CAT 2020 Admit Card: Hall Ticket in hand & 1 more month to go

CAT 2020 admit card has been released on the IIMCAT website. That signals one last reminder about the fact that CAT 2020 will happen on 29 November 2020. Which also means you have got a little over 30 days at your disposal before the D-day knocks on your doors.

How do you download your CAT 2020 admit card a.k.a. hall ticket? What next? How do you prepare for the examination with a month to go? Let’s explore in detail!

Before that, though, if you sense too much pressure building up within you, especially after this admit card release, you have to tell yourself two things.

1. You are not alone.
2. Take a break. Breathe. Relax.

How to download your CAT 2020 admit card?

This is simple, as usual.

1. Go to the IIMCAT website.
2. Click on the “Login” button under the “Registered Candidate Login” option.
3. Enter your User ID and Password.
4. Login and download your admit card.

Tip: You do not necessarily need to use the “Forgot User ID/Password” option if you do not remember either of both of them. You would have received an SMS and/or email with your credentials, immediately after you had registered. Search “IIMCAT” in the search bar of your email/SMS inbox, and you should get that message with the credentials.

Now that the hall ticket is in your hands, the writing is on the wall. You have got just enough time, and you need to make the best use of it.

9 Questions every CAT 2020 aspirant faces during the last lap

COVID-19 Guidelines for Candidates:

Bear in mind that these guidelines are as much for you as they are for everyone else taking the CAT. Follow the rules properly, stay safe and remember, the CAT is just an exam. Your life is more valuable than it.

And for heaven’s sake, take the self-declaration section in the admit card very seriously. Once, you’ve followed these crucial guidelines, focus on acing the paper! 🙂

What should be your preparation plan/strategy from now on?

There is one five-letter word that captures the essence of your preparation from here. MOCKS. Take loads of mocks. With 30 days to go, you should be looking to take anywhere between 7 and 10 mocks before the day of exam.

Taking mocks and ending up getting slapped almost every single time is not easy. Which is why CAT is not just a test of intelligence but that of endurance and perseverance as well.

There are a bunch of articles that have been tailored specifically towards mocks. They cover a broad spectrum of ideas on taking mocks, analyzing them, overcoming the fear of mocks and more.

1. Mock CAT scores and CAT preparation: 3 and a half perspectives
2. 4 to-dos to take your mock CAT analysis one-notch higher
3. 2 practical strategies to overcome plateauing of mock scores
4. All about handling mocks better
5. 7 Gospel truths to deal with mock CAT blues
6. The truth about mock CATs and percentiles
7. An A-Z guide for mock CATs
8. How to review mock CATs: A 3-step process
9. Mock tests 101: Dos and Don’ts
10. Strategies for taking mock CATs
11. Low mock scores: How to improve?

What should be my takeaway from mocks?

Why, percentiles… sadness… self-doubts… depression… I am kidding, obviously! Though some or all of these are inevitable consequences of taking mocks, there are more important and more specific aspects you will need to focus on.

CAT 2020 admit card, time slots and mocks

The admit card gives you the time slot during which you will be taking the examination (remember, it is going to be three slots this time), and your examination center and city. Start taking mocks at the exact same time slot as mentioned in your admit card.

You could be a person with sleeping-late-at-night-waking-up-late-in-the-morning routine and you could be allotted the 8.30 am slot. Taking mocks at that specific time sets your discipline and ensures you plan your day and sleep cycle, accordingly.

Sectional Strategy for CAT Preparation

Scores, percentiles and what not

At this moment, it is very difficult to take a mock and come out NOT benchmarking yourself with others, OR what your ideal score would be to receive calls from IIMs. As a fellow CAT aspirant, I can empathize with the palpitations of your heart as you click on the “Submit” button and wait for the dreaded mock scores to appear on screen. I can relate to the fact that you, in all probability, expected high(er) scores than how much ever you got, and the actual scores upset you.

But, all said and done…

The tangible takeaways

1. Train yourself – by enough and more practice – to sit through the two hours of a mock. Get yourself ready for the time slot you have been allotted.
2. Do not go on a mock spree without analyzing your earlier mocks. There is NO hard-and-fast rule that states, “Take a mock every 36.5 hours, and you are destined for a 99.xx percentile.”
3. Consolidate topics. Do not try to load yourself with new topics and new concepts now. Instead, focus on how best you can maximize your mock score with the topics/areas of strengths.

The onus is on you now. Reach for the skies and never give it up!

Stay safe, download your admit cards and best wishes for CAT 2020!

Written by Giridharan Raghuraman