How to Analyse CAT Mocks?
Strategy for CAT 2024 Aspirants,
The Exact key points you need

One of the major questions CAT aspirants face while giving mocks is – How to analyze CAT mocks? We will keep this article as short and at the point.

Contents

How To Analyse Mocks?

Before we move on to section-wise analysis and understanding how to analyze CAT mocks.

  • To map our performance against ourselves, how was I doing in past mock, how I did today, what areas were stagnant, what areas I did better and so on.
  • To map our performance against others – percentile will help us judge that.

Some errors that we make while analyzing mocks -

  1. We don’t check the solutions of answers we got correct, we skip them. NO! You have to see the BEST APPROACH FOR EVERY SOLUTION. If you spend 10 mins to solve a problem, the purpose is forfeited. On average a person should be spending 1-4 mins on a particular question depending upon its difficulty level.

  2. Recording an Excel – how will you improve your weaknesses if you are not noting them? The basic idea is to note every small thing and make data patterns across sections, what are the areas that are giving you more marks, and what are the areas stopping you from improving, we have this common saying – In God we believe, for everything else, there’s data. So collect data for your performances.

  3. Ignoring minimal progress at the score of 15 marks, we get 95%ile in QA (CAT 23), we all want to reach the top of the mountain but the path goes through forests, we all keep targeting the top and we feel we are not progressing, but we need to understand ki choti choti cheejo me progress hai, hamesha progress bde numbers me nahi hogi, if the score is going from 15-17, 18—-23, this is all progress and nothing else.

QA Analysis

Quant has three major pillars, arithmetic, algebra and geometry. In all the mocks you have to majorly focus on these areas. Once you’re done with mock, make an excel and write area vs questions vs accuracy. 

See where you’re losing marks, is this the accuracy, or is it speed or the conceptual gap? What is the exact reason?

  • If it is speed – do some speed-based tests.
  • Accuracy – start sacrificing your speed a bit initially and focus on accuracy if you’re losing due to silly errors
  • Conceptual gap – watch the video again and make notes – solve some questions and give more section-wise and chapter-wise tests.

Module-wise tests Quantitative Aptitude:

https://quantifiers.in/quantitative-aptitude-tests/ 

Just a glimpse 🙂

CAT quantitative aptitude coaching

DILR Analysis

The word FAMILIARITY plays a major role here, whenever you see a new kind of set, it is quite normal to take somewhere from 8-40 mins (depending upon difficulty).
So the key is to start solving as many sets as possible and make a pattern like – I can solve DI intensive sets but pure LR is difficult, or vice versa.
I can solve arrangement-based sets but Games & Tournaments is giving me difficulty. I can solve Venn Diagram I can do xyz type.

KNOWING YOUR TYPE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT in DILR.

Know your type and excel at it. It is recommened to do ~500 DILR sets for your CAT preparation, we have got you there – 300 sets FREE playlist by Quantifiers. These are free sets and to go a little beyond for timed practice, we have these 75 sectionals with video solutions on CAT pattern – the cost of these mocks is Rs 500, which translates to ~7/mock and will give you the best practice.
CAT data interpretation practice
So, in conclusion, the best thing in DILR is practice, fail, conquer, practice and practice. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY OR SHORTCUT.

VA Analysis

Verbal Ability: Well, this is a tricky one. In fact, in Verbal Ability almost everything that is classified as a tip or a trick is actually a subjective piece of advice.
As far as CAT Verbal section is concerned, there are two parts; one is the reading comprehension and the other is the verbal ability.
The problem with VARC section is that students get so overwhelmed by reading comprehension that they think it’s a only reading comprehension paper and forget verbal section all together which is the biggest crime, I would say!
Now, The mock test job is not only to evaluate your past learning, the mock test job is also to check what is the problem today and what you can do, so it generates result for you tomorrow. Mock test is a preparation tool that helps you give direction especially for Verbal section.

Need Guidance for it?

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  • STEP I: The first thing anyone will check is of course, which all questions are right and which all questions are wrong
     
  • STEP II: Analyse, Where did i waste time? Where did time wastage happen? Which passages? Which questions? If it happened in the passage, why? If happened in the questions, what is the type of questions i wasted time in, why? Identify areas of Reading Discomfort.

  • STEP III: Also, Analyse which are the questions, I should not have attempted. Also look for questions, which I have not marked despite spending two and a half minutes. The questions not to be attempted should be identified clearly in the paper. Co-relate the time-wise analysis with your accuracy analysis.

  • STEP IV: What could have been done in the paper which should have ensured a greater understanding and correct answers and again look at passage by passage and question by question. What should i have done in this passage maybe i read it very slow to get 100% clarity and at the end did not have sufficient time or may be i read it very fast and did not understand anything?

  • STEP V: Redo the passage again without worrying about time; get the concept of time out of your mind. Read at your comfortable pace, you will now know what your actual score is. Only then you will know what you did right or what you did wrong. Also re-solve the questions you solved on the basis of guesswork/gut feeling.

  • STEP VI: I get confused between two options. Analysis is the best time to ask yourself another question why were you confused between two choices? What was the reason? Why was i not able to eliminate? Look at those words/ tricks which can help you eliminate the choices. What is it which should have told me this is wrong? So, the art of eliminating choices is something that needs to be inculcate during the analysis.

  • STEP VII: Look at explanations. This should be the last step. The problem is students just check score (Step I) and jump to explanation (Step VI) and the entire middle process gets short-circuited. Explanation only explains what the answer is and it never tells you what your problem is and how you can improve. You can only figure out what your problem is if you redo the questions. Then only you will be able to figure out what are the possible things i should have probably got correct, is there a better way to solve this question?
The mock analysis essentially prepares you for better performance and scores in future. We do agree this will take some time investment but all good things in life require patience and hard work.

To practice Verbal Ability from the best updated resource for CAT 2024? Here it is

Verbal Ability: https://quantifiers.in/verbal-ability-tests/

Critical Reasoning: https://quantifiers.in/critical-reasoning-tests/

XAT Verbal Ability: https://quantifiers.in/xat-english-verbal-tests/

CAT verbal ability training

And many more

Go on our website to access every CAT resource: https://quantifiers.in/

Conclusion

This is the only strategy you need to ace your CAT Mocks!
Remember that consistent and focused practice is key to performing well in CAT mocks. Use each mock test as an opportunity to learn and improve, and adjust your study plan accordingly. Good luck!

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