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For aspirants of the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), time management plays a critical role in achieving a high score. With a limited duration of 3 hours to answer a wide variety of questions across multiple sections, balancing speed and accuracy becomes crucial. Many candidates struggle to complete the exam within the allotted time, which can impact their overall performance. Effective time management allows candidates to optimize their efforts and maximize their efficiency, ensuring that they can attempt every section and question thoughtfully. In this article, we explore the importance of time management and provide strategies to help candidates excel in CMAT.
1. Understand Section-wise Time Allocation
CMAT comprises four sections: Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, and General Awareness. Each section has a specific number of questions and requires a distinct approach in terms of time management. For example:
• Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation: 25-30 questions in approximately 45-50 minutes.
• Logical Reasoning: Around 20-25 questions in 45-50 minutes.
• Language Comprehension: 20-25 questions within 45-50 minutes.
• General Awareness: 25-30 questions, generally requiring the full 60 minutes.
Having a clear understanding of the time required for each section ensures candidates don’t overextend themselves on one section and neglect others.
2. Practice with Timed Mock Tests
To simulate the real exam experience, aspirants should practice with timed mock tests regularly. These practice sessions help in identifying how quickly they can navigate through different sections while maintaining accuracy. The more candidates practice under exam-like conditions, the more they learn to manage time effectively during the real exam.
3. Prioritize Based on Strengths and Weaknesses
It’s essential to strike a balance between speed and accuracy in different sections. However, understanding which section requires more time is important. For example, candidates who excel in Logical Reasoning or Language Comprehension may take slightly less time compared to Quantitative Techniques. Prioritizing weaker sections first ensures that adequate time is allocated to them, giving you a better chance of performing well.
4. Avoid Spending Too Much Time on Tough Questions
One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is spending too much time on difficult or unfamiliar questions. CMAT exams consist of a mix of straightforward, moderate, and challenging questions. It’s crucial to recognize when to move on from a difficult question and return to it later if time permits. Allocating a limited amount of time for each question ensures that other questions are not left unanswered.
5. Use Smart Shortcuts and Techniques
Time management isn’t just about answering every question—it’s also about using smart techniques to solve questions efficiently. Candidates can utilize shortcuts for calculations, elimination methods for answer choices, and logic-based reasoning for difficult problems. These strategies reduce the time taken to arrive at solutions and increase accuracy.
6. Leave Sufficient Time for Revision and Review
Even if time runs out during the initial attempt, leaving some room for review can help candidates catch careless mistakes. Review the answers at the end of each section or allocate the final 10-15 minutes to revise answers. This ensures that errors due to time pressure are minimized, enhancing the final score.
7. Stay Calm and Stay Focused
Time management is not just about speed—it’s also about maintaining a calm mindset throughout the exam. Panicking or rushing through sections can negatively impact accuracy. Practicing mindfulness techniques and staying focused can help control exam-related anxiety, ensuring better time utilization.
Effective time management is a cornerstone of successful CMAT preparation. By understanding the exam structure, practicing with mock tests, and employing strategic approaches to each section, candidates can significantly improve their efficiency and performance. The ability to balance speed and accuracy will ultimately determine how well aspirants navigate the exam and achieve their desired outcomes.
