1. Know Your Position Before the Last 10 Minutes

Before you reach the final phase, you should be aware of:

• How many questions you’ve attempted
• Your current accuracy level
• Which questions you’ve marked for review

This awareness helps you make better decisions instead of guessing blindly.

2. Don’t Start a Completely New Tough Question

A common mistake is picking a fresh, difficult question near the end.

• It’s risky and time-consuming
• You may not complete it

Better approach:

Focus on questions you’ve already seen or partially solved.

3. Revisit Marked Questions First

Go back to questions you marked for review.

• These are the ones you were close to solving
• You already understand part of the problem

With a fresh look, many of these can be solved quickly.

4. Target Easy Missed Questions

If you skipped some questions earlier:

• Quickly scan and identify easier ones
• Attempt those with high confidence

These are often the highest-value opportunities in the last few minutes.

5. Use Smart Guessing (Selective Risk)

If time is running out:

• Attempt only those questions where you can eliminate 1–2 options
• Avoid blind guessing

This helps you gain marks without significantly risking accuracy.

6. Avoid Overthinking

In the final minutes:

• Don’t overanalyze questions
• Trust your preparation and instincts

Spending too long thinking can cost you additional attempts.

7. Maintain Accuracy—Don’t Panic Attempt

Many students try to increase attempts aggressively at the end.

• This often leads to wrong answers
• Negative marking cancels out gains

Rule:

Attempt only if reasonably confident.

8. Section-Wise Strategy

VARC

• Revisit RC questions you were unsure about
• Use elimination to finalize answers
• Avoid re-reading entire passages

DILR

• Return to partially solved sets
• Try to extract 1–2 more questions from them
• Avoid starting a completely new set

Quant

• Attempt quick, direct questions
• Revisit questions where calculation was left midway
• Avoid lengthy problems

9. Keep an Eye on Time

• Don’t spend more than 1–2 minutes on a single question
• Move quickly between questions

Time awareness is crucial in the final phase.

10. Stay Calm and Composed

Your mindset matters the most.

• Don’t panic if the paper feels tough
• Remember: it’s tough for everyone

A calm approach leads to better decisions and fewer mistakes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Random guessing in panic
• Starting new difficult questions
• Ignoring marked questions
• Losing focus under pressure

Avoiding these can instantly improve your performance.

Final Takeaway

The last 10 minutes in CAT are not about rushing—they’re about smart optimization. By revisiting the right questions, making calculated attempts, and staying calm, you can extract extra marks without increasing risk.

Use this time wisely, and it can be the difference between a good score and a great one.