How To Crack Non-MCQ Questions In CAT Exam?

By Anjali Chowdhury|Updated : February 8th, 2022

Due to the pandemic situation, it has been seen that the exam pattern of the CAT exam has changed. Earlier the duration of this exam was 3 hours and the exam was conducted in 3 slots but from 2020 onwards the duration has changed to 2 hours and now the exam is conducted in 2 slots. There were two types of questions in the CAT 2021 question paper: MCQ and Non-MCQ questions. These Non-MCQ questions are also called TITA questions.

TITA Questions are those that don't give you four options and instead ask you to solve the questions and input the answers in the available text box. Know more about CAT Non-MCQ questions below.

Table of Content

1. What are TITA/Non-MCQs Questions in CAT?
2. TITA/Non-MCQ questions in CAT
3. Approaches for TITA Questions in CAT
4. Expert Tips to Crack Non-MCQ Question in CAT

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What are TITA/Non-MCQs Questions in CAT?

There will be no option given for this kind of questions, and the aspirants have to type the answers through the virtual keyboard. Therefore, these questions tend to be slightly time-consuming. There will be no negative marking for these questions. The aspirants will get 3 marks for each correct answer. As, there is no negative marking for TITA questions, top scorers and experts recommend attempting as many as possible, while simultaneously keeping an eye on the clock.

TITA/Non-MCQ questions in CAT

Candidates must go through the number of Non-MCQ questions asked in the previous CAT exam to have a better understanding. Go through the CAT exam pattern to know more.

Non-MCQ questions in CAT 2020

Note the below table to get an overview of Non-MCQ questions in CAT 2020.

Details	Total Number of Questions	Non-MCQs (TITA)
VARC	26	5
DILR	24	6
QA	26	6
TOTAL	76	17

Non-MCQ questions in CAT 2021

Note the below table to get an overview of Non-MCQ questions in CAT 2021.

Details	Total Number of Questions	Non-MCQs (TITA)
VARC	24	5
DILR	20	5
QA	22	8
Total	66	18

Approaches for TITA Questions in CAT

To answer the TITA questions, the aspirants must follow some strategies. Note the below table to get an idea of the section-wise preparation strategy for Non-MCQ (TITA) questions in the CAT exam.

Topic	Approaches to solve
VARC	Time management Critical thinking Do not get confused
DILR	Draw the diagram as per the questions Take the help of virtual calculator
QA	Attempt only if you fully understand the concepts Read the questions first for conceptual clarity

Expert Tips to Crack Non-MCQ Question in CAT

Practice regularly

TITA questions in the CAT exam can take a lot of time if not practiced well. So, the aspirants must be well-versed with the CAT syllabus and essential formulas with regular practice. If you do chapter-wise practice regularly, you will become more confident with the topics. Conceptual clarity is required to answer non-MCQ questions in the CAT exam.

Avoid Guess Work

The aspirants will get answer choices in MCQs to resolve the question in a reverse way. But, in the TITA question, they have to solve the answer independently. So, they should attempt those questions that they are fully confident to solve.

If you find the questions difficult to solve or you are unsure about the answer, then it is better to skip the questions however TITA questions do not carry any negative marking.

Solve Previous Year Questions

The aspirants must solve previous years’ questions as much as possible. It will help them to become confident with their preparation. They will also be habituated with the question types generally asked in the CAT TITA question sets.

Besides, solving previous years' questions will help you analyse your preparation strategy. It will help you to assess your mistakes easily; therefore, you will understand your weakness that is needed to be improved.

Give Mock Test

The aspirants must regularly give mock tests to understand the TITA question pattern in the CAT exam. They can attempt BYJU’S Exam Prep online mock test series to analyze their preparation.

Besides, your knowledge will be boosted which is necessary to perform better in the exam. An exam like experience will assist you to reduce your nervousness, and you can accurately answer the questions.