The CAT 2024 exam is conducted by IIM Calcutta on November 24, 2024. Candidates who want to crack the IIM entrance exam with a good score and get a call from one of the top IIMs must know some common mistakes that many of them often make during the exam. For better performance and good marks in the CAT exam, candidates are advised to avoid these mistakes. CAT is the gateway to admission at IIMs and other leading MBA colleges in India.
Mistakes to avoid on CAT exam day
CAT 2024: Mistakes you must avoid on the test day
The below-mentioned mistakes are frequently made by candidates while taking the CAT 2024.
Getting Stuck on Tricky Question
No denying, CAT is one of the most difficult MBA entrance exams in India. Though CAT questions are of easy to moderate difficulty, the paper also contains some tricky questions where many candidates get stuck. Such questions consume a lot of time.
As per the CAT 2024 exam pattern, the question paper of CAT will be divided into multiple-choice questions as well as TITA questions. Candidates should scan the questions and answer the easy ones first, then the medium and difficult ones. With this approach, candidates can answer more questions accurately.
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Sometimes it happens that, on account of nervousness, candidates tend to read questions abruptly. This is where the mistake occurs. While reading questions, do not hurry up. Focus on the question so that you can properly understand it. It is important to understand the question to answer it correctly.
However, candidates should keep the time in mind. Do not take too much time to read a question. In CAT 2024, candidates will be provided 40 minutes to answer a section. After the time limit is over, they will automatically move to another section. Solving more questions matters, but what matters most is answering them with high accuracy.
Concentrate on your own workstation. Once a candidate enters the exam hall, their sole aim should be to concentrate on their activities. As one of the tips on CAT 2024 mistakes you must avoid on exam day, candidates are advised to not be considerate about what others are doing. The focus should be on your personal computer screen. Putting your nose into others' business may lead to writing the wrong answer or, worse, being expelled from writing the CAT exam. Hence, do not get distracted and do what you are there for.
Carry Important Documents
Around 3 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the CAT 2024. All registered candidates must carry a hard copy of their admit card of CAT 2024 along with some other important documents. Candidates should keep all necessary documents handy beforehand to avoid forgetting to carry them on the day of CAT 2024. One of the most common mistakes candidates make is bringing only a copy of their CAT 2024 admit card. As per the CAT 2024 admit card, there are certainly other major documents that are necessary to be carried along on exam day.
Understand Time Policy
As per the exam pattern of CAT 2024, candidates will have a total of 120 minutes to take the exam. Moreover, to solve the three given sections, only 40 minutes per section will be provided, i.e., there will be sectional timing in CAT. Hence, as part of the tips for avoiding CAT 2024 mistakes on exam day, candidates must ensure that they follow the given time schedule. Managing the time will be beneficial, as candidates will be able to save some time and solve more in the given time. To have a strong hold on time management, candidates are advised to take a CAT mock test, solve previous year question papers, or attempt sample papers while keeping time in mind.
Apart from the above-mentioned CAT 2024 mistakes to avoid on the test day, candidates must adhere to the below-mentioned guidelines on the exam day to ensure security. Let us look at each guideline one by one to gain a better understanding.
Find a Suitable Attire
Do not carry or wear heavy jewellery/jackets/improper attire. Candidates wearing jewellery and jackets will be asked to take it off. Be in proper and suitable attire so that no one can question your presence.
Be On Reporting Time
It is clearly mentioned on the admit card of the candidates for CAT 2024. No candidate will be allowed to enter the examination hall after the reporting time is over. Carefully check your admit card and be on time for reporting. Once the exam centre of CAT gates is closed, no candidates will be allowed to get inside. The reporting times for CAT 2024 for every slot are provided below.
CAT exam slot
Reporting time
Latest entry allowed
Slot 1 (8:30 AM to 10:30 AM)
7:00 AM
8:15 AM
Slot 2 (12:30 PM to 2:30 PM)
11:00 AM
12:15 PM
Slot 3 (4:30 PM to 6:30 PM)
3:00 PM
4:15 PM
Do Not Panic
Above all, leave all the worries aside and focus on what is important. Remember that in a panic situation, you will ruin all the good as well. Answer questions only after reading and understanding them carefully. Forget the worry and hope for the best. Try to imagine that you have already cleared the exam and are getting into your dream B-school to pursue an MBA degree.
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"S"
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Do not make another payment.
Making a second payment could cause a double debit, which is difficult to get a refund for. You should:
Wait 24-48 hours
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Download and save
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If the issue is not fixed after 48 hours,
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The CAT 2025 exam is a national-level MBA entrance test for IIMs and top B-schools in India. It will be held on 30th November 2025 in computer-based mode across ~170 cities.
The registration is open from 1st August to 13th September 2025 on
iimcat.ac.in
.
