Chat Transcript

Preparation tips for QA and DI!
(Chat Transcript)

sam : Hello Sir, I have completed first quant book but whenever I have to give aimcat or any other test , How should I Revise all chapters in this book. Should I again solve exercise or examples?
asim : In addition to the basic study material, you need to work with the online sectional tests also.That is a very good way to keep revising your concepts. If needed you may also revise the concepts from the study material.

yahudi : hi AMOL sir i am from TIME MUMBAI I AM TAKING cat 2013 i.e. next year can u please guide me as to how to start my QUANT/Di PREPARATION
krishnakumar : Trust you have received the basic set of materials for CAT 2013. Take each chapter, start with the concept review questions and then the exercises A & B. Once you are comfortable with that, take the online foundation test. Repeat this for the other chapters

aguero : Good evening sir , Please rate MDI , IMT , S P jain and iift
asim : We grade MDI among the TOP 10, SPJAIN and IIFT-New Delhi among the AAA grade and IMT-G among the AA grade B-Schools

dheeraz : respected sir or madam,i am a time classroom student and i have completed the studymaterials given by you in the topics logicalreasoning and reading comprehension,my quant levels are ok but my datainterpretation is horrible,sometimes its taking morethan 3mins to answer a question,and iam preparing for cat-2012,so please advice me on datainterpretation,thanking you in advance
vjs : Recognize the areas in which you are taking more time i.e understanding / calculations? Understanding: visualize the theme given. calculations: Revise speed maths cocepts and regular practice will help.

yahudi : if one completes quant from the BSM and directly starts taking aimcats would he b able to clear cutoffs in aimcats and actual CAT
rajeshsaraf : Suggest that don't focus too much on "cutoff". try to internalize the concepts. Use AIMCATs so that you can assess your overall strengths and weaknesses.

yahudi : is the quant section of aimcats a notch higher than the actual CAT quant section
vjs : in AIMCATS the questions are composed in such a way that all types are covered and nothing like bit higher / simpler.

rohit : Hi sir, Plz suggest one among the two Oxford advanced learner dictionary or Oxford learner’s thesaurus.. I know this que is out of context(thats why asking in starting) for this chat but plz if u can help I need it…
asim : Both are pretty good sources of learning.

yahudi : does the online quant cat section have sitters or these r all tough questions
asim : All kind of questions can be expected, you need to practice all of them so that you are not stumped on the "D" day. Yes, few of them may be sitters, but it wont be easy to identify them unless you have done enough practice

ayush : Hi sir may i know how can we improve our thinking process or approach to a particular question in Quant.??And how to learn the shortcuts??
rajeshsaraf : Solve as many models of Qs as possible. For e.g, if you take a topic say Numbers, try to solve various models of questions like LCM (all the models ), HCF (all the models ) etc...

suhail : Hi Sir, I have solved ch. Number system from book(all excercises), sectional tests but still I am unable to solve que in tests. Can you suggest me any other reference where I can enhance my knowledge in this chapter
rajeshsaraf : T.I.M.E BSM is more than adequate. Try to identify the nature of Qs which you have doubts in. Quite unlikely that if you have understood the concepts thoroughly, then you cannot solve at least 70% qs in any chapter

yahudi : NUMBERS,GEOMETRY and FUNCTIONS r these the 3 most imp topics and then comes the rest of quant
asim : All the chapters are imp, you cannot afford to ignore any areas

yahudi : in how many days one should finish the quant BSM
vjs : Not the days. update yourself with class room teaching( With topics covered in class in all areas)

sahil : Hello, As I hav done first book of quant thoroughly Which are the most important 3-4 chapters of quant in which I can try advance level. i know i need to prepare in all but selective 3-4 which i can master
vjs : Answer is there in your question itself. Do all the material given, perfectly. We can't take a chance to ignore any of the topics.

manali : how can i study quant i am nt able to score in quant im loosing out in quant
krishnakumar : Take each chapter, start with the concept review questions and then the exercises A & B. Once you are comfortable with that, take the online foundation test. Repeat this for the other chapters

ayush : Hey sir, I want to enroll for the aimcat 2012...is it too late ??
krishnakumar : No, we have just started the test series

kvn : hello sir
asim : Hi KVN, what is your question?

deepak : My question is regarding DI. i find myself rather slow in calculations. how to improve the speed? i am doing tables/reciprocals/square/cubes etc. but i still find some of the questions in aimcat way beyond time requirements.
krishnakumar : Work on speed maths for about 10 minutes every day. Identify problem areas in such calculations and focus on them after identifying these areas from AIMCATs

sarang : Hello sir/mam,I scored 43 marks in the Ist section of aimcat:1319. How do u rate this score?How much do I need to improve this score in contention with CAT?Also give some tips for the same...
amol : Not very great! But a good start, A lot scope for improvement. Also rather than your score focus on percentile score as marks will go up and down as par difficulty level. Work hard

dion : Gud Eve to all faculties!Sir, I have not yet prepared well for DI and I am not able to solve DI questions.I want to know how much time it will take to prepare for DI(I am prepared with quant).And assuming the trend to be same for the cat, minimum how many question in DI out of 10 should I get to score a decent in QADI section?
rajeshsaraf : Go through all the basic models in DI, with different presentation types like Tables, Pie charts, Bar Graphs, Three dim graphs etc. Go through the chapters in BSM, read the theory portion, then go through the solved examples and then attempt the exercise problems...Don't fix any time limit. Start slow but do it daily

ram : HI SIR, is it enough if we practice the online sectional tests and do the quant books of time for quant section
krishnakumar : Also, analyse the QA questions in all the mocks (20 per AIMCAT ie 400 qns) and go through CAT papers of the previous years (we will provide them online)

