Why Should You Choose Percentilers for CAT Preparation?

 CAT is the dream exam for most management candidates. It is the pinnacle of management examination one can ever give in India. Under the category of the five toughest exams in India, CAT is the only exam by which various IIMs give admission into their most elite programs.

Apart from IIMs, 1000+ more colleges in the nation accept admission through a valid CAT score. Generally, your entry in IIMs depends upon your percentile in the examination. The thumb rule for this exam is the higher the percentile, the better college you will get. Candidates above the 99 percentile can expect a call from the old IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta).
Those who don’t get an elite percentile can still get admission in the IIMs, but those are new like IIM Jammu, IIM Amritsar, etc. Still, there are few colleges where you can get admission and draw a handsome salary after completing the degree. Those colleges are MDI Gurgaon, Xavier InstSchool of Management, S.P, Jain, FMS Delhi, etc.
Many times candidates think that only topper and intelligent individuals can pass this examination. But it’s not entirely true; apart from the academic skills, one needs to focus on soft skills to excel in the examination.
When they start the preparation, it is common to have dilemmas, and the most common one is whether they should enroll in the coaching center or not; why? Because of increasing competition every year.
If you are confronted with the same dilemma, then this article is for you. Today we will discuss why you should enroll in a coaching center and how Percentilers will help. Before going to register for coaching, you first need to understand why it becomes necessary.

Reasons to Choose Coaching Over Self-Study

The reasons to enroll in a coaching center will vary from person to person, but the most common ones are mentioned below:

• Proper Guidance
• Consistency
• Progress tracking becomes easier
• Subjects and topics can be discussed easily
• Time management
• Healthy competition
• Professional experts to administer the progress

These reasons hamper the progress of preparation and kill the precious time that will affect your final result.

Why Enroll with Percentilers for CAT preparation?

Coaching plays a vital role in your selection in the top B-schools of India. If you made a wrong decision and chose a false coaching center, you will lose your money and the dream of studying in your favorite management college. Here come the Percentilers for your rescue. Percentilers offers both offline and online Best coaching for CAT that suits your requirements.

With the faculties from IIMs, we are a renowned name in the education industry of India. Every year our students make it to the top management colleges in India. Some of them are Hardik Dhawan, IIM, C with 99.64 percentile, Aditya Thawait, FMS, Delhi with 99.84 percentile, Shrishti Raj, IIM, C with 99.84 percentile, Akanksha Gangwar, JBIMS, Mumbai, etc. The list is long, and the stories are intense.
Toppers are not unique, but their decisions are; they made the right choices at the right time. Similarly, you also need to choose the best coaching for CAT to get success.

Direct interaction with professional teachers

Teachers here in the Percentilers are professionals from the education industry. They are alumni from different IIMs of India and understand what it takes to clear the most challenging exams of the country. Studying in Percentilers gives you the advantage of talking with teachers one-to-one so that there won’t be any doubt in your mind about the preparation.

Full-proof study plan

This will be the best part of joining Percentilers as we take responsibility for all our students. We make a comprehensive study plan as per the strengths and weaknesses of our students. Improvisation is also part of our strategies, and we tweak the methods according to dates and latest ongoings. If any changes happen in the syllabus or pattern, we will inform our students about the same.

Revisions with study material

Timely revisions with high-quality study material are our strengths. Our study material is targeted with only the necessary requirements for syllabus and pattern. Our expert mentors make these materials to ensure minimum error. There is no need to read extra books apart from the study material you get here. Students gain an edge over their competitors by following the strategies.

Consistency with competition

The consistency you get here in Percentilers is matchless. Consistency, along with discipline, is the key to success for every student. In Percentilers, we divide the sufficient time for all subjects that are necessary for a strong base. Our CAT online class will be a perfect companion in your journey. Despite having a busy schedule, all the students get ample opportunities to compete with each other in a healthy environment. This pushes them to give their best in the hardest of circumstances.

Whether you decide for CAT online preparation or to study offline, Percentilers are always there to assist their students so that they also get into the elite club of the 99+ percentile. Our authentic approach, targeted study plan, and healthy study environment with ease of online classes make us the best online CAT coaching institute. With warm regards, we wish the best of luck to all the CAT aspirants.

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4 Rules to improve reading skills for Reading Comprehension Questions in CAT

 When I think about preparing for RC, I am struck at how similar reading and driving are. You can drive any car if your driving technique works. If your technique is terrible, you can end up ruining every vehicle you own.

Reading fiction is a bit like driving a train.