Admit cards will be available from 5th November 2025 onward.
Graduates with at least 50 marks (45 for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.
The exam tests English, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude in three timed sections.
With 305 marks in ICAR PG and being from ST category, your chances of getting an AIEEA (CAT) seat is good, especially in plant sciences and less competitive subjects
M/s Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, one of the top four audit and accounting firms in the world with headquarters at London, UK, and with an operational presence in 153 countries, hires Management Trainees (MT) from all the premier management institutes of India thrice every year, in the months of January, May and September.
Each new group of Management Trainees (MT) have to go through a four month rigorous training schedule, after which they have to pass through a test consisting of a written assessment and a case-analysis. The top hundred ranked Management Trainees (MT) based on the performance in the test are confirmed as Management Executives (ME). The rest are given the opportunity of undergoing the training for four months one more time along with the next batch of Management Trainees (MT) and then passing through the subsequent test consisting of the written assessment and case-analysis. The Management Trainee (MT) who fails to get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the second time is fired.
The scatter-graph below depicts the number of Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte taking the tests from January 2020 till May 2022, and the vis-à-vis hired Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte who were fired :
It is also known that for the month of September 2019 at Deloitte, 96 hired Management Trainees (MT) failed to be confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the first time, and that 36 hired Management Trainees (MT) were fired.
Question :
In which test did the minimum number of Management Trainees (MT) get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) in the second attempt ?
Two friends Moloy and Niloy passed out from the Purulia Institute of Science and Technology with B.Tech degrees in Mechanical Engineering, but even after a year placement was hard to find. So they decided to take the challenge head-on, came down to Kolkata, rented a garage space on Park Street, and having an affinity towards making people enjoy good food, started their firm named 'B.Tech Bread-Omlette Wala'.
They started with three items on the menu. One was the French Toast which could be prepared in 3 minutes. The second was the Egg Tortillas which took 15 minutes to prepare. Any one of Moloy and Niloy could prepare any one of them at a time. The third was the Egg Bhurji with French Fries. This however was prepared on an automated fryer which could prepare 3 servings at a time and took 5 minutes irrespective of the number of servings equal to or below 3. The fryer did not need anyone to attend to it, and the time to put in the raw ingredients could be neglected. So one could tend to the preparation of other items while the Egg Bhurji with French Fries were being prepared.
They wanted to serve the orders as early as possible after the order was given. The individual items in any order were served as and when all the items were ready, and the order was then considered closed. None of the items on the menu were prepared in advance in anticipation of future orders.
On the first day, 3 groups of customers came in and ordered at 6.00 pm, 6.10 pm, and 6.13 pm. The first order was for a plate of Egg Tortillas, two plates of French Toast, and three plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The second order was for a plate of French Toast and two plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The third order was for a plate of Egg Tortilla and a plate of Egg Bhurji with French Fries.
On the backdrop of the above information answer the questions given :
Question:
Assuming that the next customer's order could only be attended to when the previous customer's order was closed, at what time would the first customer's order be considered closed ?
Six sticks of equal lengths were kept in the vertical position in an empty flower-vase, to be arranged at the six corners of a regular hexagon. The two ends of each of the sticks were of different colours.
The top ends of the sticks were one of each of the following colours – Red, Cyan, Pink, Brown, Black and Green. The bottom ends were one of each of the following colours – Blue, Yellow, White, Orange, Purple and Grey. Both the sets of colours mentioned were in no particular order.
It was also known that :
a) The stick with the red colour was opposite to the stick with the blue colour
b) There were exactly two sticks whose both ends had colours whose names started with the same letter
c) The stick with the grey colour was adjacent to the stick with the white colour
d) The stick with the cyan colour was adjacent to both the sticks with the brown colour and the one with the blue colour
e) The stick with the purple colour was adjacent to both the sticks with the grey colour and the one with the green colour
f) The stick with the white colour was opposite to the stick with the green colour
Question :
What was the colour of the bottom end of the stick having brown colour at the top end ?
Two friends Moloy and Niloy passed out from the Purulia Institute of Science and Technology with B.Tech degrees in Mechanical Engineering, but even after a year placement was hard to find. So they decided to take the challenge head-on, came down to Kolkata, rented a garage space on Park Street, and having an affinity towards making people enjoy good food, started their firm named 'B.Tech Bread-Omlette Wala'.
They started with three items on the menu. One was the French Toast which could be prepared in 3 minutes. The second was the Egg Tortillas which took 15 minutes to prepare. Any one of Moloy and Niloy could prepare any one of them at a time. The third was the Egg Bhurji with French Fries. This however was prepared on an automated fryer which could prepare 3 servings at a time and took 5 minutes irrespective of the number of servings equal to or below 3. The fryer did not need anyone to attend to it, and the time to put in the raw ingredients could be neglected. So one could tend to the preparation of other items while the Egg Bhurji with French Fries were being prepared.
