5 Common Mistakes That Give Lesser Score to CAT Aspirants: Things to Avoid

5 Common Mistakes That Give Lesser Score to CAT Aspirants are ignoring the CAT syllabus, not periodic revision of the weaker areas, not having a personalised strategy for the CAT exam, attempting no or fewer mock tests and not analysing the performance, and a lack of focus and time management during the exam preparation.

This is among the world's most competitive tests. It requires a certain amount of professionalism and seriousness. As soon as you make the decision to pursue an MBA, you should begin preparing. You may make mistakes for a number of reasons, such as inadequate planning, low motivation, lack of mentor assistance, etc. You can check the common mistakes students make in the CAT #year exam.

Mistakes That Give Lesser Scores to CAT Aspirants

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an important exam for you seeking admission to India's top business schools. However, many of you make typical mistakes when studying for and passing the exam. The following are some common blunders you make during the CAT exam:

Mistake 1: Ignoring the CAT Syllabus

You frequently skip over the CAT Syllabus when you first start your CAT preparation journey and jump right into answering the questions. Additionally, some of you only complete practice questions on the topics you are proficient in and skip over portions of the syllabus topics.

• This is a reckless approach because you cannot be so ignorant as to not even look at the curriculum to score well in an exam that demands months of concentrated study and when the competition is fierce.
• You should carefully review the entire CAT exam syllabus before beginning your study and examine it thoroughly.

Important Tip: CAT Syllabus serves as your initial resource and lays out the schedule for the exam preparation. It helps you explore subjects and provides a clear understanding of the course's disciplinary structure.

• A syllabus lists the learning objectives, tasks, and tests that you must complete and it is very important for you, particularly those without engineering backgrounds, to grasp the fundamentals of mathematics before beginning to solve the problems.

Mistake 2: No Periodic Revision

It takes months to prepare for the CAT and it's likely that the material candidates study months prior won't stick in your mind long enough for the CAT exam. The ones who finish one chapter and then go on to the next without ever reviewing their earlier chapters are doing one of the most frequent blunders when preparing for the CAT.

• The majority of you lack the phenomenal memory needed to recall material that was covered a week ago and in the latter stage of your preparation you discover that you have forgotten everything.

• You frequently finish one topic before moving on to the others without reviewing or making sure you have retained the principles. Some of you even neglect your revision entirely till the night of the test.
• Some of you lose motivation at this phase because you can't remember the ideas, formulas, or tips you acquired.

Tip: It is crucial that you occasionally review the ideas and determine whether they have been fully comprehended and retained. 

• Before going on to the following topic, it is advised to quickly revise each one. Additionally, keeping a journal can facilitate speedy revisions. Check CAT Reference Books 2025.
• Revision facilitates the transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory. In order to make it easier to recover information when needed, it also helps reinforce the cues connected to earlier learning.

Also Check: How to Prepare for CAT 2025 Exam in 3 Months?

Mistake 3: No Strategy for CAT Exam

As previously stated, preparing the topics is only one part of CAT preparation; you sometimes overlook the other important subjects which form the scoring system.

• You cannot achieve the maximum score if you do not have a plan for attempting the paper. This is due to the fact that many of you believe that a good percentile can be obtained by simply studying the chapters.
• A lot of you don't organise your own preparation and instead follow other people's plans. Some of you attempt the questions at random without even planning your exam-taking tactics.

Tip: It is always advised to first assess one's own capabilities before planning a preparation strategy. While some of you may excel in maths, others may have strong grammar. Therefore, there can't be "one strategy" that works for everyone. 

• Additionally, you should develop your own test-taking tactics, which may be accomplished with ease by completing a number of practice exams and sample and question papers.

Also Check: Best Time for CAT 2025 Preparation

Mistake 4: No Mock-Tests or Performance Analysis

CAT Mock tests are the best indicator of the level of preparation for the CAT, and mentors and the CAT coaching institute place a lot of emphasis on them. The reason this is one of the most frequent errors in CAT is that you are unsure of how frequently to complete practice exams.

