Tony Xavier

Bell the CAT

Amazon: Bell the CAT

With The CAT Writer blog, I found that a few aspirants either read a post that is relevant to them a bit too late and end up wasting a year, and that many more just read one post that they came searching for or discovered by accident and are too lazy to browse through the blog to read other posts that will help them.

So, I thought, why not compile everything into a book where they can find everything they need in the order they will need it.

Also, in this day and age, the book can be the best excuse to put your phone and laptop away and build that most elusive of muscles: the concentration muscle.

In the pandemic, I started taking online sessions for students across the country, and I felt these sessions were a perfect complement to the book.

I am confident that at any point of time in your CAT journey, if there is a question that pops up in your head you will find an answer in the book.

The links in the table of contents below will take you specific videos on the Bell the CAT You Tube Page, which serves as companion to the book but can also be used as a standalone learning tool.

Preface: The Origin Story 

Introduction: CAT and cricket are two sides of the same coin

How to use this book

PART I: MBA, not CAT

What’s the plan? 

  1. Why do you want to crack one of the toughest exams in the world? 
  2. You need to choose your specialisation is RIGHT NOW! 
  3. How to choose the right specialisation

Profile Matters 

  1. The elements of a profile
  2. What makes a great profile?
  3. How to build your profile for an MBA? 

Choosing the program that is right for you

  • A-B-C, or nothing — Possibly the worst goal ever! 
  • How should you choose which colleges should to apply to?
  • Should I consider an international MBA or MIM Program?
  • How to choose between a 1-year or 2-year MBA

PART II: Learning to Learn

What is the prep plan?

  1. How many hours of prep is required to crack the CAT? 
  2. Should I quit my job to prepare for the CAT? 
  3. How to manage work and CAT Prep at the same time

Learning to Learn

  1. Natural Talent or Hard Work?
  2. Wipe the slate clean 
  3. 7 Skills to crack the CAT and enter an IIM. 

Part III: The VA-RC Section 

  1. How to measure your effective reading speed
  2. How to improve reading speed and comprehension at the same time?
  3. The Five Pauses Technique — How to read and solve an RC Passage
  4. Becoming an expert critical reader
  5. The Reading Comprehension Question Types
  6. The Paragraph to Questions Approach — An Alternative Reading Strategy 
  7. Notes on the Paragraph to Questions Approach
  8. Notes on Reading Comprehension
  9. Verbal Ability — The Summary Question
  10. Verbal Ability — The Jumbled Paragraph 
  11. Verbal Ability — The Missing Sentence in Paragraph 
  12. Verbal Ability — The Incorrect Sentence in Paragraph 

Part IV: The QA Section 

  1. How to Solve Any Math question 
  2. Learning to Learn Math 
  3. How to increase your speed — The T20 skills required for CAT Quant
  4. The Elegant Solution — Think Without Ink
  5. How to increase your accuracy on QA

Part V: The DI-LR Section 

  1. Why is DI-LR is the toughest section on the CAT?
  2. Developing your core reasoning strength 
  3. How to solve a DI-LR Set
  4. The Key Mathematical Reasoning Concepts You Need to Know
  5. Notes on Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Part VI: Test-Taking Strategy 

  1. Do not wait for your prep to be over before taking the first Mock! 
  2. All about CAT scores and percentiles 
  3. Why Test-Taking Strategy Is More Important Than Conceptual Clarity
  4. CAT Test-Taking Strategy: Now, Later, Never
  5. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: Test-Taking Strategy 
  6. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: Test-Taking Strategy
  7. Quantitative Ability Test-Taking Strategy
  8. How to analyse a test?
  9. Setting the right targets on your way to the 99th percentile and above 
  10. Testing-Taking Blues: The reason why your QA scores are below par 
  11. Testing-Taking Blues: Why your skills might not be as good as you think they are! 
  12. The Last Leg: Score Improvment, Attempts versus Accuracy, Prep Planning 

Part VII: Mind Over Matter — Mental Conditioning 

  1. The CAT is really not as tough as you think — in reality you do not need a 99.5 
  2. How to manage your energy, stress and anxiety
  3. One of the many ways 
  4. What do you see yourself doing on D-day?
  5. Are you ready for a real test?
  6. Zen and the Art of Test-Taking
  7. Getting ready for D-day 

Part VIII: Preparing for WAT-GD-PI 

  1. How to prepare for WATs and GD? 
  2. How to prepare for the Personal Interview 
  3. Why everyone should write the IIMB SOP 
  4. How to handle the Big 5 Questions
  5. How to approach the Indian B-School Personal Interview
  6. Believing in yourself

Part IX: Plan B 

  1. What after a horrible CAT?
  2. To retake or not to retake the CAT
  3. Resetting your mind before you retake the CAT 
  4. How to prepare for a CAT re-take 

Part X: The better problems to have

  1. How to choose between the IIMs and other premier MBA programs 
  2. How to choose between an HR program and a regular MBA 
  3. How to make the most of your MBA program

Epilogue 

  1. What I learnt from working out
  2. Motivation is a myth 
  3. Finding Your Centre: A Way of Life