They wanted to serve the orders as early as possible after the order was given. The individual items in any order were served as and when all the items were ready, and the order was then considered closed. None of the items on the menu were prepared in advance in anticipation of future orders.
On the first day, 3 groups of customers came in and ordered at 6.00 pm, 6.10 pm, and 6.13 pm. The first order was for a plate of Egg Tortillas, two plates of French Toast, and three plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The second order was for a plate of French Toast and two plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The third order was for a plate of Egg Tortilla and a plate of Egg Bhurji with French Fries.
On the backdrop of the above information answer the questions given :
Question:
Assuming that the next customer's order could only be attended to when the previous customer's order was closed, at what time would the third customer's order be considered closed ?
Two friends Moloy and Niloy passed out from the Purulia Institute of Science and Technology with B.Tech degrees in Mechanical Engineering, but even after a year placement was hard to find. So they decided to take the challenge head-on, came down to Kolkata, rented a garage space on Park Street, and having an affinity towards making people enjoy good food, started their firm named 'B.Tech Bread-Omlette Wala'.
They started with three items on the menu. One was the French Toast which could be prepared in 3 minutes. The second was the Egg Tortillas which took 15 minutes to prepare. Any one of Moloy and Niloy could prepare any one of them at a time. The third was the Egg Bhurji with French Fries. This however was prepared on an automated fryer which could prepare 3 servings at a time and took 5 minutes irrespective of the number of servings equal to or below 3. The fryer did not need anyone to attend to it, and the time to put in the raw ingredients could be neglected. So one could tend to the preparation of other items while the Egg Bhurji with French Fries were being prepared.
They wanted to serve the orders as early as possible after the order was given. The individual items in any order were served as and when all the items were ready, and the order was then considered closed. None of the items on the menu were prepared in advance in anticipation of future orders.
On the first day, 3 groups of customers came in and ordered at 6.00 pm, 6.10 pm, and 6.13 pm. The first order was for a plate of Egg Tortillas, two plates of French Toast, and three plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The second order was for a plate of French Toast and two plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The third order was for a plate of Egg Tortilla and a plate of Egg Bhurji with French Fries.
On the backdrop of the above information answer the questions given :
Question:
Suppose Moloy and Niloy had decided to process multiple orders at the same time, however strictly prioritising a first come first serve basis, when would the second customer's order be considered closed ?
Two friends Moloy and Niloy passed out from the Purulia Institute of Science and Technology with B.Tech degrees in Mechanical Engineering, but even after a year placement was hard to find. So they decided to take the challenge head-on, came down to Kolkata, rented a garage space on Park Street, and having an affinity towards making people enjoy good food, started their firm named 'B.Tech Bread-Omlette Wala'.
They started with three items on the menu. One was the French Toast which could be prepared in 3 minutes. The second was the Egg Tortillas which took 15 minutes to prepare. Any one of Moloy and Niloy could prepare any one of them at a time. The third was the Egg Bhurji with French Fries. This however was prepared on an automated fryer which could prepare 3 servings at a time and took 5 minutes irrespective of the number of servings equal to or below 3. The fryer did not need anyone to attend to it, and the time to put in the raw ingredients could be neglected. So one could tend to the preparation of other items while the Egg Bhurji with French Fries were being prepared.
They wanted to serve the orders as early as possible after the order was given. The individual items in any order were served as and when all the items were ready, and the order was then considered closed. None of the items on the menu were prepared in advance in anticipation of future orders.
On the first day, 3 groups of customers came in and ordered at 6.00 pm, 6.10 pm, and 6.13 pm. The first order was for a plate of Egg Tortillas, two plates of French Toast, and three plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The second order was for a plate of French Toast and two plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The third order was for a plate of Egg Tortilla and a plate of Egg Bhurji with French Fries.
On the backdrop of the above information answer the questions given :
Question:
Suppose Moloy and Niloy had decided to process multiple orders at the same time, however strictly prioritising a first come first serve basis, when would the third customer's order be considered closed ?
Two friends Moloy and Niloy passed out from the Purulia Institute of Science and Technology with B.Tech degrees in Mechanical Engineering, but even after a year placement was hard to find. So they decided to take the challenge head-on, came down to Kolkata, rented a garage space on Park Street, and having an affinity towards making people enjoy good food, started their firm named 'B.Tech Bread-Omlette Wala'.
They started with three items on the menu. One was the French Toast which could be prepared in 3 minutes. The second was the Egg Tortillas which took 15 minutes to prepare. Any one of Moloy and Niloy could prepare any one of them at a time. The third was the Egg Bhurji with French Fries. This however was prepared on an automated fryer which could prepare 3 servings at a time and took 5 minutes irrespective of the number of servings equal to or below 3. The fryer did not need anyone to attend to it, and the time to put in the raw ingredients could be neglected. So one could tend to the preparation of other items while the Egg Bhurji with French Fries were being prepared.
