cat10: Sir what's the right strategy for the allocation of 2hrs and 15 min ???
kranthi: 40 40 40 and 15 min buffer or 35 35 35 and 30 min buffer.

nasir: Sir, The main problem with me is that i am not performing well in AIMCATS. I fail to solve problems in the test but when i sit down and solve them at home i am able to crack them particularly DI & LR. Some uknown urgency and worry makes me go wrong and i tend to look at the clock more often, in essence, i am not at my best in the AIMCATs and i feel i am a lot better when i o them solve them at home quite easily . Please help ......................
sunil: dear nasir, your problem could possibly be over anxiety due to the high stakes that you put on your performance. you need to relax and realise that an MBA from the IIMS or a top B school is not the end of the world.

vijay: Hi.Can we go thro the 15 mins of instructions in CAT quickly so that we can use the rest for the exam alone?
kranthi: no.u can take the test only for 2 hr 15 min.

sanju: sir,with the no of questions reducing to 60-70...should we focus more on accuracy now rather than speed?
kranthi: a blend of both if u want to end at the top.

becks: Sir, in AIMCATs I am just able to clear the cutoffs in 2 sections. In the other section, somehow I am able to get only in early 70s. This brings down my overall score. COuld you please advice me on what to do to clear the cutoffs in all the 3 section's and overall cutoff as well.
kk: Once the results of an AIM CAT is out, look at the cut offs for the problem section and then go through the paper to seee whether you can identify questions in the section which you could have attempted/done correctly to clear the cut offs. If yes, then the problem is not preparation but the strategy you adopt for the section. Starting from whether you are allocation decent quantum of time for the section, are you attempting too much time for the section and so on.

mihir: hello sirs.i had actually missed the previous discussions as i had a mock on that day.so could please tell me where i should apply ?my 10th score is 82.2%,12th is 81% ,engineering aggregate is 61.4% and my aimcat average is 85%ile.
kk: Why the hurry. You have time to apply to institutes under CAT. Apply to IRMA by 30th Sept, if you are keen on the institute

becks: Sir my strongest section is LRDI and weakest is quants. Could you please tell me in which order I should proceed and also the time allocation strategy as well.
kranthi: lr di quant and va in that order.keep 15 or 30 min buffer time after equal allocation.

catnap: Sir would it be better to keep the verbal in between two calculative sessions , coz continuously doing calculations may not be right?
kranthi: do whatever works best for u .there is no sacred rule.

becks: Sir, I am higly inconsistent in verbal. I have got as high as 98 percentile and also as low as 55 percentile. Also my accuracy is also around 50 percent only. Could you please let me know how to improve all these.
kk: One issue could be that the paper where you got 98 percentile might have contained lot more questions from your favourite areas (and the reverse for the paper with 55). If u got 98, it means that you have the potentail to do well.

hims: Hi, all people say that we have to analyse the test after aimcat....what do you mean by analyze?
sunil: first try to answer all the questiosn that you havent done in the exam, if possible take them also as a test. Then, look up the solutions for all the question that you went wrong in and learn where you made mistakes. Then staudy all questions that you answered correctly to compare your approach with that given in the solutions. Finally check out those questions that you could not attempt. Ideally you should be spend on analysis 2 to 2.5 times the time you spent on taking the test.

becks: Sir, I am somewhat inconsistent in AIMCATs. In one AIMCAT I get overall around 90 percentile. Then immediatly I fall to overall 70 percentile, with all the sectional scores touching 70s. Could you please let me know what I should do to be consistent.
kk: Hv answered similar qn

becks: Sir, could you please tell me how to move on from just clearing the cutoffs to getting above 90 percentiles in each section.
kranthi: analyse the reasons for ur mistakes and work towards minimising them.identify the areas were knowledge base needs improvement and work on it.

mihir: sir.my problem is that i generally mess up my di or quant if start with them.i clear them otherwise and if i begin with verbal,i cant clear either of them.what strategy should i use??
kranthi: the question needs rephrasing before i can answer.

catnap: I cant see any of the answers posted? Why is this
kranthi: did u take a catnap during the chat

anand_omar: Hello Sir, I am a student of advance corruspondant course of TIME. How can I be able to give more mock then package ????
kk: You can upgrade and take more mocks. Contact yr local centre for details

tanatan: is any body there
kk: Very much....