siddharth : Sir,how to prepare next for Quant & DI as I have finished my fundamental books and need to sharpen my skills further.
krishnakumar : Trust you have done the foundation level tests in QA and DI. Move on the intermediate level tests. Collect the Lot 2 set of materials from your centre

yahudi : r the quant handouts given to correspondence students
asim : Please send your query to postal@time4education.com

manali : suggest some techniques which i could use for quant i am not able to solve any quwstion
krishnakumar : That is a very general question, which is difficult to answer in a chat. You need to fix up a time with a faculty at your centre, meet him, discuss the problems you are facing and take personal help

krish : Hello sir, Sir i am preparing for cat 2013....but the problem is I am not able to give my time to CAT preparations due to which i have just completed few chapters of QA and RC...DI and LR books are done but when I am appearing for the tests I am not able to score well...Please give guidance....M very tensed!!!
krishnakumar : Time management and multi tasking are very important skills for a manager. Honestly, no excuses will help in this very competitive exam. You need to squeeze in more time into prep

vicky : Sir, Do u think is it too late to start with CAT 2012 preparations? I have got very low score in Aim Cat 20 n 19, especially in Quant n DI. I'm so depressed. Please help.
rajeshsaraf : Well, it's never too late. The key to come out of this state of mind is a "comprehensive analysis" of your AIMCAt performance. Analysis not just in terms of marks scored and percentage or percentile, but the types of Qs attempted, not attempted, number of difficult Qs attempted and number of easy qs left out etc.. Follow the guidelines in SHP as to 'How to Use AIMCATs". That will help a lot and yes, Cheer up !!

aguero : Sir , i m selected in mdi and a final yr student of du , wat will happen if i get reappear in any paper in final results
krishnakumar : Check out the cut off date by which you need to submit your provisional certificate at MDI. Some B schools give you time till 31st Dec. You should manage the issue within this time frame

kvn : hello sir, i am currently a working professional in software industry and giving cat for the 3rd tym. in the first two aimcats i observed that i am able to solve around 17-19 questions in quants with 80% accuracy. i want to increase the attempts to 22-25
krishnakumar : 80% accuracy is good. Keep going...Your scores will go up as your prep progresses

dion : Sir, My score in Aimcat 1319 was 41(89%ile)(QADI) section without attempting DI section(as I am not prepared with it yet)How do you rate it?How manycorrect DI questions will make my %ile 95+?
amol : Good start. But not a good strategy to attempt only QA questions as it may happen than QA is very tough and DI is very easy in your paper. In that case you will watse your time for difficult QA questions and leaving easy DI questions. Practice more DI sets and attempt in next Mock. But still a good sart. Keep it up

manali : how can i improve my quant score i always get negative marks
asim : Go through your QUANT Foundation notes.You should understand and subsequently practice those concepts. The speed Maths Concepts taught during the speed Mathematics sessions needs to be practiced a lot.You may solve the questions provided in our Speed Maths text books.This would help you in improving your performance in both Quant and DI sections. You should attend the basics classes of all the Quant,DI topics and solve the Concept review exercises on your own.Please do not shy away from asking queries and doubts during the class room sessions. In case you still feel the basics are not clear then you may scan through 8,9,10 standard Mathematics- school text books. After attending the exercises classes(from Quant SM and DIHO,DEX Papers) you must practice all the questions again on the same day.Solve any problems given as home work on the same/subsequent day. Incase of any doubts you may refer to the solution book provided by us. Book atleast one doubt clarifying session each per week for both Quant and DI to get your doubts clarified by our Faculty members. You should start taking the Online Sectional tests provided for Quant and DI.Make sure that you start with basic level and quickly go on to the Intermediate and the advanced level question papers. You must graduate to the higher level of difficulty level by practicing the questions provided in CRT/MOCK CAT and the AIMCATs.

devashree : Sir, I have finished solving the basic material provided especially the quant chapters. So apart from the online sectional tests what do I do to practise daily at home?
amol : You can start solving Tets gropus and TPBS

kvn : also i am thourough with the basic concepts and solved time last years' material as well. can you Please guide me about the study plan for the next 2 months for quants and di and the daily efforts to be put in? in details
amol : Hi! You finished basic material means you can solve many questions if an extended time is given.Till now you are just considering Accuracy factor. You have to also consider a speed factor. Please do speed vs accuracy analysis of your Mocks. Whatever you got correct analyse that where you spend more time. Don't hesitate to leave question. As most of the times we leave question after working for 4 to 5 min. Solve more tests with time limit and experiment with your strategy.

knight : please answer my question sir. I have just one query:::: i'm not working anywhere just focusing on my CAT exam...and till the interview process comes i'll have almost 2 years gap from the point of time when my graduation was over...will there be any problem because of this even if i score very high percentile??
krishnakumar : Suggest that you take up work of a nature which will give you time to prepare. This will improve your profile/chances if you looking at a top B school

dingy : my academics are xth 84% xiith 91% and b.tech(2012) 60% with these academics even if i score a 100percntile in cat2012,and do well in gdpi,without work experience,will i be able to get a seat in any iim's,i know its out of question,but a 30% difference between my 12th and ug is irritating me alot,and although i have secured 95percntile in febMAT2012, i was rejected because of such a decline of 30%,plzz tell me any idea
nvs : If you're able to score well, say 99+%ile in CAT13 (assuming you to be from the general category), there's no reason why you won't get a call from the IIMs. Definitely you'll have to have proper justification as to why such a big drop happened. At this stage, there's no point thinking about it, focus on getting a good score in CAT only then the scope of facing such question is there. All the best

