How to Score 99+ Percentile in CAT: 7-Step Strategy

Around 2 lakh candidates take the CAT each year, and fewer than 2,000 reach the 99+ percentile. Standing out therefore requires a different level of preparation. The author recommends the following seven steps, based on what he has observed in people who score 99+.

• From the very first day, decide that 99 percentile is your target and refuse to settle for anything lower, even by a tenth of a percentile.
• Stay confident and optimistic that you can reach it.
• Pick the IIM you want to join and work towards the percentile that college expects.

• Work hard from the beginning and give your preparation everything you have.
• Attempt at least 3–4 mocks every day, treating each one as if it were the real CAT.
• After each mock, review the wrong answers and practise so the same mistakes are not repeated.
• Put extra effort into topics you find tough, while still revising the ones you are already good at.
• Read each question carefully and concentrate fully on it.

• Study the exam pattern first, and find out how many questions you must get right in each section to reach 99 percentile.
• Test different strategies in your mocks to see which works most accurately.
• Use the most reliable strategy in the actual exam, including how much time to give each section and the maximum time to spend on any one question.

• After each practice session, review what you did and note your mistakes.
• This shows which sections are your strengths and which need more work.
• Use this to plan which questions to prefer attempting, so you don’t lose marks unnecessarily.
• Don’t be overconfident about strengths or ignore weaknesses; work to turn weaknesses into strengths.

• How you handle pressure is what separates 99 percentile scorers from the rest.
• Stay calm and patient whatever happens during the exam.
• If a question doesn’t crack in the first attempt, leave it and move on; panicking over one question can cost you the rest of the paper.
• Go in with a positive state of mind and confidence in yourself.

• Solve quickly and don’t sink time into a single question.
• If you’re unsure, park the question and return to it at the end if time remains.
• Speed must not come at the cost of silly mistakes, which are a major cause of low percentiles.
• Stay alert and make sure you understand each question correctly.

• Solve as many questions as you can and practise regularly, giving proper time to mock tests.
• Keep practising all topics, including your strong ones, and concentrate fully on each question.
• CAT tests time management and prioritisation along with academic knowledge, so go into the exam with a clear, well-revised exam-taking strategy.

This is a paraphrased summary, not a reproduction of the original article. Source: shiksha.com/mba/articles/strategies-to-score-99-plus-percentile-in-cat-blogId-64247 (originally written for CAT 2021).