Is there anyone among us who hasn't dreamed of having the best seat on a train? I would give my arm and a leg to be in the driver's seat of a German ICE or Swiss Lyria train, the Austrian Railjet, the Italian Frecciarossa, or the Shanghai Maglev.

You don't have to do much as a train driver. You let the train do it all for you. Start your journey, choose a pace, grab a cup of tea, and cruise on autopilot. Enjoy the beauty of the universe as you glide by. You will find that there is rarely anything to stop you from your journey.

The feeling I get when I'm reading a great piece of fiction (e.g., "The Importance Of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde or "Flashman's Lady" by George MacDonald Frsier) is the same. I'm in the driver's seat (read: on my couch). I set a pace, and I'm on autopilot. I take in these beautiful universes created by these geniuses. There is nothing that can stop me. My only difference is that my job doesn't require me to drink coffee. I choose a vintage Puligny Montrachet or a first-growth Bordeaux, Laphroaig Quarter Kask, Kina Lillet, or the tremendous old Pimms No. 1 on ice!

Yes. I'm a snob. It doesn't matter what I have in my hands when it comes to the reading experience.

Fiction reading is fun and never dull.

Reading non-fiction, on the other hand, is like driving to work during rush hour.

The Haji Ali-Marine Drive section in Mumbai, the Burrabazaar Street Road section in Kolkata, the Delhi-NCR route, or any other road trip in Bangalore.

These are the drives that you should not look forward to. These drives are filled with impediments of all kinds, both living and non-living. They are a complex task that requires a lot of physical and mental effort.

These roads are the ultimate test. You can drive well anywhere if you can do it here.

The RC passages are mainly non-fictional, so the rules for rush hour driving apply while we navigate through them.

Rule 1: Give yourself enough time.

It is nearly impossible for most CAT takers to read a complex CAT RC passage in less than 3 minutes. Instead of dictating a superior speed, which will not be possible for every case, I suggest calculating your average reading speed. This will reflect both words-per-minute and comprehension. This is easy:

Step 1: Take four CAT-level passages covering different topics of equal length. (The average length for the CAT is approximately 850 words).

Step 2: Take your time and read the first passage at a comfortable pace. Keep in mind, however, that the following questions will be asked after only one reading:

1. What topic is this passage? (Speak in four to five words.
2. Why did the author write this passage? (The writer's main objective is to answer the question using a 'to-be format. 'to analyze,' 'to explain,' 'to argue,' 'to narrate,' etc.)
3. How can the writer accomplish the main goal? (The support information provided by the writer).

These questions must be answered in one reading. This is because many RC questions don't allow you to return to a specific section of the passage to find the answers. Consider the title question. If we cannot answer the question after reading the entire passage, we must re-read it. We don't have the time.

These three questions are not time-consuming. Count the time it took to read the passage slowly enough to be able to answer the questions. This will give you a better idea of your "effective reading speed."

Step 3: Repeat the above process for each of the

 Three remaining passages and calculate the average time. Once you have determined the average time, aim to drop 10 seconds. If the average is five minutes, you can aim for a drop of ten seconds when you read more passages. This will help you focus better and put you under enough pressure. For a few weeks, keep at it. When you feel comfortable with 4.50, drop it to 4.40. Keep decreasing it until you can no longer. You will notice a difference in your focus and speed. Speed and comprehension are often inversely related, but improving the former will always bring speed improvement.

No matter what you are reading, you must always aim to answer these three questions. We cannot afford to be blind readers. It is important to get comfortable with preparing the "gist" of the passage in your head so that you have a consistent, clear central idea upon which to base your answers.

Rule 2: If you're in a hurry, stop wherever necessary.

Many RC passages contain difficult words and expressions. These impediments can cause us to lose sight of the bigger goal (the central concept). Individual words or expressions do not serve the central idea. In this instance, we can only mark the word and continue reading. We must read fluently to be able to answer the WHY, WHAT, and HOW.

These problematic words may appear in questions. We can always refer to them later. However, they cannot interrupt our first reading.

Rule 3: Predict what lies ahead and plan accordingly.

The CAT RC passages look a bit like Bollywood movies. The first 10 minutes give enough clues as to what's going on in the next 10 minutes.

Because the CAT RC passages are non-fictional and therefore structured, it is possible to 'foresee what's coming. You can get clues from the first line of the passage about the contents of the next paragraph. Once you've read the first paragraph, you will have an idea of the contents of the second half. You can predict the conclusion when you have reached the halfway point of the passage.

