAT performance based on the AIMCAT performances.
kranthi: in general actual cat scores tend to be higher than aimcat scores.

arun_bits: sir, i have been getting 97-98 %ile in last few aimcats. But everytime i miss the di cutoff.plz advise.(I have been been at 99+ %ile in VA ).
kranthi: spend 10 minutes more on DI than other sections.improve ur knowledge base by practicing on the same.

kk: can i subscribe for magazines alone
sai: Yes you can

mukul: Is this rural management is different from other management courses ?? Wat's the scope of rural management as compared to other management courses ???
sai: Rural Mgmt is a very good course. career prospects are very good indeed

chikky: how many questions should i attemp in lr/di section of cat and with how much accuracy to clear the cut offs
kranthi: depends on the difficulty level of the paper.

nick: i m unable to clear cutoff even after practising a lot ... wt shuld i do???
kranthi: persistence pays.

wall: is any one answering
sai: Yes we are....whats your Qs?

cattie: sir i am a last year engg student.i get 97+ in aimcats.we have our seventh sem exams in november. how should i manage my cat prep along with my engg?
sai: Make a timetable and stick to it

mukul: SIR in one day please tell me how much time should i devote to each section for prep in a very comfortable manner ???
sai: around 5-6 hrs starting today

laxmi: What is the ideal attempt percentage and accuracy percentage for getting calls from IIM?
sai: Depends on the Difficulty level of the paper. generally attempts in the range of 50-60% with around 80% accuracy should fetch you atleast one call

mukul: SIR in one day please tell me how much time should i devote to each section for prep in a very comfortable manner ???
kranthi: 2hours for each section.

chikky: r u expecting this years cat to be of the same level as previous one
sai: Could be far more difficult as the competition is getting intense by the year

wall: wat is the minimum percentiles requird to make it to top 20 collgs as per time ratings
kranthi: 93 percentile if ur are loking at cat related colleges.

cat_moused: Sai Sir, You said "40-40-40 and 30 minutes of buffer time" is the best strategy. So what should we use this 30 mins buffer for? For our strongest section or the weakest?
sai: There are two scenarios: 1. if you have NOT done well in lets say two sections 9one more so than the other) then allocate 20 min to one section to clear cutoffs and 10 min to the other 2. if you are confident of clearing all cutoffs in the 40-40-40 scenario then devote the 30 minutes to a section or sections where you have the best chance of maximising your score

sniper: Sir, since we are to expect a different set of qstn's for each slot for the actual CAT, will the no.of qstns be high (100+) or low (75-90)
sai: Anything is possible...dont speculate...anyways the notification will hopefully clear the air

sai: font of the RCs have effect on my reading speed, will iims tell the font in which they are going to give the paper?
sai: The IIMs will give a font that is comfortable to all. Dont worry about this

chikky: sir pls tell me that what can be the cut off of di section in a moderate paper level
sai: Around 35-40% of the total marks for the DI section

yash: sir, my acuuracy in verbal section is getting worse by the day..particularly in RC (for ex. in AIMCAT 15, I attempted 18Qs, but got only 6 right)...how should I attempt the verbal section so that I clear the cutoff
sai: Start working on your vocab, grammar and reading habit and the score will improve correspondingly

arrpita: woujd the online cat be a trouble to all,what effect can it have on percentiles?
sai: No effect on percentiles but could result in lower scores for the unprepared and thus lower percentiles...

nids: i m in 4th year btech.my final results will be declared in aug 2010.in that case can i apply for irma
sai: Check the notification...I think you can apply

preeti: my di is weak suggest me how 2 practice
sai: Work on the DI SM booklets, The Online Sectional tests, TPBs and the AIMCATs and you will be fine in DI and clear the cutoff. Hard work is the key

nick: according to u how much %ile i shuld score in this aimcat to get into top b-school??
sai: Around 90+

mukul: wat was the cutoffs of last 2 year IRMA EXAM ?????
kranthi: visit the irma site read their mandatory disclosure .all ur questions are answered in great detail.

preeti: sir plz reply me
sai: Replied

kk: i finished grad dis year don have job......will it affect my prospects pl reply..or shud i search for ajob i want to conc fully on cat dis year
sai: It will not affect your chances as long as you get a 98+ percentile

laxmi: Sir, I have a abt 9.5 yrs of experience. Will that be a negative pt. What should be the percentile I should be expecting to get a call.
sai: Not a negative at all. you should score atleast 99+ to be even considered for a call. Work-Ex doesnt give any exemption to your CAT %ile requirements

arun_bits: sir, is TIME providing any workshops specifically for FMS/IIFT entrance ??
sai: CAT course almost everything thats asked in these exams. The topics not covered will be covered in some additional classes in Nov and December. Please check with your centre for the schedule of the classes at the end of october

cat_moused: Kranthi Sir,I am taking a lot of time to analyse AIMCATs. Around 8 hrs(ie around 2 days as I give 4hrs each day). Is this ok? What is the prescribed time duration for analysing an AIMCAT?
kranthi: o.k.