abhie : I am wasting my time for DI questions... & getting wrong answers.... AND, i make silly mistakes... While giving AIMCAT, i come to a halt in my thinking process.... BUT as soon as the timer stops, i start getting all answers... Why is this happening.?? I feel iam unable to bear the pressure.. Please suggest methods to chill ut while solving AIMCAT/CAT...
krishnakumar : So, the problem is not with learning/knowledge of concepts. Managing stress is a must for managers. So, chill before AIMCATs

avinash : Good evening all, I've completed the material and sectional tests but failing to apply the concepts in the aimcats..what is that I can do about it?
krishnakumar : Looks like there are gaps in understanding concepts and applying them. Need to seek help from a faculty at your centre

vicky : Rajesh saraf Sir, Thank u so much for motivating. I couldn't get 'Follow the guidelines in SHP as to How to Use AIMCATs'. Could u explain a bit...
rajeshsaraf : in your CAT student home page (SHP), you will find article on "How to get the best out of AIMCATs".. That will help a lot in your preparation !!

dion : @ Asim sir:Good Eve Sir,What Time should I reserve for DI section assuming the level of qs to be same as that of cat?
amol : It will depend upon no. DI questions. However you can devote around 2 min per question of DI and calculate total time that can be given for DI.

neera : HELLO SIR, I am from TIME LUCKNOW cat 2012 ,sir I get confused at time of taking test that which question should i attempt first and sir should i start from first question or we see all the quetions first..
krishnakumar : Take it cool. Attempt/drop questions based on your level of comfort. No time to click and read all questions

abhie : Sir, My score in Aimcat 1329 was 54(91%ile)(QADI) section without attempting DI section(as I am not prepared with it yet)How do you rate it?How manycorrect DI questions will make my %ile 99+?
nvs : You should've attempted the DI qns from the 1st section as there were a few very easy qns in DI too and that would've improved your score. You shouldn't wait for the time till you feel you're prepared in some area before attempting qns from that sub-area, rather look for easy ones in each sub-area and do your best. As regards how many qns from any sub-section, it'll keep on changing test to test depending on the difficulty level as well as the preparedness of other test takers too.

kvn : hi asim sir i have posted my question in two parts. please answer it. as the page is not allowing to post single long question.
asim : Answered,plz check

knight : @krishna kumar sir :: sir i gave interview at an NGO but they didnt select me..what if i dont get into any NGO then??? i'm doomed??
krishnakumar : Try and understand why you did not get selected. Iron out the issues before the next interview

dingy : sir,i can spare about 10hrs a day for cat preparation,is it sufficent and please divide time for quant and di,how much time required for them,iam preparing for cat2012
krishnakumar : That is way more than enough. Quality of time is more important than quantum of time spent. So, do ensure that. You should not get worn out over the next 5-6 months

rohit : Hi Asim sir, Any one you can suggest among the two...plz
asim : advanced learner's dictionary

krish : Sir,I have got my percentile score in Aimcat 1319 was 20%ile.....sir m very depressed. How could i do my preparations and will I be able to score good in Cat 2013????? PLzzzz help...
vjs : Find out the areas in which you are wk.Start from basic concepts ( You may not require more time ),take the chapter wise tests.Collect all your doubts and take help from faculty member to solve them.

nikki : sir, im very weak in geometry..even after having solved the basic material and online test im still unable to solve questions in the aimcats..how can i improve? also my speed is very less.
rajeshsaraf : You don't have to solve all the questions in AIMCATs. If it is a difficult question, that deserves to be left out. However, if it is an easy question and you have not been able to get the answer during the test time, then after the test, revisit the theory related to that, try to learn concepts pertaining to the same by going through the BSM..

manali : i scored 24 marks what should i do to improve my score
amol : Don't get demotivated. Its just a start. We are not preparing you to do well in AIMCATS. But AIMCAT is a tool to do well in actual CAT. You need to put more efforts. Solve more and more material. Revisit your basics. Even if you are not fully prepared try to select easy questions form the paper. That will come by practice

knight : @krishna kumar sir : but what if nothing happens till my interview comes?? then are they gonna reject me because of 2 yrs gap??
krishnakumar : I am not saying that you will get rejected. Look at statements positively. What I was saying is that your profile will look better with work exp.

krish : Sir alongwith engineering how much time should I spend for CAT....atleast from nowonwards after getting low scores...how should I prepare????
asim : I am a strong believer that one should NOT quantify ones quality of preparation in terms of number of hours of study, rather you should look at your preparation in terms of number of topics covered,number of concepts learn't and so on. If you still force me to answer, i would say a minimum of 25 hours per week routine is recommendable.You should ensure that you distribute the time among all the three areas.The distribution ratio would depend on your comfort level in that area,Make sure that you do not ignore your weaknesses.

sreetaa : good evening sir, i find di to be difficult out of all the sections..i either take too much time to solve the questions or sometimes my approach to the problem is itself wrong..plz help
vjs : pl mention the handouts up to which you covered.Repeat the basic handouts and sm and also revise concepts of speed maths.

sam : @amol sir, What are test groups and TPBS
krishnakumar : TGs are tests with all questions from all areas. TPBs are test paper booklets; one for each test area

sw : Sir I am very weak in DI I have practiced lots of caselets given in the booklets but while solving it in the AIMCATS it consumes most of my time how much time(on an average ) should be allocated to DI section
asim : A similar query has already been answered,plz check the chat transcript

abhie : I am unable to recall how to solve TIME & WORK and Mixtures & Alligations in exam..How to overcome this prob..??
krishnakumar : Sit in a revision class

k : sir.....my score in the 3 aimcats are 25,34,9.....is the third aimcat too tough??
amol : Not really. But not only you but many people will have these exp. analyse where you went wrong

kallis : can I aim to attend 50% of the questions at 100% accuracy! will that suffice to give me a good score or it would need more than 50%
rajeshsaraf : It depends on the difficulty level of the test. If it is easy-moderate, then even 50% may not suffice. Again, one suggestion, try to attempt any test without any such "numbers" in mind.

