CAT or Common Admission Test is a national exam conducted every year by IIMs on a rotational basis. It tests the aptitude of graduates who want to pursue management education. Through this exam you will get into IIMs and other top B schools in India.
In this article, we will provide the candidates with a detailed outline of a plan to study for different sections and also the CAT preparation resources. The ideal time to start CAT preparation is January, but if you start your CAT preparation in June or July you can still ace this prestigious exam. The only requirement here is to put in a little extra efforts and hardwork to make up for the lost time. Solve previous year papers regularly to understand the paper pattern, types of questions and marking scheme. In addition, solve as many mock test as you can to familiarize yourself with the CAT exam.
Must View → CAT Study Material 2025: Download Free Study Material PDFs & Check CAT 2025 Preparation Tips
CAT Preparation Tips for Beginners - Starting your CAT Preparation
First timers for CAT 2025 should prepare strategically. To get into IIMs, first time CAT 2025 aspirants need to know how to start preparing and score 99+ percentile. Here are some tips to follow and prepare for CAT 2025
- Make a study plan based on how many chapters you can complete. As part of your preparation, also solve last year's CAT question paper to understand the type of questions.
- Read news articles daily and note all important events in your diary. Revise in your free time and stay updated, as it is a must for the IIM interview round.
- Candidates should know the latest CAT exam pattern and syllabus to make a study plan. Note the sectional weightage and marks distribution for CAT and divide your time equally among all the chapters. Also knowing the paper pattern will help you understand the marking scheme.
- There is sectional timing in the CAT exam. Aspirants will have to complete every section in 40 minutes, there will be no extra time for them. So their priority should be to improve their time management.
Download CAT previous year question paper PDF and answer keys here
How to prepare for the CAT exam in 6 months → A strategy by CollegeSearch
How should I prepare for the CAT VARC Section?
The CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section involves topics from reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary. To ace this section, each of the sub-sections require a different approach. For instance, to prepare for reading comprehension it is essential to develop a reading habit to understand the complexity of the passages and improve vocabulary. However, theCAT VARC is mostly about RC, parajumbles, odd sentence out and para completion, you need to focus on practice of exercises based on these. By the time exam day approaches, candidates must practice mock RCs and parajumbles
- Understand the underlying meaning:CAT requires accuracy and speed to score well; rather than carefully focusing on each reading comprehension passage, practice reading it briefly and identifying the gist.
- Improve your vocabulary and grammar:Make a habit of reading regularly, whether it’s a novel, a magazine, or a newspaper. As a result, you can expand your vocabulary and improve your reading speed.
- Select the appropriate reading material:Choose suitable reading material to help you understand the basics of the verbal ability section. Your material should include grammar and verbal reasoning segments in VA and detailed explanations for every question.
- Practice at least 4-5 reading comprehension questions per day:Aspirants should practice as many as 4-5 reading comprehension questions daily. It will help you understand the section better and increase your confidence during the main CAT exam.
Read more to prepare for CAT VARC -
- CAT VARC Strategy - How to prepare for the VARC section in CAT exam?
- CAT verbal ability syllabus - detailed overview
- VARC Study Material for CAT 2025 exam
How should I Prepare for CAT DILR?
To score well in CATData Interpretation & Logical Reasoning or DILR, the most important thing is to have clarity of basic concepts. Since the questions in this section are data and logic based, candidates need to develop sharp observation and eye for detail. Also,there are no formulas or theorems in DILR, so your preparation majorly depends on practice of sample questions.Major topics to study for DILR are Tables, Line Charts, Pie Charts, Bar Charts, Mixed Charts. Strengthen your Mathematical calculation ability for DILR. Get hold ofCAT study materialhaving a good number of sample questionson these topics. For additional tips read below -
- Practice mock tests: Candidates should practice mock tests regularly to assess their speed and accuracy in attempting the DILR section. They must attempt one topic-wise mock at least once a week in addition to one daily DILR set. Ensure the sets are different every day. Moreover, while analyzing your attempt, look at why your approach was incorrect or lengthy. With just 40 minutes to attempt 22 questions, your speed is crucial.
- Don’t attempt the entire DILR section: Remember this – Your goal isn’t to attempt the full DILR section. Attempting just two sets will get you into 90%ile territory. Focus on getting two sets accurate within the time limit. Once you’re comfortable with this pace, you can work towards attempting more sets. Do not focus on attempting the entire section of DILR.
