CAT 2026 will be held on November 29, 2026, in three sessions across approximately 170 cities.
The exam will have 68 questions across VARC (24), DILR (22), and Quantitative Ability (22), with 40 minutes allotted to each section.
Since candidates cannot switch sections during the test, question selection and time management will directly affect their scores.
The last few days are not the time to cover the entire CAT syllabus again. Focus on revising familiar concepts, analysing mock test mistakes, preparing for the exam-day routine, and avoiding errors that can cost marks.
These last-minute CAT 2026 exam day tips can help you approach the test with a clear plan.
CAT 2026 Last Minute Exam Day Tips: What to Do Before and During the Test
Given below is the CAT 2026 last minute exam day tips for reference:
1. Revise Important Topics
Use the final days to revise concepts you have already studied. Beginning an unfamiliar topic at this stage can consume time without giving you enough opportunity to practise it properly.
Prioritise topics based on your preparation and previous mock test performance.
VARC: Revise reading comprehension techniques, para jumbles, paragraph summaries, and odd-sentence-out questions. Reading comprehension accounts for approximately 16 of the 24 questions, making it important to practise passage-based questions without rushing through the options.
DILR: Review tables, charts, seating arrangements, scheduling, games, tournaments, and hybrid sets. Practise identifying the conditions in a set and arranging the available information before attempting calculations.
Quantitative Ability: Revise arithmetic and algebra first if they are among your stronger areas. Arithmetic accounts for approximately 35–50% of the section’s topic-wise weightage, while algebra contributes around 30–35%. Review formulas related to ratios, averages, time and work, geometry, equations, and probability according to your preparation.
2. Analyse Your Last CAT Mock Test
Attempting multiple full-length mocks immediately before the exam may leave you tired without giving you enough time to learn from your mistakes.
Review a recent mock instead, especially if you have already completed several tests. Check these four areas:
Incorrect answers: Identify whether the mistake happened because of a conceptual gap, calculation error, misreading, or a rushed decision.
- Unattempted questions: Check whether you skipped a solvable question because you spent too much time on another one.
- Time-consuming questions: Identify questions that took several minutes but produced no marks.
- Section-wise performance: Review your accuracy and question selection in VARC, DILR, and QA separately.
3. Prepare a Section-Wise Time Management Strategy
CAT 2026 has a fixed duration of 40 minutes for each section. You cannot transfer unused time from VARC to DILR or from DILR to QA. Therefore, plan how you will use the time available within each section.
An approach is to divide the section into three stages:
- First 3-5 minutes: Scan the questions or sets and identify those that appear manageable.
- Next 25-30 minutes: Solve the selected questions while monitoring your progress.
- Final 5-10 minutes: Return to pending questions, check marked responses, and review calculations where necessary.
Adjust this approach according to the section and your mock test experience. In DILR, for example, spending too long on one difficult set can prevent you from attempting an easier one.
In VARC, rushing through a passage may lead to incorrect interpretations. In QA, a lengthy calculation can reduce the time available for shorter questions.
Treat these timings as a planning guide, not a rigid rule. Your actual strategy should reflect the question types you can solve accurately under timed conditions.
4. Choose Questions Carefully to Protect Your Score
CAT rewards correct answers with three marks and deducts one mark for each incorrect MCQ response. This makes question selection an important part of your exam strategy.
For example, answering 10 MCQs correctly and getting five wrong gives you 25 marks before considering any other attempts.
If you had answered only the 10 correct questions, you would have earned 30 marks. The five incorrect responses reduce your score by five marks.
Use these principles during the exam:
- Attempt questions you understand before moving to unfamiliar or lengthy ones.
- Avoid spending several minutes on a question when you cannot identify a clear solution.
- Recheck calculations when you have a reasonable doubt about the answer.
- Do not make random guesses in MCQs simply to increase your attempt count.
Non-MCQ questions generally do not carry the same negative marking as MCQs, but you must follow the response format displayed in the actual test. Read the question carefully before entering a numerical answer.
The objective is not to attempt all 68 questions. It is to maximise the marks you can secure through accurate attempts.
5. Do Not Ignore the Exam-Day Instructions
Keep your CAT 2026 admit card and the identification documents specified in the official instructions ready before the exam day.
Check your reporting time, test centre address, session details, and permitted items in advance. Follow these precautions:
- Visit or check the route to your test centre beforehand, especially if you are unfamiliar with the location.
- Plan your journey with enough time for traffic, transport delays, and entry procedures.
- Read the latest admit card instructions for accepted ID proofs and items that are permitted or prohibited.
- Keep your required documents together so you do not have to search for them on the morning of the test.
- Follow the reporting time and entry rules mentioned in your exam instructions.
6. Maintain Your Sleep Schedule and Eating Routine
Avoid changing your sleep cycle in the final days. If your CAT session is scheduled early, wake up at the time you expect to get up on exam day and follow a similar morning routine.
Get adequate sleep the night before the test. Staying awake to revise a few additional formulas may leave you less alert while reading passages, interpreting DILR conditions, or performing calculations.
Eat a familiar meal before leaving for the centre. Avoid experimenting with new foods or consuming excessive caffeine if it affects your concentration. Keep your travel time and reporting requirements in mind when planning breakfast.
Also, avoid discussing mock scores or difficult questions with other candidates immediately before the exam. Such conversations can distract you from the strategy you have prepared.
7. What to Do If a Section Feels Difficult
Do not assume that a difficult question paper means you are performing poorly. The difficulty level may vary across sessions, and one challenging section does not determine your entire CAT performance.
If VARC feels difficult, focus on passages you can understand and questions where you can eliminate unsuitable options. If DILR appears lengthy, scan the available sets and choose those with clearer conditions or a manageable structure. If QA contains unfamiliar questions, move to topics where you can apply known formulas and methods.
Avoid comparing your current experience with a mock test or a previous year’s paper while the exam is in progress. You cannot change the difficulty of the questions, but you can control how much time you spend on each one.
Once a section ends, move on mentally. Since the test does not allow section switching, worrying about missed questions in the previous section will not help you improve the next section’s score.
Conclusion
CAT 2026 last-minute preparation should focus on revision, mock analysis, question selection, and exam-day readiness.
With 40 minutes per section and negative marking for incorrect MCQs, accuracy and time management matter more than attempting every question. Prepare your documents in advance, follow your planned strategy, and avoid making sudden changes to your routine.
To strengthen your final preparation, practise with the MBA Karo CAT Mock Test. Use timed practice to assess your section-wise performance, identify avoidable errors, and refine your approach to question selection before November 29, 2026.
