Dear all,
Having taken the exam 4 times, I have a few thoughts which might aid your CAT prep.
There are nearly 6-7 weeks to CAT 2015. People get really serious post July when the notification comes out. The phase from now - July is mostly a lag phase for many. Try to formulate a plan to maximize your prep. The following could be a plan for CAT 2k15.
April - July end
Complete the basic books fully. Some of you might be enrolled in CL. Some in TIME. Finish off the respective basic books completely. It is better to stick to a single material. When people plan to finish both CL/ TIME materials, the task seems so cumbersome, that some give up. So first finish off your own basic books and if time permits, try solving from more sources. Do not mug up formulas/shortcuts. 'Understand concepts'. You should be able to explain any given concept in 'simple' language. Only then it truly implies, you had understood it. For QA, the key is practice and being comfortable with various types of problems. For QA, after solving the basic books, try to get hold of Total gadha ebooks for Number System and Geometry. They are very good.
DI seems intriguing, but trust me, It is the easiest and scoring region. Get comfortable with approximation techniques like,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2ZKP-Swn8E
Do not waste your time in Vedic math. DI just tests your ability to understand and work with the 'right' numbers..
For VA, I would recommend the following books,
http://www.amazon.in/Word-Power-Handy-Shalini-Verma/dp/8121928311
http://www.amazon.in/GMAT-Reading-Comprehension-Grail-Aristotle/dp/9350872862
The prices at Amazon are high :). You can get it much cheaper from various sources. Being good at Vocab, helped me to crack Fill in the blanks, reason out Para jumbles better. The RC Grail is the best resource for practicing RCS.
LR is a must-solve section in CAT. Try practicing various patterns of LR.
July - September end
Mocks would start during this time. Again taking multiple test series may not be great. I would recommend you to stick with CL and TIME. Write a maximum of 1 mock a week initially. Slowly increase it to 2. Spend multiple hours in analyzing a mock. If needed, I would let you know the way to analyze a mock. Take lot of sectional tests in this window. Time every question by yourself. Set targets and work towards them. Solve and understand previous year papers of CAT
Make a note of key questions/concepts in a separate notebook
September end - before CAT
Focus on revision and mock. Hold onto your nerves and revise standard type of questions.
Guys, Try giving all exams. Decide about joining a B-school only after
converting its GD-PI process.
Try forming a focused study group. You will learn immensely from your peers.
Good luck to you guys. You can contact me or @Budokai001 @balajiprince for any queries.
Derrick/ Bala, Please tag other guys too..
For starters from Chennai who are deciding on a coaching center, do check out CL Tambaram. It is a good center. Talk to them / Visit the center before making a choice.
Good luck folks 😃