Here are some common idioms and phrases that are frequently tested in competitive exams:

1. Kick the bucket: to die
2. Bite the bullet: to endure a painful or difficult situation
3. The ball is in your court: it is up to you to make the next decision or step
4. Bring home the bacon: to earn a living for the family
5. Let the cat out of the bag: to reveal a secret
6. Between the cup and the lips: on the point of achievement
7. A damp squib: complete failure
8. A dime a dozen: anything that is common and easy to get
9. At the drop of a hat: willing to do something immediately
10. Barking up the wrong tree: looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person
11. Beat around the bush: avoid answering a question directly
12. Bite off more than one can chew: take on more than one can handle
13. Break a leg: good luck
14. Cut corners: do something poorly in order to save time or money
15. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: don’t risk everything on one plan
16. Get cold feet: become nervous or scared about something you planned to do
17. Give someone the benefit of the doubt: trust what someone says without proof
18. Go out on a limb: take a risk
19. Hit the nail on the head: be exactly right about something
20. In hot water: in trouble
21. Jump on the bandwagon: join a popular trend or activity
22. Keep your chin up: stay positive during difficult times
23. Let sleeping dogs lie: avoid restarting an old argument or conflict
24. Make a long story short: summarize something briefly
25. No pain, no gain: you have to work hard for what you want to achieve
26. On thin ice: in a risky situation where you could easily fail or get into trouble
27. Put all your cards on the table: be honest and open about your intentions or feelings
28. Raining cats and dogs: raining very heavily
29. Spill the beans: reveal a secret by accident or on purpose
30. Take it with a grain of salt: don’t believe everything you hear without proof or evidence
31. Boil the ocean: Taking up an almost impossible or overly ambitious project 
32. Keep an ear to the ground: Staying informed and updated about everything 
33. Eat like a horse: Eating too excessively .
34. A snowball effect: The aspect of momentum in every event and how they build upon each other 
35. A blessing in disguise: A good thing that initially seemed bad .
36. A dime a dozen: Very common; quite ordinary .
37. Beat around the bush: To avoid saying something .
38. Back against the wall: Forced to do something that you would rather not .
39. Bite the bullet: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation .
40. Wrap one’s head around something: To understand something complicated or confusing .
41. Under the weather: Feeling sick or unwel.
42. Better late than never: It is better to do something late than not at all 
43. A piece of cake: Something that is very easy to do .
44. Barking up the wrong tree: Accusing or blaming the wrong person .
45. Break a leg: A phrase used to wish someone good luck .
46. Couch potato: A lazy person who spends most of their time sitting on a couch watching TV .
47. Cry over spilled milk: To be upset over something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
48. Cut corners: To do something in the easiest or cheapest way possible, often by ignoring rules or qualit.
49. Don’t judge a book by its cover: Not to judge someone or something based solely on appearance .
50. Get a taste of your own medicine: To experience the same unpleasant thing that one has inflicted on others .
51. Hit the nail on the head: To be exactly right about something .

How important Phrase and idioms for competitive exam

Idioms and phrases are an integral part of the English language. They are a group of words that have a figurative meaning, which is different from the literal meaning of the words. Idioms and phrases are used in everyday conversations and can be tested in exams, both in language proficiency tests and in subject-specific exams. Knowing and using idioms and phrases correctly can enhance your language skills and improve your performance in exams.

Idioms and phrases are important for exams for several reasons. Firstly, they often appear in reading comprehension passages, especially in the verbal ability sections of exams like CAT, IPMAT, and CUET . Secondly, mastering idioms and phrases contributes to the enrichment of one’s vocabulary. Thirdly, idioms and phrases provide concise ways to express complex ideas . Finally, using idioms correctly can help to enhance your communication skills, demonstrate cultural knowledge, and improve your language fluency .

To write an article on the importance of idioms and phrases in exams, you can start by introducing what idioms and phrases are. You can then explain why they are important for exams by highlighting their role in reading comprehension passages, vocabulary enhancement, precision, clarity, communication skills, cultural knowledge, and language fluency. You can also provide examples of how idioms and phrases have been tested in previous exams.

In conclusion, idioms and phrases are an essential part of the English language. They play a crucial role in enhancing one’s language skills and improving performance in exams. Therefore, it is essential to master them to achieve success in language proficiency tests and subject-specific exams.