CAT 2025 Last Minute Preparation Tips: CAT Toppers Reveal 10 Effective Strategies to Boost CAT Score in Last Few Days!

Table of Contents

1. Finalize your own Test Taking Strategy!
2. Prepare a Day-wise Study Plan
3. Develop and Follow your Revision Strategy
4. Focus on your Strengths
5. Ignore your Weaknesses
6. Take Mocks and Analyses Thoroughly
7. Reduce Work or Study in Last Few Days to CAT
8. Be Stress Free in Last 24 hours to CAT!
9. Follow Exam Guidelines, Day Dos and Don’ts
10. Check CAT Exam Day Guidelines, Dos and Don’ts
11. CAT 2025 Last 7 Days Preparation Plan for Slot 1, Slot 2 & Slot 3
12. CAT 2025 Slot-Wise Hour- Wise Strategy: Get Ready for Your Slot!
13. Last Minute Revision for CAT 2025 Exam
14. Last Few Days Strategy to CAT exam 

1. Finalize your own Test Taking Strategy!
The first CAT 2025 last minute preparation tips by CAT toppers is on the importance of developing your own strategy. The focus is on discouraging blind imitation, and acknowledging the uniqueness of individual strengths and weaknesses. Padmasandhya S, an IIM Ahmedabad student says, “The biggest mistake I have seen, is students following another “successful” student’s exam-taking strategy. You must realize that the strategy works for them because it suits them! You need to find out, by trial and error, what works for you. Do not follow the herd!”

If you are wondering if you still have time to prepare your own strategy, and how to do it, read this article on CAT Test Taking Strategy where past CAT Toppers have explained their own strategy. 

2. Prepare a Day-wise Study Plan 
The second CAT 2025 last minute preparation tips is to prepare a day-wise study plan. Now that you have just a few days to do, you must have a clear day-wise study plan keeping last 24 hours free. CAT toppers, who are now studying at top IIMs and IITs advocate for developing effective day wise study strategies. Akshat Agarwal, a student of IIT Delhi MBA 2023-25 batch recommends, “In the few weeks to CAT exam day, create a well thought out day-wise study plan and then stick to it. Consistent, daily effort is crucial.” 

Soumik Banerjee, IIM Calcutta MBA 2023-25 student adds, “As I was a working professional, I had prepared a day wise schedule for myself, to effectively utilize my time.” 

3. Develop and Follow your Revision Strategy 
The next CAT 2025 last minute preparation tips focusses on revising concepts effectively during last few days to CAT Exam. Toppers recommend following CAT Last Minute Revision Tips:

• Create a Revision Schedule: Integrate regular revision sessions into your study plan. For instance, dedicate an hour or two each day to revisiting old topics.
• Summarize Key Concepts on Notes and Flashcards: Create concise notes or flashcards highlighting key formulas, concepts, and shortcuts. This makes quick reviews easier.
• Mind Maps: Use mind maps to visualize connections between different topics, which can help in understanding and recalling concepts better.
• Daily Practice: Solve a few questions from different sections (Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) daily to keep all topics fresh.
• Mock Test Revision: Go back to your old mock tests, and revise your mistakes. Revise why you made them and how to avoid them.

Read detailed CAT last minute revision strategy and tips at the end of the article. 

4. Focus on your Strengths 
The next CAT 2025 exam last minute strategy is obvious but important! As simple as it may sound, CAT toppers stress the importance of planning their last-minute CAT preparation based on individual strengths. Sashank Kartik, a student of IIM Kozhikode PGP 2023-25 batch recommends, “As I knew that my strengths were LRDI and Quant, so I was prepared for managing my time efficiently.” Bhanu Pratap, IIM Calcutta MBA student of the 2023-25 batch shares, “I realized that my stronghold lies in RC rather than VA so I kept my plan simple to solve RC and then move to VA.”

5. Ignore your Weaknesses
This last minute preparation tips for CAT 2025 exam is very important: you should avoid focusing on your weaknesses, especially in the last minute CAT preparation. Shreyasee Sarkar, IIM Calcutta student of MBA 2023-25 said, “Closer to the exam, I ignored my weak area in the exam. I had the target of solving 2 out of 4 problems which constituted 10 questions because that was enough to get a good percentile in DILR as this was my weakest Section.”

6. Take Mocks and Analyses Thoroughly 
This CAT 2025 last minute preparation tips from several CAT aspirants stress the vital role of mock tests in their preparation. They highlight the significance of these tests in identifying weaknesses, refining strategies, and enhancing problem-solving speed. 

