CAT 2025 Time Management Tips: How to Attempt All Sections; You Must Know

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The CAT 2025 exam is scheduled for November 30, 2025. Sectional time management is very important in the CAT 2025 exam because, unlike other competitive exams, this exam has a sectional time limit, i.e. 40 minutes for each section.

This 40-minute duration is not adjustable with other sections so an aspirant has to complete all the questions in the given time only. Effective sectional time management is crucial for success in the CAT 2025 exam.

This article covers everything you need to know about time management for CAT 2025.

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Understanding the CAT 2025 Exam Pattern

Before going to sectional time management tips, an aspirant must understand the CAT 2025 exam pattern. Below, we have tabulated the CAT 2025 exam pattern

CAT 2025 is a computer-based test. It has 68 questions divided into three sections. The total duration is 120 minutes (2 hours). Each section gets exactly 40 minutes.

Here's the section-wise breakdown:

➤ Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) - 24 questions in 40 minutes

➤ Section 2: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) - 22 questions in 40 minutes

➤ Section 3: Quantitative Ability (QA) - 22 questions in 40 minutes

The marking scheme is simple. You get +3 marks for each correct answer. MCQ questions carry a penalty of -1 for wrong answers. TITA (Type In The Answer) questions have no negative marking.

One important rule to remember. You cannot switch between sections. Once your 40 minutes end for a section, the screen automatically moves to the next one.

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Why Time Management Matters in CAT 2025

Competition in the CAT exam is intense, and effective time management during the exam increases your chances of achieving a good percentile in CAT 2025. Effective time management during the CAT exam has several benefits:

It ensures that you can solve all sections and questions within the allotted time, increasing your chances of scoring well.
It also ensures that you don't miss any questions, and at least thoroughly read all the questions.
Allowing enough time for each question will reduce the chances of making mistakes due to haste or carelessness. This will increase the accuracy of your answers.
This gives you some time to quickly review your answers. This can help you catch any errors before submitting the exam.
This ensures that you use every minute of the exam effectively and boosts your confidence. Confidence is crucial in the CAT exam.

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General Time Management Tips for CAT 2025

➤ Solve Easy Questions First: On exam day, as soon as you start your CAT question paper, it is advisable to start with easy questions.

➤ Attempt TITA Questions at the End: Every year, IIMs include more than five TITA questions in the question paper. TITA questions are attractive because there is no negative marking.

➤ Make an Average Time for Each Question: Before starting the CAT question paper, it is advisable to set an average time per question.

➤ Apply Reverse Strategy For MCQs: To properly utilize the technique of time management for CAT, try solving the multiple-choice questions with the reverse strategy for those questions that are difficult and understandable.

➤ Practice TITA: TITA questions require typing answers on an on-screen keyboard. Practice this during mock tests. Fumbling with the interface on exam day wastes valuable time.

👉 Read Also - CAT 2025 VARC: Free Sample Practice Paper with Solutions

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👉 Read Also - CAT 2025 QA: Free Sample Practice Paper with Solutions

Section-Wise Time Management Strategies for CAT 2025

The CAT 2025 exam lasts 120 minutes. Each section gets exactly 40 minutes. Here's how to manage your time in each section.

VARC Section: 24 Questions in 40 Minutes

Reading Comprehension (RC) covers around 16 questions. Verbal Ability (VA) covers the remaining 8 questions.

Quick Tips:

Scan all questions in the first 1-2 minutes
Pick easier RC passages based on topic and length
Finish a 3-question RC in 5-6 minutes
Complete a 5-6 question RC in 10-12 minutes
Save 12-15 minutes for VA questions
VA questions usually don't have negative marking, so attempt all
Read passages only once and grasp the main idea quickly

DILR Section: 22 Questions in 40 Minutes

Questions appear in sets of 4-5 based on a single scenario. Set selection decides your score here.

Quick Tips:

Spend 2-3 minutes scanning all sets first
Identify sets that match your strengths
Solve 3-4 complete sets instead of attempting bits from all
Allocate 8-10 minutes per set
Move on if you're stuck after 3-4 minutes
Don't skip a set just because the first question looks hard
A fully-solved set gives you 12-15 marks

QA Section: 22 Questions in 40 Minutes

This section covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number theory, and modern math.

Quick Tips:

Scan all 22 questions in the first 1-2 minutes
Mentally mark easy questions
Solve easy arithmetic questions first (percentages, ratios, profit-loss)
Finish 10-12 easy questions in the first 20 minutes
Use shortcuts and option elimination for MCQs
Attempt all TITA questions since they've no negative marking
Keep difficult questions for the last 10 minutes
Secure easy marks before tackling tough ones

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