CAT Slot Wise Strategy: Timings, Pros & Cons, Preparation Tips for Slot 1, Slot 2 & Slot 3

How to Check your CAT 2025 Slots and Exam Centre? 
CAT While the CAT 2025 admit card, which contains Slot and Centre details, will be officially released by IIM Kozhikode on November 12, candidate can follow these steps to check CAT exam centre code and exam centre address: 

1. Logon to official CAT 2025 Website www.iimcat.ac.in
2. Click on Candidate Login link and enter User ID and Password
3. Download “Application View PDF” document. This contains CAT application form details and CAT exam centre code, which is given at the end of the document.
4. Check Eform TC Code: This is CAT Centre Code, which is a four digit number.
5. Check Eform Exam Shift: This is CAT 2025 exam shift. It shows Shift1 or Shift2 or Shift3. 

Now that you know your CAT exam shift, are you wondering if you have got a difficulty slot? Or how should I get ready for my CAT slot? This article will give you answers to all these questions. Buit before we discuss this, let’s look at timings for the three slots. 

CAT Slot Timings 2025: Check Slot 1, Slot 2 & Slot 3 Exam Timings
CAT Exam 2025 will be held on November 30, 2025 in three slots: morning, afternoon and evening. In the CAT exam, a "slot" refers to the specific time period or duration during which a candidate is scheduled to take the test on the exam day. Each CAT slot is for two hours, and follows the exact exam pattern to ensure fairness across all test-takers. 
The CAT 2025 slot timings are divided into three sessions: morning, afternoon, and evening. 

CAT 2025 Slot Timings for Shift 1, 2 & 3

In summary, 

• CAT Slot 1 (CAT Shift 1 or Morning Slot) exam timing is 8:30 AM- 10:30 AM.
• CAT Slot 2 (CAT Shift 2 or Afternoon Slot) exam timing is 12:30 PM- 2:30 PM.
• CAT Slot 3 (CAT Shift 3 or Evening Slot) exam timing is 4:30 PM- 6:30 PM.

CAT Slot Wise Strategy: Pros and Cons for CAT Slot 1, 2, 3 
Once the CAT 2025 slots and timings are known, students are asking -- Is there a ‘best’ CAT slot? Well, the answer is a no. Each slot has some pros and cons. Let’s discus the pros and cons for each of the three slots. 

CAT Slot 1 Pros and Cons: Morning Slot from 8:30 AM- 10:30 AM

Pros

• Calm Mind with No Chatter: You get a fresh question paper with no prior slot discussions influencing your mindset.
• High Energy: If you can adjust your body clock to early morning, when you have the highest energy, your mental alertness during CAT slot 1 will be high.
• Saves Time & Effort: CAT slot 1 exam is very time efficient as you can reach exam centre early, finish off the exam by afternoon, and then relax and prepare for your next goal.

Cons

• Early wake-up: Requires early wake-up and early arrival at the center, which can be difficult for late sleepers.
• Warm up Time Missing: The body and brain may take time to warm up, affecting initial concentration if sleep schedule is irregular.
• Cold Weather: Cold morning weather in North and East India may slow alertness if you are not used to it.

CAT Slot 2 Pros and Cons: Afternoon Slot from 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Pros

• Natural Peak Energy: Most students are naturally more alert and active around noon. The brain and body is warm and ready.
• Comfortable Start to the Day: You have enough time in the morning to wake up calmly, do light revision, and reach the center without rush.

Cons

• Waiting Anxiety: Since you know Slot 1 is already done, you may get tempted to check media posts and discuss with slot 1 students coming outside the hall.
• Afternoon Sluggishness: Some candidates report that by the time they reach the mid points of their paper at 1.30 PM, they start feeling sluggish as they are used to lunch break.

CAT Slot 3 Pros and Cons: Evening Slot from 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Pros

• Full Day to Prepare: You have time to do know how the paper was in Slot 1, and you can mentally get ready for the exam pattern.

Cons

• Energy Drop in the Evening: The body may feel tired by 4–5 PM if the day is not managed properly.
  Rumour and Panic Exposure: By the time you go in, online groups and friends may have discussed Slot 1 difficulty, creating pressure.
• Long Day Stress: The extended waiting period from morning to evening can build anxiety if not handled with calm routines.