sandeep: SIR, I HAV 1YR GAP. WILL IT BE GOOD TO DO 1YR PREPARATION FOR MBA.OR 2 DO MBA in avg. colege. sir i dont want2 loose 1 yr more. give some tips
kk: Do a 2 year program from a good institute. The returns will easily cover what you think have lost due to the gap

manish88: how to improve the speed n avoid any haziness in aimcats.?
sunil: speed and accuracy are two opposing aspects in any test. Speed can improve through practice and increasing your skills/knowledge. Accuracy is developed through a cool yet careful approach. There should be no haziness at all during an exam and the mind should be clear and focussed on the task at hand.

pooja: sir, i am very weak in qa and di ...will i be able to clear cut offs in qa and di in cat 2009 bcoz just 2.5 months are left?
kranthi: work diligently towards doing well and u can do much better than than what u are doing now.

vijay: Given that there is going to be only 60 to 70 questions,do u think there will be less easy and medium questions?
kranthi: prepare for all possibilities we will help u do that by providing sufficient variety in aim cats.

uni: sir, in VA section my accuracy is very low...i mostly attempt the RCs...what kind of practice should i do to improve on accuracy.....
kk: You need to work on the different types of VA qns. Analyse thoroughly why your accuracy level is low. Attend special sessions at T.I.M.E which focuses on the VA types where you have problems

catnap: Sir, I am a 7th sem student . I have an arrear in the sixth sem which i will be reappearing for only the next semester. So while giving my graduation percentage, should I include that paper or not? I mean while filling the CAT form and applications for colleges
kk: Yes, you should inlcude the marks of that paper. Divide the total marks of all the papers you have taken so far by the total of the maximum marks for those papers

cat10: Sir , first i do DI section , then verbal and then quant . But sir in this approach my more time is consumed by verbal section . I tried different approaches also but best suits the above approach. Sir please tell me what to do ????
kk: Try new approaches in the MCs and CRTs rather than in the AIM CATs. Once you feel that the new startegies are working, try them in an AIM CAT

bipin: In the buffer time, shud v concentrate on our strong or weak sections?
kranthi: if u are doubtful of clearing cutoff in any section allocate buffer time for it.else use it to answer questions which u can solve but left them on account of expiry of self imposed time limit.

nrmstar: Sir, I have tried starting with Quant or DI 1st Still my score is not increasing above 40-50%ile.. I have done all basics once started with TPBs and MCs and CRTs as suggested by TIME experts Still having issues in AIMCATs. AIMCAT answers seem to be simple after test at home WHat to do?
kk: If AIM CATs are doable at home, then the issue is more to do with what you do during the 2 hrs 15 mts than with your prep. Unless you sort that out, things may not improve drastically. Try to take the exam with an open mind (I know it is easier said that done..)

keerthi: Sir.which section should i answer first.I am very weak in DI.and after becoming computer based it has become my weakest section..how should i improve?
sunil: hope u r working out the daily tests on the "test a day" series on t4e. You need to develop practice for the online format. You could start with your best section, but then you should be very strict about your sectional time split up, i.e., you should not overshoot and end up with less time for your weaker section/s

abhishek: sometimes AIMCATs make us feel,can we really crack the cat?
kk: Good !

gaurav: sir i have a problem in reading comprehension questions and di questions while taking CBT TEST .what should ido and what should be my strategy.
kk: Read passages online, daily. use the link on yr student page "Links to RC Passages". After 30 days of daily reading and summarising, you will find a quantum jump in yr performance. Do a lot of practice with online DI daily tests on yr student page

anand_omar: I am week in VA & DI and quit good in QUANT. what will be best for me the sequense to sole Mock - VA or DI 1st or Quant 1st ????
kk: Whichever section gives you confidence and a good feel

salomy: hi sir,life is tough..unable to concentrate..what to do?
kranthi: there are many ways to shed negativity and get on with life.be solution centric answers will reveal themselves.

neha: Sir can we get the AIMCAT papers for 2008 from the time centre as I want to cover them too for my preparation?
sunil: dear neha, the material and the AIMCATs that you get as a part of your course is more than adequate for you to improve yourself. Spend more quality time on your preparation, which should involve more of analysis. Focus less on the quantity of prep material and number of tests you take.

anand_omar: How can we judge which question to solve & which to leave
kranthi: if u cannot make head or tail of the question in 2 readings mark it for review and move on.

sadist: sir how bad is a score of 60(va-38,di=11,qa=11)in aimcat 1009?
sunil: you need to improve considerably in your QA and DI

aba: what is the procedure to incrase the number in VA
kk: Remember that in CAT 2008, 38 marks (in a paper with 40 VA qns ie 160 marks) was 89.9 percentile. So, you don't have to attempt a whole lot of qns. Obviously preparation across various types of qns backed by around 70% accuracy in CAT will help

tamo: Sir, is it a good strategy..if ur DI is not gng well...and VA and Quant r on smlr grnds in case of prfrmnc.. to go for VA frst in paper so that thr is Not much pressure to strt off the paper and u get accustomed to paper environment as thr is alwys more pressure to strt off well...and it sounds good bcz u dnt fall into much pressure if u r not able to attmpt mr qstns in qunt and di(provided u strtd wd qunt or di)
sunil: definitely!

