CAT Topper Tips: How To Approach CAT 2025 Question Paper; Exam Day Strategy

What sets apart a CAT topper from other test takers? The exam day approach. If you are appearing for the CAT 2025 exam, you must go through topper tips to perform like them. Here are some CAT toppers sharing tips and tricks on how approach the CAT question paper 2025, how to handle the exam day pressure and important dos and don’ts.

CAT exam 2025 will be held on November 30, 2025 and it is time now to prepare like a topper. Some candidates may be confident of their CAT exam preparation and some may be nervous about it. CAT exam is a speed-based test where how you handle time has a direct impact on your result. Solving 66-68 questions in 120 minutes will require fast calculation and smart strategy. Only those who can master this, can score 99.99 + percentile and become CAT toppers 2025.

IIM Kozhikode will be conducting the CAT 2025 exam, so don't expect the test to be easier than previous years. CAT 2025 will be of high difficulty level and ensure that the candidate's speed and accuracy is tested to the maximum. In such a scenario, you need to have a solid exam day strategy to optimse your performance. You should know how to utilise 120 minutes, which questions to solve and which ones to skip. Who better than previous years' CAT toppers to guide you in this. Shiksha brings to you last minute tips by CAT toppers and their exam day strategy.

Last Minute Tips by CAT Toppers and Exam Day Strategy

Read below to know how CAT toppers of last five years approached the CAT question paper and what was their exam day strategy.

CAT Topper Vagish Nangia

CAT 2024: 100 percentile

“On the exam day, I focused on reaching the centre on time and keeping calm as it was an early morning examination as I had given most of my mocks in the evening. I woke up extra early to ensure my mind was fully activated during the examination and tried attempting as many questions as I could in each section.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Vagish Nangia

CAT Topper Mani Praneeth Chilukuri

CAT 2024: 100 percentile

“In terms of preparation, I started just a few weeks before the exam due to my job and other commitments. I prioritised understanding the exam format, syllabus, and structure through YouTube videos. I then solved a few previous years’ question papers to familiarize myself with the patterns.

Ultimately, I relied on my ability to handle pressure, maintain a clear mind, and approach the exam systematically. This mindset helped me maximize my performance, even with limited preparation time.”

Also Read CAT Tips by Topper Praneeth Chilukuri

CAT Topper Vedant Chandewar 

CAT 2024: 99.98 percentile

“I ensured I got a good night’s sleep before the exam and had a light breakfast. I reached the CAT exam centre on time and stayed calm throughout. Before the exam started, I meditated for five minutes to focus my mind. I prioritized attempting questions I was confident about and avoided the ones I was unsure of. Despite the last-minute changes in the exam pattern, like having 22 questions in the DILR section, I found the exam relatively manageable.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Vedant Chandewar

CAT Topper Kartik Bhageria 

CAT 2023: 99.99 percentile

“On the exam day, I ensured a good night's sleep, had a healthy breakfast, and reached the exam center well in advance. Also, before entering the exam hall, I had a chocolate to put me in a good mood. Remaining calm is the key, the paper may turn out to be difficult but it shall be difficult for everyone so one should simply focus on giving their best.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Kartik Bhageria

CAT Topper Riddhi Dugar 

CAT 2023: 99.91 percentile

“My strategy was to attempt it like any other mock test I took. On the CAT exam day, my parents took me to the exam centre. I recall listening to music and stopping for coffee before I reached CAT exam centre. I wasn't nervous but confident. VARC and DILR went as per the plan. QA was tough but I realised it would be tough for other test takers as well and did not lose my calm.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Riddhi Dugar

CAT Topper Rounak Tikmani 

CAT 2023: 99.90 percentile 

“I think mocks are the most crucial part of one's preparations. They actually help you condition yourself for the real exam; no material has questions as good as the mocks have. Moreover, learning to attempt questions in the time limit makes you accustomed to the exam pressure. It helps devise your own attempt strategy and see what works best for you. Track your mocks in an excel sheet and see how you can improve and what are your weaker areas. It is most important to analyse each mock very well. For me, analysis of each mock used to take around 3 hours, and it was really important to improve my strategy in the next mock.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Rounak Tikmani

CAT Topper Risshi Agrawal

CAT 2022, 99.99 percentiler

"Start VARC subject by identifying 2 out of 4 RCs which are easiest to solve (24 min to solve). Rest focus on the VA aspect. In DILR, start by doing the DI question (often easiest of all) and then focus on 2 of the remaining 3 puzzles. In QA, start filtering the questions as per your strength and attempt them first."

