Analysis based on Rav Singh’s 5 years of CAT taking experience.
Summary Select CAT date between Oct 23 – Nov 2
Ideal time for CAT as paper is manageable, you get enough time to study and most importantly have got chance to see how paper is coming based on analysis my analysis on day one.
Let me divide CAT dates into Slot 1, 2, 3 based on my past experience
Oct 16 – Oct 22 Below Average difficulty
Oct 23 – Nov 2 Average difficulty
Nov 3 – Nov 11 Above Average difficulty
Taking the exam early… Slot 1 Oct 16 – Oct 22
If you take the exam early obviously paper is going to be easier. Well calm down dont jump to take that dates.. CAT results are later normalized to match the level of difficulty.. thats why many students even though they have attempted good number of questions end up with lower percentiles. Example you might attempt good enough to score 99%ile but end up scoring only 94%ile or attempted for 98%ile but got 91%ile.
Second reason is looking at the macro environment with other exams.. You need some ease off time after CMAT and before CAT so keeping 30 days between Sept CMAT and CAT dates will good. Third, I want you to wait for my paper on day 1. I always upload a mock paper based on my first day experience. So I would advice cetking students not to book date in this window…
Take the exam late… Slot 3 Nov 3 – Nov 11
Most of the students are tempted to take this window as you get more time to study. But CAT and CMAT historically is more difficult towards the end so avoid these days. Anyways if you have not studied one complete year trust me one more week wont help anyways. Rather a difficult mock will demotivate you. Example one of my last year student who scored Rank 2 in CMAT but could only manage 86%ile in CAT because he couldnt manage his paper.
Ideal Slot Oct 23 – Nov 2
This is the ideal time to take the exam in which your paper is managable and you will be not be surprised to see your result. So go for it..
CAT exam overall level of difficulty has gone down from CAT 2006 – 08 papers. So solving CAT 1990 – 2004 paper would be ideal to practice to get the feel of the paper.
We have launched cutoff clearing shortcut workshops for Quant and verbal enough to help you clear the cutoffs. I will be launching CAT revision workshop after my CAT ie Oct 20th weekend so help u revise all. I will be launching D-Day mock one month before the CAT exam which will help you gauge your performance on a right benchmark. This D-Day mock will be exact level of difficulty of CAT unlike other coaching classes who give 3 times more difficult Mock.
However, level of difficulty does not vary drastically here and there… Just a couple of questions easy of difficult.. These things will become immaterial if you are 100% prepared for the exam..
All the best
Rav Singh
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