Important points to remember while writing your CAT exam

While Attempting Exam aspirants need to keep some important points in mind to ace their CAT exam. More than 3.5 lakh candidates appear for IIM CAT exam every year and this number continues to grow. The CAT exam is one of the most competitive MBA entrance exams in India. This entrance test is an accuracy and time-based test. So, to crack CAT 2024 it is important to know some of the key points while attempting the CAT 2024 exam.

The CAT exam is expected to be held on November 24, 2024. While candidates must meet CAT eligibility criteria to appear in the CAT exam, they should also know key points to remember during the CAT 2024 exam. A candidate should:

• Follow Invigilator’s Instructions
• Start With Known Questions
• Keep In Mind The Sectional Time Management
• Select TITA Questions Meticulously
• Use the On-Screen Calculator
• Focus on Your Work
• Do Not Waste Time on Tricky Questions
• Remember Quality Over Quantity Matters
• Double-Check The Answers
• Say No To Panic Moment

Those ‘ key points to remember while attempting the CAT 2024 exam’ will help the candidates to make their minds fresh without any confusion. As it is most common with candidates when they enter the exam hall, exam pressure increases. Following those ‘CAT 2024 exam key points to remember’ will help in overcoming any such apprehension.

Major Tips to Remember While Giving CAT 2024

Major CAT exam day tips or key points have been discussed in detail below:

Follow the Invigilator’s Instructions

Once you have entered the exam hall, the person who will help you identify your desk will be the invigilator. Candidates are requested to be at the CAT exam center before reporting time. Without any fuss, candidates should follow the instructions of the invigilator. It is advisable to not overrule the invigilator and carefully follow what he/she tells you to do.

• No candidate will be allowed to enter the exam center of CAT after the reporting time.
• Unnecessary buzzing in the exam hall is strictly prohibited and must be taken due care of it.
• Handover the electronic gadgets immediately, if carried by mistake.

Start With Known Questions

An important part of the 10 key points to remember while attempting CAT 2024 exam, candidates should start with the known questions. In CAT 2024, don’t worry about solving what comes first as there will be an option to juggle between the questions within the same section. Each section will have a time limit of 40 minutes (53 minutes 20 seconds for PwD candidates) post which the next section will automatically appear on the screen. Candidates, if having prepared well will be aware of which questions are easy and which are not just in one bird’s eye view of the question.

• Once begun with CAT 2024, candidates must go through all the questions of the visible section by clicking on the ‘question paper’ tab on the top right side of the computer screen
• Candidates will be able to sequence the questions as per their preference/confidence level and solve those questions first

Keep In Mind The Sectional Time Management

This is one of 10 key points to know while attempting CAT 2024 exam. As per the exam pattern of CAT, candidates will have just 40 minutes for each section to solve both MCQs and TITA questions, post which the next section will appear on the screen. Candidates should keep this in mind and accordingly plan the total time allocated for the test. Just in case, you feel that any particular question will take you longer time than usual to finally reach a solution, then move to the next question without further thought and attempt those which are easy and can be solved quickly.

• Do not exert more on solving if the question appears to be a new one
• Do not rush at the eleventh hour
• Remember “Lost time is never found again”, you may have to re-appear for CAT
• PwD candidates will be given one hour extra time to write CAT 2024 i.e. three hours in total

Select TITA Questions Meticulously

Keeping in view the previous years’ question papers of CAT, every year more than 5 TITA questions in each section are there. The same is likely to be there in CAT 2024 as well. The major advantage of solving TITA questions is that there is no negative marking, so there is no harm in answering them. But what candidates tend to analyze is that time is valuable. Candidates end up wasting a lot of their time on TITA questions which ultimately leads to a lower overall score.

Use the On-Screen Calculator

As far as all B-School entrance exams are concerned, CAT is the only management entrance exam that allows candidates to use calculators. Like all years, IIMs will provide the facility of online screen calculators in CAT 2024. This will save candidates time and will indirectly boost the morale of candidates. The calculator is required in solving especially the DI section and questions that involve lengthy calculations. However, it is advisable to use calculators only when required. Unnecessary usage for small calculations will be a fool’s errand.

Focus on Your Work

Due to high-security measures, candidates are provided with different workstations. It is expected of candidates to act in a disciplinary manner. Hence, one of the important tips of the CAT 2024 exam 10 key points to remember while attempting an exam is that candidates should not try to look at/judge others during the exam. Focus on your computer screen. Keep your nose in your own business and do not get distracted.

Do Not Waste Time on Tricky Questions

As part of your CAT strategy 2024, you must remember these tips of key points to follow while taking the exam. There are a few questions that are trickier to solve, so stop wasting your time, figuring out the solution and move to the next question that looks easy and takes less time to solve. Time will be precious in CAT 2024 and any mistake of time will take you away from your goal.

Remember Quality Over Quantity Matters

A smart candidate cannot afford to forget this last-minute tip of the CAT previous toppers – “CAT is never about attempting all questions but getting one more right than your competitors”. Make sure to do rough work in the sheets provided so that the examiner can also know your method of calculation. Although not mandatory but still advisable. Now that there is negative marking, never make random guesses while attempting the questions in the CAT exam. If you are not sure of the correct answer, move to the next question. If after solving the familiar questions, if time is left, re-analyze that question and given options and then finalize your answer.

Double-Check The Answers

In the remaining time, it is necessary to not sit idle and re-confirm your answers by revision. Double-check the questions answered to ensure authenticity and correctness. During the final leg, mark the questions on the screen and re-visit them to check the answers. Revise properly. If you still seem to be unsure, then do not attempt that question as any wrong answer will deduct one point.

Say No To Panic Moment

Above all, do not panic or be in haste while attempting the questions. Just trust yourself and your instincts. Vishesh Garg, a previous topper who scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2020 says, “What will make you get an edge over others is consistency”. Hence you must take your CAT preparation seriously and start to prepare in advance so you cover the CAT syllabus properly and have enough time for revision – the key to a winning CAT preparation strategy. Quickly identify your mistakes and also take the mock tests of CAT regularly.”