shitiz: sir i have been using a particular strategy in the last 8 aimcats and i have been scoring 80-90 percentile. should i change the strategy now since very less time is left for cat
kk: Why not try changes in the MCs and CRTs rather than in the AIM CATs. You can also try the changes on the old CAT papers on your student page or by taking some of the AIM CAT papers of 2008. Once you feel that the new startegies are working, try them in an AIM CAT

neha: Can I get the AIMCAT 2008 papers from TIME centre as I need them for my preparation?
kk: They will be available in the library

sun: Sir... it is now less than 3 months remaining for CAT Exam... i have just completed doing basic quant material... is the remaining time sufficent to complete other sections material and crack cat... sir even my aimcat percentile is on average 50 only... if i complete the material... is it possible for me to reach 90 percentile within 2 months... please help me with ur suggestions?
kk: Yes, there is ample time. I have seen it happen with so many students in the past. Apart from prep, you need to take a close look at the way you approach the test

shalini: sir,is there any domicile problem in MHCET?
kranthi: 15 percent of seats for non maharashtrians.

anand_omar: Which time is batter for mock... Early Morning .. Mid Day .. or Late night ??
sunil: Different people have different biological clocks! In other words, you need to examine your schedule to check out which time of the day are you the most alert. i general, avoid heavy food/meals at least two/three hours before the test begins and have adequate sleep. Mornigs are generally preferred.

hims: I always face difficulty in attemting last section in aimcat...whatever it may be....how to get the best out of them?
kranthi: first of all ensure that u are not under allocating time.secondly keep a buffer.

123: sir what shd be t ideal gap btw 2 mock tests
kranthi: one week. at the most 2 mocks per week.

nasir: Sir pls anwer my question. Sir, The main problem with me is that i am not performing well in AIMCATS. I fail to solve problems in the test but when i sit down and solve them at home i am able to crack them particularly DI & LR. Some uknown urgency and worry makes me go wrong and i tend to look at the clock more often, in essence, i am not at my best in the AIMCATs and i feel i am a lot better when i o them solve them at home quite easily . Please help ......................
kk: You have answered your question. (this is an issue which a lot of students have). The only way is to get out of the bad habit. Try to reax and take things more cool.

hims: Hi, all people say that we have to analyse the test after aimcat....what do you mean by analyze?
kk: Pls check out the link "How to get best out of AIMCATs" on yr student page

sonam: sir, pratiyogita darpan+GAT papers+omet enough for GK preparation?
kranthi: regular reading of newspapers must be added .

jassi: sir, approx how many mock papers should be practised before the CAT?
sunil: it is not abt the number, but anything close to 12 to 15 AIMCATs and around 10 practice tests/mock cats etc should be adequate. emphasise on analysing each paper that you attempt.

sunny: sir, I m an ayurvedic graduate.I have taken 3 exams 1st year, 2nd year, final year. In filling CAT form should I give only final year % or the commulative of 1st, 2nd & final?
kranthi: what ever is the convention followed in ur university.read instructions carefully.it is pretty explicit.

123: what marks in aimcat can be considered closer to the cut off s for iim s sir?
kranthi: if u are averaging 90 and above in aim cats ur chances are good.

bharath: I M EMPLOYED IN TCS . WILL THAT COUNT AS AN WORK EX AFTER TWO YEARS. JUS JOINED AS A FRESHER. PLEASE REPLY.
kranthi: a minimum of 6 months is when experience counts.

rohit: Sir, I have seen that i cannot maximize my score when there is 3-5 min remaining..perhaps the pressure gets on to me..and i get concerned about the ticking time rather than attempting the question..How to overcome this? Also DI is taking a lot of time while solving online and I unable to maximize my attempts in DI?(it has become my bete noire..) Kindly help me in this regard. Is it advisable to change the strategy if I find that the section I am attempting first is very difficult?
kk: DI/LA scores will tend to drop in an online exam as compared to a paper and pencil test. You need to calm down over the last 5 minutes of the exam. Any way, the current method during the last lap is not bringing you results.

anuj : I HAVE WRITTEN MY NAME ANUJ GUPTA IN CAT FORM,BUT MY CORRECT NAME IS ANUJ KUMAR GUPTA.WILL IT CREAT ANY TROUBLE IN EXAM DAY.
kranthi: write to prometric about the same and act as per their advice.

