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CAT

K E S
S T A
MI U L
E S S F
U C C
A T S N T S
TH S P I R A
A T A K E
C M A
V E R
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 “Don’t wish for it, work for it.”
If you are planning to sit for CAT this year, remember that
you are not alone. Many people who are successful
professionals today have been in your shoes.

They worked hard and are pioneers in their field today,

having done some amazing things in life.

Always remember, this time in your life is an opportunity

to achieve your future goals. The only person who is your
competition is yourself, and all you have to do is
challenge yourself.

In order to accomplish your goal, you must, at all costs,

avoid certain mistakes. Chances are you don’t even know
you are making them.

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere

with what you can do.” – John Wooden

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Here are 5 things you should never do if you want to
secure your future and be successful in CAT exam:

1. Never over analyze mock tests

Most CAT aspirants tend to focus

on the result i.e. the %ile when
taking mock tests.

Don’t do that.

Your %ile at this point in time is not

at all critical. Instead, you need to be
spending your time checking the
questions you answered and the sections you were weak
in.

Have a look at your section wise performance and

examine where you need to improve. Go through each
question carefully and try to understand why you
attempted them incorrectly, and try to correct your
mistakes yourself.

Always keep in mind that too much analysis creates

paralysis. Which basically means you will be so caught
up worrying why your %ile was so low that you won’t give
a second thought to improvement.

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This way your progress will remain frozen, leaving you in
a bad position with no means to move forward.

Remember that %ile is just a rough idea and you should

not concentrate solely on it. Instead, focus your analysis
on the questions you attempted and how you can
improve your ability to solve them accurately.

“I find that the harder I work the

more luck I seem to have.” –
Thomas Jefferson
2. Don’t give in to fear

Never think you can’t do

something.

If you let irrational fears

get the better of you, you
will not be able to
accomplish anything.

There is one thing you need to realise and repeat to

yourself daily:

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You have the knowledge and all you need is more
practice to perform better.

Go on, repeat it.

Just because you messed up one section in the exam

doesn’t mean you don’t know anything and can never
improve. Practice makes perfect and with enough of it,
you can do anything you put your mind to.

The one thing all CAT aspirants need to understand is

that Fear is just a feeling, and with enough practice and
dedication, you can get over it.

So, overcome your fears and channel all your energy into
learning and enriching your skills and knowledge.

“Obstacles are those frightful

things you see when you take your
eyes off your goal.”

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3. Stay motivated and never be a quitter

Staying motivated and never giving up is something you

have to work on every day. When you come across a
question that you can’t seem to solve, say that DI/LR
question you just can't seem to get your head around.

Don’t just quit and jump to the answer. Struggle a little.

If that doesn’t work, take a

break, do something else,
perhaps meditate for a
while and then go back to
the problem till you reach
the solution on your own.

Never give up easily or get

demotivated at first sight
of a little trouble. 90% of
the time you know the answer and just need to allow
your mind some time to unlock the answer.

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So, give yourself that time and concentrate 100% when
trying to solve and understand each problematic
question.

“People often say that motivation

doesn't last. Well, neither does
bathing - that's why we recommend
it daily.”- Zig Ziglar

4. Procrastination is a big no-no!

Start building your strategy and stick to a strict plan of

action when it comes to preparing for CAT. You don’t
want to be stuck with too much to do with very little time
on your hands.

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Ensure that you have planned ahead for the big day and
don’t deviate from your study goals one bit.

Don’t put off your preparation till tomorrow. Start today

and proceed with your preparations in a structured
manner.

Time is one thing you cannot turn back. Once it’s gone,
you cannot go back and start studying again.

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There is nothing sadder than when you have all the
knowledge and skills but no time to perfect them. Don’t
miss out on the opportunity to increase your CAT score
and achieve your dreams.

“A year from now you may wish

you had started today.” – Karen
Lamb

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5. Keep busy and don’t drop a year

The one thing you should ensure is that you don’t quit
your job and keep working or participating in activities
side by side while you are preparing for the CAT’18.
Trust us; it’s not a big deal. You can manage to do both
quite easily if you stick to a well thought-out schedule
and manage your priorities. It’s always good to not sit
idle and keep busy while waiting to sit for the next CAT
exam.
You must be wondering
what kind of work you can
get into at this time. While
we wouldn’t recommend a
permanent job, any work
that is limited to the
weekends is the best fit.
E.g. work in an NGO.

If that is not up your alley, spend some time doing a

certified online course to add knowledge and expertise to
your repertoire.

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You can also start an Internship with a registered
company, do some content marketing (SEO /SMO) or
help out as a research assistant. All of these activities
will prove to be very beneficial and will help you in the
long run.
However, if you don’t have a job or cannot do any of the
above activities, why not work on that Startup idea of
yours. Or follow your heart and engage in a hobby
instead.
This way, you can pursue your passion and with proper
presentation and competition certificates, you can prove
what an asset you really are.
Remember, it’s infinitely better to do something than
nothing at all.
Whenever you feel low or feel like you can’t do
something, remember these mantras:
Believe you can and you’re halfway there!
Don't pick at your faults, instead find a remedy!

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“Don’t wish it were easier; wish
you were better.” – Jim Rohn

Best of luck and keep on learning!

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