CetKing If you’ve been studying Permutations and Combinations, you’ve probably had to memorize a bunch of ugly formulas involving factorials. Don’t worry – there’s an easier way. Permutations vs. Combinations First let’s go over the difference between Permutations and Combinations. These two terms are easy to mix up. Permutations how many different arrangements can be created … Read more
What working backwards is? Working backwards from the answer choices, back-solving, plug-and-chug… no matter what you call it, you’ve probably heard of it before. Many quants questions require laborious algebra to solve, but are much faster and easier to solve by simply plugging the answer choices into the problem to see what fits. Try this … Read more
You know the concept, the setup, the steps. You have equations ready and a prowess with algebra. You solve the problem and come up with what is certainly the correct answer, yet you quickly find that answer is not one of the answer choices. You, my friend, are in danger of having just committed a … Read more
In my several years of teaching, I’ve noticed pitfalls that get students again and again on the CAT Today I’ll describe just two of them that pertain to Sentence Correction questions. Danger 1: Always Using Your Ear There is a lot of advice out there regarding the ability of a test taker to “just use … Read more
For many students, Assumption questions are the most difficult type of Critical Reasoning problem. An assumption is simply an unstated premise of the argument; that is, an integral component of the argument that the author takes for granted and leaves unsaid. In our daily lives we make thousands of assumptions, but they make sense because … Read more
The key to weakening an argument is to attack the conclusion. But, keep in mind that to attack is not the same as to destroy. Although an answer that destroys the conclusion would be correct, this rarely occurs because of the minimal space allotted to answer choices. Instead, you are more likely to encounter an … Read more
Verb tense is one of the more complex issues of English grammar, and usage experts can hold forth at length on the subtleties of the subject. Luckily, the CAT doesn’t plumb too deeply into the nuances of tenses, but there are a few things beyond the simple past, present, and future that every students should … Read more
What’s the difference between these two sentences? He spoke clearly, articulating the points of his plan. The points of his plan were articulated in his clear speech. The first sentence is written in the active voice, and the second is written in the passive voice. In the first sentence above, the subject is “he,” and … Read more
Grammar is, of course, an issue of concern on the Sentence Correction questions seen on CAT But good grammar is also generally helpful and is of special importance on the writing sample, which is your chance to show the admissions committee that you are adept at communicating in written English. To improve your writing in … Read more
I’ve discussed the need to understand certain grammar concepts in CAT in order to do well. As you continue to study for CAT, make sure you focus on these specific grammar areas. Additionally, on any given question, CAT is often testing several of these concepts. Thus, as we teach in our CETKING classroom course, make … Read more
