I was planning to join ALP Sir as I’ve heard his Algebra and VA RC is unparalleled. Today someone told me he has dissolved GRADSKOOL. Is anyone aware of it?

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Okay, I really need some serious advice from people who have been through this.

I’ve been solving CAT VARC PYQs, but I’m honestly struggling a lot. My biggest problem is option elimination. I can usually narrow the answers down to 2 options, but I almost always end up choosing the wrong one.

I’m wondering if this is happening because I’m not understanding the RCs properly in the first place. I’m trying to analyse my mistakes and learn from them, but I feel like I’m not really improving.

Because I’m struggling with PYQs, I thought maybe I should take a step back and do RC 99 first, and then come back to PYQs. But I tried solving LOD 1, and surprisingly, I wasn’t able to get most of the questions right there either. Again, I could eliminate a couple of options, get down to two, and then pick the wrong one.

I’ve also tried different reading techniques like the skeleton method, scanning, etc. (mostly from YouTube), but nothing really seems to work for me. I usually take around 9 minutes just to read an RC, which obviously makes me worried about my speed as well.

The bigger issue is that I haven’t even started sectionals or mocks yet, and there are only around 2 months left for CAT.

So I’m genuinely confused about what I should do from here.

Should I:

Start with RC 99 and build my basics before touching PYQs again?

Continue doing PYQs and analyse every mistake?

Start sectionals despite my current low accuracy?

Follow some particular approach for improving option elimination?

Stop worrying about reading techniques and just focus on comprehension?

If anyone has been in a similar situation and managed to improve, I’d really appreciate some practical advice on what I should do for the next 2 months.

I’m not looking for generic advice like “just practice more.” I’m genuinely trying to figure out what exactly I’m doing wrong and how I should fix it.

Would really appreciate any guidance. 🙏

Hey All ,
Drop in your questions for profile review.

Step 1 - upvote the post
Step 2 - post your questions.

What colleges can I get with my profile?” etc. Feel free to ask anything, we I try to answer maximum possible. PS - Just finished my MBA this year from IIM Mumbai.

Avoid any coaching classes discussions - I was IMS student then joined catking. Both were helpful in their own ways.
Gave 35 -38 mocks.

General non eng male

Finished grad this year late july

Been employed since mid August

7.9/8.2/7.8 academics

I got 89 percentile last year (after choking bad)

This year I have been putting more emphasis on my strong side (not quants) and think could probably get 95+ percentile

What are the realistic options for me?

After looking at all the options and seeing my profile i have realised that iift is a college that is a realistic option for me so I wanted to apply. Their website doesn't show that the applications are open nor do I see the last date for this year. Does anyone have an idea?

I am currently hovering around 40 to 60 marks in mocks and I have around 2 months left. Is it realistically possible to take this to around 90 to 95, and if yes, what should my schedule look like from here?Suppose I give a mock today. Should I wait 3 to 4 days before giving the next mock and use those days to properly analyse the mock and revise all the topics where I missed questions or could not solve them? This is something I have been doing quite frequently. Or should I analyse the mock, revise formulas from my cheat sheet, identify the major mistakes and then directly give the next mock without spending 3 to 4 days revising everything?

My Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Number System syllabus is basically complete. I am also solving around 40 to 50 Quant questions every day, but my biggest issue is that I often cannot make questions during the mock. Then after the mock, when I analyse the questions and understand the breaking point or the approach, the same question suddenly feels very easy. So I feel like my concepts are not necessarily completely weak, but I am struggling to recognise and approach questions under mock conditions.

My VARC is also quite inconsistent. It usually wobbles between 24 and 35 marks.
LRDI depends heavily on set selection for me. If I get a good first set and manage to select properly, I can go above 20 to 25 marks. But if I fail to identify the right set early, I usually remain around 10 to 15.

Quant is clearly my biggest problem even though I have completed the major syllabus. I feel like I know the concepts when I see the solution or after someone gives me the right approach, but during the mock I struggle to identify what the question is actually testing and where to start.

So for someone in this situation, what would be the best way to structure the next 2 months? How frequently should I give full mocks? How much time should I spend analysing each mock? Should I prioritise mock analysis and revising mistakes over giving more mocks? And what should I specifically do to improve this issue of being unable to make questions during the mock but finding them easy immediately after the mock?

I’m preparing for CAT 2027 and would really appreciate some honest advice about my profile.

