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5 Things to avoid before the D-Day


5 Things to avoid before the D-Day (CAT-XAT-IIFT-SNAP-TISS)


Our Mentor for MBA Entrance Examination Pranav Raj shares some anecdotes on things to avoid before any big exam like CAT, XAT, IIFT, TISS or SNAP.

It’s that time of the year again which the IIMs/XLRI/IIFT/MDI/FMS/SPJain/TISS aspirants have been waiting for. Anticipations and sleepless nights are genuine but the ones holding their nerves the longest will Bell the Cat or Jab the XAT or Nail the IIFT entrance exams. Very often I come across aspirants asking me what to do 15 days before the exam. From where I stand there is no constant recipe for success. A lot depends on the individual taking the test.  

What I want to pass on today are the Top 5 things you shouldn’t do 15 days before the exam. 
  •  Don’t stress over your past academics – There are things that aren't under your control. Don’t get bogged down by your past, especially if it is something you don’t want to cherish. Nothing good will come out of it. Channel your energy towards scoring a stellar percentile. Stay Calm. Stay Positive.
  • Don’t walk in the exam room with a pre-determined score in mind – While it’s good to have a fair idea of the overall and sectional cut-offs for CAT, XAT, IIFT, SNAP, TISS etc., don’t over-burden yourself with a predestined score. You can’t predict the overall difficulty level of the paper on the D-Day. If the paper appears to be on the tougher side, it will be that way for every other aspirant as well. 
  • Analysis – I cannot emphasize enough on the importance of the analysis of the mocks you’ve taken till date. Look for the gaps in between how you solved a particular question in a CAT-XAT-IIFT-SNAP-TISS mock and the way it has been solved by the coaching institutes. Check which method you’re comfortable with more and look out for the time required to solve through the alternative approach.
  • Don't wait for the last week/weekend/day before the exam – If you’ve identified a sub-topic that bothers you, pick up the book/ connect with your peers or seniors/ go through an article or blog on the topic right now. You can't afford to procrastinate any longer. Similarly, if you’re aiming XAT/IIFT/SNAP/TISS and you aren’t absolutely confident of your GK score, prepare now.
  • Last but not the least, don’t let the motivation index go down – No matter what, don’t let the enthusiasm fade away. That’s the biggest sin you can commit at this moment. If the past couple of mocks weren’t satisfactory, forget about it. Be happy that the unsatisfactory exam was a mock and not the real test. Go with the winners’ attitude on the day of your CAT-XAT-IIFT-TISS-SNAP entrance exam.

You’ll do just fine. 


All the Best Guys!

About the Author -

Pranav Raj works as the Vertical Head - Cost and Innovation for one of the leading Smartphone Brands in India. He has done his B.Tech from BIT Mesra before his MBA from IIFT Delhi. An avid traveler and a trained scuba diver, he has been part of the Pagalguy Dream Team for the year 2014 scoring 99.41 in CAT and 99.43 in IIFT. 



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