How Maruti Sir Attempts CAT, Question Selection & Accuracy

How Maruti Sir Attempts CAT Exam

Two students with similar preparation levels can end up with very different CAT percentiles because of the way they select questions, manage time, choose DILR sets, attempt RCs, and handle difficult questions.

This is where Maruti Sir's strategy matter.

In a live DashCAT attempt, Maruti Sir, a 5-time CAT 100 Percentiler, and Sayali Ma’am, a 2-time CAT 99.97 Percentiler, demonstrated how experienced they approach a mock test. Their attempt highlights an important principle: the goal is not to solve every question but to maximize the number of correct answers within the available time.

A strong CAT attempt strategy should help you in:

• Identify the easiest and most suitable questions first
• Avoid spending too much time on difficult questions
• Select the right RCs and DILR sets
• Maintain accuracy while increasing attempts
• Manage time across all three sections
• Build a personalized strategy through regular CAT mocks
• Analyse every mock and improve your next attempt

Let's understand how toppers approach each section and how you can build your own CAT attempt strategy.

How Toppers Attempt CAT: What Makes Their Strategy Different?

A common mistake among CAT aspirants is to treat every question as equally important. Toppers do not approach the CAT exam the following way.

They understand that every minute and every question has an opportunity cost. Spending five minutes on one difficult question may mean missing two easier questions later. The biggest difference in a topper's strategy is therefore decision-making.

Toppers Focus on Selection Before Solving

Instead of immediately solving the first question they see, toppers quickly evaluate the section and identify questions or sets that look manageable.

The approach is simple:

This doesn't mean good scorers can identify every answer instantly. It means they are more comfortable deciding:

• Which question should I attempt?
• Which question should I leave for later?
• Which question is taking too much time?
• Which DILR set looks manageable?
• Which RC is more comfortable for me?
• Is this question worth another two minutes?

This ability becomes particularly important when the paper contains difficult or unfamiliar questions.

Maximum score = Good question selection + High accuracy + Effective time management

If a student attempts 45 questions but gets many of them wrong, the result can be worse than a student who attempts fewer questions with significantly better accuracy.

Toppers Have a Strategy, But They Also Adapt to Difficult CAT Slots and Sets

Having a strategy does not mean following a rigid plan regardless of the paper.

For example, a student may normally prefer starting with a particular type of RC. But if the first passage in the actual exam appears unusually difficult, the student should be comfortable moving to another passage.

The same applies to DILR sets and Quant questions.

A good CAT strategy should therefore be structured but flexible.

CAT VARC Strategy: How Toppers Select RCs and Questions

VARC can become time-consuming if you start solving questions without first deciding where to spend your time.

In the DashCAT attempt, Maruti Sir's approach highlights the importance of selecting comfortable RC passages before committing significant time to them.

Start With RC Selection

Before deeply engaging with an RC, quickly assess the passages.

Look for:

• Topic familiarity
• Passage length
• Complexity of language
• Number of questions
• Ease of understanding the central idea
• Your comfort with the subject

You do not need to understand the entire passage during the initial scan.

The objective is simply to answer:

Which passage gives me the best chance of scoring accurately?

Attempt Your Comfortable RCs First

If one RC appears significantly more approachable than another, it can make sense to start there.

For example, suppose you see four RCs and broadly classify them as:

• RC 1 – Comfortable
• RC 2 – Moderate
• RC 3 – Difficult
• RC 4 – Moderate

You could start with RC 1 and then move to the most suitable remaining passage.

This approach can help build confidence and prevent you from spending too much time on a difficult passage at the beginning.

Don't Confuse Reading Speed With CAT Strategy

Reading faster helps only when comprehension stays strong.

The goal should not be:

Read everything as quickly as possible.

Instead, focus on:

Read efficiently, understand the argument and answer questions accurately.

Avoid rushing through a passage merely to increase the number of attempts.

Select Questions Within an RC

Even after selecting an RC, not every question needs the same treatment.

If a question asks about a clearly stated detail, it may be relatively straightforward.

On the other hand, questions involving complex inference or multiple interpretations may require more time.

If you are unsure after spending considerable time on a question, move on and return later if time permits.

VARC Strategy in One Line

CAT DILR Strategy: How Toppers Select the Right Sets

DILR is often less about solving every set and more about finding the sets you can solve efficiently.

This is one of the most important lessons from a topper's CAT mock test.

Scan All the Sets Before Committing

Do not spend the first 10 minutes trying to solve the first DILR set you encounter.

First, scan the available sets.

Try to identify:

• Right sets with familiar structures
• Sets with manageable calculations
• Data where the information is clearly presented
• Sets that you can establish the first few steps quickly
• Sets where you can see a possible path to multiple questions

The objective is to identify doable sets, not necessarily the easiest-looking set.

Set Selection Can Decide Your DILR Score

Imagine two students.

Student A spends 15 minutes on a difficult set and eventually gets only one question correct.

Student B spends a few minutes scanning, selects a manageable set and solves four questions accurately.