This takes a lot of practice to be able. It takes an approach to be able to do this. This will allow you to read the passage faster and help you remember it better. The anticipation process will begin once you have started to read the course to answer the WWH.

Rule 4: Most important. Enjoy your drive.

Take a look around. Learn from others. I've read countless RC passages over the years, but none of them taught me anything new.

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How to increase the number of attempts in the CAT

 The score is what determines whether a candidate succeeds or fails in an exam. The same holds for the CAT; the first step to securing admission at the highly regarded Indian Institutes of Management is the CAT.

The score is also determined by two factors: accuracy and number of attempts. These two factors are interdependent. They act almost like arch enemies most of the time. The number of attempts can be increased, but accuracy is affected. The number of attempts will drop if accuracy is the main focus.

Are there ways to make these arch-enemies into friends? Simple answer: Yes

Selection of questions

There must be no other way. You must answer all sections in the given time, which is 60 minutes according to the CAT. If time allows, you can move on to the more difficult questions once you have answered the easier ones. This requires that you choose the questions to be answered, and then judge their difficulty level by reading them. It is important not to skip any difficult questions in the test. How many times have you realized that you missed some simple questions on the test? You don't have to answer them all. There could be simple questions that you didn't even consider. This is a huge mistake in the context of the CAT.

How can you make sure you don't miss easy questions? Each question must be viewed carefully and you should decide whether it can be attempted or not based on its topic/concept and your knowledge of the subject. Only attempt questions that seem feasible. You will be able to complete the paper in the time allowed and ensure that you don't miss any easy questions. Once you have completed the paper, it is time to make a second pass. This will allow you to select the easiest questions from the remaining ones. To ensure that you attempt the most difficult questions, you could do as many passes as needed. This will make sure that you only work on the most difficult questions.

You would have asked two questions:

How can I tell if a question is possible?

The main factors here are practice and exposure. You can increase your chances of encountering certain types of questions in the exam by practicing more.

How can I get to the end of the paper on time?

You will learn to avoid difficult questions and will only attempt the easy ones. Let's assume that the number of easy questions is around 15. To reach the end of the paper, you would need to spend no more than 30-45 mins in a worst-case scenario (two-three minutes for each easy question). If the number of questions you have is less than 15, it will be easier to reach the end.

You will be able to complete the paper if there are more easy questions than you have. In the best scenario, this means that you will get around 30 questions, and in the worst-case scenario, about 20 questions. You don't need to think too hard because there are so many simple questions.

Read the following paragraph and then try to integrate it with the one above.

Many of the AIMCAT scores/percentiles would be visible by now. You may have also seen the actual scores from CAT. It would be obvious that the 99 percentile was hovering around the 55-65 percentage level. This would mean one could answer 75 percent of the questions and expect to fall within the 99 percentile range. If you don't answer the remaining 25% of questions, then you only have about one hour to complete each section. This is for approximately 25-26 questions. This means that the time per question is reduced from 1.7-1.8 minutes (if all questions are counted) to 2.4 minutes. A scenario that is somewhere in between the worst and best cases will be the most effective for you. It will also put you in the 99+ percentile. You will need to work harder to push it past that.

How will question selection make arch enemies into friends?

Let's see. At any given moment, you have only answered the easiest questions on the paper. An easy question takes less time to answer. Naturally, the number of attempts goes up. The chances of you getting it wrong are also lower when the question is simple, especially compared to the more difficult questions. We are increasing both accuracy and the number of attempts.

Here are some additional tips on how to select the right question.

You are asked the following question: Should we scan the paper first or do we answer the questions on the go according to the difficulty level? It would depend on which section you are working on. It is not logical to go back to questions in a section such as Verbal Ability after scanning them. Most of the questions can be answered or left out during the first reading.

The constraints for the Quantitative Ability section are however different. You can leave the questions unanswered for the first reading and solve them later if you have identified all the difficult questions on the paper. This would lead to duplication of effort when it comes to reading the same questions again. The reason is that the information about the question won't stay in your mind after scanning is complete. You will need to read the question again once the scan is finished. You can avoid this by dividing the time allocated for each section into chunks. For example, divide 60 minutes into four chunks each of 15 minutes. In each chunk of 15 minutes, concentrate on one set of questions that you want to scan for difficulty and attempt. You can make sure that every question is read and that you attempt all of the medium-to-hard questions.

Similar steps can be taken for the DILR section. The advantage is that many questions would already be divided into sets. This makes your job easier.

Your mental state will be a major factor in passing the exam. You need to keep your cool, forget all the hoopla and focus on the exam.

