CAT Exam 2025: Top 10 Mistakes You Must Avoid - Expert Tips

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The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) released the admit cards for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 today, November 12. This national-level entrance exam for admission to IIMs and other top business schools will be held across India on November 30, 2025.

👉 Direct Link - CAT Admit Card 2025

As exam day approaches, experts suggest focusing not only on academic revision, but also on your mindset, patience, and time management. The expert shared valuable insights on how to avoid common mistakes made during final preparation.

It's all about how you think under pressure. "Many students prepare with the goal of only beating last year's cutoff.

This sets a ceiling rather than a realistic goal. A better approach is to aim for the top 10% of candidates, which increases both confidence and resilience."

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CAT Exam 2025: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Expert highlighted the most common preparation mistakes that can harm your scores:

1. Ignoring Weak Areas: The CAT rewards a balanced performance across all sections, not just one strong section. Don't neglect your weak areas.

2. Taking Mock Tests Without Analysis : Spend 2-3 times more time analyzing your mock tests than taking them. It's important to understand your mistakes.

3. Not Practicing Under Timed Conditions: Timed practice builds the rhythm of the exam and improves your decision-making skills. Always practice with a timer.

4. Random DILR Practice : Focus on choosing the right set instead of trying to solve everything. Quality matters more than quantity.

5. Cramming New Concepts Late : Focus on revision and consolidation in the final weeks. Don't start learning new topics right away.

6. Not Keeping Formula or Error Notes : Keep personal notes of formulas and common mistakes. This helps you avoid repeating the same mistakes.

7. Passive VARC Practice : Actively engage in reasoning, inference, and phonetic-based questions. Don't just read passively.

8. Overreliance on lengthy calculations : Use estimation and elimination techniques instead of spending too much time on complex calculations.

9. Inconsistent study routine : Regular, focused study sessions work better than irregular, long sessions. Maintain consistency.

10. Neglecting rest and health : A refreshed mind performs far better than a tired one. Get enough sleep and take care of yourself.

CAT Exam 2025: Avoid the Cutoff Trap

He explained, "Cutoffs vary every year depending on the difficulty and competition of the exam. If you're preparing only to pass the cutoff, you may fall short if the paper is difficult."

"Instead, train yourself to consistently perform at a level that puts you among the top scorers."

CAT Exam 2025: Stay calm and be strategic

If anxiety takes over on exam day, even the most prepared candidates can underperform.

A calm, focused mind processes information faster, evaluates options better, and avoids careless mistakes."

The expert suggested a structured approach to improve your performance:

First: Solve questions you know 100% to ensure accuracy and build confidence.
Second: Move on to questions you are 75% familiar with, and use logic or heuristics to guide your choices.
Third: Solve questions you are only 50% familiar with—but do so sparingly.

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