CAT Slot-Wise Difficulty Level: Which Slot is Easy/ Best? (CAT Normalization Explained)
Now that CAT slots are known, some students are asking:

• Is CAT Slot 1 easy?
• Is CAT Slot 3 difficult? Or,
• Is CAT slot 2 best?

While there can be some psychological factors that can make a slot relatively easy or difficult for a candidate, as discussed above, objectively speaking, CAT exam is designed to even out the difficulty level of all three CAT slots. 

So, while the question paper in each slot is different, it is designed to be roughly equal in difficulty. Even if one section feels slightly tougher in one slot and easier in another, this variation is expected, and will get “normalized” for all candidates. 

CAT Normalization Process: CAT uses a statistical process called Normalization to ensure fairness across all three slots. If your slot happens to have a tougher section and students overall score lower, your scores are automatically “scaled up” by a few marks. Similarly, if your slot’s questions are relatively easier and students overall score higher, scores are “scaled down”. 

So, in simple terms: 

• If your slot is tough, your score gets boosted.
• If your slot is easy, scores are reduced/balanced.

So, to score high, your competition is with students in your own slot. That means your goal is to stay calm, maximize accuracy, and avoid getting influenced with exam day discussions. Your slot does not decide your percentile. Your performance does!

CAT Slot-Wise Strategy: How to Get Ready for Your CAT Slot
So now that you know your slot, and also understand that there is no one best CAT slot, your focus should be on how to get ready for your CAT slot. Follow the tips given below till the CAT exam day to be absolutely ready for the D-Day! 

CAT Slot 1 Preparation Strategy

• Body Clock Adjustment: You should start sleeping early, and waking up at 6.00 AM. This will allow you to get up early on November 30, and reach your exam centre in right mental frame.  
• Mock Practice Timing: After you wake up early, the next step is to take CAT Mock Tests or Sectionals at 8:30 AM on alternative days.  
• Develop Breakfast Habit: Start eating light, high-energy breakfast at 7-7.30 AM such as banana, nuts, oats, or poha. Fix your D-breakfast ahead of time and follow it so that your body is well adjusted. 

CAT Slot 2 Preparation Strategy (12:30 PM – 2:30 PM)

• 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 Slot 3 Preparation Strategy (4:30 PM – 6:30 PM)

• 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.

CAT Slot Wise Strategy Tips for Working Professionals 
While this may sound too much of an effort, this tip alone can boost your performance be a few percentages. Take a week off before the exam. The purpose of this week is not to study more content. Instead, it is to align your body clock, stabilize energy levels, and sharpen your mental composure for the exact exam timing you’ve been allotted. This week gives you space to reduce work stress, avoid screen fatigue, and enter the exam hall with a calm and fresh mind. Even if you stay on work, avoid work related stress and don’t take any last minute assignments. Explain to your boss or manager that CAT is important for your future goals, and they will understand. 

CAT Slot Wise Strategy Tips for College Students/ Freshers
Students often try to study more and more until the last moment. But the final week before CAT should be about settling your mind, fixing your routine as per your CAT slot timings, and stabilizing your energy levels. If you can, take a week off from your regular classes and schedule. This week is where you shift from “learning mode” to “performance mode”. Your goal is to feel calm, controlled, and confident by exam day.

In summary, no CAT slot is inherently “easy” or “better.” What matters is how well you align your mind, body, and routine to perform at your best during your given slot. This article explains how to do exactly that. The article explains Pros and Cons for each slot, CAT 2025 slot timing strategy and effective CAT slot-wise preparation strategies to maximize your CAT score.

Also Read:

• CAT 2025 Registrations Number Drop by 10 Percent: Check Details Released by IIM Kozhikode, Past 10 Year’s Trends
• CAT Preparation 2025: Last Month’s Guide with Pattern, Syllabus, Strategy, Free Mock Exam, Topper Tips, Difficulty Level
• CAT Mock Test 2025: Take Free Practice Mocks Based on Actual CAT Papers