Increase your CAT 2023 Percentile: Check these 10 Tips from CAT Toppers

Updated on November 22, 2023

With CAT 2023 round the corner, MBAUniverse.com presents last-minute preparation tips from CAT toppers who are now studying at IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Kozhikode, SPJIMR and MDI. In exclusive interactions with MBAUniverse.com, these CAT toppers share essential strategies for your effective last-minute preparation. So, get ready for ten last minute CAT toppers strategies and tips that will help you prepare for the D Day – November 26.

As CAT 2023 approaches, MBAUniverse.com presents last-minute preparation tips from CAT toppers who are now studying at India’s top B-schools like IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Kozhikode, SPJIMR and MDI. In exclusive interactions with MBAUniverse.com, the Toppers share essential strategies for your effective last-minute preparation. So, get ready for ten last minute CAT toppers strategies and tips that will help you prepare for the D Day – November 26.

While you must have prepared well for CAT now to score 95+ percentile, these small tips from toppers may help you to devise the strategy how to Score 99 Percentile in CAT 2023 or how many questions to answer for 99 percentile score. Check and read the CAT 2023 Testing Room Strategy and CAT 2023 Important Tips & Strategies from CAT toppers to improve your CAT percentile in the exam

Check Latest Updates: 10 IIMs CAP 2024 Process | 3 IIMs SAP 2024

Run up to the D-Day – Develop Your Own Last Week strategy!

First, CAT toppers and students from leading management institutions emphasize the significance of crafting personalized strategies. The focus is on discouraging blind imitation, and acknowledging the uniqueness of individual journeys. Padmasandhya S, (CAT 2021 98.49 Percentile) 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 they worked hard to tailor it for themselves. You need to find out, by trial and error, what works for you. Do not follow the herd!”

Here are some tips to prepare an effective last 7 days strategy.

1. No time for building fundamentals, taking too many Mocks

During the last one week to CAT exam date, it is not preferred to continue building your concepts and fundamentals. Instead, you should focus on brushing up your skills by revising the formulae, reducing time in attempting the questions. Taking too many mocks is also not advisable as in case you score low in any of the mocks and find too many difficult questions, it may not be healthy for you for the exam day. You need to remain motivated and taking a few Mocks may be good for you.

2. Maximize Your Strengths, Ignore Weakness

As obvious as it may sound, CAT toppers stress the importance of planning their last-minute CAT preparation based on individual strengths. Sashank Kartik, (CAT 2022 Percentile 99.90) 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, (CAT 2022 Percentile 99.67) 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.”

3. Try to Take a Week off from Your Job/Studies before CAT Exam

Successful CAT candidates emphasize the importance of strategic planning for the days leading up to the exam. Shubham Bajaj (CAT 2020 Percentile 99.98) of IIM Calcutta says, “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 (CAT 2022 Percentile 99.11) of SPJIMR Mumbai says, “I recommend finishing your prep in advance and keeping the last 1-2 days light.”

4. Avoid Stress in the Last 24 hours to D Day

CAT students stress the importance of maintaining composure on the exam day. Strategies include ensuring adequate sleep, engaging in calming activities like listening to soothing music, and consciously avoiding excessive stress to prevent making avoidable mistakes.

Nandan Goel, (CAT 2020 Percentile 99.95) 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 (CAT 2019 Percentile 100) 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.”

5. Ignore Social Media but Stay Tuned to the CAT Official Website, MBAUniverse.com

For Last Minute CAT Exam Day Tips and other important updates you should regularly visit the official CAT website iimcat.ac.in and MBAUniverse.com. The correct authentication information about CAT 2023 is updated here. Please avoid using Social Media like Instagram or YouTube for the latest updates and information as there may be confusing information there. This is an important CAT 2023 Last Minute Tips by CAT Toppers.

CAT Exam Test Taking is Key

Now comes the D-Day – November 26! CAT Toppers offers several tips to ensure that you improve your CAT percentile.