dingy : amol sir,what is TPBS and tets gropus,
amol : If you are a SLT student then it is a part of your material. Speak to your center.

vishnu : Hi Sir, I have completed BSM and Online tests. Also I started revising the BSM. Can we get any other material with advanced questions? At start of the cource, we were told to give Advanced material. We did not recieve any such. I am from T.I.M.E.,Kukatpally
krishnakumar : Pls collect Lot 2 materials. You will also get intermediate and advanced level sectional tests

sarang : Hello Sir/Mam.Please suggest some ways to schedule the days remaining in order to get a good percentile in CAT. I haven't done material of verbal ability a great deal,also I need to hone my skills in L.A. & D.I. I have solved almost the whole quant basic material. Keeping all this in view,please suggest a schedule.
nvs : Hoping that you've covered both the basic SM's on QA and are comfortable in that area. Plan for an hr or so every day for revising your concepts in QA to ensure you strengthen you're basics as well as don't lose touch. Plan an hour for VA/RC and another 2 hrs for either DA or LA everyday. This will ensure that you cover all the areas in every 2 days. Plan taking a few sectional tests everyday - say 2 tests. This should ensure that by July end you would've completed all the basic SMs as well as Foundation & Intermediate sectional tests. Then onwards, take up the SMs on Practice exercises along with the Advanced sectional tests. You'll surely see improvement in your AIMCAT scores and do analyse each test to fine tune your preparation as well as test taking stratgey

dion : @Asim sir:Thanks for the reply!!Sir,please provide me a concrete plan to prepare for DI in terms of Time SM considering the Time we have for the CAT.(Also it should be practical not the ideal!!)
asim : The following are my recommendations for Improving your QUANT and DI Performance Go through your QUANT Foundation notes.You should understand and subsequently practice those concepts. The speed Maths Concepts taught during the speed Mathematics sessions needs to be practiced a lot.You may solve the questions provided in our Speed Maths text books.This would help you in improving your performance in both Quant and DI sections. You should attend the basics classes of all the Quant,DI topics and solve the Concept review exercises on your own.Please do not shy away from asking queries and doubts during the class room sessions. After attending the exercises classes(from Quant SM and DIHO,DEX Papers) you must practice all the questions again on the same day.Solve any problems given as home work on the same/subsequent day. Incase of any doubts you may refer to the solution book provided by us. Book atleast one doubt clarifying session each per week for both Quant and DI to get your doubts clarified by our Faculty members. You should start taking the Online Sectional tests provided for Quant and DI.Make sure that you start with basic level and quickly go on to the Intermediate and the advanced level question papers. You must graduate to the higher level of difficulty level by practicing the questions provided in CRT/MOCK CAT and the AIMCATs.

anarchist : Sir,how to approach the online foundation tests...should we start solving them as soon as the exercises are over or begin otherwise ?
krishnakumar : Once you are through with thorough prep of that chapter/topic

krish : Thank u sir....I got it!!! I hope I would start my prep from the very minute....:)
asim : Welcome

hyca2na42 : hey sir, although 1 hr 10 min is sufficient for me to solve apprx. 25 questions in the QADI section for the previous 3 aimcats.i wasn't able to solve more than 10 questions in the exam. can u help me with my problem?
vjs : solve more mocks will improve your timing with accuracy.

vishnu : @krishnakumar: But the people out there in Office are giving irresponsible answers for our request.
krishnakumar : Meet the centre Director on this

amit : Sir, i am scored gud in aimcat1319(99.23%),but i feel that i get too slow in solving LRDI questions. i am also sceptical before attempting any LR question that i may end wasting my time. Plz suggest me a book to practice
krishnakumar : Suggest, that you don't see too many problems when there are none. Your percentile should give you all the confidence. Work on the intermediate level LA online tests

avinash : To schedule a doubt session, I'm from kukatpally zone as I don't see Kukatpally DI and Parklane DI is being shown..do I've to go to other TIME Center for the DI session?
krishnakumar : Pls call up your centre on this and seek help

nitin : hello sir, I started my preparation for cat in march 2012 and quant seems to be the most difficult subject for me. Sir i have completed 7 chapters from the 1st book (basic) But now whatever concepts were involved in previous chapters i dont remember it not every concept but related to some questions for which i referred the solution book. Sir what should i do ??
nvs : Nothing wrong with referring the solution booklet as long as you feel that you could understand the qns and you will be able to do similar qns without any help in future. 7 chapters is a good level of preparation at this stage, you should plan to finish the 2nd book too by July end, and alongside take a few tests from each area. This will help a lot

anarchist : Sir are next 3 months are sufficient for completing QADI ?
krishnakumar : You have 5 to 6 months :) More than enough

neera : sir, i m too weak in maths in class get unerstand all the concepts and also ask doubt and revise that at home but still at the time of aims cat i forget all the things ,sir what should i do..?
asim : A similar query has already been answered,plz check the chat transcript

kvn : Thank you sir for the guidelines. Have a nice time. :)
amol : have a nice time and work hard

muca2a685 : How many Questions(approx) in Section 1(QA,DI) have to be answered with 100% accuracy inorder to clear any CAT exam(for that particular Section).Also how to achieve this 100% Accuracy ?
rajeshsaraf : It all depends on the level of difficulty of that section or of the complete test.

