CAT Slot Wise Strategy for Slot 1, 2, and 3

CAT 2025 will be conducted in three different shifts on 30th November, 2025. The official CAT 2025 Admit Card was released on November 12, 2025. This means that your specific CAT slot timing is confirmed.

This confirmation requires you to immediately switch from general preparation to a dedicated CAT Slot Wise Strategy. This is the final and most important step in improving your performance. You must align your study schedule according to the assigned slot: Slot 1, Slot 2, or Slot 3. 

CAT Slot Wise Strategy 2025

This is the core of your final preparation. This CAT Slot Wise Strategy is essential for structured study sessions along with practice sessions. 

Strategy for Slot 1 Timing: The Morning Session

• Sleep Cycle: You must be awake by 6:00 AM every day from now until the exam. This is the only way to avoid feeling tired at 8:30 AM.

• Mock Timing: Solve all the remaining mock test under timed duration. You should take the mock tests under the allotted time slot.

• Dietary Practice: Practice having high-energy exam day breakfast around 7:00 AM. 

Strategy for Slot 2 Timing: The Afternoon Session

• Lunch Management: Have a very light, high-protein lunch between 11:00 AM and 11:30 AM. Avoid heavy foods like rice or excess bread, as these cause drowsiness.

• Mock Timing: Practice your sectional and full-length mocks beginning precisely at 12:30 PM. Train your focus to remain sharp when your body naturally wants to rest.

• Energy Break: Schedule a 15-minute power walk or light activity around 12:00 PM just before your mock to boost circulation and mental alertness.

Strategy for Slot 3 Timing: The Evening Session

• Energy Conservation: Do not take a full mock in the morning. Use the first half of the day for light revision. Then focus on formulas or vocabulary and save your analytical energy for the afternoon.

• Mock Timing: Schedule your final and important mock tests to begin exactly at 4:30 PM. This will prepare you for the CAT slot 3 timing window.

• Snack Schedule: Have a substantial, small snack (e.g., a banana and nuts) around 3:00 PM. This will provide you sustained energy for the late session, which runs until 6:30 PM.

How to See Your CAT Slot

The first step to follow the CAT Slot Wise Strategy is verifying your assigned time and location. You cannot start your final preparation until you have done the CAT slot check.

• Go to the official IIM CAT website (iimcat.ac.in).

• Log in using your registered credentials and click the link to download your CAT 2025 Admit Card.

• After downloading the admit card, verify your details. It will include details about your assigned slot and the exact CAT slot timing. 

Which CAT Slot Is Easy?

The difficulty level of the three slots is balanced by the IIMs using a process called normalization (or scaling).

• Normalization statistically adjusts the raw scores from all three CAT slot timings 2025. This way, it ensures that a candidate's percentile is based on their relative performance, not on whether they received a tougher or easier paper.

• You should not waste mental energy worrying about which slot might be easier. That element is entirely out of your control and is managed by the IIMs.