Is Taking a Mock CAT Helpful?
Dear Students,
I am eternally grateful that you all participated in Mock CAT 1, conducted from 1st April to 9th April, making this event a resounding success. This is a moment of joy and pride for me, and a cause for celebration given the remarkable increase in student participation—600 more students took the Mock than last year. Comparing the numbers from CAT 2017 to CAT 2016 highlights the significant growth in your enthusiasm and commitment to success.
Many students approached me post-examination, expressing concerns about the difficulty of the paper, especially the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section. These are predominantly BBA students, and for many, the Mathematics syllabus has not been part of their curriculum. It's not unusual to see some students achieving as low as a 16 percentile in the QA section.
This article aims to address the fears surrounding mathematics and reinforces the notion that the Common Admission Test (CAT) is more about aptitude rather than just knowledge. There are indeed some highly advanced mathematical questions, but they are not the norm. The key is to identify and solve the manageable questions within the time constraints.
Understanding the Questions and Strategies
Let's delve into a few questions from Mock CAT 1 to illustrate my point and to guide you on how to approach similar scenarios in future mock tests.
Question 1: Triangular Field Fencing
A triangular field needs to be fenced using iron wire. The cost of fencing is Rs.12 per meter. If the sum of the lengths of two of the three sides of the triangular field is 30 meters, which of the following cannot be the cost of fencing the field?
Key Concept: The sum of any two sides of a triangle is always greater than the third side.
Strategy: Calculate the possible side lengths and their combinations to ensure they meet the triangle inequality rule.
Question 2: Divisibility by 19
Find the remainder when 7777... (37 digits) is divided by 19.
Key Concept: Any digit repeated 18 times is divisible by 19.
Strategy:
Use modular arithmetic to simplify the calculation. Since the number 7777... (37 digits) can be simplified using the periodicity of the repeating digit.
Question 3: Age Calculation
On 21 June 2006, the product of Anuj’s age in months as on his last birthday and his present age in months was 2640. Find Anuj’s date of birth.
Key Concept: Factorize the number to find the possible ages.
Strategy: Identify the pairs of factors (months) that multiply to 2640 and check which pair is feasible based on age constraints.
Question 4: Non-Zero Digit in Factorial
Find the rightmost non-zero digit in 11!.
Key Concept: Remove all zero-producing factors.
Strategy: Calculate the factorial and remove all factors of 2 and 5 to find the rightmost non-zero digit.
Question 5: Distance and Speed
Suppose Ramcharan drove to Phoenix Mall from his villa at a speed of 10 m/s. When returning to his villa, he drove at a speed of 18 km/hr. The total travel time was 3 hours. Find the distance between his villa and Phoenix Mall.
Key Concept: Use the formula: Distance Speed X Time.
Strategy: Convert all speeds to the same unit and use the total time to find the distance.
Question 6: Distinct Real Numbers and Min/Max
If N Max[Minp, q Minr, s] and S Min[Maxp, r Maxq, s], which of the following is definitely true?
Key Concept: Understand the operations of Max and Min functions.
Strategy: Analyze the given expressions to determine the relationship between N and S.
Conclusion
From these questions, it is evident that a targeted approach to solving questions within the exam time frame can yield significant marks. You should focus on identifying such questions and solving them efficiently. The probability of encountering similar types of questions is high in the actual CAT.
Just remember, the simplest and easiest thing to do in life is to ldquo;GIVE UPrdquo;. However, in the context of your CAT preparation, embracing challenges and working hard will take you a long way. Keep practicing and stay positive!