piyush : Sir no matter how much i prepare i am not able to perform well in Quant please suggest me something and DI is like time consuming for me because of calculations how can i improve my self what sort of study pattern should i adopt.
vjs : Start from basics clarify you doubts regularly that will help you. Repeat the tests will help to improve your timing.

manali : i scored 24 marks overall so what can i do to improve my score
nvs : Analyse your performance in terms of attempts, accuracy, areas you feel a bit comfortable and areas you feel you need to put in a lot of effort. Make a plan and work it out and see in what way your performance changes in the next AIMCAT and refine your study plan.

student : Which are the chapters on which more focus is required in Quant section?
vjs : All the topics.You have sufficient time. So, don't think of leaving any of the topics.

meenu : gud evening sir, sorry 4 going out of the topic..i have just completed my btech final year exams.i stil haven't got a good placement. so i have decided to prepare 4 cat during the next few months at home. but somehow im unable to concentrate and give my 100% during preparation. i gave my cat last november but scored only 67%tile..im a test series student and was full course student last yr..i have no option left but 2 crack cat dis year..plz help..
nvs : To start with, 67%ile is not all that bad and there are many a colleges like ASB, KIAMS etc which were within your range of score. With this platform, you can surely do well. You'll have to reassess you abilities and fine tune your strategies. Think, as of now what choice you've. Finished graduation, no job - rem'ber a decent performance in CAT can get you some very good B School and a great career prospect. So, focus on the job at hand, believe me 4 months is good enough time to crack CAT. You've all the day, time is a luxury for many who're working and planning to take CAT. You're fortunate in that respect, so go ahead, work hard and do well. All the best

sharad : In QA and DI, I prefer quants as it is less time consuming and I attempt serialwise and I skip the DI qns. I then attempt the DI at last with the remaining time but under time pressure I tend to be inaccurate as I try to approximate a lot. In the remaining AIMCAT should I attempt questions based on their difficulty level rather than they being DI or QA easy ones then hard ones or attempting DI first when I have time ??
rajeshsaraf : Mistake 1: Attempting serial wise. Mistake 2: Ignoring the DI Qs. A DI or a Quants question has the same marks. The idea is to maximize the number of attempts (with maximum accuracy). You should always start with easy question, the attempt the moderate ones and if time permit, look for tackling difficult questions. All the best !!

naresh : gud eveng sir! Sir I m very weak at percentages and ratios which .becomes hurdelfor me to solve DI .question and I take longer time to solve them.
vjs : Its good you recognized the areas you need to work.

student : Now as QA and DI will come as one section, what can be the percentage of division of questions from QA and DI ?
vjs : No proper division.

avinash : @vjs, regarding solving more mocks, could you please provide sources?
vjs : Avinash, we have good nr of AIMCATS.Every AIMCAT shows the stronger / wkr areas.

vicky : Rajesh Saraf Sir. U just answered my query on 'in your CAT student home page (SHP), you will find article on "How to get the best out of AIMCATs".. But I couldn't locate it. I have checked it Under heading Academic Inputs. Then there is Articles on CAT preparation. But there isn't the heading that you are referring to. I have also checked it under the archives. Please Help...
rajeshsaraf : Just check it out yet again. In case, if it is not there, that would be provided asap.

manali : how can i reduce my marks in quant to be negative
asim : If you are not able to get the basic understanding of the Q and make any headway in the first 60-90 secs in a Q, you should move to another Q instead of wasting more time on it. This will help you in making the right selection of Qs. You should manage to read all questions and choose only the doable questions. Always keep your alloted time for each section in mind when getting stuck or giving more time to a particular question. If your number of attempts is still low, then you need to improve in your basics and get more practice.

student : How to prepare for Permutations and Combinations topic ? I get confused in this area quite a lot. Can u specify some book for thorough preparation ?
krishnakumar : SM 1001309 is good for a start. That plus the foundation test should give you the confidence

nitin : @ krishnakumar sir - thanks, sir iam planning to complete the basic study material by the end of july and from august i plan to start with advanced material sir, while i solve questions i mark questions which i find difficult, should i revise those questions to revise the concepts or should i do all the material once again for revision ?
krishnakumar : As you go on to the advanced level materials, mark qns where you have problems and check out the basic concept (do not waste time by going back to basics for the whole chapter)

knight : @ krishna kumar sir:: if i say that i have joined my family business will that count in experience ??
krishnakumar : Not in top B schools. They will see through it

dion : Sir,Assuming the level of question asked in cat,should we prepare ourself to solve 30/30 questions in actual cat?As I have seen one of my friend attempted 29 correct in cat11.
krishnakumar : What happened to that friend?

alisha : hi sir my score in aimcat is terrible i scored 11,21 and 24 in the 3 aimcats. sir iam very disappointed as iam devoting most of my time in quant and iam not able to do questions of quant in aimcat :(
nvs : Good you realize that you're scores are pretty low and you'll have to work very hard if you want to get into some decent B School. Pl don't focus too much on any one test area- as you're doing with QA. Plan 4-5 hrs everyday for CAT preparation. OF these, dedicate 2 hrs for QA and balance between any 2 test areas say on one day you take up VA & LA and on next day take up RC & DI. Always ensure that you're putting enough time on all the areas and you cover them in atleast 2-3 days. Plan a day for taking sectional tests too, things will improve, though slowly. Don't lose hope, it's just a beginning. All the best

muca2a685 : If I have just started my preparation for CAT 2012 ,is there a possibility that I can clear the CAT '12 cut-offs and manage to get a call(s) from IIM(s) ....I think I'm an average student whereas CAT comes into picture
krishnakumar : enough time to do that. Walk the talk

raj : sir, I am very much demoralised. i got negative marks in quant. plz tell me hw do i improve and start my preparation. Can average student crack CAT? is it late to start my prep
krishnakumar : Raj, I have had several students with low accads cracking the top 10 B schools. CAT is a skill based exam. Don't have any mental block against QA. Prepare chapter by chapter, taking time to understand concepts. Never panic seeing so many qns in QA in the AIMCAT. Attempt only those questions that you are sure about. Too many attempts will increase negatives. Your attempts and scores will increase as you move along and cover more and more chapters in QA

amit : still,sir, can u suggest any book for LRDI apart from time material. it wud be very helpful
asim : T.I.M.E. material is more than sufficient to crack cat, still if you want another source, i would recommend Trishna publication's books, they are available at T.I.M.E. offices.

