CAT 2024: Last Minute Preparation Tips PDF Download

CAT 2024 Exam is fast approaching, and having a solid last-minute strategy is essential for success. In the final days leading up to the exam, it is important to evaluate one's preparation, focus on strengths and weaknesses, and practice managing time and accuracy while solving questions. The last few days are especially crucial and require a different approach compared to earlier preparation. Candidates should narrow their focus, avoid taking on new topics and avoid getting overconfident. This article provides tips and strategies for those taking the CAT 2024 exam to help them ace the test and achieve their desired score.

Last-minute Preparation Tips for CAT 2023

Don’t Study New Topics

During the final days of preparing for CAT 2024, it is important to avoid introducing new topics. Trying to learn a completely new subject matter during this crucial time can lead to confusion and negatively impact your understanding and ability to recall previously learned information. It's best to concentrate on strengthening your grasp of topics you already have a good understanding of. Experts recommend honing your skills in these areas to gain mastery. On exam day, take five minutes to review the questions in each section before diving into the problem-solving process. This will help you prioritize and manage your time effectively.

Revise your notes

It is recommended that candidates utilize notes for last-minute CAT preparation instead of revisiting the textbooks used in their early preparation. Reviewing through handouts will help refresh topics in which they already have confidence. By simply glancing at the notes, candidates may be able to quickly determine answers, saving them valuable time. In addition to saving time, practising handouts in the final days of preparation will increase the candidate's confidence level. Therefore, it is advised to avoid studying from textbooks or other materials during the last days of CAT 2024 preparation.

Keep Taking Mock Tests

Taking daily mock tests is highly recommended for CAT preparation. In the last five days leading up to the exam, it is crucial to take mock tests and monitor your time management skills. To simulate the actual exam environment, it is important to create a focused atmosphere, such as putting away your phone, locking the room, having writing materials ready, and setting a timer. Check out the Mock Test Series of CAT on EduRev.

Quality over Quantity

Candidates should avoid tackling questions they are unsure of at the start of the exam, as this can negatively impact their confidence. Instead, they should begin by answering the questions they are certain of while reading the question. To maximize the number of attempted questions, candidates should set aside any challenging questions until the end of each section.

Improve Speed and Accuracy

As the CAT exam day draws near, maintaining speed and accuracy becomes increasingly important. To ensure that you are at your best during the exam, it is crucial to focus on these two aspects. To maintain your speed and accuracy level, you should work on improving your calculation skills smartly and efficiently. Try to perform mental calculations as much as possible, as the questions in the CAT exam do not typically require complex calculations. Utilizing an on-screen calculator can also slow you down, so it's best to avoid it and rely on mental calculations.
You can increase your calculation speed/skills by using various techniques, which you can learn through Vedic mathematics trick videos provided under the Quantitative Aptitude course on EduRev. It will help you to do basic calculations faster & remember square & cube roots, you can attempt the questions faster.

Manage Time Effectively

To achieve success in the CAT 2024 exam, candidates must focus on time management. First and foremost, they should assess their ability to solve questions within the given time frame. The key to effective time management in this exam is to divide the allotted time into three parts. The first part should be dedicated to solving questions that can be answered immediately or with minimal calculation. The second part should be for questions that may require additional time but are still manageable. Finally, the last part should be for the toughest and most time-consuming questions. If a candidate can solve 75% of the questions accurately and efficiently, they can expect a good score. By properly managing their time, candidates can remain calm and relaxed on exam day.

CAT 2023 Last-Minute Tips: Section -Wise

The candidates should also pay attention to the section-wise last-minute tips. Each section needs to be attempted carefully. Some sectional last-minute tips are given below:

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

This section takes the maximum time. It is advised that aspirants should pay attention to this section from the beginning itself. Develop the habit of reading. The more you read, the better you will be not only in terms of scanning the passages quickly but also in having a better vocabulary. For the last minute though for this section the students can maintain flashcards. These flashcards will come in handy prior to the exam for revision. On the day of the exam, one should read the passages very carefully as few passages can be tricky. Understand what the author in the passage is trying to denote.

Quantitative Ability

Quantitative Ability is often considered the most difficult section of CAT by many aspirants. The Quantitative Ability section needs a lot of practice. Aspirants in their last few days should revise the formulae and also practice revision questions. To ace, the Quantitative section one needs to have speed and accuracy. It is, however, important that the fundamentals of QA are clear to the candidate.

Data Interpretation and  Logical Reasoning

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning requires practice. This section checks the analytical and logical skills of the candidate. The more sets an aspirant practices the better he will be on the day of the exam. While answering the Logical Reasoning questions understand the information given in the question. Try attempting the previous year paper to have a better understanding of the questions and their difficulty level.

• The test duration of CAT 2022 is similar to that of CAT 2021 i.e 2-hour exam with a sectional time limit of 40 minutes (53 minutes and 20 seconds for PWD candidates). Check the detailed CAT exam pattern before the exam. 
• CAT 2022 exam will be held in 3 sessions. The number of test cities has been increased to ensure maximum safety for all the test takers and people in the CAT test centre. The candidates should reach the CAT exam centre well in time. There are 3 Slots: 8:30 AM- 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM- 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM -6:30 PM.
• Here is a reminder to all the CAT 2022 aspirants to ensure that they carry their admit card, face masks, and be prepared to follow all the CAT COVID guidelines. Plan your journey to the exam centre in advance to avoid the last-minute rush.