Kunal Singh Bhadauria, MDI Gurgaon PGDM 2023-25 said, “By taking Mocks and analyzing them properly I was able to identify the areas of improvement and work upon them to increase my scores. The solution provided for the Mock tests helped me discover better methods to solve a particular problem and thus helped me increase my solving speed.” Sundar Rajan, SPJIMR Mumbai, PGDM 2023-25 said, “After each mock test, I conducted a detailed analysis to identify areas where I could make improvements”

7. Reduce Work or Study in Last Few Days to CAT 
The next CAT 2025 last minute tip is about managing work and academic pressures in last few days before the CAT exam. Successful CAT candidates emphasize the importance of strategic planning for the days leading up to the exam. Shubham Bajaj of IIM Calcutta said, “I was a working person, and I did save my leave initially to take a couple of weeks leave before D-day to keep my mind calm, composed, and focused towards my goal.” Pooja Sudhakar of SPJIMR Mumbai says, “I recommend finishing your prep in advance and keeping the last 1-2 days light.”

8. Be Stress Free in Last 24 hours to CAT! 
This CAT last minute preparation tips 2025 is recommended by many CAT toppers. They stress the importance of maintaining composure on the exam day. Strategies include ensuring adequate sleep, engaging in calming activities like listening to soothing music, watching motivational movies and consciously avoiding excessive stress to prevent making avoidable mistakes. Soumik Banerjee told MBAUniverse.com, "I did not study the day before the exam. Instead, I focused on relaxing and ensuring everything was in order for exam day," he recalls. Srishti Yadav added, “The last 2-3 days are about staying calm. If your mind is clear, your chances of executing well on exam day are higher." 

Nandan Goel, an IIM Calcutta student told MBAUniverse.com, “On the day of CAT, I took an 8 hours sleep. I listened to songs and resorted to various other means to remain calm.” Rahul Gupta of IIM Ahmedabad added, “I tried to keep myself relaxed on the day of the exam. Worrying too much makes me make silly mistakes which I wanted to avoid.” 

Motivational Movies to Watch before CAT Exam 
A few CAT toppers revealed that they watched motivational movies in last 24 hours before the exam. Here is a list of Top Motivational Films to Watch before CAT Exam. 

• Hindi movies like 3 Idiots, Laggan, Sultan and Lakshay
• English movies like The Pursuit of Happyness, Forrest Gump, Rocky and Shawshank Redemption 

9. Follow Exam Guidelines, Day Dos and Don’ts 
To take CAT exam without stress and last-minute hiccups, it is very important to follow the exam day dos and don’ts. Create a checklist and keep it handy to refer to it a few days before the exam. Read this in-depth article on CAT Exam Day Guideline, Do’s and Don’ts. The article contains effective last-minute tips to crack CAT 2025. 

10. Check CAT Exam Day Guidelines, Dos and Don’ts 

The last but certainly not the least of CAT exam last minute tips by CAT Toppers is related to operational planning for the D-day by following CAT Exam Day Guidelines and Dos and Don’ts 2025. These are important instructions for candidates to ensure smooth conduct of the exam. It also includes things to carry and things not to carry to CAT exam center, how to locate your exam center, CAT exam day hourwise plan and other important details. Read complete CAT Exam Day Dos and Don’ts and Guidelines. Also download CAT Dos and Don’ts and Checklist PDF from the link given in this article.

11. CAT 2025 Last Week Preparation Plan for Slot 1, Slot 2 & Slot 3 

Now that we can covered the conceptual part, read a detailed hour wise CAT schedule for managing your time better in the last week to CAT. Start by checking your CAT Slot in your admit card, and check the reporting time from the table below. 

CAT 2025 Slot Timings for Shift 1, 2 & 3

12. CAT 2025 Slot-Wise Hour- Wise Strategy: Get Ready for Your Slot!
After checking your CAT exam slot, are you finding it hard to focus in your time slot? Do you feel sleepy or mentally drained when taking mocks at your exam timings? If yes, you’re not alone. Many students are reporting the same issue. Follow the slot-wise tips and daily schedule below to train your mind and body for peak performance on November 30!

CAT 2025 Slot 1 Preparation Strategy

• Body Clock Adjustment: Start sleeping early, and start waking up at 6.00 AM. This is simple but very powerful tip to align your body clock with your CAT slot timing. Alarm clock is your best friend!
• Mock Practice Timing: After you wake up early, the next step is to take CAT Mock Tests or CAT Previous Year Papers or Sectional Tests at exactly 8:30 AM. This will help you train your mind for your time slot.  
• Develop Right Breakfast Habit: Start eating light, high-energy breakfast at 7-7.30 AM. This will keep your body charged up for the exam duration. 