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How to develop a Reading Habit to help you with CAT 2021?

  Many things are not the same for CAT aspirants. There are many things that CAT aspirants disagree on, such as how many mocks should be attempted and which coaching institution is best. I'm not ashamed to admit that I have had many discussions with CAT aspirants and teachers. There is one thing almost everyone can agree on. A reading habit will make you more successful in CAT and other exams. We will discuss how to build a reading habit.

Step 1: Start small.

It doesn't matter how fast you go, so long as you're moving in the right direction.

One of the most common mistakes I've seen in CAT applicants is setting too high a goal. You are setting yourself up for failure if you haven't read any books in the past three years. You should set small goals that you can achieve. To develop a reading habit, I believe the first step is to read a newspaper. You could also start reading the newspaper's sports or business sections, or the entertainment section. It doesn't matter what you like to read. It's your chance to make it a habit. Fifteen minutes per day for a week or so. After that, you can move on to editorials. Although editorials are tedious and monotonous at first, once you get used to reading 15 minutes per day, you will find that they become more natural.

Step 2: Before you go to bed, read

You can read a book while you sleep - books don't snore.

If you've never read a book before, it can be daunting. It is important to start with something that you enjoy. It is important to find the time to read it. Our addiction to screens is too strong. We spend too much time on our phones after dinner and before bed. You must stop scrolling on your phone while you are studying for the CAT. You can do this by reading a book at night. Put your phone on silent. Grab a book. One of these outcomes would be possible:

1. You will fall asleep sooner than usual.
2. The book will be read a substantial portion.

These outcomes are better than browsing Facebook (or whatever else you do these days if you're 20).

After a few weeks, you'll notice a significant improvement in your reading speed and a decrease in the amount of time you spend reading the book each day.

Step 3: Be Disciplined

Our problems cannot be solved by magic. Our work and discipline are the key to finding the solution.

A CAT aspirant should aim to read at least one hour per day. It would look like this if I had to order the different aspects of a reading routine in order of importance.

• How often do you read? Once a day, every other day, or once a week
• What length of time do you read? 10 hours per week, 15 hours per week, 20 hours per week.
• What you read: newspapers, magazines, books
• Who are you reading - V S Naipaul/ Ruskin Bond

With the above list, I want to emphasize that reading discipline is key. It is possible to increase your chances of passing the CAT exam by reading for an hour each day.

Nearly all those who do well in CAT can do so because they were proficient in Reading Comprehension. This is because Logical Reasoning/Data Interpretation is extremely difficult. Quantitative Aptitude is a subject that almost every student can solve if it's easy. Nearly everyone skips difficult questions. Reading comprehension is what makes the difference between a 90%iler or a 99%iler. Good for you if you're good at RC. If you're not good at RC, start to work on the three steps above. You will master Reading Comprehension in 6 months.

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Having a bad phase during CAT preparation?

  Preparing for CAT is more than a process that takes a few months. It is a journey. There has never been an aspirant who has gone through this journey without any problems. There are many times when you feel defeated and want to give up. This is when you can make a difference. It will be a win-win situation. The best way to learn non-linear storytelling is through CAT preparation. Preparation is not always smooth and the process keeps moving back and forth like an oscillator. This is usually when candidates begin to doubt their strategies and methods and find gaps in their performance on mocks or general preparation. The other side of the equation is where the pressure builds up, so there is an attempt to decrease the load. This continues for the duration of your preparation for the CAT exam.

Definition of a bad phase during CAT preparation

There are many reasons why your CAT preparation might go wrong. The reasons can vary from one person to the next. The current pandemic is making people more stressed. It's all people talk about, and everyone has been living a very quiet life for more than a decade. Many people are now aware of it in various intensities. Another factor is the exam for freshers, who have not completed their under-graduation. It could also be stress at work, for those working and aspiring to crack the CAT. It is all part of us, and we've been there. Combining 2 or more of these factors can lead to a bad phase in CAT preparation.

Let's take the example of a young man named X who is currently pursuing under-graduation. He is also studying in his final semester. His group of friends are not helping him with a project he has to finish. While they may not be preparing to take the CAT, X may. He must take the time to prepare and complete the project. The end-of-semester exams are also on his head. His mocks scores are dropping. He's also seeing a decrease in the number of mocks he attempts. The process takes between 7-10 days, which frustrates the man. He managed to score a mock but not enough due to stress.

