Get here the best hacks to beat the competition in CAT 2024. You will not need much hard work on the CAT exam day, if you do these things from right now. Read the best hacks for CAT 2024.
CAT 2024 exam is just over 40 days away. It is time to put yourself in fast gear for exam preparation. The CAT preparation strategy so far must have been covering the syllabus and solving practice questions. Now the time is to change the strategy and speed so that you stay ahead of your peers.
Like every year, the competition is going tough this year too. So, you have to be better prepared for the CAT 2024 than everyone else. And as you move into the final phase of CAT 2024 preparation you need to devise a fresh strategy. The CAT preparation strategy now should be based on focus areas and strengthening important topics. Here we tell you CAT hacks to beat the competition.
CAT 2024 Strategy: Beat the Competition with these Hacks
Revise topics: It is time to start the revision of important topics for CAT. You might have completed the CAT syllabus through and through by now. If any topic is left, make an assessment of how much time can you spare for it, from the time allotted for revision. You need to revise at least one topic each from the three sections of CAT every day.
Find out short cuts: Hacks for CAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation are tricks and shortcuts for calculation. Join study forums, find mentors to learn short cuts and tricks for Mathematical calculations. If you learn them right now, you will have enough time to try them and assess result. If you do it later, you may fall short of time to find another option, if one doesn’t work.
Practice CAT Mock Tests: The best way to prepare for CAT is by attempting mock tests. As you all know, CAT is a speed-based test, you need to have good speed in reading, choosing and solving 66 questions in 2 hours. This is the time to start practicing CAT mock tests. Many of you must have already started practicing the CAT mock tests series, but those who haven’t must start now. Go for about 30-40 CAT mock tests until the last week of CAT 2024 exam. Gain speed and accuracy in choosing and solving the right questions.
Analyse Mock Test: Another thing that you MUST DO, is analyse each CAT mock performance to note the gaps to fill. The purpose of CAT mock test practice is improvement in speed and scores. If that’s not happening find out why. May be you need to stop attempting certain type of questions or maybe you need to go through some concepts once again.
Check below Shiksha free CAT mock test:
| CAT_Mock_Test-1 | CAT_Mock_Test-1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test-2 | CAT_Mock_Test-2_Solutions |
Focus on Important Topics: It is an understood fact that one can’t solve all the questions from all the topics. So the best hack is to focus on the CAT topics which dominate the question paper. Go through CAT question papers of previous years to see which are the topics from which maximum questions are asked. Over the year, arithmetic has dominated the Quantitative Aptitude section. Similarly, in VARC, there are very less or no Grammar based questions. You can ignore topics from which 1-2 questions are asked because one doesn’t have to attempt all the questions. Focus on topics and subjects that have the potential of getting you more scores.
Make a CAT Exam Day Plan: As we’ve mentioned above that one doesn’t have to solve all the question in CAT, questions that you will address in the exam should be pre-decided. Yes, analyse your strengths and weaknesses viz. the topic wise weightage, and then make a plan of which and how many questions will you target in every section. This exam hack works best as CAT has sectional time limit and negative marking both. So be clear beforehand, what and how to do.
Set a Target: The next hack that will keep you ahead of your competition is to set a target for yourself. The reason behind appearing for the CAT exam is getting into a good MBA college. Check out the CAT cut offs of your preferred colleges. Now, you know how much score you need for admission to that college. In the last leg of CAT preparation, focus on scoring as much in the mock test and also calculate the number of questions you need to solve accurately in the exam to get there. In the exam, if you have solved questions as much as you need, don’t be greedy and try other questions unless you’re 100 percent sure of solving it accurately. CAT has negative marking and one wrong attempt can affect your CAT score as well as percentile.
Keep Room for Last Minute Changes: The greatest hack to crack the CAT exam is having a Plan-B. You should be prepared for the exam day in a certain way but always have a plan that is flexible. You need to be prepared for any unforeseen situation like change in pattern or weightage. To explain it, do not stick to preparing only 1-2 dominant topics. Have a decent practice of other topics as well so that if faced with unfavourable questions, you can still find some way to score well in CAT 2024.
Read More:
- CAT 2024 preparation: Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make
- CAT VARC questions with answers for practice PDF
- CAT Quantitative Aptitude questions and answers for practice with PDF
- CAT DILR questions and answer for practice PDF
- Verbal Ability (VA) solved questions
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA) solved questions
- Data Interpretation (DI) solved questions
- Data Interpretation (DI) solved questions - Part 2
- Logical Reasoning (LR) solved questions
- Logical Reasoning (LR) solved questions - Part 2

News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Jul '26 | XAT 2027 registration dates |
Sep '26 | XAT 2027 mock test |
9 Jan '26 | SNAP 2025 result announcement |
20 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 session 3 |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Registration Window |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Scheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
1 Apr '26 - 25 May '26 | MAT May 2026 Registration PBT |
1 Apr '26 - 8 Jun '26 | MAT May 2026 Registration CBT |
Jul '26 | IBSAT 2026 Registration |
Dec '26 | IBSAT 2026 Exam Date |
17 Feb '26 | CMAT 2026 result |
31 Jan '26 - 2 Feb '26 | CMAT 2026 exam answer key obje... |
7 Apr '26 - 8 Apr '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 exam |
9 May '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 exam 2 |
16 Mar '26 - 10 Apr '26 | TANCET registration window |
May '26 | TANCET admit card download |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Answered 6 hours ago
Yes, students can get admission in Manav Rachna University without CAT. The university considers scores obtained in MAT/ GMAT as well. Alternatively, students can appear for the MRNAT test too.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 10 hours ago
Candidates who are applying for the Jain University MBA admissions with CAT must score above 50% to apply. The aforementioned score will allow candidates to directly apply for the next selection rounds after JET for MBA admissions.
Candidates who do not have a score above the aforementioned limit nee
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, students can get admission in KG Reddy College of Engineering and Technology MBA without CAT. The college instead accepts TSICET scores. Students do not have to appear for CAT or other management exams.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
No, CAT is not a compulsory entrance exam in order to apply for BITSoM Mumbai MBA admission. Other than CAT, candidates also have the option of applying through a valid score of GMAT, GMAT-GRE or GRE for MBA at BITSoM Mumbai.
Appearing for one of the aforementioned entrance exams is a mandatory requi
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
GIBS Business School's PGDM cutoff is moderate and generally does not reach the high levels of an IIM. The main factors impacting cutoff are your entrance test scores and other criteria.
Cutoff Recent Data:
- CAT: 60-70 Percentile approximately
- XAT: 60-70 Percentile approximately
- MAT: 60-65 Percentile ap
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
The minimum marks or CAT cut off to appear for IIM selection round is different for every institute. Tier 1 colleges select candidates with CAT score above 95 percentile, Tier 2 colleges select candidates with score between 80-90 percentile and Tier 2 colleges select candidates with score lower than
P
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
There is no CAT PI shortlist for IIMs. Candidates have to simply login with their CAT credentials and fill the PI shortlist form.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
There is no minimum qualifying marks for CAT. Anybody scoring above 0 in the exam is eligible for admission, however the B-Schools select candidates on the basis of cut offs which are 60 and above percentile.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
The final CAT cutoff are not released publically. However, candidates can check qualifying cut offs in the admission criteria document released by IIMs and other institute before the exam.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
CAT cut off is prepared by all accepting colleges individually. There is no one authorized body to do so. Even the IIMs determine their admission cut offs separately.
J
Contributor-Level 7
Registration - To be notified

Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
Read Full Bio