Disclaimer : Please take the suggestions mentioned below at your own risks; they are tried and tested

but so is the online CAT. Considering that in the next 10 days, I would be leaving for IIM L, it would be tough to answer individual queries as I want to enjoy the limited days of freedom before hel(L) takes me over. I am writing a global post which might help some. Let me set a benchmark first Any score below 29 Correct and 0 wrong, won't get a 100%ile in sec-1. Ideally, only a 30 correct will bring a 100%ile. 29 correct and 1 wrong will get a %ile of around 99.93. So, know your target and realize that it isn't a cakewalk and be prepared to work hard. Let us look into Quants Know your enemy :21-22 questions. Around 10 very easy, 5 moderate, 4-5 tricky, 2-3 tricky and tough. By tough, I don't mean olympiad level. Except for 1 to 3 questions from PnC and Probabilty, all the questions are from the mathematics syllabus upto class-10. Time: It is enough if one does not get stuck in a tricky question. If no lead in 1 min then skip the question. Stage-1 Symptom : 1)Do not recall the theorems from geometry, mensuration, algebra etc. 2) Have to use pen to calculate tables upto 20, squares upto 30, cubes upto 20, square roots upto 20 and cube roots upto 10. Cure: 1) Learn the tables upto 20, squares upto 30, cubes upto 20, square roots upto 20 and cube roots upto 10. It is shameful if the answer to 17*7 does not come instantly to your mind. 2) Solve the basic QA material - Arun Sharma or Time material. Don't waste a lot of time, try to finish in 2-3 weeks. Skip questions which seems solvable. 3) Maintain a notebook of all the formulas. Stage-2 Symptom : 1) Basics are clear. 2) Speed is slow. Cure: 1) Solve questions mentally, without using pen. It will take time for the effect to be visible but is the single most effective way of improving speed. 2) Never get into the trap of vedic maths. Waste of time and low ROI. Moreover, it takes time to become a habit and under stress situation read CAT, old habits aka normal calculation methodology resurfaces. Stage-3 Symptom :

2) Do not have any weakness. Speed is decent. 2) Speed sucks. Cure: 1) Pray day and night . 2) QA questions are heavy with Number System. 3) Solve last 10 year CAT papers. At times. so be careful and attempt them after attempting easy questions. Low accuracy. One of the set will be very easy. Just appearing in mocks won't help. Generic suggestions:1) Data Sufficiency questions are tricky. If you get a question wrong then look for the mistake and never repeat it again. Stage-2 Symptom : 1) Basics are clear. Be really good at these three topics. Stage-4 Symptom : 1) Things are perfect in mocks. Analyze your performance. So that you are not normalized. even after dedicating time to them Cure: 1) Practice a lot. do not have any weakness. Keep it simple and stupid. Geometry and Algebra. Be prepared to solve a seater from any topic. time taking and have a high chances of getting wrong. one set can be very tough. 4) Solve previous year mocks and analyze your performance. I repeat. 4) Don't get into the trap of too many shortcuts and complex formulas. 2) Calculation speed sucks. The questions are very basic. Stage-1 Symptom : 1) Have no idea of basic charts eg: pie charts and graphs eg: line graph. bar graph etc. Last set may be from Set theory/Venn diagram or anything generic. 3) Do not prepare at random. .1) 2) 3) 4) Basics are clear. other two will be moderate. Cure: 1)Solve basic DI material of any coaching institute. Let us look into DI Know your enemy :8-9 questions spread over 3 sets One of the sets will check calculation acumen and will involve operations on big numbers One of the sets will check visual acumen and will have charts and graphs. No clue in 5-6 questions.

It was my weak area and I hadn't worked a lot on it. I never had awesome speed and my average attempts in mocks used to be around 22-24 questions. Google some article to know more. They have all possible DI sets and have good questions.) 5 mins passed with zero attempts. when actually the basics and question selection skills are not developed very well. So my final suggestions are:- . 4) Expertise at judging a set or a question as tough will come with practice. Decide on your comfort level and then solve in the order of easy to hard. Attempted rest of the QA questions except for one. are unable to own the QA section of CAT. Generic suggestions:1) Have a look at all the sets first. My experience in sec-1 of CAT'11 1st question. Skip it. but I always used to analyze the questions from mocks. could not solve. They are unrealistic . 11 minutes remaining with 29 attempts. Mocks like every good thing has some flaws. suddenly I recalled a method and the answer was one of the options and the method made sense. Stage-3 Symptom : 1) Basics are clear. 3) Low accuracy. 2) Skip a set as soon as you realize that it was actually tough. One of the questions in some sets is quite tough. Stage-4 Symptom : 1) Things are perfect in mocks. Asked myself to be calm. Felt the pressure. Last 2 mins.Cure: 1) Learn the art of approximation and mental calculation. Marked the last question. Attempted all DI questions. Took deep breath. Cure: 1) Pray day and night . Cure: 1) Solve last 10 years CAT papers. This question was from Probability. because CAT checks basic and demands speed and accuracy. Being pro at solving tough questions never helps and it is proved by the fact that people who own the Quant thread on PG and nail those tough questions. So that you are not normalized. Sec-1 of mocks is tougher than that of actual CAT. 1 question remaining. The ratio and proportion chapter of Arun Sharma QA will help a lot in this. 2nd question could not solve(read it wrong. 3) Not necessary to solve all the questions of the three sets. Had 17 mins remaining. Focus on having your basics clear. Solved 3rd question then 4th. Revised all the questions. Attempted all QA questions except 3-4 questions. 2) Unable to solve all questions. People will kill previous year mocks and lot of questions get repeated in mocks from previous year and hence score unrealistic percentiles. 2) Then practice mocks and sectionals.

S.P. which I will update after sometime.S.who posts tougher questions and who solves it faster. P.1) Never panic. 3) Don't waste too much time on solving tough questions.87 (sec-1: 99.93 sec-2: 95. 4) Keep your basics clear. Moreover. . Don't ask me to mail the materials. Specially on threads where the competition is . I don't have the time and net speed at present. 5) Not learning from mistakes is suicide. Half of the mistakes are because of not understanding the question properly. 2) Do not have any weakness. P. Abhishek Sharma IIM Lucknow 2012-2014 CAT'11 : 99. 6) Read the question very carefully. ATB. So stop being a freerider and put some effort by using Google. Few more things to add. everything is easily available.15) Member : Pagalguy Dream Team 2011. CAT is all about nerves.