CAT 2024 Preparation Tips for Non Engineering Students: Check Study Plan & Strategy

Looking for CAT 2024 preparation tips for non-engineers? If so, you've landed on the right page. To prepare for CAT as a non-engineer, start by debunking the myth that engineering students have an edge over non-engineers; it's a level playing field. Begin by familiarising yourself with the CAT exam pattern, syllabus, and its significance in MBA admissions. Once you do that, break down your study plan into sections to cover the syllabus thoroughly as it will help you create a more focused study strategy. As you move forward, concentrate on practising questions from each category, working on areas you're less confident in, and refining your test-taking strategy through consistent mock test practice as the exam date approaches. Succeeding in the CAT exam doesn't require an engineering background, but it does demand dedication and perseverance. If you are a non-engineer preparing for the CAT exam, take a look at some of the best CAT 2024 preparation tips for non-engineering students curated by our experts.

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How Do Non-Engineering Students Prepare for CAT 2024?

Essentially, there is no difference between the preparation strategies recommended for engineering and non-engineering students. However, there is one very important thing that every non-engineering student must do before starting CAT preparation.

Remove this myth from your head that engineering students are better for CAT. It is a level playing field and you have just as much chance of cracking CAT as an engineering student.

This is very important because if students keep believing in this myth, they already have a negative image of their preparation. Simply, removing this myth from your head can provide you with that boost of confidence to help you better study for the CAT.

A student's performance in CAT has nothing to do with their educational background. What matters is their perseverance, logical approach to solving questions and an open mind for new ideas.

Understanding the CAT Exam is Important

When you begin to prepare for CAT exam, it is important that you spend some time understanding what it is all about. Read about it online. Go through the CAT 2024 exam pattern and CAT 2024 syllabus. Understand the importance of CAT in MBA admissions. Having a well-rounded idea about CAT will help you at every stage of the process and will also help you in forming a good preparation strategy for CAT 2024.

Also Read: CAT 2024 Study Plan for Students in Final Year of Graduation

Preparation Tips for CAT

Candidates must use their time wisely to prepare for CAT. Spending too long on CAT preparation will only make you forget the older concepts. Limiting your time for CAT preparation will also make you more serious about your preparations as it will help you quantify how much time you have used up.

When preparing for CAT, it is recommended that you divide your approach section-wise and steadily cover the complete syllabus of each section. Since the syllabus and focus area of each section is different, so is the way you approach preparation.

There are three sections in CAT -- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. Since CAT aspirant simply does not have the time on their hands to say their complete names, they are known in the fast-paced world of CAT preparation as VARC, DILR and QA respectively.

Preparation Tips for Phase I: February to May

• Take a mock exam from the previous year (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021) to get started. Despite your feelings of apprehension or desire to avoid it due to your lack of preparation, it is crucial that you participate in this mock to determine your exam preparation strategy. From this point on, you'll only become better.

• You will be able to determine after the mock which sections you are more confident in and which ones make you feel a little nervous. Based on this, you'll choose how to divide your preparation time and which section deserves more time.

• Spend a lot of time practising questions from each category. It is during this stage that you should approach questions aggressively.

Preparation Tips for Phase II: June to August

Now that you have the fundamentals covered, it's time to formulate the most crucial component, your test-taking strategy. This is accomplished by using mock exams, actively analyzing them, discovering shortcomings, and addressing those weaknesses with either knowledge acquisition or additional practice.

• Divide mocks into "performative" and "experimental" categories. When practicing experimental mocks, you experiment with several strategies to find which one suits you the best. Here, the score is less important than developing the greatest possible approach. The goal of performative mocks is to maximize your score.

• Till July, try to attempt one mock exam per week. As you become familiar with them and experiment with new strategies, they will become more experimental in character.

• You must enroll in two mock exams a week at the beginning of August. If you have the time, you could even attempt three mock tests a week.

• Keep accuracy in mind when you analyze the mock tests. 

• Mock percentiles shouldn't be taken seriously.

• It's crucial to allow enough time between each mock exam so that you may evaluate your performance and determine where you excel, where you need more time, and which subjects you need to re-learn.

• Spend at least a day or two practising questions from the area you have decided to work on.

Preparation Tips for Phase III: September to November

You need to polish everything and perform at your best on the CAT exam day, now that you have mastered the fundamentals and test-taking techniques. Updating your knowledge of existing subjects is preferable to learning new topics. Regardless of the outcome of the last mock exam, avoid writing any more during the week preceding up to the CAT. You can only prepare mentally at this point and strive hard in the exam.

Also Read: 15+ CAT 2024 Percentage Questions

Section-wise Preparation Tips for CAT

However, one thing that every CAT aspirant must find the time for is checking the best tips to prepare for CAT. Here are some of the best CAT preparation tips compiled by our experts.

Learn Shortcuts to Solve CAT Questions

Shortcut techniques are essential when solving CAT questions. Shortcut techniques drastically reduce the time taken to attempt a question and also the chances of error when solving CAT questions.

Since they help in keeping calculations to the absolute minimum, they are even more vital to non-engineering students, who don't stay in touch with mathematics as much. The links given below will fetch you some simple tips and formulas to boost your CAT preparation

Practice As Much As You Can

All that developing a positive approach, learning new techniques and hopping through shortcuts would be futile if you don't put it to work. Practice as much as you can using the new techniques that you learn when solving questions. However, it is important not to blindly copy what everybody else says.

Has a CAT topper recommended a technique that does not work for you? Throw it out, try another.

Is your accuracy dying when opting for a quicker approach? Practice more. If it still does not work, go with another strategy.

Experiment with new techniques when practising and develop your own techniques and strategies. Check CAT Mock Tests, CAT Previous Year Question Papers and you will find yourself making progress not only with the speed but also with accuracy and confidence to attempt the exam.

Take CAT Mock Tests

You can familiarize yourself with the syllabus and pattern of the CAT exam and learn what to anticipate from the examination by taking CAT mock exams. Conduct a mock test every weekend, then analyze it over the next two days. Pay attention to the weaker areas between two mock tests. This is helpful when preparing for the CAT. You may learn from your mistakes by reflecting on the mock exams, and if you focus on improving them, you will only become better with time. There are numerous ways to approach a problem; try them all out so you can understand the potential solutions and how long they will each take to complete.

Revision Strategy for CAT 

Make sure you revise each question you responded to in the Level 1, 2, topic tests, CAT quants portion, and entire mock test section at least three to four times before the actual CAT exam. Revision is essential. Revision boosts memory, enabling you to respond to questions you've seen before more quickly in the examination hall. 

In the 45 days before the CAT exam, go through every Quant question that you have already answered. Keep your mind sharp over the last month leading up to the CAT. Keep revising the multiplication table chart up to 20, the fraction-percentage equivalence chart until you reach 1/25, the squares until 25, and the cubes until 12 - Practise math and approximations for 10 minutes every night before sleeping. Focus on maintaining a consistent calculation rhythm during the month leading up to the CAT, in addition to revision and taking mock exams. Additionally, read about philosophy, psychology, and the environment for at least 20 to 30 minutes each day during the last few days before the CAT exam. Non-engineers can use these pieces of advice to ace the CAT.

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