How to tackle TITA questions in CAT?

How to tackle TITA questions in CAT? - Every year more than two lakhs candidates register for India’s most awaited exam i.e. CAT. Indian Institutes of Management conduct CAT once in a year on a rotational basis. CAT question paper includes two types of questions every year, as per the exam pattern of CAT. One type is multiple-choice questions while the other is non-MCQs or TITA questions. TITA is the abridged form of “Type in the Answer”. In such types of questions, candidates do not have any option like in multiple choice questions. Most of the candidates panic when they are asked about “how to tackle TITA questions in CAT.” IIM Ahmedabad introduced the concept of TITA questions for the first time in 2015. The announcement made by IIM Ahmedabad informed that in CAT 2015 some of the questions in each section may not be MCQs. Instead, candidates need to answer them directly by typing on the screen. Since then, along with the outstanding scores in MCQs, excellent performance in the TITA questions is also important for candidates in order to score good and get a call from any of the 20 IIMs. Common Admission Test is considered to be the most difficult exam due to sectional time limit, level of questions asked and etc., CAT 2020 registration is likely to begin from the first week of August 2020.

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TITA Questions - In Numbers

As per the exam pattern of CAT, the question paper will be divided into two types of questions i.e. multiple choice questions (MCQs) and Type in the Answer (TITA/non-MCQs). As TITA questions are non-MCQs and do not have any options, they tend to consume more time of the candidates. Given below in a tabular format is the number of TITA questions asked in IIM entrance exam. Candidates can check the table to have an idea about the TITA question and prepare for the same to score .

Overview of CAT TITA Questions

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Tips on How to Solve TITA Questions in CAT:

1. Be Careful With Time Management While Dealing with TITA Questions

2. Clear your concepts

3. Avoid Guesswork

Let us look at all the tips on how to solve TITA questions in CAT one by one -

Be Careful With Time Management While Dealing with TITA Questions - As mentioned above, CAT 2020 will have sectional time duration. Candidates will be given 60 minutes for each section in which they have to answer MCQs as well as TITA questions.

• In each section i.e. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability, Verbal and Reading Comprehension more than 5 TITA questions are asked every year. Such questions do not have any options and hence candidates are required to read the question carefully and then answer accurately

• TITA questions can be time consuming if not practiced well in advance

• Time management of TITA questions is very important and can turn a candidate's efforts into great marks

• Divide your day in productive timely hours and make a proper time table

• Devote one hour daily for each section for TITA questions and practice them

• Speaking about time management, Topper of CAT 2019 Lakshya Kumar said that he considered time management as the fourth section and focussed on it with full dedication without any carelessness

• First time CAT takers, time management will surely benefit in following ways -

1. Efficiency Improvement

2. Productivity Enhancement

Another topper of CAT 2019, Somansh said, “I believe time management is much easier when you are passionate about what you are doing, so simply realizing that makes a lot of difference”.

Clear your concepts - Keeping in mind the past record, Indian Institutes of Management does not provide any official CAT syllabus. On the basis of question paper sets, CAT 2020 syllabus has been drafted which should be checked by candidates before starting their preparation.

• Candidates should try to focus on clearing their concepts from the basic level

• Buy best books for CAT preparation in order to stay updated with latest problem solving methods

• Do not haste upon covering all the topics in one go. Take your time in understanding the key concepts of each topic and then move towards other topics of the CAT syllabus

• If you start preparing for CAT without any coaching in such case you can join any online study groups, contact friends who have registered themselves for coaching classes, or simply browser the internet to learn new ways of question solving to clear concept

• Make flashcards or sticky note to remember the difficult topics which may be asked in TITA questions

• If you come are starting prior to 6 months of CAT, you should shift your focus to unfamiliar topics from which TITA questions could be raised

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Avoid Guesswork - In Multiple-choice questions, candidates have the option to solve questions in reverse manner. But the same can not be applied in non-MCQs or TITA questions. Here, candidates do not have options of solving the question.

• No reverse action strategy can be followed while solving TITA questions

• No imperative cues will be there, hence do not waste your time in searching and thinking about the answer

• Attempt such TITA questions only if you know the answer and try to solve TITA questions only when you are done with the MCQs

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How to Practice TITA Questions in CAT 2020?

1. Attempt Mock Test of CAT

2. Do not Fall in the Trap of “Non Negative Marking”

3. Practice Previous Year CAT Question Papers

4. Strategy to Attempt TITA Questions

1. Attempt Mock Test of CAT - One of the best ways to practice TITA questions is through CAT mock test. Most of the previous year along with CAT 2019 toppers have accepted this thing that solving mock tests helped them in understanding the paper pattern and made their concepts better through new and different questions.

   • Benefits of mock test of CAT include self-analysis, self-cum-time-management, accuracy in problem solving including TITA questions.

   • CAT 2019 topper Ronit Banerjea said, “I was also regular with my attendance of scheduled mocks and attempting of sectional mocks, which helped boost my performances in all 3 sections. I had an edge in VARC owing to my general comfort in the language, but a constant fear of the LRDI section ensured I was regular with my practice.”

   • Similarly another CAT topper Rahul Gupta said, “Before the exam, somehow I was not able to score very well in the quantitative ability section and I used to be not satisfied with my performance. I practised a lot of mock tests and gradually I started doing well. I practised a lot from sectional and mock tests and the questions that were there in the study material from which I was preparing. During the weekend I used to give more time for my preparation and used to take mock tests as well as sectional tests. I used to solve a lot of questions also apart from the mock tests.”

2. Do not Fall in the Trap of “Non Negative Marking” - As discussed above, TITA questions are non-MCQs and do not have any options like MCQs. Hence are more time consuming and require more time to answer. Just because answering TITA questions does not result in losing marks, many candidates fall in the trap and end up losing their precious time of 60 minutes per section. Candidates also face anxiety as they fear to lose time while solving TITA questions.

3. Practice Previous Year CAT Question Papers - To make their preparation strong candidates are advised to practice from the previous year question papers of CAT. Once finished with the syllabus solve at least one question paper/sample paper on a daily basis. This will improve speed and accuracy and there will be time when no question will look unfamiliar. By regularly scanning the previous year question paper, you will familiar with both types of questions i.e. MCQs and TITA questions.

4. Strategy to Attempt TITA Questions - At last, remember that there is no specific strategy/ trick to attempt TITA questions in CAT. To save time while solving CAT question paper, the best advice for candidates would be first solve the non-MCQs and then move onto those TITA questions which looks familiar and you can answer easily.

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