mukul: please suggest me a gud magazine for the prep ????............
kranthi: try our monthly magazine.

desperate: sir,ist it better to do less questions on very high acuracy or more attempts and less accuracy??
sai: Focus on accuracy

mukul: please suggest me a gud magazine for the prep ????............
sai: MBA Education and Careers

anji: is anyone their when i get my reply
sai: I dont know...Look around

kk: PL TELL AGOOD BOOK FOR DI PL TELL AGOOD BOOK FOR DI
sai: TIME study Material..AIMCATs...TIME study Material..AIMCATs...TIME study Material..AIMCATs

tanvi: how do i increase my reading speed when reading on a computer screen?
sai: Practice from the Online sectional tests...concepts like Eye span; no vocalizing etc are all valid even in an CBT AIMCAT

cattie: sir i have an accuracy of only 66.66%,whether i attempt very few questions or a lot many .This has almost been jinxed to remain there .has not changed since my iitzee prep . now with cat also , same thing is happening. it only worsens with too many attempts(goes to 60%).i still manage a % of 97+ in aimcats.sir plz help me increase my accuray..........
sai: Cattie slow down a little and the accuracy will improve. many a time in your haste to do a Qs you are probably committing some very silly errors.

chikky: sir u said that 50-60% attemps r good but does this remains same even in paper patter of 90 or more ques.
sai: Yes it does

sniper: Sir, i have 4 years of experience as an IT programmer. How much will the quality of my IT experience weigh in for an SP Jain call. I am getting around 96-97% in AIMCATs on an average.
sai: Sniper, you are already on course for some IIM calls. your profile will be great at SPJain

mukul: If the cat %tile is around 85-90 then wat sort of package we can expect from a decent B-School ????
sai: Depends on the placement scenario and your performance in the B-School....both of which cannot be predicted right now

nitin: sir i hav scored 55 marks in online aimcat 1015 what shud b my strtegy now .........
sai: Analyse the AIMCAT...Work on topics not done so far

cattie: sir why does time not mail us analysis of aimcat 1015 individually once our scores are declared?scores without analysis is useless. atleast cutoff could have been secretly mailed to us.
sai: Nobody keeps a secret. as soon as somebody gets a mail the analysis will be talktime and online forums like PG!!

hannah: sir,how many sectional and full length tests shuld we take in a week to get into the iim's...?
sai: Around 3-4 sectional tests and 1 full length test with comprehensive analysis

xaeroooo: sir, i have this problem of not clearing the section that i attempt first how much ever confident I am in that particular area.. i clear the other two sections quite comfortably.. any suggestions regarding this peculiar problem??
kranthi: the problem itself may be just a random occurence do a few more aim cats before u generalize.

nrmstar: Sir, Im unable to clear cutt offs. SOmetimes we feel the questions in notes are quite easier but the AIMCAT questions are sometimes too difficult. How to increase efficiency so that we can cope up with this problem? Also by only analysong AIMCATs will we be able to get good output in actual CAT?
sai: Answered

nikhil: sir pls answer my questions..
sai: Answered

nick: when i use to read on paper my speed is good but when it comes to computer its very weak.suggest something abt this how to increase it...????
sai: Practice the Online sectional tests and read RCs online on www.time4education.com

sayan39: sir i have been scoring around 99 pc in the mocks..i peaked with 99.83 pc in 1018 ..my di and maths is fine..how much should be a safe score in english(as a percentage of that section)..that i should try to get in the mocks??
sai: A safe score should be around 40-45% of the total marks in the Verbal section

sai: this yr's cat has 30 Q pprs, so will iims be giving %iles?? or marks as BITSAT gives???
sai: Wait for the notification to come

prash: sir good evening.regarding the IIFT application form.it is given that we hav to send "two self addressed adhesive labels".what is meant by adhesive labels.thanks
sai: They are available in all stationery stores. Ask for a self adhesive label and the storekeeper will give it to you on payment

sniper: Sir, in a section that i am not strong in, if i spend 2-3 minutes on a question and am halfway thru it, shud i pursue it or move on
sai: Answered

xatan: sir does irma hav general placements??
sai: Majority of the Graduates are placed in the Rural sector and agri based industries

mukul: S A I Sir i have no work ex, as i am a fresher. So pl let me know that is work ex will hv a hinderence on my way of MBA. EVEN SCORING a decent %tile in cat and other mba exams ???????????
sai: Lack of Work Ex is NOT a hindrance at all as long as you get a balanced score in all sections and clear the overall cutoff

mukul: Sir i have no work ex, as i am a fresher. So pl let me know that is work ex will hv a hinderence on my way of MBA. EVEN SCORING a decent %tile in cat and other mba exams ???????????
sai: Mukul most of your Qs have been answered. PLEASE DONT SPAM by posting multiple Qs