alisha : sir, please tell me if i will do all the study material of T.I.M.E including the online sectional tests and aimcats. will that be sufficient for cat ?
krishnakumar : Yes provided you analyse your performance in AIMCATs, realise why gaps in performance are happening and strive to improve them

sw : how to improve my score in functions and number system I have solved enough no of ques on both the topic
amol : Hi! These two are very vast and conceptual topics. I divide its preparation in three parts. Part one : Attend classes for these topics. faculty guidance is very important. If you have already attended then revise your class notes. make sure that you the concepts and logic behind every formula. eg. Knowing the formula for Total no. of factors is not sufficient. you must understand why it (p+1)(q+1)(r+1). We know graph of logx how it is related to graph of a^x. Ins hort do all your basics well Part 2: Solve ex a form Quant book. Make sure that you are able solve all questions. Dont feel insulted look at solutions. Then solve ex b. Now you should be able to solve more questions. look at solution book where you find it difficult to solve. anything not still clear form solution book then get doubt clearing session faculty members. Part 3 : Till now you solved questions without time limit. now its time solve with time limit. Take QAT and online sectional tests. Understand that you may not be able solve all questions from the test in the given time limit. So it selection of question is very important. Leaving difficult question immediately must be a part of ur strategy.

knight : @ krishna kumar sir :: plus sir i have got job in PARASRAM HOLDINGS LTD. should i join it as it has only 6 hours/day working period. it will give me more time to prepare also. will this count in my work experience??
krishnakumar : Any fill time paid work exp is OK

test : Sir, now with 4 months left what should be the approach starting from the scrath for DI ??
krishnakumar : Work on speed maths regularly. Take DIHOs 1001301/2/3/5/7 and understand all the concepts. Then, do the book SM 1001305, taking each chapter as a test. Keep 30 minutes as the time limit. Review your performance and prepare on concepts.

jiten : sir good evening,i take a lot of time in answering di questions.this is the sole reason i avoid it.is it hampering my quant score.
vjs : surely.you got sufficient time to work up on and improve the speed.

student : Different authors stress that Number system , Permutations and Combinations and Geometry form the major part of QA section in CAT . Is this authentic and upto what degree can be expect questions from these sections?
amol : anybody gives you any feedback about CAT imp topics is based on just one paper that he has given. But CAT in conducted in around 40 slots. Hence 40 diff papers. so its impossible to ask questions only on certain areas in all papers. Hence all topics are important. CAT has always surprised everybody in the past.

rangadu : hi how to prepare QA&DI plz give me suggestion iam not able to understand concept T.I.M.E materials is confusion to me so what to do sir
krishnakumar : Call your centre and seek an appointment with a faculty. Discuss the issue with him and seek help

muca2a685 : My friend got 99.99 percentile in CAT 2011 but didn't manage to get a Seat in IIM's.What could be the possible reasons for him not getting into IIM(s)?
nvs : Reasons can be many and rem'ber a lot of weightage is given to the 2nd stage of admission process. Don't worry about that, see if you can get that score. It's definitely easier to get in if one has very high scores, all the best

dion : @KK sir:Sir he got 99+ %ile in cat(not 100,99+ in QADI).He is going to join IIM shilong.
krishnakumar : So, 29/30 did not work for BLACKI. So, now you know that is not required

hugo : Sir,my QA/DI scores for the past 2 aimcats have been around 42-45 out of 90..I am practising a lot but my scores aren't increasing..What should i do ??
amol : Hi Its time to analyse. You are just focusing on accuracy what about speed. Do speed vs accuracy analysis of AIMCATS and see which questions you got wrongor left even after spending more than 3 min. can you make out which questions you could have been attempted which were easy and you left.

muca2a685 : I'm also interested in doing Entrepreneurship....Which other good institutes other than IIMs will be of benefit to me ?
krishnakumar : Any of the top 30 B schools will give you a good grounding for this

riya : sir, how do i start my di preparation. as it is the weakest among all subject. olease provide me some method for approaching di from scratch?
vjs : Read the details given in the set and scan the questions to decide the extent of analysis required for the set and proceed. Initially you may require more time.But, you can improve your speed.

krish : Sir i am not able to understand the aimcat percentiles that are displayed arexactly how calculated???
nvs : It depends on the number of test takers and it tells you your relative position in the rank list. It basically denotes what percentage of test takers are below you in the rank list. If you're 90%iler, that means 90% of test takers have fared below you

dion : @Asim Sir:Sir please reply my query as I trust you the most.
asim : Answered,plz check

eshow : sir i find very difficult to frame equation to solve any problems so can you please help me.
vjs : Visualse thequestion and you may assume yourself in the place of the subject of the question to understand the question and frame the equation.

krish : Sir can u tell me exact formula to calculate cat percentile????
krishnakumar : Your position/rank out of the total test takers

k : sir.....other than cat,for what exams is our preparation useful??
asim : Apart from CAT, i would suggest you take some of the following exams:- XAT,SNAP,NMAT,CMAT,IIFT,IRMA,TISS and MAT.

