MOCK CAT – 7 (2008) file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/harsh/Desktop/Mock%207%20...

MOCK CAT – 7

(September 14, 2008)

Overview

How does it feel when you encounter something unexpected? W ell, this paper breaks all the myths of a set-pattern. A
completely new design with the ‘visual and thematic questions’ in the verbal Ability section was a reason enough for one to
be surprised!!!

Let us now analyze the paper in detail!

In this paper, the Quantitative Ability and Logical Reasoning based Data Interpretation sections were easy to moderate
on the difficulty level. The Verbal Ability section had a high level of difficulty.

The information on the cover page made available to you was:

There were 75 questions in all, distributed over three sections with each section having 25 questions. The marks allotted
to each question were four. Each wrong answer attracted a penalty of 1 mark.

Total time available to answer all the sections was two and a half hours.

Executive Summary:

A synopsis on how this paper could have been attempted:

Suggested Possible
Possible
Section Topic Total Qs. Time number of
Score*
(in min.) attempts
I Verbal Ability 25 50 7-8 20-24
II Data Interpretation 25 50 12-14 35-40
III Quantitative Ability 25 50 10-12 30-35

Total 90 150 30-35 90-100

*Note : The numbers of attempts and the score have been worked out on the basis of the experts’ insight on how the
students would have taken the test and what score IIMs have been considering for dispatching the call letters. The
correct cut-offs can be confirmed statistically only after seeing the actual performance of students.

Section-I
Verbal Ability

The section had a high level of difficulty. It was overtly laden with graphics interspersed with questions having a rich
language. The trick to solve the section was to scan it properly and identify the doable questions. EU and RC should be
treated as two separate sets and solved accordingly.

A. Round 1: Q 1 and 2, Q 3 and 4, Q 9 to 11, Q 20 and 21, Q 22 and 23, Q 24 and 25

B. Round 2: Q 5 to 8 (Passage), Q 12 to 15 (Passage 1), Q 16 to 19 (Passage 2)

A. Round 1:

Q 1 and 2 (Graphic Para completion): It was a difficult set of questions. However, if you were familiar with the Holocaust
and were a connoisseur of language, you could have taken a shot at these questions. Q 1 could have been managed with a
careful reading.

Q 3 and 4 (Graphic Para jumbles): A moderate to difficult set of questions to be attempted. However, the correct
sequence could have been arrived at by following the key words and the visuals closely. You could have attempted both and
got at least one correct.

Q 9 to 11 (Parallel Logic): A new questions type, these could have been attempted by following the directions carefully.
The difficulty level of these questions was high. You could have gone for at least two of them and got one correct.

Q 20 and 21 (Para jumbles): These questions looked daunting because of the lengthy statements. However, it was worth
giving them a shot. Had you persevered enough, you could have solved both of them.

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Q 22 and 23 (Analogies): These questions had a moderate to high level of difficulty. Q 23 was doable.

Q 24 and 25 (Idiomatic usage): One had to be well versed with the idiomatic use of language in order to solve these
questions. Taking a guess here would have been fatal. W orth leaving!!!

B. Round 2:

From the three given passages you could have attempted at least two. It would have been a wise decision to leave out the
first Passage. Out of the remaining passages, Passage - I and Passage -II, you could have gone in for Passage II as it was
easy to read. You could have attempted 2 questions and got at least 1 right. Then, if time permitted, you could have gone
in for a skimming of the first passage and tried to solve Q no.8 as it was a straight question.

Overall, considering the high difficulty level of the section, a score of 20-24 should have been possible.

Section-II
Logical Reasoning based Data Interpretation

Overall the level of LRDI section was “easy to moderate”. Except for Q.36 to Q40 (the shirts problem set) and Q41 to Q45
(the bookies problem set) all the other problem sets were easy to understand and should have been attempted.

The problem sets in this section can be classified as below:

Problem Type Concepts Level of

Set Difficulty
26 to 30 Tables Logic Easy
31 to 35 Tables Logic Easy
Moderate to
36 to 40 Tables Logic
Tough
Moderate to
41 to 45 Tables Logic
Tough
46 to 50 Analytical Reasoning Logic Easy

The ideal way to attempt this LRDI section would have been to attack the five puzzles before attempting the different
problem sets.

Order of Problem Set Time

Attempt Allocation
8 - 10
1 46 - 50
minutes
10 - 12
2 31 to 35
minutes
10 - 12
3 26 - 30
minutes
10 - 15
4 36 - 40
minutes
12 - 15
5 41 - 45
minutes

To summarize, an attempt of 12 to 14 problems was a good attempt and with a good accuracy a score of 35 to 40 marks
could be achieved.

Section-III
Quantitative Ability

After a few experiments in the previous mock papers, Mock CAT 7 offered you a rather familiar QA section. As most of the
problems were attemptable, the section had an Easy to Moderate level of difficulty.

Table: Topics & Difficulty wise break-up of QA Section

Topic Questions Marks

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Easy Modrate Tough

Number
Q55, Q56, Q59, Q70 Q58, Q69 24
Theory
Arithmetic Q54,Q65,Q66,Q68,Q75 20
Algebra Q52, Q73 Q67 Q72 16
Geometry Q53, Q61, Q63, Q64 Q51, Q57 24
Modern Math Q71, Q74 Q62 12
Reasoning Q60 4
Marks 68 24 8 100

As you can see, most of the problems in this section fall under the “Easy” level of difficulty. In fact as many as 11 problems
(viz. Q53, Q54, Q55, Q59, Q64, Q66, Q68, Q71, Q73, Q74 and Q75) were “must — attempt” problems. In your first round of
attempts, you should have attempted most of these problems.

Round – 1: 8 -10 problems from: Q53, Q54, Q55, Q59, Q64, Q66, Q68, Q71, Q73, Q74 and Q75

In the next round i. e. in the second round of your attempts, you should have attempted 3 to 5 problems more from the
remaining problems in the “Easy” category, above.

Round – 2: 2 to 4 problems from: Q52, Q56, Q61, Q63, Q65, Q70

Making available 50 minutes for the QA section, you could have very easily attempted 10 to 12 problems and could have
scored 30 -35 marks.

All the best!!

Career Launcher Team

Close

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