30 days to CAT: Topper mantras for QA & DI

(prHWY.com) September 14, 2012 - Noida, India -- Accuracy and speed are needed to score high in the quantitative ability and data interpretation section. Though it is comparatively easy for engineering students, for those belonging to different backgrounds that do not involve much calculation, it can be a difficult proposition.

This article of MBAUniverse.com shares the strategies followed by CAT 2011 toppers to crack the quantitative ability and data interpretation section. This will not only help aspirants whose weak point lies in this section, but also those who are confident.

Following are the some points shared by toppers:

Practice is the best method: The proverb goes: 'Practice makes a man perfect'. Here too, practice can be the best method. The more you practise, the more aware you become about different methods of solving questions. Ajinkya Deshmukh, CAT 2011 100 percentiler and IIM Bangalore student, says, "I practised as many problems as I could. It does help to remember a few results in Quant. It saves a lot of time rather than trying to arrive at a particular formula in the exam."

Number crunching & speed: The QA & DI section is all about number crunching and speed. With practice, you will get more acquainted with the number crunching methods and time control. As Anusha Subramanian, 99.80 percentiler in CAT 2011 and an IIM Bangalore student, says, "This section is all about number crunching and speed. Solving practice papers in a simulated test environment at home helps prepare for this section."

Accuracy matters: As the section is based on hardcore number crunching, accuracy is one of the main ingredients for success. So, along with speed, also concentrate on maintaining accuracy while you practise.

For each wrong answer, one mark will be deducted from the total scores. Hence, pay extra attention to check whether the method, formula and the end result are correct. Avoid silly mistakes. "For QA & DI, my focus was on accuracy and getting as many correct answers as possible," says B Sekhar, 99.99 percentile scorer in CAT 2011 and an IIM Ahmedabad student.

Understand the question pattern: The more you practise, the more familiar you will be with the pattern of questions you can expect and the methods to follow in order to reach the correct answer. For this, scrutinizing the question types and the methods which lead to the right answer is necessary. You can make a log of the types of questions and the solving methods. "With practice, confidence and a few tests, the focus should shift to understanding of the pattern of questions. Questions requiring less time should be selected and attempted first. A thorough knowledge of one's own strengths and weaknesses can be of great help," suggests Siddhant Gupta, 99.67 percentile in CAT 2011 and a student of IIM Raipur.

Don't get bogged down by tough questions: You are bound to face tough questions and may not be able to get them correct at the first effort. But you should not be de-motivated. You must practise numerous questions before getting a grip on it. "While solving the exam papers of data interpretation, there is high probability that they would appear tough. See the solutions and get a feel of how to approach various problems. During the course of time, you will recognize the patterns and the suitable methods to solve them," suggests P Sri Ram Prasad, 100 percentile of CAT 2011 and an IIM Ahmedabad student.

Apart from these, you should focus on managing your strong and weak areas.

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