- Develop a strategy for DILR: A lot depends on the sets you pick to work with. Become fluent in recognizing the difficulty levels of the sets and include questions to know which ones to attempt. Usually, you can expect at least 2 easy sets in the CAT DILR section. You need to know where to leave questions and where to move on to the next set.
- Focus on accuracy and speed: The DILR section depends on an aspirant’s speed and accuracy in answering questions. Revision and practice of the different DILR sets are essential to increasing speed and accuracy.
Additional DILR CAT resources -
How should I Prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude?
Quantitative Aptitudesection is the last section of CAT exam and the most rigorous one. The CAT QA section includes Mathematics topics such asAlgebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Mensuration. The key to excel in this section of CAT exam is having thorough knowledge of all the concepts, formulae and theorems. Having a good command over the fundamentals of Arithmetic and Algebra will help you immensely. Also, mental calculation plays a major role in scoring well in this section. Although anon screen calculatorwill be provided in the CAT exam, mental calculation saves time. Here are sometips for CAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation.
- Practice questions:Review NCERT books from classes 10 to 12 for practice questions. Once you know the basics, this will help you boost your preparation. Before you move on to more advanced levels, practice these books and improve your speed.
- Practice Mock tests regularly:Attempt as many sectional mocks for QA as you can. No CAT preparation strategy can be considered complete until you’ve added hundreds of QA practice questions. Analyze each mock and see why your approach didn’t work. Often, even if you got the answer, the video solution included with every question as part of the IMS CAT coaching program will reveal a faster, better approach more suited to the fast-paced CAT environment.
- Begin your QA CAT preparation from the beginning:Don’t presume knowledge. Even if we think that the Math in CAT is easier than the one we faced in school or college, we will still get stumped. CAT questions are designed to fool and confuse you. The only way to guarantee accuracy is to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary of quant questions. Start your QA prep right from the beginning, i.e., from 10th standard math.
- Work on shortcuts: For those looking to simply get through this section, shortcuts might not play that big a role. But if you want to maximize your attempts by saving time, learn and memorize shortcuts to conclude the final answer. Doing this lets you calculate faster and move between questions more quickly. Shortcuts will ensure accuracy in the shortest time possible.
- Measure the time you take to answer your Sectional Responses: While practising questions, note the time it takes to solve them and work towards reducing them. By practising more and applying short methods and strategies, time can be reduced. Additionally, what this will help you identify are the questions that burn the most time. These are the questions you should skip during the exam.
Additional Resources for CAT QA Section -
- Why is basic Maths and Vocabulary important in CAT exam?
- CAT detailed syllabus and analysis for Quantitative Aptitude
CAT Preparation 2025 By Self
Preparing for the CAT exam through self preparation can be exhausting and overwhelming. However, it is not impossible. In this section, we have curated some tips that can be beneficial for the CAT self preparing aspirants.
- To prepare for CAT one must know the syllabus and conducting body. That's the first step towards preparation. For example CAT stands for Common Admission Test and is conducted once a year by IIMs in CBT mode. The exam duration is 120 minutes and 66 questions are asked. The exam is conducted in the English language all over the country. So you must know your syllabus by heart and solve past papers to understand the exam pattern and nature of the exam.
CAT Syllabus | CAT Important Topics |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | Reading Comprehension,Parajumbles, English Grammar, One-word Substitution, Fill in the Blanks, Antonyms-Synonyms, Sentence Correction, Foreign Words,Verbal Ability, etc. |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | Tables, Line Charts, Pie Charts, Bar Charts, Mixed Charts, Series, Coding-Decoding, Data Structures, Blood Relations, Family Tree, Assumptions, etc. |
Quantitative Aptitude | Geometry,Trigonometry,Algebra,Mensuration, Partnership (Accounts), Profit & Loss, Ratios and Proportion,In-equations Quadratic and Linear Equations, Surds and Indices, Time-Speed-Distance,Number System, Geometric Progression, Inequalities, Work and Time, Percentages and Logarithms, etc. |
Particulars | CAT Pattern 2025 and Syllabus |
CAT exam time duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) |
Name of the Section |
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Section-wise CAT exam duration |
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CAT slot timings |
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How many questions in CAT exam | 66 Questions |
198 marks | |
Mode of the CAT 2025 exam | Computer-Based Mode (CBT) |
CAT 2025 Marking Scheme |
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- Buy good books and revise them repeatedly. It is better to study one book ten times than to study ten books. Next step in CAT preparation is to solve papers at home. Solve past papers to get an idea of the exam then solve mock papers or join test series. You can join any test series that suits you but make sure to join one.