Another example is a guy named Y who works in an IT company and is part of a critical project that must be completed in a week. Your team already has one guy who is unavailable due to personal commitments. Two guys have to complete the task in one week. The other person may or not be preparing for the CAT, but Y may. The work is increasing and the days are getting shorter, not only for the project deadline but also for CAT preparation. He agrees to work for the project 11 hours per day. He ends up having to stay awake until 10 on Saturday to finish the project. This is despite his hopes of being able to study for the CAT this weekend. He doesn't know what he should do. His mind is about burst.

What are our current positions?

This is also known as the bad phase of CAT preparation. This could be because you are tired, disinterested, or lacking motivation. What's the next step? Now comes the dilemma. The candidate thinks that I should either sit for the person right away or that I should take some time to reflect on where I am going.

There are ways to deal with this situation

• READ

If you don't know what to do, read. You can pick up a book or a series of blogs about a topic that interests you and continue reading. You can relax and take a break from all the stress of your daily life. Reading a novel can transport you to another world, and it helps you forget about your problems and stress. You can clear your mind. This will allow you to focus more on your primary goal and help you concentrate better.

• Solve Puzzles

It might seem strange or unwelcome to do this in such a setting, but it is actually quite normal. Your brain might be stimulated by solving Sudoku, Rubik cubes or playing online chess. It will help you to feel refreshed for the days ahead. Avoid negative habits. You should do anything that gives you an energy boost. You can win the easiest game and still feel the positive energy when you go to bed.

Some people enjoy solving puzzles and are skilled at it. Some people don't like it, but this can be achieved. This habit can be taught to your mind.

• Physical and Mental Exercises

A bad temper, or vice-versa, can lead to emotions building up inside. If you want to begin the next phase in CAT Prep, you need to be able to release all of that energy. You can lose energy by exercising. A few minutes of yoga, some jogging, or deep breathing could be done. You might be ready to take on your CAT preparation by showering.

• Do something that may seem boring

Most of the time, or at least during this pandemic, our mental energy is exhausted. However, our physical vitality is still available to tap into. There are two options: You can choose to do work that isn't too mentally demanding but which requires physical labour, or something that doesn’t require too much mental strain. You can also take sectional tests in your favourite subject or topic as preparation. If you are not feeling the CAT preparation, take a break and do other things while you wait. You can work on your current project or prepare for the end semester exams. You will feel better in a few days and you can prepare for the exam. This is what you could call a "trade-off" where you use your time to prepare for tomorrow.

• Plan your strategy

You can make a plan for your exam preparation if you're going through a difficult phase. You will be more involved and it will help you to know that you aren't wasting your time and doing things that will benefit you in the long term. Preparing your strategy and timetable for taking mocks over the next few days is important. This strategy works well for me. If you feel frustrated or unable to focus on solving problems because you feel overwhelmed, you can create a plan for your preparation. This will help you not only to create a solid preparation structure but also allows you to return to the game of play. After preparing a plan for a few days, you will feel excited to implement it. Your preparation will then be back on track. Best Online CAT coaching

• Rest well

When you are going through a difficult time, sleep is crucial. This is because you may consider it the least important thing, when in fact it is the most crucial. Don't assume that you can still finish your CAT preparations late at night if you are stressed. Do not open a book for the sake. You should only do it if you are certain you will get something out of your time. It is highly recommended that you sleep 7 to 8 hours per night. You don't need to be a slave to your mind if you know that reading at 1 am with a stressed mind won't help you. You can only plan for the next day and then go to bed. You can't do anything on that day.

• Remember: It's just an exam

It is important to remember that you can live your life after CAT with a good score. This is how you should approach this phase. Do not set unrealistic goals and risk disappointment. You can actually de-stress by saying "Hey!" This is not the most important thing in my life." You should not be setting unrealistic goals for yourself. It will fall tomorrow if it isn't falling into place today. I cannot be both Batman AND Superman simultaneously. I can have modest goals for myself, and try my best.

Last words

Bad CAT preparation can lead to a lot of stress. The bad news about stress is that you will feel it. Sometimes you feel too invested in passing this exam. It can feel like something is preventing you from breathing, and every data point you receive goes against you. It happens to everyone, even the top of the exam. Everybody feels the pain of missing their mark and falling behind. It can be personal or communal. Keep the above-mentioned points at heart and never stop working. Stress can be managed if you work hard. In this competitive exam environment, the best way to manage stress is to just show up and work. You should strive to get through all the ups and downs. At the end of the day, you should be capable of looking in the mirror and saying that I tried my best and put a lot of effort into this exam. It's great if it goes my way. But if it doesn’t, it's okay. It won't make you feel bad that your efforts weren't as high as you would have liked.

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