: Hi
tssmurty : Hi.

tanzy : i am struggling with quant? prep strategy for the last month,i have 1month left
asim : Analyze your aimcat performances and figure out areas that have been troubling you and work on the basics of those chapters. I am sure you will see remarkable improvement in your performance in future.

a2k : Sir,My avg %ile is around 70 in Aimcats.I am aiming to fall in 90+ %ile.My LR is weak. I have covered basics.What bare minimum should I solve in upcoming one month to get a decent score in LR section?
asim : To begin with solve the LAHO,LAPE handouts. Later on solve few online sectional tests. I am sure you would also be revising all your AIMCAT papers.

aditya : HI sir, With a month left for CAT, my DI still seems to be weak..Could you please suggest any methods to strengthen it during these final stages?
asim : A similar question has already been answered,plz check the chat transcript.

swati : Hi what is more important when CAT is just 20days ahead? Online sectional tests or solving the material
tssmurty : Online material might be given preference as you could have gone through the material sometime ago. The Online tests are arranged in the ascending order of difficulty.

vikas : Sir, With 10th - 97% 12th - 84% and B.Tech. 83% from NIT and being OBC, what percentile will fetch calls from ABCKLI , looking at last year trends ?
asim : AIM at 90-95 percentile with good sectional performances.

tanzy : tips for di for the last 30days.
vjs : DO ALL THE HANDOUTS WITH TIME CHECK YOUR TIMING EVERY TRY

akdk : sir, i am completely done with my quant syllabus bus still not able to solve questions on most of the topics and if sometime i'm able to solve them then it takes a lot of time. please help?? with only 1 month left for cat please guide me how to prepare for quant ???
asim : Analyze your aimcat performances and figure out areas that have been troubling you and work on the basics of those chapters.If needed,collect your doubts and discuss them with a faculty member. I am sure you will see remarkable improvement in your performance in future.

swapniliit : It's Near now I sometimes while solving i freeze up and get confused in quats while giving aimcats. or at home with timelimit. How to be clear minded. any tips?. I usually start taking long cuts to get answer and forget all shortcuts taught to us, like i start using my own logic to solve with long cuts. Help please.
asim : Once you have completed the basics,practicing with a timer should help you in managing the stress that comes with the limited available time for answering the questions. Make sure you practice with the mock cats which are available on your SHP.

tushar : sir i am a bit confused over dividing my time in v.a section preparation..what should be the ideal preparation strategy for va/lr section??
tssmurty : Most students spend about 15 - 18 minutes for LR, while they try to attempt around 7 - 8 questions. Rest of the time for VA.

akdk : sir, can u please tell me what is the minimum persentile requirement for getting a call from the top 4 iims for obc category??
asim : Aim at 90-95 percentile with good sectional performance.

swati : Hi Sir, Would Past yr CAT papers(when CAT used to be offline) be helpful in preparation?
asim : Yes, do them, but only if you have completed the AIMCATs,crts and the mock cats.

a2k : Sir,will remaining aimcats be more in line with actual cat paper.And should we give importance to last 7 aimcats?
asim : Every AIMCAT must be given equal amount of importance. Nobody can predict the kind of questions that would appear on your day of CAT, but solving all the AIMCATs would give you good preparation for it. Best wishes.

akdk : sir i just completed the time and work chapter from my practice booklet and than gave a begginers sectional test on the same and was able to do only 5 questions, please sir tell me how to prepare for these topics???
asim : Please go through the basics carefully(do not rush through it), if needed collect your doubts and discuss them with a faculty member. Only after completing this, you must try the online sectional tests,mock cats and the AIMCAT questions.

aditi : are topics like direction sense,series etc important for cat?
vjs : surely

swapniliit : our time now should be spent in solving and analysing papers (aimcats and old cats) or doing more indepth topic wise study if my exam is 35 days from today?
tssmurty : Yes, mostly for the analysis of the tests that you attempt. Wherever/ whenever you have doubts, do allocate the required time for that topic/ chapter.

khushi : hello sir, i have solve many passage but still its very intricate for me to get corract IN RC.
tssmurty : If you can take it in the right spirit, your question itself indicates that you don't concentrate much on the sentences. There are spelling and grammar errors. You need to concentrate and avoid such mistakes to go with the correct answers. Also look at the kind of mistakes you make and it becomes easy to make corrections.

swapniliit : sir please tell ful form of CRTS?
vjs : CAT REPLICA TEST

: Hi sirs well this is the issue I'm facing since I was not a Maths student after 10th I'm not in a very good shape as far as certain high maths topics are concerned and also when it comes to 2nd section my vocab also not very huge so many a times I find this prob of not actually understandin the question in passages so what do you suggest at this point of time where shud I focus just negative thots linger in my mind pls help need it real bad dun hv nymore chances. After thsi yr
asim : Analyze your aimcat performances and figure out areas that have been troubling you and work on the basics of those chapters.If needed,collect your doubts and discuss them with a faculty member. For the second section work on para jumbles,para completion,grammar,LR and RC. I am sure you will see remarkable improvement in your performance in future.

hear : i started aimcats scores around 80s improving now last 3aimcats around 100s but my percentiles dropped from 99 to 94-97, am i lagging behind?
aju : Don't worry about lagging since competition is also heating up as time and mocks proceed, try concentrating on fundamentals of test taking and it will be all right

shaan : hello sir would you please tell me 1 or 2 website for both sectional and overall online mocktests ?
asim : If you are a T.I.M.E. student then take the online sectional tests,crts,mock cats and the AIMCATs provided by us. They are the best source for your preparation for CAT.

shanmu14 : Sir I am unable too manage time in QA/DI section.. can u tell some tips regarding it???
vjs : Go through the AIMCT analyis and recognize your wkns and strength then do the SM ex once again if you have sufficient time. i hope you have done all the home work suggested by speed maths faculty in class.

akdk : sir what is the minimum no. of quant section questions i need to solve to clear the sectional cut off for the top 4 iims p.s. i belong to obc category??
asim : cannot be predicted as IIMs carry out scaling of the raw scores, just try to maximize the number of attempts without indulging in blind guess work.