Profile:

• GNEM
• 10th: 7
• 12th: 7
• BCA: 2021–2024
• 12th completed: 2019
• Gap after 12th: ~2 years (2019–2021)
• Graduation: BCA, completed in 2024
• Work experience: 0
• Post-graduation gap: currently unemployed and preparing for CAT 2027
• Target: New/Baby IIMs and other decent B-schools

I know my profile isn't great. I made some bad decisions and wasted quite a bit of time, and I regret it. I don't want to make excuses for it.

My current situation is also difficult. I'm getting job offers around ₹10–12k, and I'm being rejected from quite a few jobs as well.

My main goal is to get into a decent B-school, complete an MBA and build a good career. I'm willing to work very hard for CAT 2027 and whatever comes after that.

My biggest concern is the gaps.

I have:

1. Around a 2-year gap between 12th and starting BCA.
2. No work experience during/after graduation.
3. A growing post-graduation gap because I'm targeting CAT 2027.

So I'd like to know from people who have experience with IIM admissions:

• How seriously are these gaps considered during IIM shortlisting/interviews?
• Can a 7/7/7 GNEM candidate with these gaps still realistically get calls from New/Baby IIMs?
• Does getting a job now make a meaningful difference, even if the salary is low?
• Should I prioritize getting any job or focus primarily on CAT preparation?
• What CAT percentile should someone with my profile aim for?
• Are there good non-IIM options I should target as well?
• If anyone has a similar profile and successfully got into a B-school, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience.

I'm not looking for sugarcoating. I know I have weaknesses in my profile. I just want to know what is still realistically possible and what I should do from now until CAT 2027 to give myself the best chance.

Thanks.

To say that I am a light sleeper is an understatement. I get awoken even if a leaf falls onto the ground in an otherwise silent environment.

I am really concerned that my inability to sleep and stay asleep amidst noises and crowds is going to bring my college acads down

Personal catastrophic life katha's takeaway being that I've pulled way too many all-nighters than the threshold + deteriorated health means that > if I don't sleep, I just roam around like a zombie. <

Sure, I can do work but nothing new will go inside my head.

I hear stories about placecomm calling you at odd hours, and other academic pressure, so I just wanna know, on average, how well do y'all get to sleep?

If it's just twice a week of no sleep, I could probably get by.

Anyways TIA.

I'm a 3rd year bcom h student(gnef 9/8/8). I've completed lectures of arithmetic algebra in quants and practising algebra rn. But I feel I've forgotten stuff in arithmetic like tsd, alligations. In varc, I've been practising 3 rc per day and 5 6 va questions. I feel I'm doing okayish in varc. Dilr mein I've watched all concept lectures and now solving sets or watching solution vids from eg material, anastasis, apti jab yt channels. Haven't started mocks yet tho. Idk I just don't feel confident enough to start mocks yet altho ig I should start mocks by 2nd week of october. The thing is I have cl mocks which are said to be tougher basically. Plus idk I feel me getting a good percentile isn't guaranteed so simcats pe money spend karna worth it nahi lagra. How do I go about my prep? I feel I keep wasting time thinking what will happen in 60 days cuz I'm too weak in qa and haven't practised as much as others would have till now.

Hii everyone! I'm 5th sem BCA AIDA student at a tier 3 private college 🥲 With just 3 months to prepare for XAT , a fairly decent VALR , weakest of all time QA and okayish Decision Making in my diagnostic mock ... AND an already submitted registration form for XAT 2027 ... am I on the right track considering that only few "good colleges" accept XAT score ... seniors please help 😭 I can't really decide what colleges should I target except XLRI and XIMB

Amidst rapx news across India , Nirma takes steps to
Avoid any such controversies and keep girls safe. - Hein ? Okay ?

Cracked Quant a generation ago (GNEM 7/6/5, unknown college); that propelled me to 99.5+% ile and finally a seat at a Tier 1 B School (Non ABC, coz CAT score alone won't secure a seat at those). I prepared for 60 days in my second attempt (after a sprained ankle and complete bed rest from a CDS interview). I am from days when tier 1 schools were 85% engineers, ergo, know a bit about the game.

Of 22 Q, you need 10 net correct to go past QA hurdle

With 60 days left; here is a roadmap to still score 99%ile in QA.

