It’s common to take the CAT twice, some have gone as far as retaking the test three or four times! At the end of the day, we all have the same reason for retaking this test: to get a higher score. Perhaps you need a higher CAT score to compensate for a weak area on your business school application. Or maybe you wish to strengthen your performance on one section of the CAT to indicate competency to MBA adcoms.
So what is the best strategy for retaking the CAT? Before answering this question, it is important to assess your options.
Should I Retake?
There are several cases where retaking is definitely to your advantage. These situations can involve elements that are out of your control, or events that happen on your test day. If you are sick, dealing with a personal or family issue, or taking the CAT in less than perfect conditions (I’ve heard many stories of people underperforming because of construction work that disrupted their ability to focus), then a retake may be advisable. These external factors may have had some impact on your low score, especially if your practice tests indicated a higher performance level.
If external factors affected your CAT score, then retaking is a no-brainer. But there are other situations in which the decision to retake is not that easy to make. In contrast to the scenarios described above, these instances relate to elements that are more or less under your control: the quality of your study plan and of the materials you’ve used, test day anxiety, and so forth.
On the other hand, if you’ve studied diligently for the past few months and have used the best materials available, then you may want to move on from your CAT and focus on improving other aspects of your application. The same holds true for students who retake the test over and over again: unless you are consistently improving your scores, then you may have hit a plateau in your performance.
All that said, if you’ve made the decision to retake the CAT, it’s time to diagnose what went wrong in your first attempt and remedy any problems. In the following sections, I break down some of the most common mistakes students make in their initial CAT prep.
Common Mistake #1: Wrong Materials
Many people have problems on their CAT because they have studied with the wrong books. You must have the right CAT books for your CAT prep—period.
Complete solving the yellow books so that you are done with your basics first and then you can move on to the green books for advance level questions from “CETKING” books.These book are sufficient to score in CAT exam !
Common Mistake #2: Wrong Study Plan
Consider the following scenario: math has always been your strength. When you started studying for the CAT, you enjoyed solving math problems a lot. As a result, you were biased in spending more time on math prep than on verbal prep. Consequently on your test day, your verbal score was well below your math score, resulting in a poor overall CAT score.
The problem here is easy to spot: when you are preparing for the CAT, you need to ignore your preferences and invest more time in your weaknesses—even if they include subjects you do not enjoy. Targeting your weaknesses should be your top priority; fortifying your strengths should come second. Here are some suggested study plans.
Another common mistake is not being consistent in your prep. When you’ve decided to take the CAT you need to devise a solid plan from the start and stick to it. Procrastination and intermittent study translate into poor test performance. Inconsistent study will prevent you from learning CAT concepts effectively. This is why a realistic, personalized plan that fits into your daily routine is the best way to go about preparing for the CAT. If you follow this advice for your retake, I guarantee you’ll get better results.
I would also advise test takers to be “optimistically conservative” when setting their target scores. No matter how good your study plan may be, sometimes it’s just not enough.
Common Mistake #3: Dealing with Timing/Anxiety Issues
You’ll often hear CAT experts mention that almost any student can solve all the questions on the CAT if she is given enough time. However, one of the reasons why this test is so difficult is that you are under a pretty severe time constraint. In your retake study plan, be sure to emphasize test pacing. This is important to master because the penalty for not finishing a section on the CAT is severe. You can check out a few tips regarding pacing here.
Related to test pacing is stress management. Poor time management will often lead to stress on the CAT, which will seriously affect you ability to answer all the questions. To remedy your stress management issues, be sure to practice under simulated conditions so that you’ll get used to performing under pressure. It’s also worth mentioning that a lot of people feel more comfortable on their retake because they have already gone through the whole process once and thus are more familiar with the testing conditions.
A method that I’ve personally tested when feeling anxious is taking a few seconds to “talk yourself into” ignoring the stress and trying your best under the circumstances. Accepting the situation really helps boost your morale. You can also find some useful hints regarding stress control here.
Final Thoughts
These three mistakes are among the most commonly reported by test takers (that I’ve seen), but this list is not nearly exhaustive. No matter your reasons for retaking the CAT, be sure to do a full review of your initial CAT strategy. Examine your errors and target your weak concepts. If you find it hard to do this on your own, remember that you can always ask for help from “CETKING” classes.
Analyse your self and ask your self on every step you take !
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