If there is anything that would upset the confidence of the maximum number of CAT aspirants in any given year, then it would be the very mention of the name ‘Quantitative Ability’. This section of the CAT paper has undoubtedly, over the years, managed to evoke a very formidable image in the minds of anyone seriously vying for a berth at one of the prestigious IIMs or some of the other top MBA colleges in the country. But before we delve into the details of how to tame this monster of a section, let us look at what exactly it is and how it is relevant for an exam like the CAT.
To begin with, we need to understand that the name Quantitative Ability would be more appropriately thought of as ‘problem solving’ ability, something which, intuitively at least, everyone of us can relate to, without having to conjure up a gory mental image of complicated mathematical formulas, abstruse equations and a scratch paper that looks more like a mini battlefield, albeit doused with ink.
Yes, problem solving is something we all do, most of the time, the only exception being we use facts, common sense and our judgment instead of mathematical formulas, concepts and equations. The kind of expertise that an exam like CAT expects when it talks of Quantitative Ability is very unlike the dry, academic and vague kind which one would have encountered in their bulky mathematics text books during their school days and perhaps even later. The questions encountered in an exam like CAT are mostly application oriented and test ones grasp of the fundamentals in arithmetic and algebra and ability to use information/concepts in an integrated manner, i.e., questions often tend to be based on more than one topic and need a combination of concepts to crack them. For example a question may simultaneously involve concepts of both ‘Geometry’ and ‘Time, Speed & Distance’.
The questions usually do not get very technical in terms of the concepts but they are definitely challenging in terms of the manner in which one can
1. Comprehend the circumstances given
2. Correlate them to known concepts and then
3. Find the solution to the problem.
The actual solving process is rarely lengthy or complicated and it is the former two aspects that are the most critical to cracking the test.
Now the next logical question one would have is “How important is it that I know Quantitative Ability well?” or, more directly put, “What is the weightage given to Quantitative Ability in CAT?” The exact weightage of this section in the various management entrance exams varies between one-fourth to one-third of the total marks. CAT accords approximately one-third weightage to Quantitative Ability and almost all the IIMs and some of the top management colleges take this section quite seriously. These institutes have a Quant section cut-off that could be as high as 85 to 90 percentile. That means that one really has to manage a decent performance in this section – read figure among the top 10 to 15 percent of the test takers in terms of their score in the section – to be considered for the next stage of their selection process. While that may sound a bit intimidating, the fact is it is not as bad as it looks, especially because such performance sometimes translates into absolute score that could be as low as 20 to 25 percent of the maximum possible score in the section.
Therefore, one would be pleasantly surprised to know that, with CAT2009 expected to have as low as 20 to 25 questions in each section, just about six successful attempts should get one through the section, even if it is by the skin of one’s teeth!
Speaking more specifically about the topics covered in the syllabus for the Quantitative Ability Section of the CAT, one would have to enlist topics such as Numbers, Geometry, Permutations & Combinations, Simple Equations, Quadratic Equations, Progressions, Percentages, Profit and Loss, Time & Distance, Time & Work, Number Systems, Concepts of Functions & Graphs, Averages, Mixtures & Alligations, Indices, Logarithms & Surds, Trigonometry and Coordinate Geometry, etc. – the topics appearing roughly in above list the decreasing order of their average weightage in the section over the years. The first three to four topics in the above list, themselves, usually comprise about 40 to 50% of the section in terms of weightage.
Also, one needs to note that there is actually no official syllabus that the CAT committee prescribes or declares, and a whole variety of miscellaneous kinds of questions do keep appearing from time to time, which cannot be classified neatly into one or more of the above topics. But one can rest assured that the level of the concepts required to tackle all these topics is not much higher that of a 10th standard student, with an uncanny eye for application, of course!
Also, with the CAT going online this year, many would be very apprehensive about what to expect on the D-Day and as to how they will be able to perform, especially without the usual convenience of being able to scribble/draw and do calculations on the question paper itself. However, overcoming this setback is only a matter of practice, i.e., take enough practice tests online and remember that the case is the same for all the test takers and that sort of evens out the ground.
