The Quintessential Outsider

Finally, after more than two weeks, I get some time to post on my blog. A lot of things have happened meanwhile, like Saddam’s sentence, a controversial lawyer taking up a controversial case, and the US elections. Instead of commenting on these, however, I’ll talk about something less controversial.

I started teaching CAT/CET aspirants last week, and in accordance with this new role, I thought I’ll put down a few tips for those who are going to face this ‘creature’ ten days from now.

The most important factor in this, as in any other competitive exam, is of course, one’s speed. Since the exam is open to a wide variety of students, there is no specialized knowledge required; the concepts are all taught in school. The problem, however, is that few of us actually remember those concepts, and fewer know which one to apply where. Contrary to what many believe, the test of speed is not how fast you can calculate big numbers, but how fast you are able to see through a problem and apply the right method.

And the best way to improve yourself in this respect is practice. The first thing I had to do when I started teaching last week, was to take a test and then discuss the problems. I was surprised to find only five students appearing for the test out of a batch of about 15-20. Even one of these five said to me, about ten minutes into the test, that he’ll take it later, when he is better prepared.

The point is, if you persist with this approach, you’ll never be prepared well enough. These tests are not like school or college exams, which are essentially do-or-die battles. They are intended to help you ascertain your weaknesses and fine-tune your preparation, whether you do that yourself or with the help of a coaching institute.

Another problem I have seen with most aspirants is their reliance on ’shortcuts’. It is true, that if you stick to the conventional method of solving problems taught in school, you can not perform well enough in such exams. However, shortcuts have to be understood before they can be applied, and preferably, devised on one’s own. A ’shortcut’ that is ‘taught’ is common knowledge, and not of much use in a competitive exam. But if someone understands the principle behind it, and uses it to come up with more ’shortcuts’ on one’s own, then s/he definitely has an edge.

Secondly, these ’shortcuts’, or anything for that matter, should not be treated as magic. There is an explanation for everything, and those who set the questions for CAT also want to test your ability to understand and comprehend. Once you start treating any method or formula, or any knowledge for that matter, as magic, you are prone to mistakes.

The third major problem I have seen with a lot of people is that they break the ’syllabus’ into many different parts. While the CAT itself is divided into three sections – Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, many other MBA entrance exams do not bother with even that much. They just have a single flow of questions in a given time period. Most people, however, break down these three sections into many smaller parts, naming them with two- and three-letter acronyms.

I understand that this might help in absorbing better what you learn, and in spotting your weaknesses and formulating a strategy (say, in what order to attempt the various sections), but for many people, it also becomes a barrier when facing problems which are slightly different from what they have seen before. Most such people take an algorithmic approach to problem-solving, trying to slot the problem into a particular category, then trying to retrieve the appropriate formula, and then applying it to get the answer. I think we already have computers for this. The human brain is capable of more than that.

The point I am trying to make is, understand what you are being tested for. You can take a piecemeal approach when learning something for the first time, but if you understand the linkages between various topics, you will be more confident of what you have learnt, and will be able to take an integrated approach to problem-solving.

To summarize, the key is to understand whatever you ‘learn’ or are ‘taught’. Once you understand clearly, you can take an integrated approach and deal with any problem with confidence. And then of course, practice as much as you can. That will help you build your confidence, make fine adjustments, and maybe, ‘invent’ some ’shortcuts’.

While the ‘gyaan’ above is very generic, here are a few tips specifically for CAT:

Firstly, it is humanly impossible to properly attempt all the questions in the given time. Therefore, it is also a test of how well you can manage a limited amount of time, choose the questions you are best at, and optimize your performance.

Secondly, there is negative marking, so accuracy is extremely important.

So, start with the section you are fastest at, avoid questions you are not sure of, or which will take a lot of time, and do not panic at any point of time. If the test is tough for you, it is the same for everyone else too. And it is better to attempt 2-3 problems properly in the last 5 minutes than try to mark 8-10 answers fleetingly, most of which might turn out to be wrong.

So, all the best to everyone who is chasing the CAT , and comments are invited.