ENGLISH :

• Comprehension of passage ( Poems can also come). visit tutorial»

• Verbal Reasoning, Syllogisms , Contextual usage, Analogies, Antonyms, Fill In the
Blanks, Jumbled paragraphs with 4 or 5 sentences, Jumbled paragraphs (6 sentences
with first and last fixed), visit tutorial»
• Sentence Correction, Foreign language words used in English, Sentence completion,
Sentence correction, odd man out, idioms, one word substitution, Different usage of
same word etc.

QUANTITATIVE:

• Geometry, (Lines, angles, Triangles, Spheres, Rectangles, Cube, Cone etc) visit
tutorial»
• Ratios and Proportion, Ratios, Percentages, In-equations visit tutorial»
• Quadratic and linear equations visit tutorial»
• Algebra visit tutorial»
• Profit & Loss visit tutorial»
• Averages, Percentages, Partnership visit tutorial»
• Time-Speed-Distance, Work and time visit tutorial»
• Number system: HCF, LCM, Geometric Progression, Arithmetic progression, Arithmetic
mean, Geometric mean , Harmonic mean, Median, Mode, Number Base System,
BODMAS visit tutorial»
• Mensuration, Alligation & Mixtures, Work, Pipes and Cisterns visit tutorial»
• Simple Interest & Compound Interest
• Set Theory, Venn Diagram visit tutorial»
• Instalment Payments, Partnership, Clocks
• Probability, Permutations & Combinations visit tutorial»

Topics like Trigonometry, Vectors, Binomial Expansion, Co-ordinate geometry, Logarithm,

Calendar, Maxima & Minima Progression, Surds & Indices and Complex numbers are less likely
to be there in CAT , MAT etc but are likely to be there in JMET.

DI AND REASONING :

• Data Interpretation based on text, Data Interpretation based on graphs and tables.
visit tutorial»
• Graphs can be Column graphs, Bar Graphs, Line charts, Pie Chart, Graphs
representing Area, Venn Diagram, etc.
• Critical reasoning, Visual reasoning, Assumption-Premise-Conclusion, Assertion and
reasons, Statements and assumptions, identifying valid inferences , identifying Strong
arguments and Weak arguments, Statements and conclusions, Cause and Effect,
Identifying Probably true, Probably false, definitely true, definitely false kind of
statement, Linear arrangements, Matrix arrangements.
• Puzzles, Syllogisms, Functions, Family tree - identifying relationship among group of
people, Symbol Based problems, Coding and decoding , Sequencing , identifying next
number in series, etc.
GK/GA/BA :

• Current Affairs, Business, Punch line of companies, Top officials of big companies,
Major corporate events
• Famous award and prizes
• World Records
• Books and authors
• Science, History, Geography, International organisations
• Important quotations
• Social issues, Sports, Finance, Automobiles, Entertainment, Politics etc.

How to crack English section in CAT

November 11th, 2008 100Percentile Administrator Posted in CAT | No Comments »

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CAT 2008 is here and you are all tensed up! Cool down! With a composed approach,
focused mindset and consistent, smart preparation, CAT is not as difficult as it is
perceived.

CAT has evolved over the years. It has now become a test which has more meaning than
the earlier so-called intelligence per second test. With the time limit going up by 30
minutes, that is, a good 25 percent, CAT is now focusing more on the reasoning and
managerial abilities of the candidate.

Student categories

Coming to English, one can categorise students into three categories.

1. Those with strong English
2. Those with okay English
3. Those with weak English

Each category approaches the CAT differently.

The first category of students with strong English, will attempt the English section first,
allot more time to it and attempt maximum questions to increase the percentile. I have
seen candidates devoting 60 minutes and getting a net score of 40 which easily propels
them to 98 percentile and above (based on the difficulty level of CAT 2007), without
compromising on other sectional cut-offs.

The second category of students is likely to attempt the English section last, devoting
adequate time and attempting sufficient questions to clear cut-offs and get good marks.

The third category of students will focus only on cut-offs. Once they attempt a reasonable
number of questions to clear cut-offs, they move to their stronger areas. Here, students
tend to focus more on English usage rather than reading comprehension (RC) questions.
CAT English strategy

RC should not be attempted first or last. In the beginning there is usually a lot of
disturbance as candidates settle down and invigilators check the admit slips. Towards the
end you are under tremendous time pressure and the likelihood of errors goes up. It’s
better to attempt English usage at this time.

Students who feel RC or EU are their forte should attempt more of those questions. Don’t
guess wildly because the penalty is high – one-third plus the question you got wrong.
The English section of CAT tests your reasoning abilities. In the RC section, questions
tend to be tricky and the options are very close. If you have not been able to reason out
the passage and the author’s point of view, you will not be able to identify the right
answer. In CAT, reading speed is not that crucial but your capacity to read diverse topics
and comprehend them well is more important. If you have not developed the skill of
reading and understanding diverse topics then it is of no use. So, it is important that you
read a lot.

One should read editorials very carefully, make a summary and note it in a register.
Include new words you have come across with their meaning and usage. One should also
develop the knack of finding the meaning of words from its usage in the article.

Students who are aggressive readers, who have gulped information from all the books in
the PT library, are likely to score more in English. Their voracious reading habit will help
them not only in RCs but also in paragraph jumbles, critical reasoning, fill in the blanks,
parentheses etc. In paragraph jumbles, finding the right link is crucial for the right
answer. In fill-in-the-blanks and parentheses, understanding the sentence or paragraph
well is crucial to pick upon the right option.

Students who are late risers should practise and revise the material given to them by
100Percentile or PT Education. They should definitely allot 1-1.5 hours daily for reading
newspapers and business magazines. Please develop the habit of arriving at the themes of
whatever you read.

Earlier the emphasis used to be on vocabulary, but now the paper is moving more
towards deductive and inferential reasoning in language. So, it is a question of knowing
not only the meanings but also the correct usage.

Vocabulary is a concern area for many. If you read consistently, vocabulary should not be
a problem. Otherwise, you can master vocabulary through mnemonics and associations.

Grammar guidelines

Grammar is basically the set of rules governing a language. Is it necessary to know the
rules to master grammar?

Literal comprehension of the rule is necessary. Only repeated exposure (written and oral)
to the rule will make the rule stick in your mind. Therefore, practice exercises are a must.
Follow the rules even when you speak.
Exceptions to the rule can be a pain. Again, repeated exposure is the key. Remember, no
amount of exposure to the language is enough. English is not our native language and
secondly it is dynamic.

Read the sentences carefully. Do not get bogged down by difficult words. Focus on the
error.

Try working backwards from the options and eliminate the error-ridden sentences

A regular reader will develop a “feel” for the language and will immediately “sense” an
error. Verify it from the alternatives and pick the right option.

Cultivate the skill for intelligent guesswork to pick the most likely answer from the
options.

Remember, there is NO shortcut to grammar. So start by completing the basics of

grammar and continue practising by solving as many questions as possible.

You will need to put in consistent effort every day. All it takes is about 150 minutes of
focused English preparation every day to crack this section.

Go ahead and conquer CAT!

Courtesy: PT Education

Blog- 100percentile - http://blog.100percentile.com/mba/?p=143