ss: sir,m loosing momentum,getting unnerved about my past profile ,i m getting constantly around 93.-95 percentile
kranthi: u can get into an iim if u can come up with spirited performance in the written and gd pi.ur aimcat performance is not discouraging.just get on with life do not hang onto the past.

vibhav: till now my best overall percentile has been just 76 ... can i get through?
kk: Yes, provided you focus on prep and test taking strategy over the nexy 2 months

amit: sir i my aimcat score dropped from 99 perc to 93...i m worried ...kindly suggest smthing.........
kk: Scores of other students are fluctuating. So, even if you are steady, you will find your percentiles swinging. Check out if more qns in the 93wala mock were from areas you are not comfortable with

gs: how many tests in 'test a day' series can the aimcat basic series students avail?
kk: This is open only to the enhanced package students

amit: sir, my problem is : i miss the cutoff of the section which i attempt at last. i tried all sequences in different aim cats and every time i miss the cutoff of the section i attempt last, though i allocate equal time to each section. i am not able to figure out which of my section is strong and which is weak. my over all percentiles are always ok ( more than 95). but what strategy should i adopt to enhance my performance in each section.
kk: You should have an answer to what is happening with you in the last 30-40 mts of the exam. Do you tend to make more mistakes, does your level of concentration drop? Were there more qns in the paper which you could have done so that you clear the cut off?

sadist: sir how can we increase our concentration amidst noise in the background?i am serious.
kranthi: try yoga.

cat10: Sir what's the right time to do the online mock's and CRT's ??? What should we do in the month of november acc to u ????
kranthi: do it in the slot timings u have booked for cat.do not attempt a aimcat or crt on the day of cat.

ss: sirs do u no any one of general catagory with a gap of 3 ears making into top 15 b school
kranthi: do u mean a work ex of 3 years.

deepak: is it advantageous to make a guess when u r sure 3 out of 5 choices are incorrect?
kranthi: intelligent guesses are fine.

rgk: sir.is it more effective if i concentrate more on AIMCAT analysis than the books that TIME hav provided? lot of books..nt sure whether i will be able to complete all of them
sunil: given that ther is more than two months time, you should work out yout basic study material/tests also, while speding equal amonut of time on aimcats and analysing them

aj: If i think i have cleared cutoffs in all.. i should use the buffer time for the easiest section to maximize score. But does IIM's look for just cutoffs and then the highest O.A score? Or they require you to get around 98% in all sections? Can u pls reply (atleast based on 2008 iim rules?)
kranthi: first priority cut off in individual sections.second priority maximise the score.

dlc9xz26: At what percentiles or performance in the AIMCAT can I consider myself to be good enough to get a call from the IIM's.
kk: Being part of the toppers club at least once

simmy: Is there any advantage of purchasing B School forms before taking CAT exam? Or can I purchase them after taking CAT on Dec 2nd?
kk: Most B schools have their application deadline after CAT (some notable exceptions are MDI and FORE). So, no need to rush

rohit: Sir, I already have done M.C.A and now have a job offer in hand.. I want to do MBA to seek management skills which would complement my technical ability..Whether I should join a job and gain technical competency and try for IIM's after 2 years..or go all out now itself..as in does IIM's prefer postgraduates in tech field without experience? Kindly reply.
kk: Most important criteria is your CAT score. IIM C did not consider accads last year. IIM A did not consider marks in graduation. If you have the time to prepare, take CAT 2009

lalli01488: sir how to attempt verbal questions, and reading cmprehension.. 1st or last. i am weak in that section
kk: Will not recommend attempting RC during the last 1 hr

becks: To get calls from all 6 IIMs, what percentile should I get in AIMCATs (both sectional n overall).
kk: You should get 99.5 + in CAT

cat 2010: SIR I DON'T WANT TO READ THE NOVELS ............BUT SUGGEST ME SOME FINE BOOKS THAT I SHOULD READ THAT WILL GIVE SOME SORT OF HELP IN cat 2010............if u suggest novels then no problem....
kk: Those are not the kind of reading matter you get in CAT. Read online editions of newspapers for a start

lalli01488: sir how much score is good enough to crack cat, by an obc candidate
kk: Last year, IIM C had sectional cut offs of 85 and overall of 94.5 percentile

cat10: Sir is there any other decent B-School in which v can apply ( which accepts the cat score ) after the results of cat i.e after 22nd jan ??? If it is , Please let me know !!!!!!!!
kk: Oh yes. Lots!... check out the link 'notifcations of B schools" on your student page

anti: sir please tell me that IN CAT form which marks or percentage i have to fill or i have to enter aggregate marks of my previous third sem.????
kk: aggregate percentage till now

utkarsh deepak: hello
kk: Hello..