prakash : hi, i am getting 60-70 percentile in mock CATs.. please tell me what score should i get in actual CAT given my 18 months of work exp in IT. what should be the strategy for prep?
ulhas : Dear Prakash, I suggest you diligently follow the guidelines on the SHP relating to how to analyse your performance in AIMCATs and identify 2-3 actions after each AIMCAT! You can improve your %ile to90+!

ar : how to prevent feeling sleepy while RC?? how to concentrate??
aju : It should also do with ur routine and food habits and how you spend time on previous night of test. Ensure you get good rest, sleep and find best time suited for you for test taking...

tushar : sir i am done with my study matrrial of Q.A but still i am facing problems in solving most of the questions in AIMCAT... what should i do??
ulhas : Are you able to correctly solve the AIMCAT questions after AIMCAT results are declared? Are you able to identify the reasons for mistakes that you made? How many questions you can't solve without seeing the solution? Answers to these Qs wil tell you whether your fundamentals are strong or you need more practice.

poorva : How much time should be spent per RC? I take 10 min per RC usually if it is a simple one.
asim : For simple ones around 8 mins should be fine

yashin : Sir I am working in my fathers business for past 4 months in as a sales maneger . will it be considered as work ex. But I don't have joining letter or payment slip.
ulhas : Your experience may not get any weightage while getting short-listed but it can and should help you in PI!

nitish : sir i am a last year time student i have all the material of time but i have a prob that for all the handouts i have 2 ans booklets SM101251, SM101264, but these two booklets don't have sol for all the handouts. Like some QAT's, some VAT's, some DAT's, and many of LAT's and all of the workshop handouts. So is there any other sol booklet I am missing out or from where i get the sol. of these handouts .
ulhas : Please contact your centre

akdk : on attempting how many questions can i expect 90-95 percentile with 80% accuracy??
asim : Cannot be predicted, as IIMs carry out scaling of the raw scores, just try to maximize the number of attempts without indulging in blind guess work.

xlri : sir, i m n't able to improve my accuracy level...most of the time ratio is 5 right n 5 wrong ...
ulhas : Please analyse the reasons - are you guessing too much, are you making silly calculation mistakes, are you hasty in attempting questions so that corrective action may be taken

xlri : for DI , i hve done all the study material whch is given to us..is it sufficient ??
asim : Make sure you practice from the mock cats,crts and the AIMCATs also.

mayank : @asim sir, I hv been avging 94-95 with percentiles on either side, but i don't do very well in MCs, infact, i do better in aimcats although, MCs are way easier than Aimcats. What are my chances of getting a 99+ile in actual cat? and what should i do in last 30 days to push it further? My cat is on 19th oct.
krishnakumar : Check out the CRTs which are replicas of actual CAT papers. If you are comfortable, you should not have too much worries about CAT. If you are targeting the top B schools, you cannot afford to leave any area. So, ensure that you cover all topics

hycb2ka73 : hello sir how much %le on avg will make it to a good b-school
asim : In case you mean any of the A grade and above, then 85+ percentile should be targeted.

vithushaji : sir while doing section 2 should i answer the questions in the same order or all LR together, VA together.. plz suggest.
tssmurty : It depends on your strengths and comfort levels. Anything is ok. But do identify the easier questions and do not waste any time in answering them.

prachi : sir i am not able to improve my accuracy in reading comprehension and verbal ability. even though i can read very fast i get confused between 2 or 3 options most of the times. what should i do?
tssmurty : Most students can eliminate 1 - 2 choices. The challenge is after that. Do look at the choices left closely and you find that some word will lead you to eliminate the wrong option. When you go with the complete analysis of at least 2 or 3 test papers, you'll notice this and it helps.

shaan : @ asim sir i am not T.I.M.E student as i had started prep. slightly late. so where should i look for online mock tests?
krishnakumar : Take the enhanced AIMCAT (mini) pack, which will give you access to AIMCATs and online sectional tests

niraj : ulhas sir: what is SHP..??
ulhas : Student Home Page

99 : sir just 35 days are left what should be my strategy currently i m getting around 75 in aimcat equal in both section plz help
tssmurty : Already answered. Please go through the chat transcript.

hycb2ka73 : as we are nearing the cat day how should we plan for our last final prep for cat
asim : A similar question has already been answered,plz check the chat transcript

pnc : sir tell me a proper and worthy way of "analysing the papers".
ulhas : Please look up the write-up on the SHP

99 : sir in 2011 if someone got a raw score of 80 around what percentile he got (i know) u cant answer it accurately plz give a idea
ulhas : There is no linear or otherwise proven corelation between raw score in a slot and %ile. Suggest do not get distracted by such irrelevant issues that has no bearing on your performance in CAT 12

100abc : sir iam very much weak in probability and p n c. i have done it 5-6 times solve time module 2 times and continously doing practice for it but evry time unable to attempt probab. question with full confidence sir what to do.............?
aju : Keep strengthening other areas so that you will have fallback optionalso ensuring that you don't miss easyk question in the areas is important

chaithu : sir is it possible to crack in 30 days. give me a stratesy sir,please...
vjs : What is the amount of you completed till now and how much is left and what is your performance in AIMCATs then you can plan your strategy.

prakash : Hi, i have CMAT exam next week. please suggest how my prep should be and also how much percentile do i need to get for getting call from top b schools under CMAT.
ulhas : Please write mock CMATs and analyse your performance thoroughly!

mj : is it ok to attempt lengthy questions(without reading even once) in quant in the last ?
vjs : not at all!

shaan : what should be minimum speed of reading in RC in terms of wpm?
tssmurty : About 350+ w/m.

tushar : @ulhas, sir i have noticed that when i solve the aimcat qns in home then i get these questions..but in test environment i just dont know what happens,easiest of the questions go wrong..what should i do then sir??
ulhas : It happens to all of us when pressure is too high! Keep cool!! It is like any other exam you have written!

akdk : sir, my english section is alright but no matter what i do my rc section is not showing any improvement no matter i do all the questions or choose and do only 4-5 questions, the no. of wrongs always stays around 3-4 and in case of tough rc's i'm not able to even attempt any questions, please help??
tssmurty : With accuracy in mind, you mark off those you are comfortable with. If you are able to spend a little more time, you can try the others, but attempt carefully.

chaithu : sir, how many questions should i answered in each section to get 85 percentile,if the paper is hard? please tell me sir,it disturbs me very much...
ulhas : Since 'hard' paper cannot be objectively defined, you should focus on attempting as many questions as you can without worrying about whether the paper is difficult or not!

