CAT mock score stuck? Five analysis steps that can lift your percentile

Most candidates preparing for the MBA entrance make the same complaint: their mock test scores are not improving. Many keep taking tests, some 10 and some 15 mocks, yet their marks stay where they were. Tough Quant or DILR sets make many candidates break into a sweat. Those in this position should look at their strategy. Merely taking a mock is half the battle; the real work begins after the test.

Aspirants often slump into depression on seeing their CAT mock score, or rush to the next test without any analysis. To crack an exam as big as the CAT, quality matters more than quantity. Taking two mocks a day without analysing them is of no use. By contrast, taking just one mock and analysing it in depth helps you avoid repeating the same mistakes. Analysing a CAT mock is essential because it helps you understand your errors and improves your chances of getting better.

The first step is to list the questions you did not attempt at all. As soon as you submit the mock, turn to these first. Ask yourself whether they were left out for lack of time or whether your mind went blank on seeing them. If time ran short, the weakness lies in time management or in choosing questions. If you did not know the basic concept, write it in your notebook and revise the basics of that topic immediately.

The second step is to keep a log of silly mistakes. In the Common Admission Test (CAT), your biggest enemy is your own overconfidence and haste. A plus-minus error in a calculation or not reading the question properly are all silly mistakes. Keep a separate diary called "Mistake Log". After every mock, write your silly mistakes in it with a red pen. Reading it twice a week will keep such careless errors from recurring.

The third step is to get out of the ego trap. In Quant or DILR, candidates often take a single question personally, thinking, "How is it that I cannot solve this one? It has been 5 minutes." This trap stops the other, easier questions from being solved. While analysing, check whether you lost 7-8 minutes on a question that turned out wrong in the end. In the CAT, the art of leaving a question is the greatest skill.

The fourth step is to rein in negative marking. In the CAT, getting even 33% of the questions right can ensure a 99 percentile. Even so, candidates make wild guesses. In your analysis, check how many questions went wrong because of wrong estimates or haste. To improve accuracy in the IIM entrance exam, decide that you will not tick an option unless you are 80-90% sure.

The fifth step is the rule of re-solving. Questions you could not solve or got wrong during the mock should be solved again with pen in hand, without looking at any solution. Watching a video solution is easy, but unless you work it out by hand, the lesson will not sink in. Before the next mock, practise those old wrong questions once more.

There is also a simple rule for analysis. After taking a three-hour CAT mock, spend at least two hours analysing it. If you took a three-hour test and looked at the scorecard for only 15 minutes, you are cheating your own preparation. Analysis of the CAT mock is what brings your real preparation to light.