CAT 2023 Exam Day tips

• Keep your important documents ready - Admit card, original ID proof, SC/ST or DA supporting documents
• Check for the travel time on Google maps.
• Aspirants must visit the exam centre before the D-day to become familiar with the route to reach the examination centre.
• Post COVID-19 students are advised to take precautions by wearing masks/face shields and sanitizing their hands and objects to avoid any contact with the contaminated objects and prevent infection.

Last Minute CAT Exam Day Tips by CAT Toppers

Sharing the last minute preparation tips for CAT, the CAT toppers are of the view that CAT preparation time for basics is now over and you should gear up for the CAT exam day. Your focused attention on last minute preparation for CAT should now be on revisiting and strengthening what you have learnt, more practice sessions, taking Mocks, identifying and improving upon your errors, removing your weaknesses and further strengthening your strong areas instead of conceptual clarity, strengthening of fundamentals or starting anything new.
The last minute tips to CAT 2022 by toppers always help in last minute preparation for CAT and the D-Day plan for test taking. The important CAT 2022 last minute preparation tips and CAT exam day tips by CAT toppers at IIMs and other top B-schools are:
following another “successful” student’s exam-taking strategy.

• Make an Index of Mistakes, Devise your Own Strategy: Padmasandhya S, IIMA
• Be a good judge of your own level of preparedness: Sumedha Srinavasan, IIMA
•  Be Calm, Composed and Focused on your Goal: Shubham, IIMC
• Tweak Mock Taking Strategy & Switch off Mobile to Avoid any Stress: Nancy Jain, IIMC
• Take Full Sleep before CAT Day: Nandan Goel, IIMC; Rahul. IIMA; Tanuj,IIMB
• Stay Away from Negativity: Prateek, SPJIMR Mumbai
• Keep the Momentum -  Revise, Book Mark and Solve: Sruthy, IIML
• Don’t let the Mock Score Cover your Head: Ekansh, IIMC
• Revisit your Own Concept Booklet: Pranita, IIMU
• Choose Right Set of Questions: Anish R, SPJIMR Mumbai
• Go through the Formulae: Venkata, IIMU
• Devise Strategy as per Time Slot: Nikita, MDI Gurgaon
• Perform at Your Best: Sirza Ghosh, SPJIMR Mumbai
• Treat CAT like Another Mock: CAT Toppers and Experts
• Skip the Question, if difficult: CAT toppers  
• Adhere to Reporting Time: CAT toppers and Experts

How to prepare for CAT using EduRev Infinity?

EduRev Infinity Package for CAT includes:

• Subject-wise Courses: Courses for all the 3 subjects: Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Verbal Aptitude & Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI). Each course offers topic-wise video lectures, detailed notes & online tests for each topic.
• Mock Test Series for CAT Preparation: Mock Test Series for CAT Preparation course on EduRev offers section-wise & complete mock tests.
• Level-wise Tests for CAT Preparation: This course offers level-wise tests for each topic to help you prepare exhaustively for the CAT exam.
• Previous Year Question Papers & Archives: EduRev also offer previous year question papers & topic-wise questions for each topic, which have appeared in different CAT exams in the last 5-10 years.
• 100 RCs for CAT Preparation: This course offers 100+ RCs to help you prepare & master in RCs, which will give you an edge in the CAT exam and move a step closer to your IIM dream.
• Shortcut Techniques, Formulas, CAT Crash Course & Others: Along with the above courses, you also get shortcut techniques, formulas & others in various courses of EduRev.
• Mock Test Series for Other MBA Exams: You also get Mock Test Series for other MBA Exams like SNAP, XAT, IIFT, NMAT, TISS-NET & others.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) related to CAT Last Minute Preparation

Can the CAT syllabus be in 2-3 months?

It is possible to cover the syllabus of CAT in 2-3 months with consistent and focused preparation. However, it requires a significant amount of dedication and hard work. It is recommended to have a well-structured study plan and to allocate sufficient time for each subject every day. It is also important to regularly practice mock tests and analyze your performance to identify strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind that this timeframe is challenging, and you may need to compromise on the depth of your preparation.

Does the CAT syllabus change every year?

The syllabus for CAT (Common Admission Test) does not change every year. However, the pattern and structure of the exam can change. The exam typically consists of questions from verbal ability, reading comprehension, data interpretation, and logical reasoning. The weightage given to each section and the type of questions asked in each section may vary from year to year. It is important to stay updated with the latest information and changes in the CAT exam pattern and syllabus.

Is the CAT syllabus the same as that of other MBA exams?

The syllabus for CAT is largely similar to that of other MBA entrance exams in India such as XAT, IIFT, SNAP, etc. However, there can be minor differences in the specific topics covered and the emphasis given to each topic in each exam.

Can I appear for more than one slot for CAT?

No, candidates can not appear for more than one slot. It will be considered a fraudulent activity if one attempts to appear for both slots. To ensure that one has only one attempt, photo IDs, admit card, candidates' pictures and biometric information will be verified.

Can a non-engineer score 99 percentile in CAT?

It is possible for a non-engineer to score 99 percentile in CAT. The CAT exam tests a candidate's aptitude and skills in areas such as quantitative ability, data interpretation, verbal ability, and logical reasoning. These skills can be developed through practice and hard work, regardless of one's educational background or profession. It is essential for a candidate to have a strong understanding of the syllabus, practice regularly, and analyze their strengths and weaknesses to improve their score.