Slog overs begin for IIM aspirants

BANGALORE: With barely a week left for one of the toughest entrance tests in the country, Common Admission Test (CAT), preparation by prospective IIMers is peaking. This is, after all, an exam where serendipity has a limited role to play, with methodical planning and intense preparation being everything.

Expectedly, candidates are burning the midnight oil. A majority of the 2.76 lakh taking the exam are spending a good "three to four hours" a day preparing, with additional hours put in during weekends. A few brave souls are striving for a semblance of normalcy in these stressful days by taking some time out for themselves, going out with friends for a movie or to a restaurant.

For a majority of candidates, this will be the first brush with the famed test. For others like Ankit Kumar, a software engineer with a private firm, a second attempt.

He's organised this time, having figured out his strong and weak points from the first attempt. Last time, a 97 percentile failed to land him any calls from the IIMs. An intensified effort this time has him take a different approach to the test. More focus on mock tests and fine-tuning sections he's good at.

Preparing for the CAT for the last four months, he's not cut down on social networking. As he says: "Even my friends are appearing for CAT, so when we meet the discussion is on CAT".

He hasn't taken leave from work unlike the first attempt, as he feels CAT is more application-based and preparation cannot happen overnight.

A few first-timers TOI spoke to, admit to stressful moments. Madhav Jain, final year electronics and communication engineering student, is anxious as he's aware there are only limited seats at the seven IIMs and more candidates are vying for them. "It will be tough. There is no end to studying. I started to prepare for CAT from January," he says. His challenge was to strike a balance between college and CAT preparation. "Sometimes, I find it tough to concentrate on both engineering and CAT," he admits.

As D-Day draws closer, aspirants are intensifying their efforts. But this is not what Arun Sharma, an IIM-C alumnus and CAT specialist, advises. He says candidates should not study any new topics at this point. "From now till the day before CAT, just go through all the questions you have solved. Don't solve the paper, rather analyze the questions. Let steps to arrive at the answer run through your minds," he explained.

While stressing the need to focus on the question, Sharma also advises aspirants to create a kind of a mental statement so as to reassure themselves anytime they encounter a stumbling block. "Creating an alternative plan of action also helps candidates take the pressure off a bit," he adds.

Offering tips, Sharma says candidates should be confident in their abilities and have faith that they will bounce back, no matter what. "Attempt as many questions as possible. Answering those few, extra questions can mean upping the percentile to 95," adds Sharma.

Prashant Tibrewal, assistant operations manager of IMS Learning Resources (a CAT coaching school), said a majority of students fail to understand the CAT. "This is an entrance test for admission to B-schools, which will train future managers. The expectation is they should have the same skills as that of a manager, like time management, decision-making and appetite for risk. The paper pattern changes every year. So candidates have to decide how much time to spend on each question. This is where time management comes in," he says.

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