• Many of you believe that you may achieve a high CAT percentile and get into the college of your dreams only by learning the subjects theory and not attempting any questions and unfortunately, this is untrue. 
• The majority of CAT applicants take mock exams, however many of them neglect to review your results. Most of you who are preparing for the CAT for the first time and do not have adequate mentor support make this error.

Tip: Analysing practice test results is just as crucial as actually taking the tests. One can quickly determine your level of preparation by assessing the tests. It's crucial to plan for additional preparation in accordance with evaluation results.

• You can identify your areas of strength and weakness and can improve your score on the upcoming practice exam.
• You can identify areas where you are less prepared and can also discover the causes of your low score. Speed, poor marking, poor question selection, focusing too much on a single topic, and so forth are a few examples.

Also Check: How to Crack CAT Exam?

Mistake 5: Lack of Focus and Time Management

During the CAT exam, time management is crucial and some of you hurry through questions or fail to complete the exam because you don't practise time management. 

• To enhance your time management abilities, you should practise answering questions in a predetermined amount of time and concentrate on answering simpler questions first.
• It's critical to maintain concentration while getting ready for the CAT. Distractions are a problem for some of you, which lowers your productivity. 
• You should use mindfulness exercises to stay on task and eliminate distractions like phones and social media during study sessions in order to increase focus.

Tip: You can prioritise your day- to -day activities which will eventually cut you down on distractions. 

• You can also use time management apps to organise your day and take necessary breaks while studying. 
• Focusing on important areas where more practice is required and reducing anxiety may help you  manage your time and enhance your ability to accurately solve the questions.

Also Check: Is CAT Exam Tough?

Other Major Mistakes That Give Lesser Score to CAT Aspirants

The other major common mistakes that also play a major role in getting lower scores in the CAT exams are lack of a comprehensive plan, not enough practice, lack of self-confidence, and sometimes overconfidence.

These major mistakes are explained below in detail for you to understand and avoid them during your cat preparation journey.

1. Lack of a comprehensive CAT preparation plan is a major mistake; some of you begin your studies unsure of your priorities or time management techniques. Your preparation may become unclear as a result. You should make a thorough study plan in order to prevent this. A deadline, all the necessary study resources, and a timetable for taking practice exams should all be included in the strategy.
2. Not practising enough is another error; CAT requires not only subject-matter expertise but also accurate and timely problem-solving. You may have trouble managing your time during the test if you don't practise frequently. The secret to mastering the exam format and increasing speed is consistent practice.
3. Having self-confidence is crucial for performing well on the CAT. A lot of you struggle with confidence, which impacts how well you do. You should keep upbeat, remind themselves of your abilities, and seek out support from friends and family in order to develop self-confidence. Confidence can also be increased by leading a healthy lifestyle that includes enough sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet.
4. Although self-assurance is admirable, it may also be detrimental. Some pupils overestimate their own skills and fail to take the test seriously enough. This may result in subpar performance. It's critical to maintain your focus, humility, and confidence.

Also Check: How to Prepare for CAT without Coaching?

Important Tips to Avoid Common Mistakes in the CAT 2024 Exam

The important tips and tricks that you must follow to avoid common mistakes in the CAT exam are listed below, and you  are also advised to follow them sincerely to manage your cat journey and excel in the exam:

1. Plan Well and Manage Your Time: Make a study timetable that efficiently allotted time to various subjects and sections. To avoid burnout, follow this approach and take regular breaks.
2. Previous Papers and Practice Mock Exams: To familiarise yourself with the format and scheduling of the exam, practice taking CAT previous year question papers on a regular basis. These drills improve accuracy and speed while highlighting areas of weakness.
3. Pay Attention to Every Section: Pay equal attention to every component of the test, learn the subtleties of each, and practice until you are proficient.
4. Frequent Revision Sessions: Don't undervalue the importance of revising. Regular revision strengthens knowledge and increases self-assurance.
5. Remain Focused, Prevent Distractions: Pay attention to your own task and keep yourself from getting sidetracked by other people. Avoid extraneous distractions and maintain your attention on the computer screen.
6. Effective Time Management: Prioritise answering simpler questions before taking on more difficult ones. To properly respond to questions, take the time to fully comprehend them.

These tips and tricks are advised to be carefully read and avoided and followed, respectively to prepare for the CAT exam.