100abc : sir Aimcat level is higher or lower than CAT.?? for me sometimes english is uncertain. last year i got 3 passages in my cat paper n 2 of which are totally philosophical some times poem types and i dnt know what i did with that........!! but what to do now if i met with such situation bcz understanding poem is too tough i tried it many times.........!!
tssmurty : Do not give up hope. Try and see if you can answer at least a question or two.

sou : i had secured 99.76% in VA&LR section in CAT last year..i have been getting scores above the 50 mark in all the mock CAT's this year..what should i do to maintain those scores in the actual CAT?
tssmurty : May be you lost touch. Brush up your basics and then try out some Mock Tests. It helps.

shanmu14 : Is it a good idea to have a glance before starting to answer the question to get a sense of the paper or bad?
ulhas : You should read the question before deciding to attempt it! Nobody can get a good idea about the paper and its difficulty level etc by just glancing!

mj : reading speed vs comprehension. what is the best range that fits both especially for CAT RC passages?
tssmurty : It varies from person to person and/ or from passage to passage.

pnc : what is SHP.
tssmurty : Student Homepage on our website.

chaithu : vjs sir,i am not seriously prepared till now. i got 30 marks in aimcat. but i want to prepare seriously from now.please help me sir...
aju : Important thing is improving as much as you can and that is d indeed possible in the given time

pallu : hello and goog evening. I have a major problem. See, I am at home now meaning not working meaning attending time classes and then back home the entire day. So I do Have a lot of time. Yes i should make the most of it but not able to. I am lazy yes. Sometime don't get the mood to do anything. HElp me change my mindset. Help me strtegise. I really need some heavy dose of advice. tell me how many hours do i put in, what all do i cover in a day etc. help. please!!!!!!!!!
ulhas : Dear Pallu, Two things motivate most people - fear and greed! Both work well! Try it!

harini : sir,im able to solve the questions when i try after test.but during test for each question im taking more time and so getting tensed and not getting answer..wat to do?
vjs : Revise the speed maths concepts.take the same AIMCAT at home keeping the time limits and work and see the developments. While practicing do the problems till the end completely.

cattopper : sir, i hav given 13th oct as my test date. i m getting near to 80 percentile (i.e.75-79) in the last 5 aimcats. How much can I expect in original CAT given by trends. And give me a strategy for studying. I get nervous seeing the clock. I m slow in RC & DI sections? Can I afford to completely leave them in exam if it consumes time?
ulhas : Most students score more in CAT and I hope you will too! You can leave anything - not just RC /DI if it is difficult / time consuming. The trick is to attempt all those that will take less time and leave all those that will take more time!

shanmu14 : What would be the right way to make use of this last 30days efficiently.. any plan as sorts?
aju : Start attempting sectional tests working Upton full length ones and having look at previous cat papers which can be attempted from student home page apart from aimcats

chaithu : asim sir, my 10th-89%,12th-94%,b.tech-73%,no work ex. what is the minimum percentile to get into a descent good bschool?
asim : A similar question has already been answered,plz check the chat transcript

pallu : sir i don't get you. could you be a bit more elaborate on that.
ulhas : Are you not motivated by the fat salary you will get after an MBA from IIM? Are you not afraid that you are wasting your time and not using it productively?

cattopper : please answer the CATtopper
asim : Answered plz check

tushar : sir at this juncture of our preparation should i devote time in reading novels or magazines for V.A or just solve study mtl,aimcat,ost etc??
ulhas : Instead of novels/magazines, suggest read online - more of non-fiction, to develop comfort / stamina in reading / comprehension.

ral : Sir are there any managment quota seats in Symbiosis institutes/nmims/gim etc i have been approached that they can assist me getting a seat in them
asim : Do not trust any so called "middlemen" or "agents", you will end up losing your hard earned money. Just work hard, i am sure you will realize your dream of studying at a top notch B-School based on merit.

vithushaji : Sir, i am not able to answer questions which demand for finding out the correct usage of the sentences from the options given(section 2). Any suggestions...
krishnakumar : Need to work on grammar basics using the SCHO papers and V102 book

venkatsinghal : Sir what is the level of the AIMCATs as compared to the actual CAT?? How much can I expect if I'm averaging @94-95 %ile in the AIMCATs so far??? Should I expect more or less in CAT??
aju : Normally if your performance is consistent with yr mocks u should get anything between 94 and 99, so best of luck

mayank : @ sir, I hv been avging 94-95 with percentiles on either side, but i don't do very well in MCs, infact, i do better in aimcats although, MCs are way easier than Aimcats. What are my chances of getting a 99+ile in actual cat? and what should i do in last 30 days to push it further? My cat is on 19th oct.
ulhas : Chances are good! Dn't get unnecessarily worried! Go with a positive outlook!!

anu : if not attended anythin in DI lecs.. hw to go abt for DI then..?? pls ans..
ulhas : Start from the first exercise in DI booklet and start solving at least two exercises per day. Try to do least calculation on paper and more mentally! After about two weeks, start attempting online tests

a2k : Sir,after CAT I am thinking to attempt GMAT.Are there any good colleges in India accepting GMAT score?Will it be worth a try?I have only one year exp.
aju : Most 1 year programs at Iims ask for GMAT score also score is valid for 5 years so you may use scores later also, isb and glim are others apart from Dubai programs of sp and imt

sou : is the level of difficulty of the MC's significantly lower than those of the AIMCAT's?
asim : Some of the MC may be easier than most of the AIMCATs, still they are pretty good source for your preparation for CAT.

shanmu14 : Sir I am getting around 75%ile in aimcats and i m particularly weak in VA/RC??.... so what can i do to improve in these sections?
tssmurty : One of the first steps to improving in VA is to improve your familiarity with the use of English. You must use all your reading, writing and speaking as practical applications of the grammar and vocab that you learn. Try to write and speak as correctly as possible. As for reading, please read as much as you can and, when you do, pay attention to the language - words used, sentence structure and paragraph structure. Build your vocabulary through your reading and support that with the flash cards and word lists. Once in a while, say, once or twice a week, take one of the larger paragraphs from what you read and treat it as a grammar exercise – examine different aspects of grammar and the role they play in sentence structure. One day look at subjects (whether nouns or noun phrases/clauses), one day at verbs, one day at modifiers, one day at prepositional use, and so on. This will really help, since you'll build familiarity the same way that you do with vocab.

