C-DAC C-CAT exam-day guide
C-DAC C-CAT · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card / hall ticket printout
Carry at least one printed copy of the admit card issued for your C-CAT session. Confirm with the provider whether a digital copy is accepted; do not assume a phone screenshot will be allowed.
Valid photo ID in original
Bring the original government-issued photo ID (for example passport, driving licence, or another ID the provider lists) whose details match your application. Photocopies and expired documents are commonly rejected. Confirm the exact accepted ID list with the provider.
Passport-size photographs
Keep two or three recent colour photographs matching the one uploaded in your application; some centres ask for pasting or verification. Confirm the requirement with the provider.
Know your reporting time and centre location
Note the reporting time printed on the admit card and the exact building/gate. Do a route check the day before and add buffer for security and document verification.
Transparent or permitted stationery only
Carry a simple pen or pencil only if the provider permits it; rough sheets are usually supplied at the desk. Do not bring notebooks, loose paper, or printed study material into the hall.
No electronic devices at the desk
Leave phones, smartwatches, fitness bands, Bluetooth earbuds, and calculators out of the test hall or switched off and stored as the invigilator directs. A ringing or vibrating device can be treated as misconduct.
Read the C-CAT structure once more
Reconfirm the current section structure, number of questions, sectional time limits, and marking scheme from the official C-DAC source, since these have changed across admission cycles. Confirm with the provider rather than relying on older forum posts.
Plan for the on-screen calculator and rough work
Practise any computation you would normally do on paper without a physical calculator, and check whether the test interface provides an on-screen calculator or only rough sheets. Confirm with the provider.
Light meal, water, and prescribed medicine
Eat normally before reporting; carry only what the provider allows for medical needs and declare it at security. Avoid heavy caffeine that increases urge to leave the hall.
Backup of admit card and ID details
Keep a second printed admit card and a photo of your ID in a bag outside the hall, so a lost or confiscated original does not end your attempt.
Sleep and stop new-topic study
The night before, revise formula sheets and error logs only. Fresh topics the night before raise anxiety without improving recall.
Plan the day
Download and print the admit card if not already done, verify name, photograph, category, paper/section choices, reporting time, and centre address. Raise any discrepancy with the provider immediately, because corrections at the gate are usually impossible.
Take one full-length timed mock under exam-like conditions: no phone, fixed sectional timing, on-screen reading. Score it, then build a one-page error log listing the three error types you repeat most: misread question, calculation slip, and guessed concept.
Reconfirm the current marking scheme, negative marking, and sectional time limits from the official source. Adjust your attempt strategy to match: if negative marking applies, decide in advance how many options must be eliminated before you guess.
Revise only high-yield material: formula sheets, standard algorithms and data-structure operations, number-system conversions, Boolean algebra identities, and English usage rules. Do not start a new subject.
Do a travel dry run or confirm the route, gate, and expected travel time. Pack the admit card, original ID, photographs, and permitted stationery in one bag. Charge nothing you cannot carry in; leave devices at home if possible.
Do a light revision of your error log and one short sectional drill per section, then stop. Confirm meal and sleep timing so you wake at least three hours before reporting time.
Eat a normal meal, carry water if permitted, and reach the centre well before the reporting time to absorb security and verification queues. Keep the admit card and ID in hand, not inside a sealed bag.
Follow invigilator instructions for ID check, photograph, and seating. Ask where rough sheets come from and how to request a replacement, and note how to raise a technical issue with the console without disturbing others.
Read the on-screen instructions and confirm the section order, question count, and time display. If the interface offers a tutorial or practice screen, use it to learn navigation and the review/mark-for-review controls before the clock matters.
Work in passes: first answer questions you can solve cleanly, then return to marked ones. Watch the sectional clock rather than total time, and leave a fixed buffer to transfer or confirm answers if the interface requires it.
Stop solving new problems with a few minutes left and verify that every intended answer is recorded, especially if you used mark-for-review. Do not leave blanks on questions where you have eliminated options, unless the negative-marking rule makes a blind guess clearly costly.
Note your section-wise attempt counts and confidence while memory is fresh; this helps if a later stage or counselling requires you to choose a specialisation or rank preferences.
Rules to check
Carry the admit card and the original photo ID specified by the provider; entry is normally refused without both, and photocopies or expired IDs are commonly rejected. Confirm the accepted ID list with the provider.
Reach the centre by the reporting time on the admit card. Late entry is usually not permitted after the gate closes, and the closing rule is set by the provider, so confirm it rather than assuming a grace period.
Do not keep phones, smartwatches, earbuds, calculators, or any storage or communication device at your desk. Possession during the test is typically treated as misconduct even if the device is switched off.
Follow the invigilator on breaks. Many computer-based tests do not allow leaving the hall mid-section; if a break is provided, the clock may or may not be paused, so ask before the test begins.
Attempt only your own paper. Copying, communicating with other candidates, or using unauthorised material can lead to cancellation of your candidature and possibly debarment from future cycles.
Scoring follows the official marking scheme, which may include negative marking and sectional cut-offs. Confirm the current scheme from C-DAC's official information rather than from coaching material or older posts.
Do not assume a fixed number of attempts, a re-test, or a score review process. Any provision for technical failure, rescheduling, or grievance must be confirmed with the provider on the day and in writing.
If the console freezes or the timer misbehaves, raise your hand immediately and get the invigilator to log the issue; do not reboot or click around repeatedly, and note the time and nature of the fault yourself.