Last Updated on November 8, 2024
MBAUniverse.com News Desk
CAT 2024 Exam will be held tomorrow on Sunday, November 24. Getting CAT Test Taking Strategy right is one of the most important aspects of cracking the CAT exam. In this article, past CAT Toppers who are studying at IIMs, reveal their CAT exam taking strategies. CAT exam taking tips include section wise CAT Test Taking Tips, time management, and self-management advice. Also read CAT 2024 Last Minute Preparation Tips, Guidelines and CAT Exam Day Dos and Don’ts and recommendations on what to wear according to CAT Exam Dress Code.
Before we do into details of CAT Exam Test Taking Strategy, here is a quick recap of CAT Exam, Pattern and Sectional Rules. CAT 2024 Exam will be held on November 24, 2024 across 170 cities in India. CAT is structured into three sections — Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) — with a limited fixed time limit of 40 minutes per section. CAT test takers cannot switch between the sections, and cannot extend or reduce time available for each section. However, within each section, you can choose which questions to attempt or skip.
CAT 2024 Exam Pattern (Expected)
Section No. | Section Name | Duration | MCQs | TITA | Total |
I | VARC | 40 min | 20 | 4 | 24 |
II | DI and LR | 40 min | 12 | 8 | 20 |
III | QA | 40 min | 15 | 7 | 22 |
Total | | 120 min | 49 | 17 | 66 |
To score 95% in CAT 2023, you needed following number of attempts at about 75% accuracy:
So, by getting 28-30 questions right from 66 questions, you can get high 95%.
With this brief introduction, let’s get into the details of CAT Exam Test Taking Strategy.
1. Pre-Exam Self-Management
Preparing for CAT is as much about managing one’s mental state as it is about concepts and question solving. By maintaining a calm mind, you can avoid stress and un necessary mistakes.
CAT topper Bhanu Pratap, who scored 99.67 percentile and joined IIM Calcutta, shared a mantra that helped him remain calm: “I reminded myself not to take pressure, as I had solved many mocks before and just needed to follow the process in the exam.”
Here are some tips:
IT Professional Shreyasee Sarkar who cracked CAT 2022 with 99.68%ile and got into IIM Calcutta told MBAUniverse.com that she “stopped my preparation completely a week before CAT because I wanted to be calm and not stressed as I was overstressed in CAT 2021. Even in the exam hall, I slept for 30 minutes before the exam so that my mind is calm and I don’t panic.”
2. CAT Test Taking Strategy for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Section
VARC requires a good balance between comprehension and speed. You need to decide quickly which Reading Comprehension (RC) passages to attempt and which Verbal Ability (VA) questions to go far. Here are some specific tips:
3. CAT Test Taking Strategy for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) Section
In DILR, selecting the right sets and managing time within sets is essential for maximizing scores.
4. CAT Test Taking Strategy for Quantitative Ability (QA)
QA demands a blend of speed and accuracy, especially with the increasing difficulty of questions in recent CAT exams.
5. Time Management Is Key
Efficient time management is critical for achieving high scores in CAT. Top scorers recommend a blend of strategy, pacing, and stress management.
Hope you found these CAT Exam Test Taking Tips useful!
In conclusion, success in CAT 2024 will not depend only on preparation but on your CAT 2024 Test Taking Strategy. By learning these CAT 2024 test taking tips from the strategies shared by CAT toppers, such as Prateek Rai, Bhanu Pratap, Kunal, and others, you can finetune your Exam Day approach to maximize results and minimize stress!
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