anu : not gettin good marks in online sectional tests... hw to go abt..??
tssmurty : Are you analysing your mistakes and making the necessary corrections after every test? If so, you wouldn't make so many mistakes. Learn your lessons regularly.

tushar : @ulhas,sir can you suggest a site where i can get some philosophical articles..as i am not comfortable in these??
ulhas : Try google + there are many on SHP.

anandhkrishna : sir in aimcats i am skipping DI questions. Usually DI questions are big when i saw those questions i think that it will take too much time and i skip. in most of aimcats this is happening. what should i do sir?
vjs : You can't effort to skip the complete topic.Do all the handouts once again and clarify the themes in which you are not confident

shubhrans : @ulhas sir actually iam solving quant basic material again and doing the online sectional tests will it be good as my cat is on 31st oct
ulhas : Some revision will certainly help but solving AIMCATs / CRTs etc wil help even more since most Qs are at higher level!

chaithu : sir, how many questions should i answered to get 85 percentile. please give answer sir,,, no one is responds to my question
ulhas : Nobody knows including the paper-setters! You should therefore focus on preparing well till your CAT and write it without any pre-conceived notions about anything - just give your best shot! You will know only on 10th January!

riya : Sir, I have my cat on 2nd nov. I am well in quant but unable to do equally well in verbal. Can you please guide me on how to improve upon my verbal scores in the last one month?
tssmurty : One of the first steps to improving in VA is to improve your familiarity with the use of English. You must use all your reading, writing and speaking as practical applications of the grammar and vocab that you learn. Try to write and speak as correctly as possible. As for reading, please read as much as you can and, when you do, pay attention to the language - words used, sentence structure and paragraph structure. Build your vocabulary through your reading and support that with the flash cards and word lists. Once in a while, say, once or twice a week, take one of the larger paragraphs from what you read and treat it as a grammar exercise – examine different aspects of grammar and the role they play in sentence structure. One day look at subjects (whether nouns or noun phrases/clauses), one day at verbs, one day at modifiers, one day at prepositional use, and so on. This will really help, since you'll build familiarity the same way that you do with vocab.

pallu : sometimes i just fail to understand what the hell is wrong with me???????????????????????????
ulhas : Suggest seek a personal counselling with you faculty member to raise your morale

avian : i m writing CAT for the 1st time,i haven't gone through the SM still managed to get my aimcat scores over 80+ percentile every time,my QA is 92+,i want to improve my VA to push my score to next level,plez suggest me with a advise to work on.
aju : Murthy sir has detailed tips to improve VA, go thru same below

samant : Sir can we compare aimcats and CAT as the figure is far higher in CAT than AIMCATs, heard that a 70%ile in aimcat can be 85 odd in Original CAT as the number of applicants taking CAT fall under us and the actual competitors are those 20000 students who give aimcats, hope u understood the question pls give a detailed explanation sir .
ulhas : Mathematically, there is no corelation but most students get higher %ile in CAT than AIMCATs

chaithu : tss murthy sir, how many questions should i answered in each section to get 85 percentile if the paper is hard? please tell me sir..this question disturbs me alot...
tssmurty : Percentile is not dependent only on your preparation as you know. You give your best and while doing so do not ignore the easier questions. Well, how do you identify the level of the question? On;y through the analysis of every test.

vinay07 : could you give suggestions on how to improve the VA part because that is letting me down especially with the correct/wrong grammar sentences and picking odd one out..
tssmurty : Sentence Correction – After reading the sentence that you have to correct, please ensure that you first divide it into its components – main clauses and subordinate clauses/phrases. Ensure that you spot and correct errors in each component. Look at the placement of the subordinate clauses/phrases and see if that needs correction. Look at the connectives ( relative pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions) to see if they need correction. Then reassemble the sentence and check it against the choices that you have. This practice will give you the familiarity for choice elimination, so that you get quicker at dealing with such questions.

sou : what can i do to improve my quant scores in the mock CAT's? I regularly solve the TIME booklets and give the sectional tests..i have even solved arun sharma for quant..yet it does not refelct in my scores..please suggest something
krishnakumar : Trust you have done both the foundation level and intermediate level tests. Take AIMCAT questions topic wise (say, numbers, Time & Dist etc and go through them). If you find problems with some basic concepts, correct them and move on

kan : si, truth teller alternator and lier quests will it appear on CAT?
krishnakumar : possible

ramya : sir is there any specification for work experience like if we work in IT sector there will be more preference or is it same for any sector like is working in google for GIS PROCESS is considered as work experience and given equal preference
ulhas : It does not matter.

tushar : sir what should be the preparation strategy for lr section?? how much time per day should i spend on it?
tssmurty : Tushar, your preparation, level of understanding and urge to achieve will decide your strategy. First identify what kind of questions are easy and what kind of questions pose you a problem. then start working towards the requirements.

shaan : sir , i am little slow in RC. so how much time should i spend daily in reading at this stage ?? my cat paper is on 3rd nov.
asim : What is your reading speed?

anv90 : can we use the percentile achieved in aimcats as an equivalent to what we will be achieving in the final CATs??
krishnakumar : expect better percentiles in CAT, with more people taking the test

shubhrans : @ulhas sir You mean i should go for revision and solving mocks both.
ulhas : Yes if you can do it!

shanmu14 : In QA/DI,is it good to do the attend DI after attending QA?
vjs : During the MOCKs one should try all approaches and decide what to do.Do the easy questions first and then spend the left over time to push your scores up.

kan : should we separately apply for different NITs and IITs??
asim : Yes, if you are interested.

