Milestone 3 · Preparation Plan
Area Review — reading a module honestly before you move on.
Each area read honestly after a module — what’s working, the gaps, the next fixes. Runs three times across the year.
Chapter one · the gate
The BMT, and why it’s the gate.
The check that closes every topic, and the standard we hold it to.
3-minute essentials
- Every topic closes with a Benchmarking Test (BMT) after ~7–8 hours of focused work.
- 75%+ locks the topic in — practised, tested, hard to forget.
- Due process: pre-class video → class handout → Practice Exercises → Revise with AI → doubt-solving → BMT.
Want to go deeper on the BMT?
It closes the loop — a short, timed test on one topic. It’s also a mini-CAT: timed rehearsal under pressure, topic by topic, building the exam temperament you lean on in SimCATs and then CAT itself.
| Band | Score |
|---|---|
| Learner | below 80% |
| Capable | 80–95% |
| Advanced | 95–99% |
| Ninja | 99%+ |
Rule of thumb from the QA faculty plan — don’t move to the next chapter until you’ve reached at least “Capable” on this one.
Chapter two · QA
QA, by target and by current score.
Strategy depends on where you’re aiming and where you’re starting from — not a single script.
3-minute essentials
- 22 questions / 40 minutes, MCQ + TITA, +3/−1 (MCQ only).
- Weightage: Arithmetic ~40%, Algebra ~30%, Geometry ~15%, Numbers & Modern Math ~15%.
- Master Arithmetic + Algebra alone and you’re covering 70% of the paper.
Want to go deeper on QA strategy?
By target score
| Target | Focus area | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Cutoff (~15 marks) | Arithmetic only | Master Percentages, Ratios, Averages, TSD. Ignore the rest until 100% accuracy here. |
| Good (~25 marks) | Arithmetic + Algebra | Add Quadratics, Inequalities, Linear Equations — covers 70% of the exam. |
| Topper (40+ marks) | Full syllabus | Add Geometry and Modern Math — breadth to pick the easiest questions from every topic. |
By where you’re scoring now (out of ~34)
| Band | What it means |
|---|---|
| Single digits (0–10) | Foundation is shaky. Stop full mocks — redo Foundation Classes and Arithmetic handouts, BMT until “Capable.” |
| Teens (10–20) | Arithmetic’s fine, Algebra/Geometry is the fear. Deep-dive Algebra, re-watch lectures. |
| 30s (30–40) | Concepts are good; speed and selection are the issue. 3–4 Sectional Tests/week. |
Whatever the band: BMTs are the chapter check, Sectional Tests (once ~40% of syllabus is done) build question-selection instinct, SimCATs are the war simulation — analyse “time wasted on wrong answers,” the single metric that kills scores.
Chapter three · VARC
VARC, what’s actually tested.
Less about vocabulary than most students think — more about how fast you can think.
3-minute essentials
- 24 questions: RC 16 (4 passages × 4 questions), VA 8 (parajumbles, summary, odd-one-out, FIB).
- RC passages: 450–650 words, dense in ideas not vocabulary — philosophy/sociology/economics/behavioural science themes.
- Tests thinking, not English: comprehension, inference, structure, elimination accuracy.
Want to see the course sequence?
The course runs in a deliberate order — don’t skip ahead:
Chapter four · LRDI
LRDI, the four areas and fixing a specific weakness.
Diagnose the pattern first, then apply the specific fix — not a blanket “practice more.”
3-minute essentials
- 22 questions / 40 min, +3/−1 (MCQ), no negative on TITA.
- Four areas: Language of LRDI (arrangements/conditionalities/grids/scheduling — the backbone), Data Handling (usually easiest), Advanced Application (games/tournaments/Venn/networks), and ADMAT-relevant-but-rare-in-CAT topics (syllogism, clocks, calendars, cubes, blood relations).
Want the diagnostic fixes by pattern?
- Weak in LR, strong in DI → usually a language-comprehension problem. Read every line before moving to the next condition; represent conditions in a structure before solving.
- Weak in DI, strong in LR → usually calculation speed. Sharpen calculation, read the chart carefully before interpreting.
- Time management issue → a set can take 45–60 min starting out, ~10 min/set with practice. Normal early on.
- Overall weak → one block at a time, easiest first; leave Advanced Application until Language of LRDI + Data Handling are solid.
Testing cadence: 1 sectional/week from month 2, 1 SimCAT/2 weeks before May–June, 2–3 SimCATs/week in the Oct–Nov stretch.
Chapter five · a bad score
Scored below what you hoped? Five honest checks.
Before you rush to overhaul anything, run the checklist.
Don’t panic, don’t rush to a fix — run these first:
- Are my basics clear?
- Did I follow the due process — every step?
- Was I in my best mental state?
- Is my overall trend still rising?
- Was this test unusually hard?
Still unsure — flag it early; a gap caught in week one is a non-event.
Chapter six · the session
What happens in the session.
What your mentor is actually looking at when you sit down together.
Runs three times a year, after Modules 0, 1 and 2, once for each of VARC/LRDI/QA. Bring three questions about how the module went; your mentor logs what’s working and what to adjust — accuracy, consistency, extra practice, technique, clearing backlog.
Before you go
What you now know.
What you now know
- The BMT is the gate — 75%+ locks a topic in, and it’s rehearsal for exam temperament.
- QA and LRDI strategy depend on your specific score band and pattern of strength/weakness — there’s no one-size answer.
- Five honest checks before panicking about any one score; three honest questions to bring to the session itself.
Common questions
FAQs
What if I haven’t finished the previous module’s assignments — can I still do my Area Review?
No — clearing every exercise and assignment from the module just finished is the input gate. If you haven’t, the session gets rescheduled rather than run early.
Where do I actually track my BMT scores and syllabus progress?
On myIMS — every class date, exercise and BMT score is tracked live there.
My BMT score keeps coming in low on one topic. What now?
Run the five honest checks first. Still unclear — flag it to your mentor early.
Should I buy extra books or use outside YouTube channels for LRDI or QA?
Faculty guidance is against it for LRDI specifically — the IMS handout, PYQs and Sectional Tests are one coherent system; outside sources can contradict that logic.
I’m strong in one LRDI half and weak in the other — is that normal?
Very normal, and diagnostic — see the remedial guidance above.
Ready to work this into your own plan?
A mentor session turns this milestone into dates on your own calendar. Book a demo and a counsellor will set one up.
Book a demo →