The other day a student remarked, “All these years I’ve taken so many different exams— subjective and multiple choice, with negative marking and without, in familiar or unfamiliar surroundings— but they were always paper based. We all were made to sit on separate benches in a school or college classroom and there were one or two supervisors to help us and monitor us. As long as I knew the subject, I was always sure I could crack the exam. But, this time it is different. The CAT is going online! I am not sure how I will fare.”
This seems to be a fear in the minds of many students this year. The CAT this year may be your first experience of a real online test; with CAT already being a tough test, it's natural that you are anxious. Let's see what you can expect in the CBT-CAT and try to alleviate this anxiety.
The Test Taking Interface
The test-taking interface will have the questions and their alternatives and you will have to choose an answer by clicking on the correct alternative. Make sure that you practice as many computer based mock CATs as you can.
Sectional time limits have not been seen in the CAT for some time now but the CAT is known for its ability to surprise students -- it's best to be prepared for all eventualities. In case there are sectional time limits, you may not get to jump between sections while attempting the paper.
A timer is a common feature on all computer based tests. Use the timer, but avoid looking at it every now and then, lest it unnerves you.
Attempt Free Mock CAT in CBT-CAT Player
The Questions
Conceptual clarity and application skill is required just as much for an online test. But there are a few functional things that can adversely affect your performance in the CBT, if you do not have sufficient practice.
Let us take a look at each of the three sections of the CAT, and the impact that a computer-based format can have.
Quantitative Ability
The questions in the QA section are typically short. So there will be no major difference in the way in which these questions should be attempted. However, instead of doing your rough work on the question paper itself, you need have to practice doing your rough work on separate sheets of paper.
For geometry-based questions you may be used to making notes and marking values on the diagram provided in the question paper itself. But now, you may have to sketch out these diagrams on your rough paper and then work on them. This may take a while if there are a lot of geometry questions – practice making quick sketches of figures in geometry questions.
Your ability to solve questions mentally, rather than by putting pen to paper, will help you a lot. Learn multiplication tables, squares and cubes to 30, all relevant formulae and reciprocal percentages well.
Free Lesson on Quantitative Ability
Data Interpretation
If the tables, charts and caselets are very long, you might spend a lot of time scrolling back and forth. You can work these questions out faster by following these steps:
1. Read the data and understand it well. Summarise the heads in the data in the rough sheet so that you have a list of what is available for ready reference.
2. Read all the questions related to the table, chart or caselet to get a clear idea of how the common data is to be processed.
3. Then go back to the data and extract whatever information is needed. If the data table or chart is small enough, you might even consider copying it on paper.
Free Lesson on Data Interpretation
Verbal Ability
Reading comprehension forms a large part of the Verbal Ability (VA) section of CAT—in the last few years, nearly half the section! It is important to practice reading comprehension, as often as possible, on a computer; many people read slower on a computer monitor than on paper. Regularly read the news and articles online to improve your reading speed.
Scanning a long passage to find that “answer” or that “keyword” that you need for the correct answer option is more difficult on a computer. Practice and work out techniques that help you find information as soon as possible. For example, since you can’t underline text online, try noting down one or two key words for each paragraph on rough paper.
Though other VA questions are generally short, in a CBT it is not as easy to keep track of answer options you have eliminated. Practise questions that require elimination strategy on a computer, while keeping track of answer options on paper.
Free Lesson On Verbal Ability
Attempt Free Mock CAT in CBT-CAT Player
This seems to be a fear in the minds of many students this year. The CAT this year may be your first experience of a real online test; with CAT already being a tough test, it's natural that you are anxious. Let's see what you can expect in the CBT-CAT and try to alleviate this anxiety.
The Test Taking Interface
The test-taking interface will have the questions and their alternatives and you will have to choose an answer by clicking on the correct alternative. Make sure that you practice as many computer based mock CATs as you can.
Sectional time limits have not been seen in the CAT for some time now but the CAT is known for its ability to surprise students -- it's best to be prepared for all eventualities. In case there are sectional time limits, you may not get to jump between sections while attempting the paper.
A timer is a common feature on all computer based tests. Use the timer, but avoid looking at it every now and then, lest it unnerves you.
Attempt Free Mock CAT in CBT-CAT Player
The Questions
Conceptual clarity and application skill is required just as much for an online test. But there are a few functional things that can adversely affect your performance in the CBT, if you do not have sufficient practice.
Let us take a look at each of the three sections of the CAT, and the impact that a computer-based format can have.
Quantitative Ability
The questions in the QA section are typically short. So there will be no major difference in the way in which these questions should be attempted. However, instead of doing your rough work on the question paper itself, you need have to practice doing your rough work on separate sheets of paper.
For geometry-based questions you may be used to making notes and marking values on the diagram provided in the question paper itself. But now, you may have to sketch out these diagrams on your rough paper and then work on them. This may take a while if there are a lot of geometry questions – practice making quick sketches of figures in geometry questions.
Your ability to solve questions mentally, rather than by putting pen to paper, will help you a lot. Learn multiplication tables, squares and cubes to 30, all relevant formulae and reciprocal percentages well.
Free Lesson on Quantitative Ability
Data Interpretation
If the tables, charts and caselets are very long, you might spend a lot of time scrolling back and forth. You can work these questions out faster by following these steps:
1. Read the data and understand it well. Summarise the heads in the data in the rough sheet so that you have a list of what is available for ready reference.
2. Read all the questions related to the table, chart or caselet to get a clear idea of how the common data is to be processed.
3. Then go back to the data and extract whatever information is needed. If the data table or chart is small enough, you might even consider copying it on paper.
Free Lesson on Data Interpretation
Verbal Ability
Reading comprehension forms a large part of the Verbal Ability (VA) section of CAT—in the last few years, nearly half the section! It is important to practice reading comprehension, as often as possible, on a computer; many people read slower on a computer monitor than on paper. Regularly read the news and articles online to improve your reading speed.
Scanning a long passage to find that “answer” or that “keyword” that you need for the correct answer option is more difficult on a computer. Practice and work out techniques that help you find information as soon as possible. For example, since you can’t underline text online, try noting down one or two key words for each paragraph on rough paper.
Though other VA questions are generally short, in a CBT it is not as easy to keep track of answer options you have eliminated. Practise questions that require elimination strategy on a computer, while keeping track of answer options on paper.
Free Lesson On Verbal Ability
Attempt Free Mock CAT in CBT-CAT Player
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