nitin : @ nvs thanks a lot sir 1 more question sir while i do the exercise i usually mark difficult questions for which i referred the solution booklet. sir should i do those questions again for revision purpose do u think its a good way for revision or i should do each and every question for revision ?
nvs : NO such hard & fast rule, depends on your comfort level and the available time. If time is there then why not try every question once again.

knight : @krishna kumar sir:: ok sir, i'll join it..then top B-schools will consider me?? i wanna join top 10 B-school.
krishnakumar : Yes. Best wishes

krish : Sir my all india rank in 12000 and my city rank is 54...percentile score is 19.85,accuracy is 34.78%..
nvs : Do not bother about your city or national rank, focus on your overall percentile - that tells the actual story. You're currently in the last 20% of test takers, you'll have to put in a lot of hard work. A score of 85+%ile is decent to start with, the colleges at that level will be able to do justice to your aspirations.

k : sir..how can i apply to them???when and where wil the notifications come???is there any website where i can get regular updates other that time website??
krishnakumar : Notifications will be posted on your student page. You will also receive sms notifications from us

test : sir, right now i am following an approach of first coverig time's material, then arun sharma book and finally basic online sectional test. with this approach i need 10 days per unit which means i will be able to cover all units only by end of September.. Is my approach correct or can you rectify it ?
krishnakumar : Should cover a QA chapter in max 4 days along with prep in other areas. Complete basic level prep by mid August

krish : So from above results what would be my %ile???
krishnakumar : You did mention that your percentile is 19.85% ie 19.85 percent of the test takers are below you

neera : sir plz tell me that how much max time should i devote daily for only QADI...becoz i m not getting good result in QADI..?
nvs : Take atleast 2 DI exercises every day and plan completing one QA chapter in 2-3 days. Pl rem'ber you'll have to work on other areas to everyday.

muca2a685 : Can attempting MORE Questions(by guess,chances,elimination) be rewarding ?
nvs : Nothing wrong in making a guess once atleast 2 answers have been eliminated. If back substitution works that'll be preferred.

alisha : sir I havent started with solving DI please tell me what all formulas should be in tips before i start DI material
vjs : Revise speed maths concepts, ppl,ama are the min basics required to start with.

eshow : sir m very weak in all areas is der chances to improve still?
rajeshsaraf : Have loads of self confidence. Self-belief is the prerequisite for doing well in an exam like CAT !!

dingy : nvs sir, i am preparing for cat2012 ,so now wat should be my strategy according to my previous question answered by you
nvs : Work hard and ensure you move up with each AIMCAT. Target to hit atleast 90%ile by AIMCAT 1312 and if you can retain the tempo, you'll surely do well

dion : @NVS sir: Sir please propose me a concrete plan to prepare for DI section,in terms of no. of hours,Time SM and tests.
nvs : Nothing like a particular number of hrs for DI alone. You should plan to complete all the basic SMs by July end, if possible, and take up the foundation and intermediate level sectional tests. Depending on your performance there you can plan whether or not you have to spend more time on any of the sub areas.

sahil : sir, the questions in quant booklets are pretty much simple as compared to the questions in aimcat....so suggest some other book for quant preparation
krishnakumar : Sorry, don't agree with your 1st statement. The concepts built up using the two basic books are very very useful for solving the QA questions in the first two mocks. Move on to the intermediate level online tests and take up the QA question bank from lot 2

hugo : Sir,while preparing the chapters for Quant,should i give more emphasis on chapters like Geometry,ERPV,PPL,probability than chapters like Log,surds,number systems... ?
vjs : Do not ignore any of the chapters as You got plenty of time.

nitish : sir,i m a graduate,nil wrk xprnc,shall i go for gmat??
krishnakumar : no chance in a top 30 B school in the US. Need min 2 to 3 yrs work exp

nitin : @ vjs thanks a lot sir
vjs : All the best!

raj : @krishnakumar: so how shud i start my basics in quant.
krishnakumar : Have answered similar qn. Pls check transcipt of this chat

eshow : sir i have not prepare aimcat 1318.its tomoro. anyway can i try just to see the question
asim : I did not understand your question, in case you are asking whether you should take the AIMCAT or skip, i would strongly recommend that you take all the AIMCATs without fail.

krish : Ok...i got it!!!So from these results I think i have to start prep very seriously....sir I got 28%ile,19%ile...so from this do u think if I start preparing well I can crack cat????I am very demotivated...
krishnakumar : Be positive. You have just started. I can give you many many instances of students who have started at levels lower than you and worked their way into good B schools

hugo : Sir,before a particular aimcat, how should i go about preparing for Quant ? Should i go through the important formulae and concepts given in the study material or should i solve sums individually...?
nvs : AIMCATs cannot be attempted by trying to go thru some imp concepts and formulas. Have your study plan ready, get a good grasp of the concepts while you study and see if you could solve the qns that come from that particular topic - provided they are easy or medium. If they are very difficult, don't spend too much time on that qns, there'll be a few easy qns from the other areas which you can attempt even without much preparation

muca2a685 : Can I attend any no. of sesisons in any centre for particular topics if I feel so I need to/can improve on those topics ?
krishnakumar : Contact the centre director on this. He will help you out

nitish : sir what abt singapore university?
krishnakumar : Possible in Nanyang or NUS

krish : @nvs Sir i am going to appear for Cat 2012...so in these 4-5 months will i be able to boost up hard work???
nvs : Definitely yes, it all depends on how you plan these 4-5 months and how effectively you implement your plans and analyse performance at every stage to refine your plans. You can!

rahul : Hello Sir, I know this is not the place for LR, but since most DI/QA related questions ahve been answered can you please give me tips on prep of Logical Reasoning?(From the scratch)
krishnakumar : Complete the book SM 1001308. Do the foundation level test of a topic once you have completed basic prep on that topic.

