CAT 2025 Last-Minute Preparation Strategy: Smart Tips for the Final Stretch
With CAT 2025 just around the corner, the final few days are the most crucial for aspirants.
In this expert feature, CAT mentor Vijay Jha shares smart last-minute strategies to boost performance, improve accuracy, and maintain composure before the big day.
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🎯 Focus on Non-MCQ (TITA) Questions — No Negative Marking Advantage
Did you know that nearly 30% of the questions in CAT 2024 carried no negative marking?
Here’s how they were distributed across sections:
| Section | Non-MCQs | MCQs | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 2 | 22 | 24 |
| DILR | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| QA | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| Overall | 20 | 48 | 68 |
💡 Tip: Attempt all non-MCQ (TITA) questions — there’s nothing to lose. Even a random attempt has a small chance of earning marks, with zero penalty for errors.
Example (VARC Instruction):
Five jumbled-up sentences (1–5) are given. Four form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and type its number as the answer.
If you simply enter any one option (say “3”), you still have a 20% chance of scoring +3 marks — and no deduction if wrong.
Mock Tests — Focused, Analytical Practice
In these last few days, mocks are your best weapon.
Depending on your preparation level, attempt 5–6 full mocks per week, but only if you analyze each one thoroughly.
📘 Checklist for every mock:
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Review every wrong or skipped question.
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Identify whether the issue was conceptual, logical, or time-management.
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Re-attempt difficult questions after rest.
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Practice solving under 38 minutes per section (not 40) to simulate real exam stress.
👉 Treat every mock as three back-to-back 38-minute sessions without breaks — just like the real CAT.
🧮 Sectional Tests — Strengthen Your Weak Area
Apart from full mocks, take 1–2 sectional tests daily (38 minutes each).
Prioritize your weakest section — many aspirants subconsciously avoid what they struggle with.
Example:
If DILR feels intimidating, dedicate 60% of your short-tests to it.
Consistency in weak sections often gives the biggest score jump in the final week.
📚 Use Previous Year Papers Wisely
Since IIM Kozhikode is conducting CAT 2025 (they last did so in 2019), it’s smart to:
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Practice CAT 2019 Slot 1 & Slot 2 papers.
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Attempt IIM Kozhikode BMS entrance paper 2025 — available on their website.
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Solve previous CAT papers from 2017–2024 (21 papers total).
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Try some CAT 1990–2008 papers — they build old-school logic and speed.
🧠 The more real questions you practice, the better your pattern recognition and intuition become.
💻 Practice on the Official Mock Interface
A sample mock test is available on the official CAT website from November 12.
Spend time with this mock to get comfortable with:
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The TITA input interface
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The ‘>’ feature (which enlarges question text)
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The ‘Question Paper’ mode (scroll through all questions)
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The on-screen calculator
💡 Tip: Practice reading passages and solving DILR sets on this exact interface to reduce anxiety on the actual day.
🕒 Smart Time Management for the Final 5 Minutes
Do not start reading a new RC passage when less than 5 minutes remain in VARC.
Instead:
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Review bookmarked questions
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Make quick educated guesses if needed
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Keep an eye on the timer, not the question number
The final minutes are critical — staying calm often earns you those last few marks that decide the percentile jump.
☕ Health, Focus & Exam Day Routine
Your mind performs best when your body is calm.
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Sleep well before exam day.
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Eat light; stay hydrated.
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Some candidates find a small chocolate helps stabilize blood sugar and focus.
If your slot is later in the day, you can watch early-slot analyses from reputed educators — just to understand difficulty and question mix.
🔔 Final Advice: CAT 2025 Last-Minute Preparation Strategy
You’ve already done the hard work.
Now, the focus should be on staying confident, practicing smartly, and maintaining a positive mindset till exam day.
🐾 Bell the CAT with calm, not chaos.
🔗 Important Links – CAT 2025
| Action | Link |
|---|---|
| 📄 Download CAT Admit Card 2025 | iimcat.ac.in |
| 🧾 Check CAT 2025 Exam Instructions | iimcat.ac.in |
| 🌐 Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| 📱 Join WhatsApp Channel | Click Here |
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