The Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most competitive entrance exams for Management programs in India. CAT serves as a gateway to some of the most prestigious business schools in the country. In order to crack this challenging exam, one needs a combination of hard work and smart work both.

To help you in your CAT exam journey, we have covered 7 common mistakes that you should avoid to increase your chances of success in the CAT Exam.

1. Not Starting Early

One of the most common mistakes one can make in their CAT Preparation is Not Starting their preparation early. Although you can cover the basic syllabus of CAT in 3-4 months. But for a well-structured preparation and to be CAT-Ready one must dedicate at least 9 months to their CAT Preparation.
Competition in CAT Exam is increasing year by year. Hence to have an edge in this competition one should start their preparation early.

2. Not Understanding The Basic Requirement Of Exam

In order to crack any exam one should first understand the requirements of that exam. One should have enough knowledge about the exam pattern, and also about the type of question that one can face in the exam.
What are the basic requirements of the CAT Exam?

• Developing a diverse reading habit. Reading is a one-stop solution for aspirants who face major issues in the VARC Section. Be it increasing Reading speed, improving vocabulary, or developing comprehension ability; reading helps in every aspect.
  But for an exam like CAT, general reading won’t help enough. That is why it is suggested to read from diverse genres. Each genre presents unique plot structures and narrative techniques. By Reading from diverse genres, one learns to analyze and evaluate different storytelling aspects, which strengthens their critical thinking skills and enhances their ability to interpret and comprehend complex passages.
  Hence iQuanta has come up with a comprehensive 250 Genre-wise reading articles for CAT for the benefit of all CAT aspirants. The articles are attached with the Summary.
  
• Developing a basic knowledge of Quants before starting practice. Many students don’t focus much on developing the basics of Quant Section, and jump onto practicing at an early stage, which results in self-doubt. That is why it is suggested to focus majorly on basics at an early stage. Once you have your basics clear, then you can start practicing and increase the level of questions gradually.
  
• Focusing equally on every section. Aspirants tend to focus more on their subject of interest, due to which preparation of other sections suffers. Hence it is essential to divide your time and focus equally among all sections.
  
• Being consistent in practice. When one starts preparing for CAT, in the initial days one is highly motivated, but as days pass, it gets difficult to maintain that motivation and consistency.
  Being an aptitude-based exam CAT not only demands syllabus completion but also a consistent practice routine.
  

3. Not Strategizing Your Preparation

When aiming for an exam like CAT, one should go for a well-structured preparation. One may not have a fixed study routine but one should avoid the mistake of not having a strategized study plan, that assigns time evenly to each Section. One can also prioritize sections that need the most improvement.
A Well-Strategized CAT Preparation must have the following factors:

• Familiarity with Exam Pattern
• Completing syllabus on time
• Having a Consistent practice routine
• Taking and analyzing mocks
• Making formula/cheat sheets for quick revision
• Staying Healthy throughout your cat preparation

Also Read : CAT 2024 Preparation Strategy

4. Not Doing Frequent Revisions

Another common mistake to avoid during CAT Preparation is not having a Revision Routine. Revision is important to understand the concepts thoroughly, and to transform those concepts from our weaknesses to our strengths. Revision makes our studies complete & effective.
Revision may not seem important, but it helps you in keeping your concepts collected.

5. Not Taking Mock Tests

Mock Tests are one of the most important aspect of CAT Preparation. Through mocks one gains test- taking experience,which makes one habitual of exam pattern. Mocks are designed to help aspirants build concepts, prepare strategies, identify weaknesses, and take steps to eliminate them. It is believed that mock is the vital aspect that enables an aspirant to perform well in the CAT exam.

6. Not Analysing Mock Test

Mock tests are taken by most of the CAT aspirants but many candidates skip evaluating their scores. This is a common mistake by most of the candidates who are preparing for CAT for the first time and lacks awareness.
Analyzing mocks are as important as taking the mock tests. By Analyzing mocks, one can understand their level of preparation, and can also reflect on their weak areas. After analyzing mocks, it is also important to strategize further preparation accordingly.

7. Skipping Topics / Not Completing Syllabus

Many a time, students skip some topics because they feel that they are not able to understand certain topics. What they tend to forget in this is that every topics holds certain importance and shouldn’t be skipped. Instead if you face difficulty in some particular topics, you should focus more on that particular topic.