CAT Slot 1 Hour-Wise Study Plan

Follow this day schedule to align your body and mind to perform at peak focus early in the morning.

You can adapt this Slot 1 hour wise plan for CAT Slot 2 and CAT Slot 3. Check overall Slot 2 and Slot 3 preparation strategy below.

CAT 2025 Slot 2 Preparation Strategy 

• Body Clock Stability: Finetune your body clock so that you are most alert in the afternoons. On the exam day, your aim is to stay relaxed in the morning and reach the center with calm, steady focus.
• Mock Practice Timing: Start taking CAT Mocks or Sectionals around 12:30 PM on alternate days so your peak alertness aligns with the exam window.
• Light Lunch Habit: Practice eating an early and light lunch between 10:45 AM and 11:30 AM. Avoid heavy and oily food to prevent post-lunch sleepiness.

CAT 2025 Slot 3 Preparation Strategy 

• Energy Conservation: Practice to begin your day slow, with minimal mental strain, and start building your peak performance from 4 PM or so. Your mind and body should be in peak performance mode for evening slot.
• Mock Practice Timing: Start taking CAT Mocks or Sectionals at 4:30 PM on alternate days so your peak alertness aligns with the exam window.
• Smart Snacking: Practise early lunch at around 12.30 PM, followed by a small energy snack at around 3:00 PM (banana, eggs, almonds, etc) to maintain alertness without feeling heavy.

Free CAT Resources: CAT Cut Offs, Score Vs Percentile, Predictor
MBAUniverse.com has launched free CAT 2025 resources to help you set clear CAT targets and optimise your preparation and college applications. First, check the required CAT Cut Offs 2025 percentiles for shortlisting at 21 IIMs and top Non-IIMs. Next, check the required score using CAT Score vs Percentile 2025. Finally, estimate your percentile before and after the exam using the CAT Percentile Predictor 2025. All tools are free to use and live now. 

13. Last Minute Revision for CAT 2025 Exam 
With just a few days left, your focus should shift from learning new topics to reinforcing what you already know. The goal now is accuracy, time management, and mental stability. CAT last minute revision notes are below. Follow these tips for last minute revision for CAT exam.

CAT VARC Revision Plan

• Practice 2–3 Reading Comprehension passages daily, focusing on accuracy over speed. Stick to themes you’ve already seen: technology, economics, culture, psychology, environmental studies.
• Revise Verbal Ability question types such as Odd Sentence, Para Completion, and Summary. Keep a rulebook handy (coherence, tone, connective logic, eliminate extremes).
• Do timed sectional drills (20–25 minutes) rather than full mocks to prevent fatigue.
• Avoid reading random new sources—review past RCs you got wrong and analyze why.

CAT DILR Revision Plan

• Solve 1–2 sets per day under strict timing (25–35 minutes) to refine selection skills.
• Include a mix of logic-heavy sets (tournaments, assignments, distribution) and data-based sets (graphs, tables, lections, bar/candle patterns) so your brain remains flexible.
• Practice identifying solvable sets in the first 2 minutes—this is a winning skill in CAT.
• Maintain a notebook of shortcut observations and assumptions you often miss.

CAT Quant Revision Plan

• Prioritize topics with the highest conceptual clarity payoff: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math.
• Solve 15–20 targeted questions daily, mixing TITA and MCQs to mimic exam rhythm.
• Review formulas and mental math for: percentages, ratios, logs, sequences, remainders, and quadratics.
• Avoid starting any new topic now—focus on improving accuracy in areas you already understand.

14. Last Few Days Strategy to CAT exam 
Last 3 Days strategy to CAT exam is to do final revision, stop trying to learn new concepts, and to get your mind and body ready for the exam day performance. Similarly, Last 2 Days strategy to CAT exam is to do final revision, and prepare your mind and body for exam day. And the last 1 day strategy to CAT exam is to prepare according to CAT exam day guideline and dos and don’ts and stay relaxed in the last 24 hours to CAT exam. 

In summary, these CAT 2025 last minute preparation tips and strategy by CAT Toppers will help you utilize your last few days to CAT effectively, increase your CAT Score and keep you stress free. Check So, as you embark on your CAT voyage armed with these last minute tips for CAT exam. May you excel in CAT 2025! 

Also Read: CAT 2025 Exam, CAT Mock Test 2025, CAT Percentile Predictor 2025, CAT Score Vs Percentile 2025, MBA Admission 2026, Top MBA Colleges in India, MBA Entrance Exam 2025-26