venkatsinghal : Sir can you please suggest some important topics in QA which are frequently asked and need to be thoroughly studied from CAT point-of-view???
ulhas : I suggest that you should focus on all your strong areas and I hope these will be enough if you have been preparing for the last 6+ months seriously. Nobody can predict with any accuracy which questions will be asked in your slot

nitin : sir ! my CAT xam is on oct. 14th , am still left out with 6 CRT's and 7 MC's and running AIMCAT's .If am going to give single test every day ...i will not get any time for the repeatation .... please help me out ....any plan to follow other than this ? pls answer
aju : U cud alternate crts and MC interspersing with aimcats, crts should all be covered

100abc : sir last 30 days for me.....! my slot is 25th oct. from now what should be my strategy, (apart from takin tests) because in aimcats i was hovering around 75-80%ile..........!! want to increase .......in remaining aimcats. dnt want to fall in the region of 80%iles in cat cz it is equivalent to nothing........!! ill not get any good colleges with such marks
krishnakumar : You can raise your levels significantly by doing smart prep over the next 30 days. Identify areas where you need to improve and focus on them. That could be chapters in QA or certain types of questions in VA like say para jumbles or a subsection in itself like RC. Do go through the CAT papers from 1999 to 2008, available on your student page

shaan : @asim sir,my reading speed is apprx 200w/p.
asim : Prepare with online sectional tests,mock cats,crts and the AIMCATs.

chaithu : tss murthy sir,what is the last 30 days preperation strategy for the cat ,those who starts the preperation now? please answer the question.
tssmurty : For those who start the preperation now, can prepare much as they can. But, also think over why and how others have been preparing for over a year.

a2k : What topic in LR should we give more importance considering recent CAT.I have covered all topics.
krishnakumar : Almost all the topics like Seating, Distribution, Selections, Binary, order seq, venn dia....

mrblue : Sir, I'm still getting only about 50% of RC questions correct. will reading non-fiction articles for 1 hour daily be sufficient for RC? plz suggest a source for RC questions.
tssmurty : You should try out the SM, Handouts and Online Tests for passages. For general reading, articles from Dailies, Magazines and online stuff. You regular reading helps immensely.

sabri : sir my avg percentile is around 70. Further i am very confused , should i just give mocks and old cat papers or first finish the new booklets and handouts given. These handout although are supposed to be completed in 30 mins but i take almost double . Please guide me how to go about it..... plzzzz reply
krishnakumar : Trust you have gone through the basic books ie the 1st set of materials and the foundation level tests at least. Move on to the medium level tests and simultaneously start reviewing mocks. Go through old CAT papers as part of the final leg of prep

nitin : sir ! how much time should be spend on each rc ?
aju : Least possible provided u don't compromise on accuracy

cattopper : sir as i m getting 75-80 percentile in aimcats, which colleges I should apply to for assuring my admission this yr itself. i hv left job n jobless now. pls consider my preparation level remains same.
asim : Please participate in the SEP 28 Chat session on B-School selection

pnc : sir, in which order i should analyse - MCs,CRTs,sectional and AIMCATs..?
ulhas : If you have enough time to all, then suggested order - sectional, MC, CRT and AIMCATs

shubhrans : @ krishnakumar sir my aimcat percentiles are very less how shuold i improve in cat please help
krishnakumar : Start off by identifying areas which are relatively better for you and where you are very weak. Look at the number of days to CAT and fix up a schedule. Make sure that you do the foundation level and intermediate level tests in areas where you are weak. Critically analyse the AIMCATs you take from now on, for a start. Also, go through the CAT papers from 1999 to 2008 , on your student page and CRT papers 1 to 5 as they replicate recent CAT papers. That will help you relate well with CAT level qns.

harini : Sir,but while doing in house also i take more time..
vjs : Take more mocks you can see the improvement.

anu : in nmat der is no negative marking.. so to go wid accuracy or attempt more Questions..?? accuracy is low in verbal..
krishnakumar : Avoid wild guessing. Attempt questions you know, carefully, to build up your score. Take a chance with qns which you don't have a clue about and move on quickly. Practice by taking NMAT papers

tushar : sir i am getting around 70-75 percentile in aimcats..what are my chances to get a call from an iim??
ulhas : You have a chance! You should really push your self hard in taking and analysing tests so that your question selection, time spent / question etc improves! All the best!

chaithu : i want to prepare 14 hours per day. my exam is on oct 25.is it possible to crack cat? please tell me the strategy sir, please help me sir..
aju : Don't burn out just before cat at least couple of days prior to cat try to relax, and it is surely possible to crack cat even now

chaithu : asim sir,i want to prepare 14 hours per day. my exam is on oct 25.is it possible to crack cat? please tell me the strategy sir, please help me sir..
asim : Analyze your aimcat performances and figure out areas that have been troubling you and work on those chapters/models/question types.If needed,collect your doubts and discuss them with a faculty member.

chaithu : vjs sir: i want to prepare 14 hours per day. my exam is on oct 25.is it possible to crack cat? please tell me the strategy sir, please help me sir..
vjs : This is the time to test how much you know so, take more mocks (Sectional/ comprehensive)and fine tune if any concept is left.Check are there any new concepts. Are you attending the AIMCAT discussions

samant : sir i gave cat 2010 , at that time there were different questions in QA section like upstream downstream, judgement inference kind of questions, but in this year's aimcat i didn't faced a single question of that kind. can we expect those questions now. How was last year's CAT pls elaborate.
aju : It is in line with present pattern of cat we have been observing, so u r safe with our aimcats

a2k : @Aju:Do ISB,GLIM,Dubai prog of SPJ and IMT provide admission in MBA prog for a person with 1 year exp?
aju : Have known of people with good GMAT scores with low work experience getting thru also if you have a good GMAT score now you can always apply after couple of yrs of work also

shaan : @asim sir, my reading speed is apprx. 200 wpm. how much time should i spend daily to improve it at this stage.
asim : Around 1-2 hrs. Read from diverse sources.

