CAT 2025 is 5 days away. It is time to do the final revision and make the exam day plan. Here are the most important CAT exam day tips that you need for performing well. Read below.
CAT 2025 exam is just five days away and it is time to give your preparation the final touch. So revise notes, concepts, formulae and memorise short cuts and tricks to solve lengthy questions in less time. Go through the official CAT mock test 2025 to check the latest exam pattern. Attempt it at the same time as your exam slot to have real time experience. Understand all the CAT exam rules and regulations so that you don’t make any mistake on the exam day. To help CAT 2025 aspirants, we have listed some CAT exam day tips and dos & don'ts to be kept in mind for the exam day. Read the tips below and prepare for the CAT 2025 exam day.
Latest: CAT 2025 LIVE updates - slot wise analysis, difficulty level, cut offs
- CAT Exam Day Tips
- Photo ID to Carry Along with CAT Admit Card 2025
- Do Not Carry Prohibited Items at CAT Exam Centre
- Follow CAT Dress Code
- Read CAT Exam Instructions Carefully
- Follow the CAT Question Paper Sequence
- Maintain Speed and Accuracy
- Keep Calm and Stay Confident
- Take CAT Mock Tests
CAT Exam Day Tips
Revise important formulae: On the night before the CAT 2025 exam, revise all the important formulae, concepts and theorems before going to bed. Go through your short notes. Remember, this is not time to start any new topic. Your CAT 2025 preparation must be completed at least a week before the CAT exam so that you can dedicate the last few days to revision. Revise all the concepts and go to bed with a clear and confident mind.
Sleep well the night before: To be able to stay alert during the CAT exam, it is important to sleep well in the night before. Sleep for at least eight hours before the CAT 2025 exam day for a calm and relaxed mind during the test. Having a well-rested mind makes a lot of difference when you are attempting a test that includes heavy calculation and logical reasoning. If you have got the morning slot for CAT, then it is all the more important for you to sleep early.
Avoid last minute revision: In order to avoid any confusion just before entering the CAT 2025 exam centre, avoid last minute revision. Studying more is not equal to knowing more. So, don’t stretch and don’t stress. For a competitive exam like CAT, it is important that you prepare well throughout the year and not in the last few days or hours. Overall and well-structured exam preparation is the key.
Reach the exam centre before reporting time: CAT 2025 exam will be held in three sessions. The first session will be held from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, the second session will be held from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM and the third session will be held from 4:30 pm to 6:30 PM. Entry gates of the CAT exam centres will close 15 minutes before the exam time. Reach your test centre on the time mentioned on the admit card for smooth and safe entry to the exam hall.
Carry CAT admit card and ID proof: CAT 2025 admit card is a mandatory document to be carried to the exam centre. No candidate will be allowed entry into the exam centre without the CAT admit card. Digital copy or photocopy of the CAT admit card 2025 is not admissible, so make sure you carry print outs.
Each candidate is supposed to carry two print outs of their respective CAT 2025 admit card to the exam centre. One copy is to be submitted at the exam centre and the second copy is to be retained by the candidate. Paste your passport-size photo on both the print-outs of the admit card. The photo should be same as the one uploaded with the CAT 2025 application form. Also read: Things to carry and not carry on CAT exam day
Important: Do not sign the CAT admit card beforehand. It is to be signed only at the exam centre in presence of the invigilator.
Photo ID to Carry Along with CAT Admit Card 2025
Along with the CAT 2025 admit card, candidates need to carry a photo ID proof. Here's the list of valid photo IDs to carry:
- Aadhaar card
- Voter ID
- Passport
- College/University ID
- Driver's license
- Or any other identity proof issued by the Government of India
Also Read: List of documents and certificates to carry on CAT exam day
Do Not Carry Prohibited Items at CAT Exam Centre
Items such as bags, purses, pencil box, beepers, wrist watch, calculators, mobile phones, electronic devices, scanners, cameras, wireless/Bluetooth transmission or any such communication devices are prohibited inside the CAT 2025 exam centre. Any candidate found with any of these items will be barred from the exam.
Items prohibited at CAT exam centre
Only CAT 2025 admit card and ID proof/relevant certificates will be allowed inside the exam hall. Pen/pencil and paper will be provided by the authorities for rough work.
Follow CAT Dress Code
Shoes, jewellery made of metal, jackets, clothes with pockets, mehendi on palms are not allowed. The candidates will be required to take off their shoes outside the exam hall. Socks are allowed inside it. Women candidates must take care not to wear metal hairclips and jewellery made of metal as they will have to take them off during security check. They must not have henna on their palms for proper biometric attendance.
Read CAT Exam Instructions Carefully
This is one of the most important tips for CAT exam day. To understand the CAT question paper, marking scheme and other rules and regulations, it is imperative to read the exam-related instructions carefully. Missing even a single point is highly risky; it may backfire at any juncture of the exam.
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To familiarise oneself with the CAT 2024 exam, one can also take help from the official CAT Mock Test available on the official website IIMCAT. The official CAT mock test will help you familiarise with the actual CAT exam environment and related dos and don’ts.
Follow the CAT Question Paper Sequence
CAT is the only MBA entrance exam in which the candidate is not allowed to choose the section he/she wants to answer first. The CAT question paper consists of three sections in the following chronology:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Candidates will have to complete the first section i.e. VARC and then move to the second section. Time allotted to each section is 40 minutes and the candidates must ensure they complete the section in exactly one hour as the screen will automatically move to the next section as soon as 40 minutes get over. There is no provision to move from one section to another in between. Candidates must note that they can used only the computer mouse for locking answers and not touch the keyboard. If they touch the keyboard, the screen will freeze.
