Last-Minute Tips for CAT 2021
The CAT 2021 Exam is just a few days away. Many aspirants will be quite tense during these last few days and would be looking for some tips to improve their scores, and give the best performance during the exam. In this article, let us look at the important last-minute tips to follow, that can help you ace the exam. Additionally, we will also look at the videos that you MUST WATCH in these last few days before the exam. These last-minute tips for CAT can help you boost your scores. These increased scores can make all the difference in the percentiles. They can make the difference between a 95 and a 97, 99 and a 99.5+ percentile and a few coveted IIM calls.
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Last-minute tips for CAT
Let us now discuss the key things to follow in these last few days before the exam.
Review the basics
- Reviewing the basics is an important task that the candidates should take up in these last few days. Going through the basics will help to recollect the formulas and concepts that have been pushed to the faintest corners in your memory.
- It is important to have the key concepts at your fingertips in the examination hall. You can take a complete day if needed, to Revise all the Quant formulas you have learned so far.
- Also, ensure that you do not remain clueless about some topics. Try to have at least some basic idea about all the topics.
- Revise the conventional set types in LRDI. Make sure that you are comfortable in dealing with sets based on common topics such as Arrangements, Venn Diagrams, Games & Tournaments, Charts and Tables, etc. Quickly revise the approaches to solve such sets.
- Read for an hour or two every day till the exam day to stay in touch with reading. This will help you to attempt the VARC section with confidence.
Learn from the mistakes of your previous Mock tests
- Start by analysing the mock tests you have taken so far. Make a note of questions you attempted incorrectly. Also, make a note of questions that took too much time while solving the mock tests. So, rather than taking too many mocks in the last few days, it is better to revise the previous mocks. Also, it is not recommended to take mocks in the last week before the exam.
- Make a note of the mistakes that you often repeat. If the errors are due to some gaps in the fundamentals, revise the basics. This will ensure that you do not repeat the same mistakes in the actual exam.
- Revise them in these last few days. Look for alternative methods to solve questions that consumed a lot of time.
Download CAT Quant cheat sheet – Formulas
Finalise your exam strategy
- In the last few mocks that you are going to attempt, implement the strategy that you have devised so far. Make sure that your strategy works well for you under various circumstances.
- Also, make sure that your strategy is flexible and open to amendments based on the requirements of the D-day.
- Take a break on the day before the exam. Also, complete the revision 2-3 days before the exam. Do not get overly stressed on the day before the exam. Do not cut your sleeping time. Make sure that you can perform to the best of your abilities on the D-day.
On the CAT Exam Day
Exam Timings:
Exam Duration: 120 minutes (160 mins for PWD candidates)
| Slot No. | Time | Reporting Time | Will not be allowed entry after |
| Slot-1 (Morning session) | 08.30 am to 10.30 am | 7.00 am | 8.15 am |
| Slot-2 (Afternoon Session) | 12.30 pm to 02.30 pm | 11.00 am | 12.15 pm |
| Slot-3 (Evening Session) | 04.30 pm to 06.30 pm | 03.00 pm | 04.15pm |
- Make sure that you know your centre and how to reach there. Take the traffic into account and start early to avoid any last-minute delays.
- Carry all the required documents. Also, carry additional copies to avoid any problems. Remember to take original ID proof and photograph to the examination hall. Also, carry photocopies of the original identity proof you are carrying. Please carry Mask, Gloves, Sanitizer, Transparent water bottle. Also please carry the self-declaration form given on the admit card.
- Take the exam without worrying too much. Do not give in to pressure. Though it is easier said than done, it is better to avoid fretting too much about the exam. Know the difference between being in haste and being quick. Be quick and calm while solving questions. We also don’t know the exact number of questions in the exam. So, remember that everyone is more or less in the same position as you’re in.
- There is a View full question paper option in each section of the exam. You can use this to check the overall paper of the section.
- Also, avoid the tough questions. Make sure to leave the questions that are meant to be left. Spend some time to select the right sets in the LRDI section. Especially if there’s a 6-question LRDI set in the exam, don’t be tempted to solve it right away. Read the set carefully and solve it only if you’re familiar with it. Do questions in rounds in the Quants section.
- Dont spend too much time on any question (Don’t let your ego come in the way while solving a question, especially from your favourite topic).
- If any section is difficult, don’t panic, there will always be some easy questions, you just need to find and answer them. So, try to solve easy questions first (for DILR & Quant sections especially)
- Don’t make one section performance affect the next section (especially the Quants section after the LRDI section).
- Do not go in with a preset number of questions to attempt in the exam. You should tweak your target depending on the level of difficulty of the exam.
Must Watch Videos Before CAT Exam – Last-minute tips for CAT
Apart from the last-minute tips for CAT mentioned above, also watch these excellent videos before the CAT Exam. These videos will be extremely beneficial in your prep, as they will help you review the basics and they also cover the most important questions to practice.
Complete CAT Quants Revision Part 1.
Complete CAT Quants Revision Part 2.
Also, you can check out the PDF of the above-mentioned video here: Top-100 Must Solve CAT Quant Questions PDF. You can also check out the entire list of Must Watch videos in these few days before the CAT exam.
If you can follow these last-minute tips for CAT and take the exam with a cool mind, you will be able to perform well in the exam.
All the best for CAT!
