Why I Wrote CAT and What I Want to Tell CAT 2025 Aspirants
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Why I Wrote CAT and What I Want to Tell CAT 2025 Aspirants

Ranjita KumariUpdated on 28 Nov 2025, 05:21 PM IST

Likitha Erathuvathikal is currently pursuing the International Master in Business program at SDA Bocconi Asia Center, Mumbai. She scored 97.36 percentile in CAT with exceptional performance in DILR (98.82) and strong scores across all sections.

This Story also Contains

  1. What I Would Tell Anyone Giving CAT 2025
  2. Section-wise Advice for CAT 2025
  3. My Final Message to Anyone Writing CAT 2025
  4. About SDA Bocconi Asia Center
Why I Wrote CAT and What I Want to Tell CAT 2025 Aspirants
Why I Wrote CAT and What I Want to Tell CAT 2025 Aspirants

SDA Bocconi Asia Center’s 22-month program, with a 4-month semester in Milan, Italy, is designed for young professionals with up to 5 years of work experience. With scholarships and tuition waivers of up to 80%, this full-time program is highly ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek (#1 EU B-Schools 2025) and, Financial Times (#4 Worldwide Global MBA 2025).

Likitha is a B.Tech (Hons.) graduate in Computer Science Engineering with specialisation in Data Science. She has worked as a QA Engineer at Bottle Technologies and brings technical experience from internships at Frugal Testing and HighRadius.

In this article, she shares her advice for anyone preparing to give the CAT exam this year.

When I decided to write CAT, it was not a casual decision. It came from a phase where I wanted clarity, direction, and a future that gave me both purpose and financial strength. I wanted a chance to enter the best management institutes in the country, learn from brilliant minds, and build a career that would open doors for many years to come.

CAT became my way of challenging myself. It was a step toward building a strong foundation for my future, especially when I felt unsure about my next move. Preparing for it taught me consistency, patience, and the ability to stay calm even when things felt overwhelming. These lessons helped me far beyond academics.

As CAT 2025 approaches in just a few days, here is everything I sincerely want to share with anyone who is preparing right now. This is not generic advice. These are the things I learnt the hard way and the things I wish someone had told me.

What I Would Tell Anyone Giving CAT 2025

  • Do not change your entire strategy now

With only a few days left, the worst thing you can do is rebuild your method from scratch. Trust the efforts you have already put in. Make small corrections, not complete overhauls.

  • Stay calm. The exam rewards clarity more than speed

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Every year, the real challenge is staying composed. A calm mind gives better accuracy and better decision-making.

  • Choose your questions wisely

CAT is not a test of solving everything. It is a test of solving the right things. One skipped question can save ten minutes and prevent panic.

  • Do not push yourself too hard these last days

Study, but avoid burning out. A tired mind performs poorly even if it knows everything.

Section-wise Advice for CAT 2025

There are three sections in the CAT CBT (Computer-Based Test), which are VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) and QUANT (Quantitative Aptitude).

VARC

Most aspirants panic here, but this is the section where a calm mind helps the most.

What to do now

  • Read two or three good articles every day to stay in rhythm

  • Focus on comprehension rather than speed

  • Do a few previous year RC passages just to remind yourself of patterns

  • Revise your approach for summaries and para jumbles instead of learning new methods

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What to do in the exam

  • Do not rush the first passage. If the tone or topic feels heavy, skip and return later

  • Avoid overthinking answer choices. Go with the meaning of the passage, not assumptions

  • Maintain a steady pace instead of rushing early and then freezing later

DILR

This section decides percentiles for many students because it can either calm you or shake you.

What to do now

  • Solve three or four sets every day, not twenty

  • Revise the types of sets you know you can confidently handle

  • Focus on the selection of sets rather than trying to master new ones

What to do in the exam

  • Spend the first two or three minutes scanning all sets

  • Pick the one that feels the cleanest and most structured

  • Do not waste more than seven or eight minutes on a set that is going nowhere

  • Your job is not to solve all sets. Your job is to secure marks

QUANT:

This section feels scary for many, but it is predictable and rewards clarity more than tricks.

What to do now

  • Revise all basic formulas, but keep it light

  • Practice moderate-level questions that build confidence

  • Avoid very tough questions because they will only drain your energy

What to do in the exam

  • Begin with the topics you are strongest in

  • Skip questions that look heavy or time-consuming

  • Maintain accuracy

  • Do not get stuck on algebra traps. Move quickly and trust your judgement

My Final Message to Anyone Writing CAT 2025

You still have enough time to stay steady and organised. Focus on small, consistent revisions and keep your approach simple. Do not let the pressure of the last few days affect your confidence. Walk into the exam with a clear mind and a practical strategy. A calm, balanced attempt often leads to a better score than an overly aggressive one. You have prepared for this, so trust your process and give your best in the time you have.

About SDA Bocconi Asia Center

SDA Bocconi Asia Center has operated in Mumbai since 2012, representing SDA Bocconi School of Management’s 50-year tradition in executive education. The institution holds triple accreditation from EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB, and ranks among Europe’s leading business schools. SDA Bocconi Asia Center’s IMB offers exceptional value with access to world-class faculty and a network of over 140,000 Bocconi alumni worldwide.

Disclaimer: The article has been published as part of the marketing initiative between Careers360 and SDA Bocconi.

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hi,

see to get admission in sda boccani you need to have at least 50% marks in 10th, 10+2, and graduation degree. but that not only defines that you may surely get shortlisted for mba admission. you need to have appear any management test exam includes cat/gmat/ nmat/cmat exam and have a valid score or you may appear for the entrance test conducts by sda boccani. also you need to appear for a language proficiency test like ielts or toefel or cpe or pte etc. based on your marks you will be called for interview process.