avian : @tsmurty-- i m writing CAT for the 1st time,i haven't gone through the SM still managed to get my aimcat scores over 80+ percentile every time,my QA is 92+,i want to improve my VA to push my score to next level,plez suggest me with a advise to work on.
tssmurty : Avian, please go through the following: One of the first steps to improving in VA is to improve your familiarity with the use of English. You must use all your reading, writing and speaking as practical applications of the grammar and vocab that you learn. Try to write and speak as correctly as possible. As for reading, please read as much as you can and, when you do, pay attention to the language - words used, sentence structure and paragraph structure. Build your vocabulary through your reading and support that with the flash cards and word lists. Once in a while, say, once or twice a week, take one of the larger paragraphs from what you read and treat it as a grammar exercise – examine different aspects of grammar and the role they play in sentence structure. One day look at subjects (whether nouns or noun phrases/clauses), one day at verbs, one day at modifiers, one day at prepositional use, and so on. This will really help, since you'll build familiarity the same way that you do with vocab. Approach to RC: In the exam, run through the question lines related to each passage (this will give you a rough idea of the content of the passage, and of the types of questions). Review, prioritise in order of relative comfort, and attempt. Read through the passage picked, quickly but carefully and completely, making notes as suggested. This will get you the (i) organisation of the passage (ii) the key ideas and thought-flow (iii) the central idea (iv) the style and (v) the tone. You may then be able to answer questions on these aspects, if any. For the other questions, you may require careful re-reading – the notes you make will help you identify, quickly, the bits that you want to re-read (from a little above to a little below). Consider meanings, implications (through vocab, grammar and structure), possible assumptions and possible derivations. Most important, don’t get stuck on a question. If it’s taking you too long (say, more than double the time you normally take) move on. Come back to it later if you have the time.

chaithu : ulhas sir ;my 10th-89%,12th-94%,b.tech-73%,no work ex. what is the minimum percentile to get into a descent good bschool?
ulhas : Suggest do not worry about the outcome since it dos not depend on you alone but also on how others perform! Put in your best efforts and take CAT with positivity and confidence! ATB!!

abcde : what are the cat percentiles for admission into nitie,jbibms and mdi?
ulhas : Right now, only decision you need to make it whether you should apply. Since you are interested, the answer is yes! Right now, focus on CAT preparation alone!!

shanmu14 : In CAT, are the wrong answers are penalized heavily during normalization of scores?
ulhas : There is no such information available so far

anu : for nmat pls pls..i beg.. giv me some tips..
asim : Except for the section on Logical Reasoning, all the other sections of NMAT get well covered with a good preparation for CAT. However, it would be advisable for a student to work on his/her speed mathematics as some of the questions under Data Interpretation tend to be calculation intensive. Also, 120 questions in120 minutes means that the candidate needs to be really quick in solving the questions. The questions in reasoning section of NMAT are: · Series, Analogies, Odd man out, Coding & Decoding, and Symbols & Notations · Analytical puzzles (Linear arrangement, Circular arrangement, Distribution, Comparisons and Selections) · Critical reasoning (Assumptions, Conclusions, Inferences, Strong & Weak arguments, Courses of action, Cause & Effect, Assertions and Reasons, Deductions, Input / Output, and Decision Making). The CAT students have received the reasoning Study Material - SM 1001308 and SM 1161206 (both with solutions). SM 1161206 covers the topics - Series, Analogies, Odd man out, Coding & Decoding, and Symbols & Notations. These topics were introduced to the CAT students in Logic Basics - 2 (LAHO 1001302). One can quickly get thorough with these topics by solving the exercises from SM 1161206. Particularly the questions based on Coding & Decoding and Symbols & Notations test the speed of the students. SM 1001308 has one exercise for each of the topics in analytical puzzles. There was a thorough discussion of each of these kind of puzzles in Logic Basics - 1 (LAHO 1001301) and in LAPEs and LATs. Among the critical reasoning topics, Assumptions, Conclusions, Inferences, and Strong & Weak arguments were discussed in LR classes for CAT students. For the topics, Courses of Action, Cause & Effect, and Assertions & Reasons, if the students want to refer to some extra material apart from the T.I.M.E. Material, he / she can take the help of Critical Reasoning book authored by M.K. Pandey. The questions based on deductions are different from the deductions questions given in CAT. These questions need to be solved using Venn Diagrams. For these questions and Input / Output & Decision Making questions, students can refer to the reasoning book authored by R.S. Aggarwal. However, these extra materials should be referred to only after the student has exhausted the T.I.M.E. Material. Finally, T.I.M.E.’s OMETs for NMAT are perhaps the best source for preparation.They come very close to the actual NMAT entrance exam paper and one should give maximum importance to these question papers as they give sufficient exam practice to the candidates. The candidates can accustom themselves to the NMAT pattern by taking these mocks.

aimcat2012 : Hello sir/mam my cat is on 25th october and i m getting around 63 64 in the last few aimcats ?? Aiming for the top bschools so Please guide me what should be my strategy from tday onwards for a better performance . While giving an aimcat i always think i hav done well and will score around 90's but end up in 60's.
ulhas : Please do a thorough analysis of each AIMCAT and identify at least 2-3 action areas. How to analyse AIMCATs - guidelines are on the SHP.

nitin : sir! my final CAT is on OCT 14th .I need to revise all the AIMCAT's I have given so far ... shall i repeat them now or one week before the CAT xam .I am consistent with my score now. please help me out
krishnakumar : Take CRTs and go through the actual CAT papers on your student page. Unwind and relax during the last 2-3 days leading to the exam

a2k : Sir,I took CAT last year.Some of the qs, I encountered were from Trigo-formula based,In RC tones and all.What I meant to ask is that some qs which appeared to me in CAT last year, I did not see them featuring in any AIMCAT this year.How should we prepare for those?
krishnakumar : Had these types in AIMCATs. Pls check

pnc : my cat is on 30 oct...should i analyse all MCs,CRTs,sectional and AIMCATS.
asim : Revise all your basics and then do few of them(with proper analysis). Do not take a mock test 1-2 days before CAT as that could demotivate you(in case your performance is not upto the mark).Best wishes.

abcde : sir, whenever i attempt aimcats and analyse them later there are always marks worth 12-15 which i could have got..calculations are wrong eg 45/135=25% wrong reading of ques or answer options..no matter how hard i try to improve them a new one arises everytime..what if this happens on the d-day?
ulhas : Most of us are human and make mistakes but only some of us repeat it. As long as you are not repeating your mistakes, you are learning and it should help you to make lesser mistakes in CAT

chaithu : ulhas ; till now i an not prepared properly,but i want to prepare 14 hours per day. my exam is on oct 25.is it possible to crack cat? please tell me the strategy sir, please help me sir..
ulhas : If you study for 14 hours a day with 80%+ concentration for the next 30 days, you should do well in CAT provided you cover all test areas adequately!

