CMAT Mistake Log: Turn Practice Errors into a Study Plan

Record evidence, not frustration

Write one row only when there is a lesson worth keeping. Record the topic, your answer, the correct answer and the main reason for the error. Then add one next action and a reattempt date. The aim is to reduce repeated errors, not to create a second textbook.

Field	What to record	Useful example
Date and source	When and where you attempted it	20 Sept · ratio practice
Topic	The smallest useful label	Combined average
Error type	Why the result failed	Wrong base / misread / guessed
Correction	The rule or clue you missed	Use group totals before averaging
Next action	One concrete task	Solve three weighted-average questions
Reattempt	A later review date	Tomorrow, then one week later

Do not copy a full explanation into every row. Link to the lesson or write one decisive sentence. If a question was correct but required an unsafe guess, record it too; a lucky answer can hide the same weakness as a wrong one.

Use five practical error categories

1. Concept error

You did not know the rule, meaning or relationship. Examples include applying discount to cost price, confusing an assumption with a conclusion, or not knowing a word in context. Relearn the idea from a reliable lesson before attempting a small set of similar questions.

2. Method error

You knew the concept but selected an inefficient or incomplete process. You may have averaged two groups without weighting them or tried to hold a family relationship entirely in memory. Write the better method in one line, then practise using that method deliberately.

3. Reading error

You missed a word such as not, except, approximately or according to the passage. Underline the instruction during future practice. The next action is usually a reading habit, not another formula.

4. Calculation or execution error

Your plan was correct, but arithmetic, option marking or a diagram caused the loss. Keep working visible, estimate before calculating and perform a short final check. If the same arithmetic slip repeats, create a five-minute accuracy drill.

5. Time or selection error

You stayed too long, rushed an easy question or returned without enough time. Record the time spent and the point at which you should have moved on. This category connects directly to your question-selection routine.

Review the log in three passes

After the session: classify the important errors while your thinking is still clear. Correct the solution without looking at the final answer for every step.

The next day: cover the solution and reattempt the question or a close variation. If you still cannot start, the concept has not been repaired.

One week later: mix the topic with other sections. A method is more reliable when you can recognise it without being told which chapter it belongs to.

Use a simple status such as Open, Reattempted and Stable. Mark an item Stable only after a clean later attempt with a clear method. One correct retry immediately after reading the explanation is not strong evidence of retention.

Turn patterns into next week’s plan

At the end of the week, count errors by type and topic. Choose the two patterns costing the most marks or time. Convert them into small tasks such as “review subject–verb agreement and solve ten mixed sentences” or “practise six direction diagrams with a two-minute limit.”

Do not let the log become a reason to practise only weak areas. Keep short mixed sets so strong topics remain available under time pressure. A practical split is to use most correction time on repeated weaknesses and a smaller portion on mixed recall and full-section rhythm.

A completed example

Suppose you answer a combined-average question incorrectly because you average 68 and 77 directly. A useful entry would say: Topic: combined average. Error: method. Correction: multiply each average by its group size, add the totals, divide by the combined count. Next action: solve three unequal-group questions tomorrow. Reattempt: 21 Sept and 27 Sept.

That entry tells you what happened and creates a measurable next step. “Careless mistake” would not.

Keep the system light

• Review a short focused set before adding many new rows.
• Use consistent topic and error labels so patterns are visible.
• Store no private details you do not need.
• Link to the original source when a question came from a lesson or practice set.
• Retire a row after successful spaced reattempts, while keeping the weekly pattern count.

Use the CMAT preparation guide to place your review sessions in a weekly plan, and use CMAT sample questions for your next mixed attempt.

This is MKS study guidance. It does not describe a separate official TU scoring rule. Study scenes are AI-generated illustrations.