Are 2 months enough for CAT preparation? -By Shakshi Sodhani, 98 percentile, SPJIMR Mumbai

If you are having butterflies in your stomach that you are left with just 2 months for CAT preparation, then this excerpt by Shakshi will endow you with the much-needed push to give your best shot! 

It took me two months of rigorous CAT preparation to get my desired score. During this time I took one week to carefully chalk out my approach and test various materials and mocks to find what works best for me. I had recently qualified as a Chartered Accountant and had to serve the remaining period of my articleship (internship) after which I focused entirely on the exam.

I joined classes for CAT preparation to get a clear idea as to how I can approach the exam in the best possible manner given my time constraint. It was more like a crash course for CAT. I had multiple classes per day and that helped me get into exam mode. I guess that was the most significant benefit I derived from taking the coaching.

Do NOT freak out. Churn out the best in the given time!

The most taxing issue I encountered throughout my preparation was the clock ticking on my head. I had limited days and a lot to do. With every passing day, the tension level rose. I deliberately put myself in the now or never situation and even though the risk of snapping was immense, the reward made it worth it.

Quant was never my strong suit throughout my schooling and college life which was stressing me a lot. I decided to focus on my strengths first and then when I was confident about those areas moved to the ones that horrified me. I segregated chapters according to the level of ease and the frequency of occurrence. And then, replicated that in the order of attempting the quant questions.

Leave no stone unturned

Apart from the guidance I received at the coaching institute, I attended a few webinars and watched lots of YouTube videos not to just get exam tips but also to view the exam from other perspectives. Then I chose a combination of what I found doable. I also made handmade notes and flashcards to review before going to sleep each day. I used to solve random sets on my mobile while traveling. Here, I would like to mention a few pointers I discovered during my preparation-

• Make yourself a strict schedule and ensure that you follow it. 
• Find out your best combination of mocks and practice.
• Take out time to evaluate the mocks, that is of paramount importance. Blindly taking mocks won't be helpful.
• Acknowledge the fact that it's not about how many questions you attempt. Choose the best set of questions and ensure that they are right.

Tip: Do not let low scores in mocks make you doubt yourself. Be consistent in your CAT preparation and slowly you will notice the performance graph rising.

Verdict: I received calls from SPJIMR, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, baby and new IIMs, and NMIMS (NMAT). Fortunately, I converted all of them and will be joining SPJIMR, Mumbai. I am really looking forward to my experience there.