kan : my aim cat scores fluctuates around 60 to 90 % ile how to tgt more than 95?
aju : No straight forward answer to this, technically if you reduce negatives and increase your positives you should improve and do well

shubhrans : @krishnakumar sir solving mocks,online tests will be far more effective than revising the whole quant basic material again.plz reply
krishnakumar : Need to move on and get used to questions of medium level difficulty

avian : what is the minimum percentile for a general category student to get a call from IIM A B C L nd how many times he can attempt the test ?
ulhas : There is no limit on the no. of attempts! CAT %ile is not the only parameter for short-listing, hence %ile alone can't be predicted!

chaithu : aju sir: till now i an not prepared properly,but i want to prepare 14 hours per day. my exam is on oct 25.is it possible to crack cat? please tell me the strategy sir, please help me sir..
aju : Start preparing realistically and then working up to 14 hours, best of luck, u can surely do it

chaithu : vjs sir: till now i an not prepared properly,but i want to prepare 14 hours per day. my exam is on oct 25.is it possible to crack cat? please tell me the strategy sir, please help me sir..
vjs : At least not Zero!!Do all the AIMCATs and recognize your wkness and work on those concepts.See the improvement in each AIMCAT.

kan : asim sir , should is dat after cat result r b fore?
asim : Please watch their website for their admission notification details(till now they have not released one)

anu : from wer wil get nmat papers??
krishnakumar : Online on your student page

007 : sir how to prepare for cubes and venn diagrams....and what was the cat cut off for nirma and its average package....
asim : Solve LAHO-5 paper that deals with cubes, apart from this solve the exercise from the booklet provided to you.

shubhrans : @asim sir my cat is on 31st oct solving the quant material again would be useful or analysing all aimcats and crts would do good
asim : If your basics are pretty clear then work with mock cats,crts and the AIMCATs.

a : any idea about MDI cutoff ? Is work ex. also mandatory for it ?
asim : Please participate in the chat session on 28 sep on B-School selection.

kan : I have my CAT on 18th Oct. Can you please suggest the proper Time table ? am good at qunt and want to improve other sessions
aju : If you r already good in quant you can certainly improve faster in di hencE work on same. Also for logic section make sure I attempt all quant oriented logic questions for mocks

anu : last min revision tips for nmat.. pls guide..
tssmurty : 'Time Management' while taking each section. Be smart at it.

chaithu : aju sir, but what is the strategy to prepare fot 30 days at 14 hours per day? please sir, please give me a plan.
aju : If you r actually planning on putting Upton 14 hours, you should mix concept learning with test taking in between, also mix areas you prepare on else you will feel bored quickly, also try group study

cat12 : sir , hw to improve on grammar section ?
asim : Work with V102 booklet, later on try few online sectional tests.Collect your doubts and discuss them with a faculty member.

hear : my profile 10th,12th cbse 93.2, 89.6, ug nit 85.3, exp 2yrs general category aimcats 85-99percentiles oflate 94. my chances
ulhas : V Good!

chaithu : ulhas sir:but what is the strategy to prepare fot 30 days at 14 hours per day? please sir, please give me a plan.
ulhas : Please study one test area for two hours and take a break for 15 minutes. Spend more time on your weaker areas. Take at one test per day and analyse it thoroughly.

venkatsinghal : Sir, is it very necessary to solve the 2nd set of study material that we've got? Because I'm yet to start with the 2nd set, and I'm done with the 1st set (QA, DI & LR). Now I spend most of my time analyzing AIMCATs and solving sectional tests. Should I continue or go for the 2nd set?? My avg %ile in AIMCATs is 93-95 %ile, but I'm unable to go beyond this mark!
krishnakumar : That is the way to go. AIMCAT analysis will help you identify weak areas/ concepts that need brushing up. Take CRTs and actual CAT papers as the final build up to CAT

a : Is there any sectional cut off for SP JAIN Mumbai ? If so, any estimate .
ulhas : No since they also give profile-based calls

mj : @tssmurty sir.okay then 220 wpm vs 80% accuracy is good? Which can I improve fast, speed or comprehension, given that I have 40 days for CAT?
tssmurty : Fine. Try and better your comprehension now, because with your existing level of skills you need to maximise your score.

ashu : With only 3 Aimcats remaining, is it favourable to change our strategy aur stick with the old one which we are following till now..??
ulhas : If your strategy is working satisfactorily, don't change it now!

vfv : does the cat tests on the topics like calenders,cubes I didnot prepare them at all because I heard they are not asked in the actual cat
ulhas : Please do.

chaithu : sir is it better to do all the online sectional tests, with 50% basic concepts? is it helps for me?
ulhas : Tests help you to asses your preparation and strengths. How must time spend on basics will be known to you based on your test performance.

dlca2a566 : i m nt able to solve cubes and binary logic questions how to do well in this area..?
ulhas : Please seek help from faculty members.

swapniliit : Sir, I read economist and outlook and also newspapers. Is reading a financial paper a must?
ulhas : No

chaithu : krishna kumar sir:till now i an not prepared properly,but i want to prepare 14 hours per day. my exam is on oct 25.is it possible to crack cat? please tell me the strategy sir, please help me sir..
krishnakumar : Ulhas has already answered this qn

vfv : does work exp matters a lot in cat as i see all the iims are demanding it
ulhas : If you have it, good! If you don't have it, word harder to do better in CAT!

chaits : sir, what is the best way of dealing with grammar questions espicially where we have to find grammatically correct answers and how do we improve upon that??
ulhas : Thoroughly revise Grammar basics using V102 and SCHOs. Re-attempt all grammar Qs from the tests to build application skills.

ngcc2x104 : sir i missed out on handouts actually...will the second set of materials suffice for that along with sectional intermediate and advanced
krishnakumar : Focus more on the sectional tests and use the 2nd set as back up for areas where you feel you need more practice

sankeerthana : sir i am weak at quant..especially geometry..please give me some tips on how to improve my performnce in quant..am doing good in other sections..
vjs : Write down all the statements and and learn them with proper understanding then try out questions from SM then CRTS and then AIMCATs

mrblue : what is the selection criteria for spjain? does profile-based selections mean that i have no chance this year as i have no work experience??
asim : They look at acads also(for profile based calls), few freshers with v.good academic background too get profile based calls.

