CAT Exam Strategy: Few days are left for the CAT 2025 exam and these days are really crucial for aspirants to plan a proper strategy for attempting exam paper. There are some candidates who are well-prepared and confident enough to sit for the examination but few candidates are nervous. As, Common Admission Test is one of the toughest management entrance exam in the country which is covering three major sections- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). The sections are strictly aligned in the same order where VARC comes first, followed by the DILR and then Quants. The overall time duration is 120 minutes or 2 hours where candidates have to complete entire VARC section in respective 40 minutes and equivalent time duration will be assigned to other two sections (DILR & QA). This blog is a complete guide which helps you covering CAT 2025 attempt strategy and how to approach the exam paper section-wise on exam day.
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How to Attempt CAT 2025 Exam Effectively?
CAT 2025 is the main destination to secure admission in top IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) or B-schools and works as the basic eligibility criteria to sit for the interviews. Attempting the CAT 2025 exam paper strategically is the key to secure high scores and increase chances of getting top IIMs or B-schools in the country. Whole CAT exam paper is further divided into sections – VARC, DILR & QA where candidates have to prepare a strong strategy to attempt exam and maintain proper concentration . There are some general tips that candidates need to focused on while attempting the CAT 2025 exam effectively.
- Stay Calm and Motivated: CAT exam is competitive in nature where your competition is among the pool of aspirants. The difficulty level of exam generally varies according to the slots, so it requires lot of patience for attempting CAT exam. Try to keep yourself motivated on the exam day and this will overall affect your CAT percentile later.
- Leave attempting questions which are time-taken: Instead of just getting stuck on questions which are time-taking and having intense difficulty level, candidates should solve questions of easy level to enhance scores and focus on building accuracy.
- Focus on accuracy and speed: Accuracy and speed both are very important factors in a competitive exam. Common Admission test cover questions which are a mix of MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) and TITA (Type in The Answer). If candidates will mark an MCQ correct, +3 marks will be awarded to them unless -1 deduction for the wrong one. But there is no negative marking to leave questions unattempted. In such scenario, candidates have to maintain a proper strategy while attempting CAT 2025 exam and try to cover all the questions first which are of easy level to maintain accuracy and enhance overall exam scores.
- Use rough-work effectively in QA section: Quantitative Ability section is one of the important sections in CAT exam to increase scores because the entire part is covering good amount of numerical ability questions across important concepts like Arithmetic, Algebra, Modern Maths, Geometry and Number System. This section requires an effective rough work to be performed while solving questions during CAT 2025.
- Review your answers: Once your entire sections will attempted, candidates have to ensure visiting questions once again to review their attempted answers whether it is VARC, DILR and QA. This strategy will help you cover the mistakes and maintain accuracy during CAT 2025 exam. 30 November 2025 is the big day for CAT aspirants so it is advisable to the candidates for effectively using the D-day to attempt their question paper with full concentration.
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CAT 2025 Attempt Strategy: Section-Wise
CAT 2025 is the sectional-test where sectional cut-offs are equally important with the overall CAT score vs percentile. Top IIMs are equally focused on sectional CAT cutoffs along with overall percentile of a candidates for IIM admission process. Now, it is quite important to cover strategy individually across VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical reasoning) and QA (Quantitative Ability) to attempt CAT 2025 question paper which is conducted by IIM Kozhikode this year.
CAT 2025 Attempt Strategy for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
VARC is the very important section in CAT 2025 and from this section candidates have to start attempting paper in maintaining order. This section is further divided into two major parts – Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability questions. It is advised to the candidates that they should read the passages carefully along with approaching main ideas and note down all the important points on a rough sheet which will be provided by the exam authority on the day of CAT 2025 examination.
Understanding the entire passage carefully is really helpful for the CAT aspirants in saving time while revisiting the passage again. Either you can go for the VA questions first, if you feel little lethargic for reading in the starting. This overall strategy for attempting the CAT 2025 VARC section increase your sectional percentile in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension.