sw : Sir i just started off with QA is it possible to complete within a span of 2 -3 months
krishnakumar : Oh yes. Have answered similar qn. Pls check transcipt of this chat

sejal : sir how do i devote time in preparing for all the sections. i am weak in all areas
vjs : There are 16-18 topics in the quant section .. select 3 topics (1 big like nos. , geometry , PC Prob & 2 small like equations , ppl ,sici). for every aimcat target completing 3 topics completely in & out... Proceeding in such a manner in the next 6-7 aimcats you must be done with your portion atleast once .... then look at scoring in the entire section.. Target on completing Nos, Geo-mensuration , PC-Prob, Time n distance , Functions Graphs .. as these are the important ones

langdon : sir, i hav secured a percentile of 77 in the previous aimcats, but i feel i shud buck up even more...sir how can i eventually manage ma time ???
nvs : Good intentions need to backed with great effort. Plan your time and ensure proper plan implementation. That should do the trick

krish : @krishnakumar sir...Thank u sir for all ur guidance!!!! Many of my doubts are cleared n I hope in d next aimcat i'll score better....Thank u..
krishnakumar : You will for sure. Best wishes

muca2a685 : I'm a regular CAT'12 student ** Suppose I don't clear CAT'12,will I still be able to analyse my past MOCKCATs/AIMCATs/Online Sectional tests in future(thru my Online Student Homepage) till the time i'm admitted to IIM ?? (this is a very imp Q)
krishnakumar : Your page will expire by April-May 2013

neera : sir it is important to attend all the doubt sesion in weak or take more time to analyse my problem and practise that questions again go for doubt session..
nvs : If you can do both of these parallely that'll be great, otherwise doubt clearing sessions will be more helpful.

eshow : sir my degree pc is just 50.is der chances to get trough top B-school.
krishnakumar : High, provided you prepare will. So, no worries. Take multiple entrance tests.

rahul : Sir how much percentage is required in 12th for top 20 b schools ? Plz repply ?
krishnakumar : Many B schools don't even look at the accdas in 12th. So, relax..Don't worry about the past. Work on your prep.

nitish : sir,can u pls tell me how to analyse one's performancce in aimcats
nvs : Get an appointment with your center director or some senior counselor, they'll help you with this

sedative : Sometimes the questions asked in aimcats are much beyond the scope of actual cat. This is bound to frustrate a student like me, who has focused much within the realm of scope of CAT. Several questions, in the recently concluded aimcat 1318 had several such questions, which correspond to the IITJEE level. How should a student prepare for the CAT, keeping all this in view. I look forward to an explanatory answer.
nvs : CAT is test of concepts as well as understanding your strengths & weakness. You're not to attempt very difficult questions, they are there to confuse. So attempt all possible doable qns and try having a very high accuracy, you'll do well

krish : @nvs and krishnakumar sir...Thank u sir for all ur replies!!! I'll try my best...and work very very hard....
nvs : All the best

sw : @nvs thank u sir
nvs : You're welcome

langdon : sir, i v always got a prob with DI....however hard i try i find it almost invincible to get through all those questions.... they involve calculations so intense as far as calculating upto four decimal places....is this the prob only with me or is it general ??? I desperately need some suggestions regarding this....
nvs : Get in touch with your DI faculty and discuss, you'll get a solution

naren : hello this is naren:)My point of view DI preparation is slightly difficult.Please can you guide me to handle the DI easily:)
vjs : This question is answered earlier pl. look at that

sainath : sir do we get any other material than which we got at the time of joining??
asim : Yes, you do(if you are a full time classroom student)

eshow : sir if m not ready at all to take any AIMCAT should i stil try
vjs : Yes. a test teaches you how much you know and what to know.

achintya2233 : Good Evening Sir...is studying from TIME's material sufficient?.. i mean anything other than TIME's material..i score pretty good in section 1..90+ %ile.. but want to keep it consistent..and approach 98-99..Please reply sir
nvs : Yes, pl do ensure you complete all the basic SMs as well as the SMs on Practice Exercise. If you want to test yourself further, take up TRISHNAs book on QA, that'll be more than sufficient.

nitish : sir, i h done with 4 chptrs in quant in my batch, shall i attempt ques of other topics also in aimcats
nvs : Yes as long as you feel they can be attempted by you

muca2a685 : I managed to get 51 % in my final yr graduation ....Suppose I don't take up a job and continuosly prepare for CAT till I get into IIMs, is it a wise decision? Will my gap between graduation and cracking CAT matter that much ?(if it exceeds a certain limit,....is there a limit to the GAP?)
nvs : Not at all advisable, you can do that for CAT13 but no further. later on it'll be very difficult to justify this gap. It's always worthwhile to have full time work experience than nothing at all.

raj : There are no TIME institutes near my hometown. So kindly guide me whether TIME courseware will be sufficient 4 preparing CAT?? Do i get faculty help if i have problem in solving d problems given in courseware. Waiting 4 ur valuable reply... Thanks in advance.
asim : Send a mail to info@time4education.com and ask about the correspondence course

achintya2233 : Sir,..please rate the difficulty of qa and di for follwoing exams CAT,XAT,SNAP,NMAT,GMAT
nvs : GMAT

naren : Sir please i need a elaborate detail about the QA section:)What are the contents to cover QA? Pls tell:)
vjs : this question is answered earlier go thro it.

langdon : do geom and mensuration cover a major part in QA ??? is it ok if i loosen down a bit in that section...??
vjs : Not at all

achintya2233 : PLEASE REPLY SIR...
nvs : GMAT < SNAP < NMAT < CAT < XAT

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