Student B may score significantly better despite spending less time initially.

This is why set selection is such an important DILR skill.

Target Realistic Set Selection

Instead of thinking:

"I need to solve every DILR set."

Think:

"How many questions can I solve accurately from the best sets available?"

During the DashCAT attempt, the focus was on identifying a realistic target and selecting sets accordingly.

Your target should depend on:

• Your preparation level
• Mock performance
• Difficulty of the paper
• Difficulty of individual sets
• Time available

Know When to Leave a DILR Set

One of the biggest DILR mistakes is refusing to abandon a set after investing too much time.

If you have spent several minutes and still cannot establish a clear approach, ask:

Is continuing this set likely to generate marks?

If the answer is no, move on.

Leaving a set is not failure.

Staying stuck on the wrong set is the real problem.

TITA Questions and Educated Attempts

TITA questions can provide additional scoring opportunities because the response format is different from multiple-choice questions.

However, an educated guess should come from logical reasoning, not random guessing.

Before entering an answer, check:

• Whether your calculations are consistent
• Does the answer fit the given conditions
• Whether there is a range or restriction
• Have you missed any information

DILR Strategy in One Line

CAT Quant Strategy: How Toppers Select Questions and Manage Time

Quant can punish students who spend too much time trying to solve a single difficult question.

A topper's approach is usually based on multiple rounds of question selection.

Scan Before You Solve

Do not assume that the first question is the best question to solve.

Quickly identify questions based on:

• Familiar concepts
• Short calculations
• Clear approach
• Strong topic familiarity
• Reasonable time requirement

You may find an easy Arithmetic question later in the section even after encountering a difficult Algebra or Geometry question. That is why scanning matters.

Prioritize Familiar Topics

Sayali Ma'am's Quant strategy in the DashCAT attempt emphasizes starting with questions that are more comfortable and manageable.

For many CAT aspirants, Arithmetic can be a useful starting point because of the familiarity of topics such as:

• Percentages
• Profit and Loss
• Averages
• Ratios
• Time, Speed and Distance
• Time and Work
• Mixtures
• Simple and Compound Interest

However, that doesn't mean every student should unthinkingly attempt Arithmetic first.

Base your strategy on your strengths and mock performance.

Use Multiple Rounds

A practical approach is:

Round 1: Solve questions you can identify and solve quickly.

Round 2: Return to questions that require moderate calculation or thinking.

Round 3: Attempt remaining questions selectively if time permits.

This reduces the risk of spending five or six minutes on one CAT question while easier questions remain unanswered.

Don't Let One Question Control Your Section

Suppose you understand the concept but cannot complete the calculation.

You have two choices:

1. Keep spending time because you have already invested time.
2. Leave it temporarily and move to another question.

The second approach is often better.

Remember:

The time already spent on a question should not decide how much more time you spend on it.

Quant Strategy in One Line

CAT Question Selection Strategy: Which Questions Should You Attempt or Skip?

Question selection is one of the most important skills that separates an average CAT attempt from an efficient one.

The objective is not to determine whether a question is "easy" or "difficult" in absolute terms.

The real question is:

Can I solve this question accurately within a reasonable amount of time?

Attempt Questions That Have Three Characteristics

A question is a strong candidate when:

1. You understand what is being asked.
2. You know or can quickly identify the approach.
3. The expected time required is reasonable.

If all three are present, the question should generally receive priority.

Skip Questions When the Approach Is Unclear

You should consider leaving a question when:

• You don't understand the question
• You cannot identify an approach
• The calculations are becoming unnecessarily long
• You are repeatedly making errors
• You are spending too much time without progress

Skipping is not about giving up. It is about protecting your time for better scoring opportunities.

Use the Multiple-Round Strategy

A useful approach across CAT sections is:

Round 1 – High-confidence questions

Solve questions that look familiar and can be answered quickly.

Round 2 – Moderate questions

Return to questions that require some thought but have a clear path.

Round 3 – Selective attempts

Use the remaining time on questions you have a reasonable chance of solving.

This strategy is particularly useful when you tend to get emotionally attached to difficult questions.

Don't Skip a Question Just Because It Looks Difficult

There is an important distinction while attempting CAT mock tests. A question can look difficult but still have a short solution.

Similarly, a question can look easy but still take time. Therefore, your decision on the actual solving process, not appearance alone.

Attempt vs Accuracy: What Matters More?

The answer is not simply "attempt more." Your goal should be to find the right balance.

For example:

More attempts + poor accuracy = risky strategy

Moderate attempts + excellent accuracy = potentially strong strategy

Strong attempts + strong accuracy = ideal outcome

Use your mocks to discover the attempt-accuracy combination that works best for you.

How to Analyse CAT Mocks to Improve Your Score and Accuracy?

Taking a CAT mock is only half the process. The real improvement comes from what you do after the mock.