6. Follow Exam Day Do’s and Don’ts

To crack the CAT, it is very important to follow the exam day dos and don’ts shared in your CAT admit card. You can check the CAT exam days at MBAUniverse.com or the iimcat.ac. a few days before the CAT exam date. Important CAT exam day dos and don’ts are:

Do’s

Reach the CAT Test Centre as per the Reporting Time (90 Minutes before the test commencement time) given in your Admit Card
Carry only your original ID and CAT exam Admit Card affixed with your photograph
Follow the Dress code as detailed in your CAT Admit card
Follow the security check guidelines

Don’ts

Don’t carry any electronic gadgets like a watch, calculator, digital car key
Women candidates should not wear jewellery, or apply Hina (Menhdi).

MBAUniverse.com will be publishing a details checklist soon. So stay tuned.

7. Scan the Full Paper and Select Questions to Attempt and Skip

Toppers recommend to scan the entire paper first, and then prepare your strategy according to your strengths and weakness. Sharing his experience, SPJIMR Mumbai student said, “I went through all the questions in the first few minutes, and picked the easiest ones to start with and then gradually went on to the more difficult ones.”

CAT toppers emphasize that exam takers should avoid focusing on their weaknesses during taking the exam. Shreyasee Sarkar, (CAT 2022 Percentile 99.68) IIM Calcutta student of MBA 2023-25 said, “I ignored my weak area in the exam and 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.”

Sashank Kartik (CAT 2022 percentile 99.90) student of IIM Kozhikode told MBAUniverse.com, “As I knew that my strengths were LRDI and Quant, so I was prepared to manage my time efficiently. For VARC, I tried to do the less time-consuming questions first then came back to the longer ones. In my view identifying such questions is the key.”

8. Attempt Non MCQs (TITA Questions) First

CAT 2023 will have sectional time constraint of 40 minutes for each section. But there are Non-MCQs without any penalty for wrong answer. Most of the Non-MCQs are placed in the latter part of the section. Within the overall sectional time limit of 40 minutes, it will be better to begin with the Non-MCQ type questions after viewing the questions in the section. Attempting no-penalty questions is safer than attempting the MCQs carrying negative marking with them. You can choose any question from the section. Due to time constraint, it is very much possible that you may not reach the Non-MCQs once you start answering MCQs

It is suggested not to leave any Non-MCQ un-attempted, even if you do not know how to solve it. Beginning with the easy ones and going up to difficult ones is the key to success and scoring high percentile in CAT 2022.

9. Mark the Response with Appropriate Navigation Tool

CAT 2022 allows to mark your answer and come back for review also, if you feel so. You can very well select an answer for an MCQ or Non-MCQ by clicking on the bubble placed before the 4 choices in the form of radio buttons (o).

Using ‘Mark for Review & Next’ is a better option to answer the question. This way you save your answer for the current question and also mark it for review, and then go to the next question. If you find the answer correct, you need not do anything to it. This option will get your answer to be considered for evaluation unless you modify the status of the answer.

10. Don’t lose your Cool! Stay Calm and Composed

Have confidence in yourself and maintain your cool throughout CAT 2023 exam. If the test is difficult, it is difficult for all. Give your best shot without losing your cool or becoming panicky. If the test is easy, it is easy for all. In the first case low score will be converted into high percentile and in the latter case the high scores will be converted to low percentiles. Hence take it easy.

Padmasandhya S (CAT 2021 98.49%) IIM Ahmedabad student of 2022-24 batch advises, “CAT is more a strategy game than of knowledge. Knowing what questions to pick, which question to do first and how many to answer, are all you need to crack the exam. More importantly, being calm and thinking straight even when the going isn’t great, is what would help with sailing through the test.”

So, as you embark on your CAT voyage armed with the pearls of wisdom shared by these seasoned navigators, we hope these CAT 2023 Last Minute Preparation Tips by Toppers will propel you toward triumph. All these small tips on testing taking strategy can help you add at least 20 to 30 percentile in your CAT score card, provided it is understood and followed. Best of luck!

Important: Read More on CAT 2023