How to Avoid Negative Marking in CAT 2025

How to Avoid Negative Marking in CAT 2025

What distinguishes CAT as the premier management entrance examination also makes it the most difficult. The predominant factor behind this observation is the skewed difficulty level and deductive grading system adopted in CAT. As far as the marking pattern for this examination goes, a penalty of one mark is given for every wrong answer. The questions in CAT come under two categories: multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and Type in the Answer questions (TITA). While the negative marking system applies to MCQs, it does not apply to TITA; hence, CAT aspirants must have a foolproof way to mitigate negative marking in CAT 2025.

All important things regarding negative marking in CAT 2025 are found here, together with strategies to mitigate negative marking in the exam. The candidates should work on maximising accuracy rather than rushing to solve all questions and avoiding guesses.

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Here are the various strategies:

Accuracy First:
Take your time and focus on answering questions only when you are sure.

The Guess Is Not A Good Move:
Guessing at random is likely to incur heavy losses for you on account of negative marking.

Try the Elimination Method:
If you aren't certain, eliminate answers to increase your odds of correctly guessing.

Time Management:
Manage your time effectively. Attempt the easy questions first, then the challenging ones.

Practice through Mock Tests:
Perform mock CAT tests regularly to understand the pattern of the CAT exam and hone in on time management and accuracy.

Have A Clear Idea Of The Marking Scheme:
Every correct answer is given +3 marks, while -1 is deducted for every wrong answer.

No Negatives For TITA:
Negatives are not for TITA questions.

Keep A Cool Head:
Don't panic in the exam; just keep a positive head.

Post-Exam Performance Analysis:
After each mock test, you should be able to analyze your performance to focus on areas where you make mistakes and need to work on corrective strategies.

So what Is negative marking In CAT?
Negative marking in CAT means that if your answer is wrong by the CAT criteria, then one mark from the total marks will be deducted. The rules about negative marking in CAT will hold for the MCQs and are not applicable for TITA. Hence, for every wrong answer, one mark would be deducted; the candidates must remember that there is no negative marking if a question is not attempted.

Why negative marking for CAT?
The major purpose behind negative marking in CAT is to discourage random guessing and speculative answers. Random guessing might yield better scores compared to a candidate who has prepared and attempted all questions. The negative marking scheme in CAT tests the managerial aspect of the candidate- how accurately can he/she perform under pressure?
Suggested Tips on How to Reduce Negative Marking in CAT Exam 2025

Here are detailed tips to minimize negative marking in the CAT, which later on improve the performance as follows during the CAT exam 2025:

1: Get Your Reading Right on the Questions
One of the most important test-taking skills is to avoid textbook traps ,such as not carefully reading questions. When you learn to rise above this, you have mastered the art of taking your test and getting the questions right.

2: Avoid Making Flukes
If you can eliminate one or two options in a question, the odds for a correct guess go up quite well. But if you are unsure about the answer, it is always better not to answer such a question.

3: Find Your Strengths and Weaknesses
However, it is always best to know the weaknesses beforehand, such that if one comes across some question type from that weak topic, they know if it would be worth it to give it an attempt or not.

4: Always Attempt Easy Questions First
It is wise and clever to begin by answering simple questions and then progress to more difficult questions.

5: Avoid Last-Minute Hassle
Do not do this because running out of time on some questions can lead to negative marking and unnecessary stress. It would force you to perform the test in a way that improves your overall performance by striking a balance between calmness and control.

What has changed in this year's CAT paper?
According to the recently released edition, there has been no significant change in the CAT exam pattern or syllabus from the previous year. Only the fee amount has increased from INR 2400 to INR 2500 for General category candidates and from INR 1200 to INR 1250 for Reserved category candidates.
Another major development in the latest CAT application form is a reduced number of test city selections from six to five. The applicants of CAT 2025 will be allowed to select 5 cities for test center allotment.
The eligibility requirements for holding an FCAI degree have been expanded. Now, these candidates are also eligible to write CAT.

What is the CAT Exam 2025 Pattern?

The question paper for CAT would have three sections:

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

There will be 24 questions in the CAT VARC section where weightage will be assigned as 72 marks.There will be 22 questions in the CAT DILR section where weightage will be assigned 66 marks.There will also be 22 questions in the CAT Quantitative Aptitude section where weightage will be assigned 66 marks.

Conclusion
Now that you have learned everything there is to know about CAT negative marking and strategies for reducing it, the next step is to weigh strengths and weaknesses to improve testing accuracy and speed. Remember that every mark counts, and the overall scoring difference massively depends on a good approach

Sambhavi Prakash