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Risshi Agrawal

CAT Topper Tushar Sarkar

CAT 2022, 99.80 percentiler

“My D-day strategy was to attempt almost all the questions on VARC. I allotted 28 minutes to the 4 RCs and the rest 12 minutes for the Verbal section. In DILR, I selected and solved the easiest sets. And in QAI tried solving 4 questions every 10 minutes. The paper this year was tough and while solving it negative thoughts popped into my mind. In such cases, it is important to calm down and remember that this is not the end. You still have many questions and many more exams to ace. Just do your best here and everything will fall into place.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Tushar Sarkar

CAT Topper Vasu Reddy

CAT 2022, 99.81 percentiler

“In VARC, my strategy was to attempt all the RCs and VA questions within the given order from 1 to 24. I had built the reading speed over time; therefore, it wasn’t a problem for me to complete all the questions at 60-70 per cent accuracy. In DILR, my strategy was to believe in my abilities and don’t panic. In many of my mocks, I was able to crack a set in the last 10 minutes. So it’s not over until it is over. In QA, I used to score 99+ percentile in most of my mocks. So my strategy was to see the ball and hit the ball. But exam pressure is huge that I had to attempt the questions carefully. I started the section after DILR intending to play fearlessly. But I ended up playing cautiously.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Vasu Reddy.

CAT Topper Chirag Gupta

CAT 2021, 100 percentile

"My exam day strategy was just to stay calm and not think too much about the results. I did not join any coaching institute. I just took mock test series from IMS and TIME. I'm not too sure about how coaching helps in CAT preparation, but attempting a good number of mock tests definitely helps in the CAT preparations."

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Chirag Gupta

CAT Topper Bir Anmol Singh

CAT 2021, 99.94 percentile

"Just stay calm and don't worry about the result. Keep exam day jitters at bay and give your best shot. Study and do focused preparation. Determination, perseverance and hard work is the key to success."

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Bir Anmol Singh

CAT Topper Mohit Babu

CAT 2021, 99.85 percentile

"On exam day, I made sure to not let any question get to my ego. I planned to spend only two minutes on any question and then come back to it later only if I believed I knew how to solve it. I also tried to avoid any questions that involved time taking calculations."

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Mohit Babu

CAT Topper Vinayak Prabhu

CAT 2021, 99.82 percentile

"I was confident with my prep. Stood away from all the negativity at least 1 week before CAT. Made sure I had all the documents 2 days before CAT and wore comfortable clothes. I tried to be relaxed the day before CAT. Made sure not to panic if I was not able to solve a question (this is why mocks are important). Didn’t think about what would happen if I can’t crack CAT. I made sure that I was familiar with the exam window, like being sure to CLICK - SAVE AND NEXT after every question. I was calm and focused so that I don’t skip any easy questions. I didn’t even know how those 2 hours went by."

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Vinayak Prabhu

CAT Topper Kshitiz Singhal

CAT 2020, 99.99 percentile

“The changed pattern did not bother me much since speed and accuracy were my strengths. Since CAT requires these factors, so I made the most of it to steer the exam in my favour.

As far as test-taking experience is concerned, it was indeed difficult to sit through the test wearing mask and gloves. Since I had anticipated that and practised taking the test with my mask and gloves on, I got a bit habituated. I made it a point to not let such issues hamper my concentration.”

Also Read: CAT Tips by Topper Kshitiz Singhal

CAT Topper Naval Mittal

CAT 2020, 99.97 percentile

"The basic strategy was not to feel tense. During the exam, time management was key since the duration was reduced by an hour. I glanced through the entire question paper and shortlisted the questions I wanted to attempt based on my preparedness and comfort level.

For the VARC section, I chose the passages which I felt were easy to read and from familiar topics. In the DILR section, identifying the easier sets is key. In this section, there is a chance that seemingly easier sets turn out to be tough or have sitter questions. So the key was to start solving the questions and if it took more than five minutes, I marked it for review and moved forward. For the QA section, I picked questions from my favourite topics. If it took more time than expected, I was moving forward and came back to those at the end depending on how much time was remaining.”

Also Read:  CAT Tips by Topper Naval Mittal

CAT Topper Swarnadeep Ghosh

CAT 2020, 99.92 percentile

“Before the exam, I wasn’t really overthinking and I said to myself that I will take the exam as it comes. I knew that VARC was my weak area and I struggle a bit with that, so I focused on attempting as many questions as possible. And, I was able to cover the section well. For DILR, I had a strategy of choosing the questions to attempt. I had the strategy of selecting the correct batch to solve. I give 5-6 minutes to select the set. I don’t just go on with it, I look at all five sets at once, and then I have a specific order in mind as to what order should I follow to solve it. This really helped me. In the QA section, I start solving it directly as I am very comfortable with numbers. I try to attempt as many questions as possible.”

Also Read: CAT Tips from Topper Swarnadeep Ghosh

CAT Topper Sabyasachi Mishra

CAT 2020, 99.90 percentile

“I was a little afraid of VARC. My target was a score of 98-99 in VARC section. So, I looked for easier Reading Comprehension passages. I solved three RC questions easily and left one, which made me more confident. For the VA part, I solved those questions, which did not have a negative. For DILR, I made sure I find the sets, which suit my preference. QA was the easiest for me. I solved the easier questions in round one and then the difficult ones.”

Also Read: CAT Tips from Topper Sabyasachi Mishra

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