How to Approach CAT 2022 Question Paper?

It is very hard to overstate the importance of CAT in MBA admissions. When the CAT question paper is the only thing standing between you and your dream B-school it becomes essential to give it your best shot. Hence, it is important to strengthen your approach to the CAT 2022 question paper. Even small tweaks in how you attempt the CAT question paper have the potential of making big differences. This is a skill that should be honed throughout your CAT 2022 preparation but it is important to give it special focus during the final stages of preparation. That is the time when you can practice CAT sample papers and CAT mock tests and enhance your performance. While planning your revision, scan through your CAT 2022 preparation books and select the topics and formulas that you need to work on. Also, devise a strategy to approach the CAT 2022 exam that you can implement on the final day.

Meanwhile, the CAT 2022 test-takers can check out the CAT 2022 Question Paper for Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3, including the CAT exam analysis 2022, CAT 2022 answer key, and CAT cutoff 2022 for IIMs below. The memory-based questions will be made available to the candidates in a PDF format.

CAT 2022 exam was conducted on November 27, 2022, and candidates preparing for it can follow tips on how to approach CAT 2022 question paper provided in this article.

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How to Approach DILR Section in CAT 2022 Question Paper?

Here are some of the best tips to consider when attempting the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section in the CAT 2022 question paper.

1. Keep Track of Time: It is very easy to lose track of time when solving a reasoning question. Keep an eye on the clock and make sure you are not spending more time than required on any question.

2. Identify the Sets You Can Easily Solve: Before you start attempting this section, take some time to identify the sets that you can easily solve and the sets that might give you some trouble. Solving mock tests and previous years’ question papers for CAT will help you in making this distinction.

3. Keep Calculations to a Minimum: DILR is one section where you can use multiple tricks to minimize the number of calculations needed to solve the questions. Make sure you are training to use calculations only when -- a) it is absolutely necessary or b) the calculation is very easy to do.

4. Use Your Options: Reading the answer choices along with the questions is effective when attempting the DILR section in CAT as it can help you in eliminating some choices and reach a solution quicker.

Also Read: How to Prepare for CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

How to Approach QA Section in CAT 2022 Question Paper?

Some of the ways to deal with the Quantitative Aptitude section in the CAT 2022 exam are given below.

1. Target the Easy Questions First: The most important thing while attempting the QA section in CAT 2022 is to solve the easy questions first. This not only boosts your confidence but also ensures that you don’t miss the easy questions because you were trying to solve the difficult ones first.

2. Leave the Toughest Questions: If after reading a question you think it is too difficult to solve or will take a lot of time then it is better to leave that question unattempted as negative marks are awarded for every incorrect question in CAT.

3. Go through the Entire QA Section: A rough reading of the questions is very important to pick the questions that belong to your area of interest or topics that are your strengths. Target all the questions that can be solved in less than 90 seconds.

4. Mark the Difficult Questions: While you are reading and solving on your way through the QA section, don’t forget to mark the difficult questions so that you can go back and attempt them once you are done with the easy questions.

5. Go for the Toughest Questions Only if Time Is Left: If you are done with the easy and moderate difficulty level questions and there is still time left, then attempt the toughest questions that you were otherwise going to skip.

Also Read: How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability (QA)

How to Approach VARC Section in CAT 2022 Question Paper?

Take a look at how to handle the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT 2022 below.

1. Attempt the Short Questions First: You must always be ready to approach the paper in the right order. Targeting the short questions first in the order of vocabulary, sentence completion, grammar, deductive logic, para jumbles, critical reasoning, para completion, and then summary questions. This ensures that you attempt most of the questions in the VARC section of the CAT exam.

2. Glance through the Reading Comprehension Passages: Make sure that you scan through all the passages to understand the topics and figure out the passages that you will attempt and the ones that you will leave.

3. Complete the Familiar Questions First: Make sure that you follow the chronological order mentioned above and attempt the easy passages after that. You should aim to finish these questions within the deadline. If you have spare time after completing these questions, then you can attempt the passage that you were planning to leave.

4. When in Doubt, Leave the Question: If you are not sure about the answer choice that you must mark, it is better to leave the question and move forward, especially in critical reasoning questions.

Also Read: How to Prepare for CAT VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)

General Tips for CAT 2022 Exam Day

1. Avoid R&D on Exam Day: On the day of the exam, it is important that you follow the exam strategies you have tried and tested. Don’t indulge in a new approach and avoid new types of questions that you have not tackled during your practice sessions. Always keep in mind that wrong answers will award you negative marks.