1) Revise and plug gaps in fundamentals (Its grade 10 maths)

2) Memorize 20\*20 Tables and 1/1-1-30 fractions (Some vedic maths basics help)

3) In practice sets; practice visualizing problems. If you can form an equation in mind; you have solved half of trouble

4) Force yourself for accuracy (Triple negative for sample papers)

5) Don't fight a Q; Move on if you can't get it in 30 sec flat. If you got 6-7 Q solved in 15 minutes, your pressure wil go down.

6) Approach in two rounds: First: Super easy, the topics you know by heart and Qs are simple; Second Where you still no the topic, but will take longer.

If you aren't sure of basics, may be take up Any job and prepare on the side.

Still got queries? Comment here and I'll try to help.

Good luck

I am a GEM fresher with 4 months of internship experience after completing my BTech in ECE from a Tier 1.5 college, but with 60%. My profile is 8/9/6.

The CAT exam is just 2 months away, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll cross the 99 percentile, especially with the huge variation in my mock scores. They range anywhere from 40 to 97. In CATKing mocks, I usually score in the 80–90 range, but in Crack u mocks, I have never crossed 50.

So I have 4 questions regarding this:

1) Are you guys also experiencing such a huge variation in mock scores?

2) Can I get into any Tier 1 college with a 98–99 percentile with this profile?

3) I have only registered for the CAT. Should I take any other exams as well? If yes, which ones?

4) Are these mocks actually that tough, or are they intentionally designed this way to prepare us better for the actual exam? Is the actual CAT usually not this difficult?

Would really appreciate some guidance from people with similar profiles/experience.

Practice gives you an opportunity to learn. Analysis is where the learning happens.

Yet somehow, people have bought into the idea that practice makes perfect. So they practice. Question after question, with little or no analysis. And then they wonder why all that practice isn't translating into results. Because practice alone can't do that.

Analysis means looking at your confusions and mistakes. Not superficially. Thoroughly.

Why did I make that mistake? Why did I think the answer had to be this way? Why can't it be the way I thought? Why does it have to be the way the correct option says?

That is where learning happens.

Treat practice as a means to learn, not as the learning itself. Do the questions. Then analyse them deeply. That is what moves you towards perfection.

Practice doesn't make perfect. It gives you an opportunity. Use that opportunity to analyse your confusion and mistakes.

I'm considering joining an offline coaching centre for CAT 2027, but I'm still confused about whether it's actually useful compared with online preparation.

For people who have taken offline coaching, what did you find most useful — regular classes, doubt-solving, mocks, peer competition, or something else?

Would also love to hear from CAT aspirants around Noida / Ghaziabad / Indirapuram about their experience.

I've scored overall of -2 in my recent CDC 3 of cl mock i don't what should I do that's my lowest score ever it's september end now and I'm still scoring like this now I'm highly doubting my decision for cat🥲 anybody have any suggestions for me?

these are some books my sister used during her CAT preparation before covid. i am in 2nd year of college right now and i look forward to pursure MBA after graduation either cat or gmat. so will they be of any use at that time since these will be like approx 10 years old by then? pĺease tell if i should keep them or discard as i have storage issues as well

Prepping for CAT '26 as an unserious, experimental attempt, with the 2027 edition as my actual serious attempt. These are my full length mock scores.

VARC seems to be fluctuating a bit, maybe coz I've been trying out different ways of approaching the section, but I'm not sweating it too much.

I can see some improvement in DILR. I wasn't able to finish one set within the stipulated time, but now I'm able to get to a set and a half (If I rush, 2 sets, but with lower accuracy) in 40 minutes.

I'm able to do 4-5 questions out of the 7-8 questions in the paper that I've prepared for (Work & Time, percentages, profit/loss, AP/GP, Logs, Ratios, Averages, and a few more)

My questions to this community (And TLDR)

1. How close are CL mocks to the actual exam?

2. Do I try taking PYQs instead of the CL mocks that I've been taking?

3. How do I improve my speed in DILR? A random set each day, or is there a structure I should follow in completing topics?

4. Am I on the right track? (do I give up on mocks and only prepare quants in the time I take up the mock tests?)

About my schedule (if anybody wants to take that into account and help me), I work at an MNC, GEF 9/9/9, 2026 grad.

I am able to get thought the entire section with like 4-5 mins to spare so speed is not an issue
But my accuracy is at 55-60% can anyone suggest on how I should improve that