MOCK CAT 5 (2006)
Overview:
With this Mock CAT you are halfway through the test series. Acknowledging the fact that the number of questions in CAT is dropping consistently in the past three years and that the time limit has just been announced 2.5 hours instead of 2 hours, the speed of solving questions and quick calculations are losing their significance. Thus, the focus is now on accuracy and consistency alone.
This paper was
difficult in the Quantitative section as well as the Verbal Ability section. The
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation section had an average difficulty index.
There were
125 questions in all, distributed over
three sections.
VA had three sub-sections having half a mark questions, one-mark questions and two marks questions.QA had one-markers and two markers divided into two sub-sections while LRDI had one mark and two-mark questions sprinkled over a single sub-section.
Wrong answers carried
negative marks equal to one-third of the marks allotted to the question.
Total time available to answer all the sections was
two and a half hours.
Executive Summary:
Strategies have been discussed at length in the analysis of the previous Mocks and at this point of time, it is assumed that you would have identified the "working strategy" for yourself and hence, we suspend the discussion of "ideal way to approach the paper" from this Mock CAT onwards.
The main thing that should always be remembered is that in order to do well in CAT and get the interview calls from all the IIM's and some other allied institutes, you must maximise your total score without forgetting to do equally well in all the sections.
The brief synopsis of the paper on which you can benchmark your performance is given below.
Section
Topic
Total Qs
Suggested Time
(in min.)
Possible number of attempts
Good Score
SIS Cut-offs
I A
Verbal Ability
20
10
10 12
17
15
I B
20
30
10
I - C
10
20
4
II A
Quantitative Ability
30
30
11 12
9
8
II B
10
15
3 4
III A
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation
35
45
14 17
12
10
Total
125
150
50 55
42
37
*Note: The number of attempts and the score has been worked out on the basis of the experts' insight on how the students would have taken the test and what score IIMs have been considering for dispatching the call letters. The correct cut-offs can be confirmed statistically only after seeing the actual performance of all of you.
SECTION I: READING COMPREHENSION AND ENGLISH USAGE
The paper was quite a contrast to the other sections in terms of its blend of questions.
There were a few questions that would have given you a feeling of
dιjΰ vu, where in you get thinking of that English section where one or more of these questions were discussed. (We sincerely hope, that in the process of reminisce, you also manage to get the right answer).
Questions 1 to 5
Contextual word questions:
The questions again were a blend of do-able and tricky ones. We recommend questions 4 to 5 for you. Though the first two questions seem very inviting, the options were quite close and invariably unless you are doubly sure of the answer, attempting these questions will only put you in a quandary.
Dictionary meanings:
Must attempts question 8 and 9.
Question 6 at its face value seemed very difficult and if you try and solve it, your conviction will only be verified.
Always go by the options while answering these kinds of questions and find one meaning you are sure of, and then try to match it on the basis of the answers given.
Passage question 10 to 14.
Did you even bother to read it? Or lets say, skim and scan through it. In case you did, then I am sure you would have been tempted to answer question 10, 12 and 13 out of which 10 and 13 we can safely say fall into the category of doables.
Unless, you have ever read Marlowe, attempting this passage would be a great gamblers risk that you are undertaking. May god help you!
Did someone talk to you about eclectic reading habits, and does that ring a bell now?
Questions 15 to 20.
It is like an English delicacy served on a grammar platter. You can't resist the temptation of attempting most of them and then ultimately realize your folly as you check the answers. Ultra confusing and a strict 'No, no', were question nos.15, 16 and 17. Try your hands on 18 and 19 and in all likelihood you will not be disappointed.
Passage questions 21 to 24.
An excellent passage provided you have drafted your strategy well. Please adopt Q-P-Q-P method (we are not going to get into details of this method after so many mocks) and then I guess you can sail through questions 21 and 23 with ease.
Para jumbles questions 25 to 28.
They also come in the form of a consolatory prize
at least 3 out of 4 questions were must attempts and the remaining which is question 28, should not have been attempted. Ideally, students are to get confused between options 1 and 4 here.
Questions 29 to 32.
Were quite easy for most of you. You can still wriggle out of the questions if you are an intelligent guesser and know meanings of the words, these questions should have been a cakewalk for you.
Not attempting them would in fact be an incorrect strategy here as these questions are must ones to help you pull up your scores.
Passage question 33 to 36.
A very easy and interesting passage. Most of the questions were must attempts and not answering them would have been a mistake.
Policy again for this would have been to attempt 33 and 35.
34 is easy (or at least doable) but students are likely to get confused between options 3 and 4.
Grammar questions 37 to 40
At least 3 questions on 4 are must attempts. Most of the questions despite their verbosity are solvable and are in fact a delight to solve. Some of the questions are even discussed in your classes, if not in the regular ones, then definitely in the revision classes.
Must attempts here would be 38 to 40. Question 37 despite, its brevity, is actually difficult.
Passage questions 41 to 44
Though it features in the 2-marker section, the passage is actually a very easy and interesting passage with all the questions being direct. All the questions, except the last one is doable. (in the last one, if you have decided to play the smart Alec, then in all likelihood you will get stumped in the process!! Remember, you are taking CAT and the surprises are not pleasant always).
Questions 45 to 47
Unless you know the meaning of the words, please don't risk attempting all these questions and getting most of them incorrect.
Questions 48 to 50Para completion
Quite a solace for all those who have been crabbing about the number of critical reasoning questions featuring in Mock CAT papers this time. Not this time, fortunately for you people, out of three, at least 2 were doable and must attempts. (Questions 48 and 50)
Tabular analysis of the English section
Type of Qs
No. of Qs
Difficulty level
Ideal no. of attempts
Contextual words
5
Confusing and difficult yet doable
2
Dictionary
4
Only the last two
2
Passage (Marlowe)
5
Tricky and very new
3
Grammar
6
Unfamiliar with most of you and tricky
3
Passage
4
Moderate and tricky
2
Para jumbles
4
Easy
2
Contextual word
4
Very easy and must attempt
3
Passage
4
Moderate
3
Grammar
4
Please attempt.
2
Passage
4
Tricky and interesting and must attempts
3
Idioms
3
Nah
unless you know it!
1
Para completion
3
Easy and must attempt
2
Overall
50
Average
27
A score of
16 18 is a good score for this section.
Help
17 (+10) 27
The other 5 numbers would be (+12) 39 (+14) 53 (+16) 69 (+1
Linear Mode