Maintain Speed and Accuracy
CAT exam is all about speed and accuracy. In 120 minutes, a candidate is required to answer 66 question (MCQs and non-MCQs both) which includes complex calculations and reading long paragraphs. Thus, it is important for the candidate to take not more than one minute to solve a question. Moreover, since there is sectional restriction, the candidate needs to keep up with the pace as there is no chance of going back and solve questions which were left out earlier.
Along with speed, 100 per cent accuracy is of critical importance for there is negative marking of minus one mark for each wrong answer.
Also Read: CAT 2025 exam pattern
Keep Calm and Stay Confident
The key to succeed in any exam is writing the test with a calm mind. For CAT, it is all the more important. CAT questions could be tricky, lengthy, difficult or easy - all you need to do is keep calm. If you’ll panic, your performance will suffer. You may lose precious minutes which may affect your CAT 2025 result. Also, if you have attempted enough number of CAT mock tests and sample papers, no question will scare you. Even if you haven’t, stay calm and answer the question you know you can answer correctly. Remember, there is negative marking for wrong answer but no marks will be deducted if you leave a question unanswered.
Follow above mentioned CAT exam day tips & be confident of your abilities and tell yourself you can do it!
Read More:
- Items not allowed inside CAT exam hall
- How to approach CAT questions; tips by toppers
- Mistake to avoid on CAT exam day
- CAT exam tutorial and exam day guide
- Official CAT mock test and guide
- CAT preparation: 10 popular myths busted
- Types of Reading Comprehension questions
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How many questions to attempt in CAT to score 99+ percentile
- Common Pitfalls to avoid while solving RC questions in CAT
Take CAT Mock Tests
Try Shiksha CAT MOck Test to assess your preparation level and time-management skills.
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CAT answer key is released in online mode only. The link to download it is made live at official website within a week of the exam. Candidates can download it by using their CAT login ID and password. Given below is the process to download:
- Visit iimcat. ac.in
- Click on the 'login' tab
- Enter CAT login ID and password
- Click on sign in to go to student dashboard
- Look for response sheet/answer key tab
- Click on the link to open the answer key
- Download the PDF and save it The CAT answer key
The CAT examination body allows candidates to challenge the official answer key. In case a candidate feels any answer shared by the examination body is incorrect, they can challenge it by filling an objection form which is released on the same day as release of the CAT answer key and candidate response sheet. The candidates can fill the objection form by using their CAT login ID and password. Check below: 1. Visit the official website of CAT exam 2. Click on 'Login' 3. Enter CAT login ID and password to sign in 4. Go to 'Objection' tab 5. Click on plus sign to add an objection 6. Check the question number from the PDF of the question paper 7. Enter relevant details 8. Upload supporting document 9. Pay objection fee through credit/debit card or net banking The objection fee is INR 1,200 per objection. Candidates can raise any number of objections. The CAT answer key objection fee will be refunded to only those candidates whose objections will be accepted. Objections that have been submitted once cannot be edited.
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
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
No, CAT scores are not important for admission to the MBA course at the School of Business, Sushant University. As per the info. taken from the website of the university, it conducts its own entrance exam for enrollment into the MBA course.
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Contributor-Level 10
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RGIPT allows admission without CAT/XAT/GMAT/CMAT/MAT/CUET-PG score under two circumstances. First, you should be a company-sponsored candidate. Second, if you belong to part time registration category. You will still have to fulfil the remaining eligibility criteria.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Candidates with a valid score of CAT/ GMAT/ GRE score are exempted from the written test. These candidates still need to complete the form by paying the application fees. However, these aspirants may get called for the IIM Trichy - Chennai campus PGPBM interview round.
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Contributor-Level 10
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CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to PGDM at IPE Hyderabad. Candidates with a good score in CAT can also get a scholarship. However, CAT is not mandatory. Aspirants with a score in MAT, XAT, ATMA, GMAT or CMAT exams can also get admission in the PGDM course.
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Guide-Level 15
Answered 4 days ago
No, candidates who wish to apply for the Global MBA course at Lexicon MILE are required to clear the LAT conducted by Lexicon MILE. The CAT exam score at Lexicon MILE is only used for deciding the PGDM admissions along with several other entrance exams.
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Contributor-Level 10
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CAT is one of the accepting exams for MBA admission at Karunya School of Management. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also apply through XAT, MAT or KMAT scores. Candidates must also complete graduation to apply for MBA at KSM Coimbatore.
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Guide-Level 15
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CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to MBA programme at Amity University Bengaluru. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also get admission in MBA via MAT, GRE or CMAT scores. Candidates with scores in these entrance exams can also get scholarship provided they meet the criteria.
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Guide-Level 15
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No, CAT exam is not mandatory for VIT-AP MBA admissions. Candidates who are interested in the MBA course offered by the institute can also apply through the scores in the XAT and MAT as well.
VIT-AP also accepts the scores obtained in the VITBEE for the MBA admissions. However, candidates with a high
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No, CAT scores are not compulsory for enrollement into MBA course at IIS Jaipur. As per the info. available on the website of the institute, the institute give prefrences to those students who have secured scored in the management entrance exams, such as CAT/ XAT/ CUET PG/ MAT. Thus, CAT scores can
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Contributor-Level 9
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Yes, Manipur Institute of Management Studies, Manipur University does accept CAT scores for admission to its MBA course. Students can also submit scores of other national-level exams, such as MAT/ XAT/ CMAT/ GMAT/ ATMA etc.
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Contributor-Level 10