cattopper : sir, thou' i know cat is highly unpredictable, pls tell me how less or more tough aimcats generally are when compared to cat. M asking as I am appearing in cat in the 1st time n m bit nervous
ulhas : AIMCATs are of different difficulty levels. It is unlikely that CAT will be significantly more difficult than AIMCATs

venkatsinghal : Sir, I've been consistently scoring @93-95 %ile in AIMCATs. But nowadays with @ 30 days to go for my CAT exam, I find myself in a confused state. I'm unable to decide what to do - solve online sectional tests/study material/speed tests/MockCATs/AIMCAT analysis, etc etc. Eventually, I end up wasting a lot of time thinking more and studying less. Please help me Sir!!
aju : This is something which happens to some people especially if you are a person who desperately want to do well and believes in leaving no stones unturned.so first thing is-relax, u r on the right track. With that realisation do an optimisation I'm you're preparation by focusing on what is most needed for you and concentrating on maximising your strengths. Maintain some balance between test taking and preparation, rest will be all right

helo : does indian school of bussiness hyderabad have entrance test?how does one get inti ISB?
tssmurty : You need good GMAT score and some work exp. Please visit its website.

aimcat2012 : Sir even in the ost's in the basic section getting around average or good score and In VA sometimes Below average . So I should continue giving the OST's and analyse my performance or shud again go through the basic SM and den come back to the OSt's ?
tssmurty : Answer 2 or 3 OSTs and you'll know whether you need to brush up your basics. If so, go through those parts of the SM which need some help.

venkatsinghal : Sir please answer both my questions. I've posted both of them twice each!!!
aju : Check transcript for answer

tushar : sir i have achieved around 80% accuracy in v.a section..also iam able to cross cut offs in va almost every time..but i want to score more than that and reach the toppers list..how do i go about for that extra mile??
tssmurty : Concentrate on your accuracy levels and do pay attention to the kind of mistakes you make and learn your lessons. Consider all your wrong attempts and analyse them for the reasons why you made mistakes in each one of them. Learn from your mistakes and observe your weak areas. Improve on them by spending more time on them. this analysis helps you.

vfv : I m very confused .....I read a question if i get stuck between the 2 options i leave it to do it in the buffer time as a result i can atttempt less no ques whereas my friend more no of ques with less accuracy than mine still good percentile
tssmurty : If you are stuck between two choices, identify the difference between the two choices—now, there will be some difference, be it specific, or general. After noting the difference, recheck/reconsider as to what the question seeks; surprisingly, the answer becomes clear here. If it is not clear yet, keep the 'difference' and 'what' the question seeks in mind and re-read the passage to check what it 'says' about the difference. If the answer still does not 'reveal' itself to you, YOU MUST BE STUCK BETWEEN TWO 'WRONG' CHOICES! Rechek your refuted choices again.

salma : Hello sir i heard that for Nc-obc 75 to 80 % is enough to get a call from selected IIMs. Is it true ??
asim : Last year the cutoff for the new 6 IIMs was 70.5 percentile.

sankeerthana : sir i have 92% in 10th..96.4% in intermediate and 77% in graduation.i am going to join infosys in december. what should be my percentile in cat as i am aiming for top b-schools
aju : Top schools ask for 90+ to 99+ aim for it

cattopper : ulhas sir, going by trends, cat will be easier than aimcat. one can expect so sir? n sir, one more thing. doing solutions of aimcats thoroughly will b enough?
ulhas : CAT will not be easier than all the AIMCATs since AIMCATs difficulty level varies from AIMCAT-to-AIMCAT! If you can solve each question of every AIMCAT without the solution, it will be even better!

chaithu : krishna kumar sir,: my 10th -88% ,12th-94% and b.tech -73%,no work ex. what is the minimum percentile required in cat to get a descent good bschool?
krishnakumar : Chaithu, pls don't spam by asking the same question to all the people who are answering the chat. You have been doing it multiple time. That is not fair to others who are asking qns. By the way, what do you mean by a "decent B school". Pls give a couple of examples so that I can reply

chaithu : ulhas sir:my 10th -88% ,12th-94% and b.tech -73%,no work ex. what is the minimum percentile required in cat to get a descent good bschool?
ulhas : Seek help regarding B-school applications separately.

dlca2a566 : a vague question but still i ask u,,normally how many questions we need to solve and get them correct in cat exam?
ulhas : As many as you can!

salma : At this time if i prepare all the aimcats and all the online sectional test will it be sufficient to fetch good marks ??
asim : Only if your basics are clear, or else first work on your basics.

peekz : sir, my cat exam on 30th... i havent yet taken any of the CRTs... is saving the CRTs till AIMCATs are over a bad idea....????
krishnakumar : start taking them in between the remaining AIMCATs and keep 3-4 towards the end

dlca2a566 : what do u actually mean by profile based calls......... is the %ile not considered?i mean what is it?
krishnakumar : they will look at other factors like accadas in 10th, 12th degree etc, outstanding achievements in extra currics, work exp etc

chaithu : krishna kumar sir: like t.a pai,wellingkar and gim
krishnakumar : 85+

saibaba : how to calculate d percentiles in missed aimcats since time doesnt provide it
ulhas : Use interpolation from all-India comparitive sheet!

shanmu14 : If the work experience is less than 3 months at the time of applying, are we still considered as freshers??
ulhas : less than 6 months on 31st Dec

lipu : so give me tips for VA
tssmurty : Already answered. Please go through the char transcript.

shubhrans : @krishna kumar sir i take 5 hours to analyse aimcats?
krishnakumar : cut it down to around 2 - 2.5 hrs

ashu : Ulhas Sir, Can you please suggest the preparation strategy for VA Section for the next 30 days. I have scoring between 20-40 in AIMCATs in VA....
tssmurty : Concentrate on your accuracy levels and do pay attention to the kind of mistakes you make and learn your lessons. Consider all your wrong attempts and analyse them for the reasons why you made mistakes in each one of them. Learn from your mistakes and observe your weak areas. Improve on them by spending more time on them.