sadist: sir i am getting 94-98 % in aimcts.how much approximately can i get in actual cat?plz gimme an estimation.which b schools should i apply to?
kk: 98+. Top 10 and AAA with some AA institutes as back up

becks: Sir, I asked what percentile we should get consistently in AIMCATs (both sectional n overall please) which will put us on track for calls from all the 6 IIMs.
kk: Top bracket of the toppers club consistently

bharath: I M EMPLOYED IN TCS . WILL THAT COUNT AS AN WORK EX AFTER TWO YEARS. JUS JOINED AS A FRESHER. PLEASE REPLY.
kk: It will count. But what will count much much more is yr CAT score

aj: For VERBAL.... is Reading voraciously alone sufficient for improvement? or should we do excercises also? which should be given priority? (Reading or doing excercises?)? pls reply sir..
kk: Work on comprehension levels by reading a variety of topics; preferably online. After reading a passage, try and summarise what the passage was alll about (say that to yourselves/to a friend/note down major points)

murthy: sir,what minimum percentage of marks should i get in cat sectional wise for the selection, not in terms of percentile
kk: Will depend on the level of difficulty of the paper. If you check out AIM CAT results, are the cut offs of all the papers the same (even if the papers had the same number of qns)?

cat 2010: ur saying of "top brackets of the toppers club"............how much percentile u consider in it ................sir plz reply
kk: You would have seen the list of toppers (people who have cleared the cut offs) in each AIm CAT. The higher you are in the list, consistently, the better are your chances

simmy: I worked in a BPO for 6 months and am currently working in software cmpny for 1 month.Does BPO experience count?
kk: Yes

harika: i have just passed out and do not have any work experience as of now...have an offer in my hand but waiting for call...Does IIMs consider work exp as criteria..wat are my chances if i qualify in exam?
kk: Chances are very high if you do well in CAT. As I hv mentioned in this forum, IIM A and C did not consider work exp for interview calls, under CAT 2008

manoj: how many hours a person should study from now onwards.
kk: Quality and not quantity is important. Don't follow the 'work expands to fill the time' rule. All depends on whether you know whay you are studying whay you are studying

kris: I have 3.5 years work experience now, though my aim is get admissions in IIM's...shall I consider other top Institutes which are having 2-year course, basically the question is shall I invest 2 yrs in MBA in colleges other than IIM's..if I can..what level of colleges should I keep in mind
kk: Look at non CAT exams also. Lot of good institutes like XLRI, FMS, MDI, SP Jain, IIFT..

amit: My Score in AIMCATS varies from a 20%le to 95%le.Cant understand whats wrong .Please guide for a consistent performance
kk: Pl fix up an appointment with the key faculty at yr local T.I.M.E centre and meet him with tr scores.

shanu: sir i m in final yr of BE nd i have an aggregate of 67.6 wud this have an effect on my gd pi of iims
kranthi: not a cause of major concern.

simmy: Will solving RCs given in TIME material help...now that CAT has gone online?Or should I read more of online material?
kk: Hv answered similar qn

saurabh: i am pursuing BBA in marketing So is there any scope OF doing MBA in marketing from XLRI
kk: Yes. provided you do weell in XAT

saurabh: i am pursuing BBA in marketing So is there any scope OF doing MBA in marketing from XLRI
kranthi: yes lots of it.

manoj: by what date of the month the person basics should be covered. i have just completed by va part but i m still practicing di and quant from time books am i too late
kk: 15th Oct. Try to complete one QA chapter every 3 days along with yr prep on other areas

saurabh: i am pursuing BBA in marketing So is there any scope OF doing MBA in marketing from XLRI
kk: Saurabh, you win the prize for the most number of repeat posts on this forum ! I have lost count.

ytbh: sir to improvise my score should i practice more of full length tests or should i re-revise my basics altogether? I hover around 90 %tile in Aimcats.
kk: Complete your prep by end Oct so that you get a months time to do a number of full length tests and analyse them

pinak gupta: sir i am pursuing btech and trying to get full out of aimcat but my avg percentile is only 70... wat type of bscool i may get
kk: Pl see post on accads

vj: hi am having queries regarding quant that whenever i take aimcat my score in quant use to be very poor.but if i take same test at home without time restriction will be good so what shud i do pls help me
kk: Means that more than prep the problem relates to what you do with the QA section during the exam. Do you get to see all the qns? Are you comforable dropping qns and moving on or do you tend to cling on to qns?...