2. Read the Options Along with the Questions: Often, you can eliminate the answer choices while reading the question carefully. So go through the question and its answer choices simultaneously to enhance your solving speed during the exam.

3. Be Prepared for the Exam Day: Go through these CAT 2022 exam day instructions and find out what to carry to the CAT 2022 examination center and other details about how to be ready for the CAT 2022 exam day.

Important Strategies to Approach the CAT 2022 Question Paper

Candidates appearing for the CAT 2022 exam must follow the following strategies to ace the exam:

• Stay calm and avoid thinking of the results too much. It is not crucial to join any coaching institute. Attempt a good number of mock tests, especially from IMS and TIME to gain insight into the type of questions asked on the CAT exam. Attempt one mock daily during the last month of your preparation. Also, make it a habit to evaluate your performance in the mock tests, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and strive more to improve your weak areas.

• Avoid spending more than two minutes on any question. If you know how to solve a particular question, come back to it later. You must try to avoid questions that involve time-taking and exhaustive calculations.

• It is important to be familiar with the CAT 2022 exam window. Do not forget to click- SAVE AND NEXT after every question. Do not skip any easy questions by mistake. Stay calm and focused while solving the CAT 2022 question paper.

• Speed and accuracy are the real game-changers when solving the CAT exam questions. It is by attempting a huge number of mock tests and sample papers that candidates will be able to solve a greater number of questions rapidly and with higher accuracy.

• If your VARC section is weaker, look for easier RC passages that will help you score more. It is not advisable to rush through the RC passage. Carefully read the content of the RC passage to extract the meaning from it. 

• Learn effective time management. Approach the easy questions first and then move on to the difficult ones after gaining accuracy and speed. 

• Revise all the formulae for quant on the last day and go through sets of DILR that you think are more difficult.

CAT 2022 Exam Day Tips from CAT Toppers

Planning a strategy for the CAT exam 2022 is one of the most crucial steps toward a successful performance. Without a proper strategy, aspirants can be faced with numerous hurdles when answering the CAT 2022 question paper. Thus, it is vital to learn how to attempt the CAT question paper in the most effective and time-efficient manner. With that being said, here are some useful tips from CAT toppers of the last few years to help you prepare for CAT 2022.

CAT 2021 Topper: Chirag Gupta (100 percentile)

Chirag Gupta, who secured 100 percentile in CAT 2021 shares that one of the key things to follow while solving the CAT question paper is to stay calm and not panic about the results. He also mentioned that he did not join any coaching institute and his primary method of preparation was solving mock test series from IMS and TIME.

CAT 2020: Kshitiz Singhal (99.99 percentile)

Kshitiz Singhal, who scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2020 mentioned that although the exam pattern changed in 2020, it did not have a considerable effect on his performance. He also mentioned that speed and accuracy are essential for the CAT exam and since he possessed such qualities, he was able to adapt to the new test pattern comfortably.

CAT 2020: Naval Mittal (99.97 percentile)

Another CAT 2020 topper, Naval Mittal said that time management is crucial due to the reduced CAT exam duration. He also mentioned that is it prudent to go through the question paper and shortlist questions that are easier to solve and attempt those first. For all three sections of the CAT exam, candidates should begin solving questions that they feel comfortable with and keep questions, they are unsure about for later. Naval also mentioned that candidates should not spend more than five minutes on a single question.

CAT 2019: Somansh Chordia (100 percentile)

Somash Chordia, who topped CAT 2019 by securing 100 percentile said that nervousness can be detrimental to a candidate’s CAT performance. He went on to say that it is better to take a casual approach to solve the question paper and only focus on one question at a time rather than thinking about the entire exam.

CAT 2019: Saathwik Kolluru (99.99 percentile)

Another topper from CAT 2019, Saathwik Kolluru, who secured 99.99 percentile, said that he revised all the formulae for the QA section and went over the LRDI sets before the CAT exam. However, he also mentioned that he got his 8 hours of routine sleep and went for the exam with a fresh mind. Also, he choose to stick to his original exam strategy despite the increased level of difficulty of the CAT exam.

With only a few days' time left to prepare for the exam, doing smart work along with hard work is the key to success. Performing well in the CAT exam is important as a good score in CAT 2022 can also help you get scholarships at the prestigious IIMs.

Remember, practice is the key to cracking the CAT and getting admission to the B-school of your choice. Therefore, spare no expense when it comes to practice and give yourself time to prepare for CAT and train for difficult concepts. Even the toughest questions will get easier to solve over time.

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Hope you find these tips helpful in your CAT 2022 preparation!

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