CAT exam day strategy: your 40 minutes per section

A calm routine for the morning, and a section-by-section plan for the three 40-minute blocks you cannot move between.

KDA
KDA Faculty
Faculty · Karwa's Dakshita Academy
10 Oct 2026 2 min read
Key takeaways
  • Each section has 40 minutes. Time from one section does not carry to the next.
  • Spend the first few minutes of each section choosing what to attempt.
  • Skip early, return later. Do not sink time into one question.
  • Stay with the plan after a bad section. The next one is a fresh 40 minutes.
Quick answer

Arrive early, settle in, and treat each 40-minute section as a separate exam. In each one, spend the first few minutes choosing what to attempt. Skip and return. After a bad section, reset.

The morning

  • Wake up early, eat light, and leave with buffer time.
  • Carry what the admit card instructions list. Nothing else.
  • Do not revise new material on the way.

Section by section

SectionOpening moveWatch for
VARCSkim the passages. Start with the one you can read fastestSpending too long on one passage
DILRSpend a few minutes choosing setsStarting a set you cannot structure
QADo the quick questions firstSinking time into a calculation-heavy question

The skipping rule

Decide your cap in mocks. If you pass it, move on. Mark and return if time allows.

Negative marking

MCQs: +3 correct, -1 wrong, as reported. Typed-in answers: no negative marking. So guess MCQs only when you can cut options, and attempt typed-in answers you have a feel for.

If a section goes badly

Take a breath between sections. The next 40 minutes are clean. Your score is a total.

Where this doesn’t apply

Where this doesn't apply

Pattern details are as reported and can change. Check your admit card. This is our suggested tactics and faculty review is pending. Your own caps and order of attack should come from your mocks.

Rehearse it
Try a full-section rehearsal in a free demo class.
Book a free demo class

Pattern and marking as reported by Careers360 and Cracku. The tactics are our own method.

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KDA Faculty
Faculty · Karwa's Dakshita Academy

The teaching team at Karwa's Dakshita Academy, Kharghar — MBA entrance (CAT, MAH-CET) and school coaching.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

No. Each section is 40 minutes and you cannot return to it after time ends. As reported.

The order is fixed by the exam. Plan how to use each 40 minutes, not the sequence.

Reset. The next section starts fresh. Do not carry the mood.

MCQs carry -1 for a wrong answer, so guess only when you can eliminate options. Typed-in answers have no negative marking.

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