Make Optimal Use of Your Time; Says CAT Topper Gavin Dsouza

CAT, one of the most competitive and well-known national-level management entrance examination is conducted by the IIMs each year. This year, the exam is scheduled to be held in November by IIM Lucknow. All MBA aspirants dream to clear the graduate-level Common Admission Test for Management and get admitted in the prestigious IIMs and top b-schools as CAT scores are accepted by 20 IIMs and more than 100 business schools across the country. In 2017, over 2.3 lakh candidates registered for the exam.

Gavin Dsouza who secured admission to Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay with his high CAT percentile of 99.49 suggests candidates to make optimal use of their time. Prior to admission in IIT Bombay, Gavin was a Software Engineer at Indus valley partners, Mumbai and he cleared the CAT exam along with his rigorous working hours. Gavin has shared his strategy for the exam and outlined the importance of optimal use of time in the exam. Let’s have a look at the important preparation tips shared by him.

Gavin has stressed upon the importance of time management in the exam and also while preparing for the exam. He said that setting strict timelines for preparation helped him a lot in clearing the exam. He advises all the aspirants to divide proper time for each section and utilize the weekends to the fullest. Along with incorporating a proper time management strategy for the exam, aspirants should know how to use their time while attempting the exam. Each section should be provided adequate time as per the convenience of candidates and they must attempt maximum questions within the stipulated time.

Gavin emphasizes that his disciplined approach towards his preparation along with consistency led him secure a seat in IIT Bombay. He has advised the aspirants to be disciplined towards their exam strategy as only making a study plan will do nothing; you need to properly follow it for cracking the exam. Even if you are a working person you can clear the exam like him by a disciplined study plan.

It is always best to start your preparation focusing on the weakest section because it needs your extra care and attention. You should take all the chapters of the section one by one and clear all your doubts. Gavin himself started his preparations with Quant section which wasthe weakest for him andthis strategy has helped him score well in the Quant section as well.

Gavin warns all the aspirants that only attempting too many questions does not guarantee your success in the exam, you should maintain accuracy too. All the aspirants should try to maintain maximum accuracy in the exam. So, both accuracy and speed should be maintained properly to crack the exam.

Most of the students ignore the recreational activities while preparing for their exams but getting involved in some kind of recreational activity helps you a lot. Gavin used to play football once in a week so as to relieve his stress. He said that while preparing for any exam, your mind should be relaxed and you should feel good and the best way to achieve that is to do something you love. So, all the aspirants must do something they like in order to make them relaxed.

Having scored 97.94 in Quantitative Ability and 99.15 in Verbal, Gavin focused on the concepts for the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section. He has advised all the aspirants to clear their concepts because as long as your concepts are clear you can solve any question in the exam. Practice more and more questions you can. For the Verbal Ability section, you should read newspapers daily, by doing so you will come across new words and this will improve your vocabulary too.

These were some important tips by the CAT topper Gavin which all the aspirants must consider while they appear for their exam. If Gavin can clear the exam along with his job, you surely can clear it too. We wish you all the very best for your preparation for upcoming CAT exam.