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Journalism of Courage
–Karan Mehta
Taking mock tests in the upcoming Common Admission Test (CAT) is important. But that is the easy part of the process. What’s hard is learning from them the right way. Most students fall into a familiar loop – attempt a mock, check the score, feel happy or disappointed, and then jump straight into the next one. But without figuring out why you scored what you did, you’ll just end up repeating the same mistakes faster.
So, how do you actually make mock tests work for you? Here’s a practical approach that genuinely helps.
After giving a mock, come back later with a clear head. Being relaxed while analyzing is important. When emotions like frustration or relief kick in, you focus on the numbers, not learning. The idea isn’t to decide whether you’re “good” or “bad” at CAT – it is to find out what went well and what didn’t.
After every mock, sit down and honestly answer these three questions:
–What went well? (topics, sections, or strategies that worked)
–What didn’t? (specific errors or patterns)
–What should I change next time? (one concrete step)
If you do this after every test, you’ll see clear improvement within a few weeks – not just in scores, but in control and confidence.
This step separates the serious from the casual aspirants. A day after taking the test, reattempt it without any timer. You’ll notice three things:
–Questions you couldn’t solve earlier but can now: concept or time-pressure issue.
–Questions you still can’t solve the conceptual gap.
–Questions you got right both times: your comfort areas.
This tells you exactly where to focus your next week’s effort.
Don’t fall for the myth that attempting more questions means doing better. A topper isn’t someone who answers everything – it’s someone who knows what to leave.
During analysis, note how long each question took and how accurate you were. If you’re spending four minutes on a question with only a 50% success rate, that’s a red flag. The goal is to maximise marks per minute, not attempts per test.
–Keep an Excel sheet or notebook where you record every mistake. Include:
–Question number and topic
–Type of error (Concept / Silly mistake / Guess / Time issue)
–The correct method
–What you learned
Review it after every 5–6 mocks. You’ll realise that most of your mistakes repeat and fixing those recurring ones is what pushes you from 80 to 95 percentile.
Learn to spot trap questions: Every mock has a few “traps” – questions that look easy but waste time or trick you into overthinking. Go through the ones you got wrong early in each section and ask why. Did you misread the question or rush through it? With practice, you’ll start recognizing these traps instantly during the actual exam.
Don’t change strategy too often: One bad mock doesn’t mean your approach is wrong. If you keep switching strategies after every low score, you’ll never know which one actually works. Stick with one plan for at least three mocks before making changes. Real improvement only comes from consistency.
Don’t overdo it: Taking too many mocks without analysing them is like going to the gym daily without checking your form – you’ll get exhausted, not stronger. One mock every 4 to 5 days, analysed properly, is more productive than three mocks a week with no follow-up.
Build rhythm, not routine: Try to take mocks at the same time of day as your actual exam slot. Over time, your brain adapts – it starts performing at its best during that hour automatically.
Mocks don’t make you good at CAT. Analysing them does. Top scorers spend more time understanding their mistakes than attempting more tests. The mindset you need is simple:
“A mock isn’t proof that I can crack CAT – it’s a lesson on why I haven’t yet.”
Keep refining. Fix one small thing each week. Improvement in CAT doesn’t happen all at once -it builds quietly, then shows up suddenly. If you analyse properly, every mock becomes a personal coaching session – taught by the best teacher you’ll ever have: your own mistakes.
The author is the CXO & co-founder Supergrads by Topranker