They wanted to serve the orders as early as possible after the order was given. The individual items in any order were served as and when all the items were ready, and the order was then considered closed. None of the items on the menu were prepared in advance in anticipation of future orders.
On the first day, 3 groups of customers came in and ordered at 6.00 pm, 6.10 pm, and 6.13 pm. The first order was for a plate of Egg Tortillas, two plates of French Toast, and three plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The second order was for a plate of French Toast and two plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The third order was for a plate of Egg Tortilla and a plate of Egg Bhurji with French Fries.
On the backdrop of the above information answer the questions given :
Question:
A fourth customer comes in and orders two plates of French Toast at 6.24 pm. Suppose Moloy and Niloy had decided to process multiple orders at the same time, however strictly prioritising a first come first serve basis. For exactly how many minutes would one of the friends be idle from 6.00 pm till serving the last customer, assuming that the four customers were the only ones to have come in within the period being discussed ?
Two friends Moloy and Niloy passed out from the Purulia Institute of Science and Technology with B.Tech degrees in Mechanical Engineering, but even after a year placement was hard to find. So they decided to take the challenge head-on, came down to Kolkata, rented a garage space on Park Street, and having an affinity towards making people enjoy good food, started their firm named 'B.Tech Bread-Omlette Wala'.
They started with three items on the menu. One was the French Toast which could be prepared in 3 minutes. The second was the Egg Tortillas which took 15 minutes to prepare. Any one of Moloy and Niloy could prepare any one of them at a time. The third was the Egg Bhurji with French Fries. This however was prepared on an automated fryer which could prepare 3 servings at a time and took 5 minutes irrespective of the number of servings equal to or below 3. The fryer did not need anyone to attend to it, and the time to put in the raw ingredients could be neglected. So one could tend to the preparation of other items while the Egg Bhurji with French Fries were being prepared.
They wanted to serve the orders as early as possible after the order was given. The individual items in any order were served as and when all the items were ready, and the order was then considered closed. None of the items on the menu were prepared in advance in anticipation of future orders.
On the first day, 3 groups of customers came in and ordered at 6.00 pm, 6.10 pm, and 6.13 pm. The first order was for a plate of Egg Tortillas, two plates of French Toast, and three plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The second order was for a plate of French Toast and two plates of Egg Bhurji with French Fries. The third order was for a plate of Egg Tortilla and a plate of Egg Bhurji with French Fries.
On the backdrop of the above information answer the questions given :
Question:
Had Niloy been absent on that day, and assuming that the next customer's order could only be attended to when the previous customer's order was closed, at what time would the fourth customer's order (refer to the previous question) be considered closed ?
The bar-graph given below shows the foreign exchange reserves of Nepal (in million Rupees) from 2014 to 2021. Answer the following questions based on the graph :
Question:
What was the percentage increase (rounded to the nearest integer, if deemed necessary) in the foreign exchange reserves in 2020 over 2016 ?
The Jadavpur University’s Prince Anwar Shah Road hostel consists of two large separate buildings, one for the ladies and the other for the gents, while having a common kitchen and dining hall. It is the hostel of the CS and the EEC department of engineering students of the university.
In recognition of the growing dissatisfaction and hence complaints among the inmates of the hostel regarding the menu served for dinner, the Dean of the engineering department, Dr Aparesh Sanyal, personally decided to investigate the matter. He set about collecting information about the preference of dinner among the inmates, separately from the gents and the ladies wing of the hostel.
Dr Sanyal was able to gather the following partial information :
Hostel inmates
Menu preference for dinner
Total
Egg Meal
Fish Meal
Chicken Meal
Gents
20
Ladies
64
Total
60
The Warden of the hostel was consulted, who after investigation declared that the following facts were clear :
1. Forty percent of the hostel inmates were ladies
2. One-third of the gentlemen inmates preferred an egg meal for dinner
3. Half the hostel inmates preferred either fish meal or chicken meal
Question:
What proportion of the lady hostel inmates preferred a fish meal for dinner ?
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
A Business Development Executive identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive company growth. They generate leads, build client relationships, develop sales strategies, and analyse market trends. Collaborating with internal teams, they aim to meet sales targets. With experience, they can advance to managerial roles, playing a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and revenue.
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
A Sales Manager leads a sales team to meet targets, formulates strategies, analyses performance, and monitors market trends. They typically hold a degree in management or related fields, with an MBA offering added value. The role often demands over 40 hours a week. Strong leadership, planning, and analytical skills are essential for success in this career.
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
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