A useful CAT mock improvement cycle is:

This approach is also consistent with Cracku's mock-analysis framework, which emphasizes reviewing attempts, accuracy, weak areas, question selection and time allocation rather than simply moving from one mock to the next.

Step 1: Check Your Overall Performance

Start by recording:

• Overall score
• Overall percentile
• Attempts
• Correct answers
• Incorrect answers
• Accuracy
• Section-wise scores

But don't stop here.

Your CAT percentile tells you where you stand, and analysis tells you why and where to improve.

Step 2: Analyse Each Section Separately

You must do CAT sectional practice and analysis too. Break down VARC, DILR and Quant.

Ask:

• How many questions did I attempt?
• How many did I get correct?
• How many did I get wrong?
• How much time did I spend?
• Which questions did I leave?
• Which questions should I have attempted?
• Which questions should I have skipped?

Step 3: Analyse Incorrect Questions

Do not simply look at the solution and move on. Identify the reason for the mistake.

A wrong answer can happen because of:

• Conceptual weakness
• Calculation error
• Misreading
• Poor question selection
• Time pressure
• Overconfidence
• Lack of attention
• Incorrect interpretation

The solution is different for each type of error.

Step 4: Analyse Unattempted Questions

This is one of the most valuable parts of mock analysis. Look at questions you did not attempt and ask:

Could I have solved this?

Classify them into:

Should have attempted: Easy questions that you missed.

Could have attempted: Questions where you had a reasonable chance.

Correctly skipped: Questions that were too difficult or time-consuming.

This can reveal hidden scoring opportunities.

Step 5: Analyse Correct Questions Too

A common mistake is to analyse only wrong answers. But some correct answers may also need review.

Ask: Did I solve this question efficiently?

If you got the answer right but spent four minutes on it, there may still be a problem.

A better method or quicker recognition could save valuable time in the actual CAT.

Step 6: Compare Attempts With Accuracy

Track your performance across multiple mocks.

For example:

The objective is not necessarily to increase attempts after every mock; it is to improve the quality of your attempts.

Step 7: Create an Error Log

Maintain a simple record of recurring mistakes.

Your error log can contain:

After several mocks, patterns will start becoming visible.

Step 8: Convert Mock Analysis Into an Action Plan

Every mock should end with a clear answer to:

What will I change in my next mock?

For example:

"In the next mock, I will scan all DILR sets before choosing one."

Or:

"I will attempt RCs based on comfort rather than passage order."

Or:

"I will not spend more than a reasonable amount of time on a Quant question if I cannot identify the approach."

This turns mock analysis into actual improvement.

Step 9: Test Your New Strategy

Do not change your entire CAT strategy after every mock. Test one or two changes and observe the results over multiple mocks.

Your objective is to build a strategy that is gradually:

• Comfortable
• Repeatable
• Time-efficient
• Accurate
• Suitable for your strengths

By the final stage of preparation, you should have a clearly tested CAT attempt strategy rather than experimenting for the first time on exam day.

How to Build Your Own CAT Strategy?

There is no single strategy that every 99 or 100 percentiler follows.

Maruti Sir's approach may work differently from Sayali Ma'am's approach. Your strengths may also be different from theirs.

Therefore, don't copy a topper's exact CAT sequence unthinkingly. Instead, copy the principles behind their strategy:

Select Before Solving

Don't waste time on questions simply because they appear first.

Protect Your Time

Every minute spent on a difficult question has an opportunity cost.

Prioritize Accuracy

A correct answer contributes to your score; an unnecessary wrong attempt can hurt it.

Know When to Move On

Leaving a question is a strategic decision.

Use Mocks to Experiment

Try different strategies during mocks and identify what works best for you.

Analyse Every Mock

Don't judge your preparation only by the percentile shown on the result screen.

Common CAT Mock Mistakes to Avoid

Even well-prepared students can lose marks because of poor test-taking decisions.

Avoid these mistakes:

Starting Without Scanning

Jumping directly into the first question can result in poor question selection.

Trying to Solve Everything

CAT rewards efficient decision-making, not completion of every question.

Getting Stuck on One DILR Set

If a set is not progressing, move on and explore other opportunities.

Spending Too Long on One Quant Question

If the approach isn't clear, temporarily skip the question.

Attempting RCs Without Selection

Choose passages based on your comfort and ability to comprehend them efficiently.

Looking Only at Your Score After a Mock

Your score tells you the outcome. Your analysis tells you what to improve.

Changing Strategy After Every Mock

Experiment during mocks, but don't keep changing your approach without enough evidence.

Ignoring Easy Unattempted Questions

These are often your biggest missed scoring opportunities.

Conclusion

It's high time to take your first DashCAT. Know where you stand in VARC, DILR and QA. Don’t be disappointed if you get a low score; also, don’t be overconfident if you score high. With consistent practice and structured mock analysis, you can gradually build an attempt strategy that helps you maximize your CAT score and improve your percentile. After every mock, analyse your attempts, accuracy, mistakes, skipped questions and time management. Then make one or two specific improvements and test them in the next mock.