PAGE_BREAK
Now that we’ve gained an appreciation for what exactly is the Quantitative Ability Section of The CAT is all about, let us look a few last minute tips for preparation as well as the actual test taking.
With just under three weeks of time left, I would hope that you have already done most of the ground work required in terms of covering the basics and practicing the concepts for the D-day. If not, then you should be someone who is new to the CAT and is planning for a serious attempt in the next year or two – in which case, I would seriously recommend that you enroll for a structured training programme, with a reputed institute, keeping in mind the tremendous competition at least.
If you are planning to take the CAT this year and already have booked your appointment, then you would be anxious to figure out how best to spend the rest of your time before the test. As far as Quantitative Ability is considered, it is recommended that you brush up all your basics once in the next week and then take up the questions from your practice mocks in a topic wise manner. This way you will be able to capitalize on the learning from each question and apply it in the subsequent questions, thereby giving you a tremendous advantage in terms of optimum utilisation of time and effort. Also, this approach would help you learn more and remember more. Focus on the concepts and their application rather than on memorizing mere formulas.
Alongside this, it is also recommended that you keep yourself in good test taking condition by taking at least one sectional practice test in every two days and an equal number or full length practice tests too. Another important piece of advice is that given the short time left, try to capitalize on your strengths and not waste your time on topics that you are unfamiliar with or topics that have eluded you continually.
Therefore, strike a balance between starting on new/unfamiliar topics versus perfecting your abilities in those topics that you already are good at – keeping an eye out for the weightages of the topics. Hence, if you are not familiar with a not so important topic like Trigonometry, then simply let it go and forget about it, but if you are not familiar with an important topic such as Numbers or Geometry, then try to at least get a grasp of the basics, if not the advanced concepts or the difficult questions, within the limited time available. This is because there will always be a certain number of direct or simple questions in the Quant sections that are of an elementary level and identifying and cracking such questions is a major part of the game.
Now let us come to some tips that will help you during the exam time. Firstly, be disciplined in your approach, that is, stick to your time limits for each section, as it will help maintain a cool head and give you much required control and confidence during the test. Oftentimes, lack of discipline is the greatest negative factor that could pull down one’s performance. Secondly remember that there are no marks for trying and neither are there any extra marks for solving more difficult questions. Hence, make sure you do not waste your time on questions that either seem difficult or unfamiliar.
When you are tackling the Quant section, approach it in a group wise manner. This means that you first read through a group of three to four quant questions at a time, by using the ‘next’ and ‘previous’ buttons, before actually jumping into any of them. This will help you optimize your time and number of attempts. Out of about four questions consider attempting just around one or two questions, and more only if you find them doable or easy.
Also, while attempting any question, first put down all the given information in a neat and as structured a manner as possible, after which you will be in a position to decide whether you can proceed further or whether you should leave that question and move on. Also, try to check for alternative approaches like elimination/substitution of choices, which often save a lot of time and pay rich dividends. These can be mastered thorough practice. You should also actively mark questions for review, if you think that you may be able to solve them with some more effort, so that, time permitting, you could come back to look at them. This way, you would be working through the 20 to 25 questions in the quant section in around five to six groups of four questions each. And each group should take you about 5 to 6 minutes on an average, thereby leaving you with around 10 to 15 minutes of free time (out of the approximately 40 to 45 minutes that you could spare for the quant section).
And by then you should have already attempted anywhere from 7 to 10 questions already! In fact, this strategy, of managing about 10 to 15 minutes of spare time will work wonders for you if you can implement it well, wherein the extra time at the end will also yield about another 3 or 4 questions. Now with about a total of 10 to 14 attempts and an accuracy of even 70 per cent you can easily expect to not only clear the cut-off mark but actually manage an impressive score too.
At the end of the day, it is a level and cool headed approach that will make all the difference, so give it your best and do not worry too much about the result, at least not while you are giving the exam! Wishing you all the very best for the CAT.
(Article written by Sunil Kumar who has eight years of experience in teaching and guiding students. He is the Associate VP, R&D at T.I.M.E. and is responsible for the AIMCATs of T.I.M.E.)
Comments
0 comment