CAT 2025 Attempt Strategy for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) is one the complex sections in the CAT exam as per the candidates. The best way to attempt this section is by covering easy sets first before trying for the complex sets which are time-taking. Candidates should understand the entire set properly before formulating the review table. This overall approach is not only helpful in using time effectively but also improve accuracy while attempting questions in a particular LRDI set.
Candidates will have to solve those questions first in a set which is cover easy calculations instead heavy ones to maintain speed. Also leave those questions which are time-taking.
CAT 2025 Attempt Strategy for Quantitative Ability
Last section for the candidates in order to attempt the CAT 2025 exam is Quantitative Ability. This section covers the major numerical ability questions which again require good speed along with accuracy for attempt. Candidates should start with attempting the questions which are of easy-level instead of performing the difficult calculations in the starting which will be time-taking.
Keep check on the time too and stop wasting your time in solving lengthy question. Use on-screen calculator for faster calculation on the exam day along with note down important formulas on the sheet to maintain accuracy. This overall strategy for the Quants section help candidates in scoring 99+ percentile.
CAT Toppers Strategy & Tips to Approach Exam Day
Common Admission Test is the gateway for securing admission in top IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) or B-Schools in the country. To attempt this competitive examination, a proper strategy or structured approach is really required. Let’s directly hear the CAT toppers strategy or some important tips to approach CAT 2025 question paper. These strategies are really helpful for the aspirants who are going to attempt CAT 2025 exam.
Rishi Mittal (CAT Topper – 100%ile)
“In the starting, I was very nervous and things weren’t that smooth on the D-day either but that’s ok, all’s a part and parcel of this. After a pathetic VARC section, it was challenging to keep cool and perform in the other 2 sections, but I managed to do so luckily and kept my mind calm for attempting both DILR & QA sections. Coming out of the exam hall I hoped to cross 200 mark but wasn’t sure of VARC at all. Later results came and all tied up to fetch me my 100%ile in the first attempt of CAT”.
Gursimran Ahuja (CAT Topper- 99.83%ile)
“I believe confidence and streamline approach both are really important to attempt CAT exam. I have started my focus on solving RCs and later increase my speed for solving the QA questions in a specified time.”
Sarthak Jaiswal (CAT Topper – 99.97%ile)
“VARC was quite tough for me and DILR is unpredictable, but solving easy questions first faster will help me cover accuracy and speed in completing my CAT exam paper”
Abhinay Shrivastava (CAT Topper – 99.11%ile)
“I have given lot of mocks before CAT exam. So, on the CAT exam day itself it didn’t even feel like an exam. It felt like just another mock and the strategy which i have maintained while solving mocks was very helpful for me tackling questions on a D-day”
Vedant Chandewar (CAT Topper – 99.98%ile)
” I have maintained calm or patience during the exam day and reached exam centre on time. I have maintained accuracy while solving questions and attempted those questions only which I am confident for. After completing my CAT paper, I was feeling confident enough.”
Harkiran Chawla (CAT Topper – 99.41%ile)
” I think CAT exam is the complete approach for patience and staying motivated while approaching questions across any section.”
FAQs – CAT 2025 Attempt Strategy
There are three major sections that need to attempt in a respective order – Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Ability.
The total duration expected to attempt CAT 2025 exam is 120 minutes or 2 hours where 40 minutes equally divided across VARC, DILR & QA sections.
Candidates should first complete the VA portion faster and then redirects towards the RCs and pick the easy ones for reading effectively to get the main message and note down the important point simultaneously before attempting question. This overall strategy to cover CAT 2025 VARC section help candidates in soring 99+ percentile without wasting time.
Yes you will be having on-screen calculator in CAT 2025 exam which will be advantageous for doing quick calculations.
LRDI section covers complex sets which will be relevantly difficult part to solve with maintaining accuracy. To attempt LRDI sections, candidates should pick easy sets first and understand the sets properly before formulating the table. This overall attempt strategy will increase scores along with speed.
