Students aiming for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 need more than just good knowledge. The exam also requires smart choices and good time management. Each section of the CAT exam gives students only 40 minutes . This means you must pick questions wisely and decide quickly when to move on. Experts say that making good decisions is more important than just being fast.
This article shares simple ways to approach the three main sections of the CAT exam. It also includes tips to help you stay accurate even when you are under pressure.
General Approach for Every Section
Follow these steps for any section of the CAT exam:
- First, quickly look at all the questions.
- Start with questions you know or can solve easily.
- Do not spend too much time on a difficult question at the beginning.
- Mark questions you are unsure about. You can come back to them if you have time.
- Save a little time at the end to quickly check your answers for any small mistakes.
Review After Every Mock Test
After taking a mock test, think about these two points:
- Where did I spend too much time? Find out which questions or topics slowed you down.
- Which questions did I get wrong even though I knew the topic? Understand why you made mistakes on concepts you already knew.
Fixing these two issues regularly will improve your scores faster than simply trying to answer more questions.
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension)
To do well in this section, you need to understand the main idea of the passage, not just read quickly.
How to Approach VARC:
- Choose Reading Passages (RCs) carefully: Do not pick passages that seem too difficult or abstract if you find them hard to understand quickly.
- First, solve two Reading Comprehension passages . Then, move to Verbal Ability tasks like Para Jumbles (arranging sentences) and Odd Sentence Out.
- While reading, look for the author's main point .
- Pay attention to words that show a change or connection in ideas (like 'but', 'however', 'therefore').
- Remove answer options that change or twist the meaning of the passage.
Good Goal: Answering two RCs and a few Verbal Ability questions with high accuracy is a strong performance.
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)
Many students lose marks by spending too much time on one set of questions.
How to Approach DILR:
- Spend the first two minutes looking at all the question sets.
- Pick sets where the data and rules are clear to you right away.
- If a set becomes confusing after one minute of working on it, leave it and move to another set.
- Write down your data and thoughts clearly. This helps you avoid simple mistakes.
Realistic Goal: Solving two sets that you are sure about, plus 1 to 2 individual Data Interpretation questions with high accuracy.
Quant (Quantitative Ability)
This section is not about solving the hardest questions. It's about getting marks from easier ones first.
Good Order to Solve Quant Questions:
- Arithmetic: Start with questions on ratios, percentages, time and work, and averages.
- Algebra: Try problems that use factorization or substitution before using long formulas.
- Geometry: Draw clear diagrams and check basic properties of shapes.
- Modern Math: Start with small examples to avoid making big calculation errors.
If a question looks like it needs a lot of calculation or is unfamiliar, skip it and come back later if you have time.
Healthy Goal: Getting 10 to 14 questions right is usually enough for a good score.
A 4-Week Practice Plan
To prepare well for CAT 2025:
- Week 1: Take two full mock tests . Find out your weak areas.
- Week 2: Practice only on those specific topics where you are weak.
- Week 3: Take more mock tests. Make sure you follow strict time limits and manage your pace.
- Week 4: Keep your skills sharp. Do moderate testing and review your answers deeply.
In the final days before the exam, getting good sleep and sticking to your routine are more important than studying for many extra hours.
Final Advice
For CAT 2025, students who make smart choices under time pressure will do well. The aim is not to try every question. Instead, focus your effort on questions where you are sure to get marks. Making calm decisions, being consistently accurate, and reviewing after mock tests will help you achieve a strong score.
This advice comes from Dr. Swapnil Sahoo, Assistant Professor – Strategy, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon.
