Can I crack CAT through solving previous year papers? Undoubtedly, the Common Admission Test, commonly referred to as CAT, has been one of the most daunting and competitive entry tests in India in recent decades, acting as a ticket to major Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other highly ranked business schools in the country.
Aspiring students preparing to sit in it are often looking for various ways in which they can confront and prepare effectively for this examination. One common method is by solving previous year papers. This article will elaborate on the importance of solving CAT previous year papers, whether they are good enough to crack CAT exam, and give some tips for their effective usage.
How Past Year Papers Help in CAT Preparation
It has been a tried-and-tested methodology wherein solving previous year question papers has helped many aspirants succeed in competitive exams. The CAT is no different, and there are several ways in which past papers can be instrumental in your preparation:
- Familiarity with Exam Pattern and Structure: Solving past year CAT papers gives an insight into the exam pattern. Practicing old papers allows you to have an idea of how the sections - VARC, LRDI and QA - are structured, question types, and mark distribution. When you solve these in a chronological order, you will easily spot that the toughness of the paper varies as per the requirements of the committee.
- Identifying Important Topics: Going through the previous year's paper allows you to observe the repetition of a theme or topic that commonly comes in the exam. This prioritizes your schedule of study with more emphasis on high-yield areas while covering all necessary topics.
- Time Management: CAT is as much about speed as it is about accuracy. Previous year papers are good to practice the way you manage time. It gets you closer to the actual exam environment and thus is good at helping you develop the skill of time management across different sections effectively. Using past CAT papers, you get the best estimate of your time expenditure across various blocks and you can compare the same with your accuracy.
- Confidence Booster: There is a psychological advantage in solving previous year's papers. As one does practice and starts performing well, one builds a lot of confidence. Anxiety on the day of examination reduces and one can perform under pressure. This is arguably the best benefit of the past CAT papers.
Benefits of Solving Old Question Papers
Besides knowing the pattern and also perfecting the time management, solving previous year papers provides a host of additional advantages such as:
- Self-Assessment and Benchmarking: Previous year papers act as a benchmark with which you are able to gauge the level of preparation you are at. You will be able to recognize your strengths and weaknesses once you analyze your performance on those papers. This provides you with an opportunity to modify your study plan and emphasize areas where improvement is needed.
- Practicing with Actual Exam Questions: Unlike mock tests designed by coaching institutes, previous year papers contain actual questions which appeared in the CAT. This gives you a real feel of what to expect on exam day and prepares you for the specific nuances of the CAT.
- Understanding the evolution of the exam: The pattern and difficulty level of the CAT have changed over the years. Doing a set of past papers helps you understand how the exam has evolved and adjusts your method of preparation.
- Increased Stamina and Concentration: CAT is a long and mentally exhaustive test. Solving previous years' papers regularly will help develop the stamina and concentration to sustain high performance through the length of the test.
Can You Crack CAT by Only Using Old Papers?
While solving previous year papers is doubtless helpful, dependency on them alone is not desirable if a high percentile in CAT is your aim. Here's why:
- Limited coverage of syllabus: CAT is a dynamic exam; its syllabus is huge. Previous year papers cover only a subset of potential topics. Sole reliance on them may leave you underprepared for topics that have not been heavily tested in the past but could appear in future exams. For example, for decades, Logs was considered a 'redundant' chapter. Aspirants used to skip the topic until one year, the CAT paper setters decided to give 4-6 questions from Logs alone. If you have the time, do not leave anything but double down on your strengths.
- Lack of Conceptual Clarity: Practicing previous year papers can help you practice what you already know, but that may not be good enough to build a deep understanding of fundamental concepts. A sound conceptual understanding is needed for solving innovative and difficult questions for which CAT is known.
- Unable to handle new types of questions: Many times, the CAT examination introduces new types of questions or tests certain topics in a different way. If you are only comfortable practicing old papers, it would be cumbersome when you get novel questions which require some really innovative approaches or advanced problem-solving skills.
Tips to Practice Effectively with CAT Past Papers
With the aim of getting the most out of solving previous year papers, here are some tips that should be kept in mind:
- Integrate into a Comprehensive Study Plan: Previous year papers will supplement a comprehensive study plan that involves learning concepts, mock tests, and practice questions. This will help ensure coverage of the entire CAT syllabus and building up a good conceptual foundation.
- Create a mock exam environment while solving previous papers: Do the paper at the same time and under the same conditions that you will face during your actual test. It teaches your body to be ready for that particular kind of marathon on the day of the exam.
- Appraise Your Performance: Once you have solved one paper, appraise your performance in detail. Try to find out what kind of questions bothered you the most, and go back to those concepts. Understand how and where you went wrong.
- Practice Regularly: Solve previous year papers consistently, for that would bring consistency in your speed, accuracy, and confidence.
- Multiple year Papers: Try practicing papers from multiple years to get a well-rounded understanding of the exam. This exposes you to a broader range of questions and difficulty levels.
Is Solving CAT Previous Year Papers Enough?
While solving previous year papers forms an important part of CAT preparation, it alone is inadequate to help the candidate sail through. One needs to adopt an integrated approach comprehensively-from mastering the fundamental concepts to developing problem-solving strategies and practicing a large assortment of questions.
For complete CAT preparation, previous year papers should be used along with other study materials like textbooks, online material, mock tests, and coaching guidance if required. If you adopt a holistic approach, you will have a greater chance of getting a high percentile and going to your dream business school. If you are looking for coaching material, try Cracku.