- Preparing for mock exams is another way to prepare for CAT at home. There are many online practice exams. Take the test to check your level. Also CAT sample exams will help students to improve their skills and get ready for the exam at home.
- Another important step in CAT preparation is planning. Every human is different so are their situations and learning style; you are different too. So the topper's strategy may not work for you; you must note the key points while preparing and mold them into your strategy.
- Make your study plan and stick to it, track your progress and solve test papers to test your knowledge. Also remember modifying your study routine in your daily life is okay if the old one is not giving you the desired results.
How to prepare for CAT exam online → best resources
CAT Exam preparation using free resources → YouTube and Others
CAT Study Plan for last 5 months → July to November
Given below is an idea on how you can utilise the last 5 months from July to November to prepare more rigorously for the CAT exam. It is to be noted that this is an estimation and idea as per CollegeSearch, and can be altered as per the candidates' needs.
Month | Focus Areas | Key Activities | Mock Test Strategy |
July | Basics & Concept Building | - Arithmetic (Percentages, Ratio, Averages) - RC basics & vocabulary - LR puzzles - Data Interpretation (DI Sets) - Start reading newspapers/books | 1 sectional each of VARC, DILR, QA |
August | Strengthening QA & VARC | - Algebra & Numbers - Advance RC practice - Para jumbles, summary questions - LRDI moderate sets | 1 full-length + 2 sectionals/week |
September | Advanced Topics + Speed Practice | - Geometry, Modern Math - Critical Reasoning & Decision Making - Complex LRDI sets - Timed practice sessions | 2 full-length mocks/week + analysis |
October | Full Revision + Mock-Based Learning | - Revise entire syllabus - Analyze weak areas - Practice questions from errors - Fine-tune exam strategy | 3 full-length mocks/week + deep review |
November | Final Polishing & Strategy Fixing | - Focus on accuracy & stamina - Last-minute formula revision - Attempt mocks in exam slot - Reduce new learning | 2–3 mocks/week, strategy fine-tuning |
How much Time is Required to Prepare for CAT Exam?
The time to prepare for the CAT Exam depends on you. It depends on how well you can grasp the concepts, so there is no fixed time to crack CAT if you start from scratch. Two to three months is enough to finish the basics of three sections if you are starting from scratch. On an average, a dedicated CAT preparation takes 6-7 months. Try to spend 2 hours on weekdays and 6-8 hours on weekends if possible. Given ahead is a breakdown of the time required to prepare for each section in CAT.
Time required for CAT VARC
Candidates can cover VARC concepts in one and a half months. This section focuses primarily on reading comprehension. Developing a structured way of thinking begins with understanding the critical aspects of passages. Given below is a distribution of days that aspirants can spend on VARC section. Please note that this is an idea and the aspirants are free to alter this schedule as per their understanding.
Topic | Number of Days |
Reading Comprehension (RC) – Basics & Practice (Fact-based, Inference-based, Tone, Main Idea, etc.) | 15–18 days |
Vocabulary – Root words, Synonyms, Antonyms, Contextual usage | 4–5 days |
Parajumbles (including TITA-based) | 5–6 days |
Paragraph Completion / Odd Sentence Out | 4–5 days |
Sentence Correction & Grammar (Subject-Verb Agreement, Tenses, Modifiers) | 6–7 days |
Critical Reasoning (Assumption, Strengthen/Weaken, Inference) | 6–7 days |
Summary-type Questions | 4–5 days |
Reading Practice (Novels, Editorials, Articles across genres) | Continuous (Daily) |
Time required for CAT DILR
The fundamental concepts can be learned in 1-2 months, depending on how strong or weak one is in the section. The aspirants should spend at least 1-2 hours daily covering the DI/LR sections. Given below is a distribution of days that aspirants can spend on DILR section. Please note that this is an idea and the aspirants are free to alter this schedule as per their understanding.
L.R. Topics | No of Days |
Arrangements (Linear, Circular, etc.) | 4 |
Puzzles (Einstein Puzzles, constraint-based, etc.) | 4 |
Networks, LR-based on picking coins | 6 |
Games and tournaments, Scheduling, Cubes | 10-12 |
Blood relations, truth-liar concept, family tree | 6 |
Others (2-D space, LRs) | 5-6 |
DI Topics | No.of Days |
Line charts, bar graphs, pie charts, unconventional charts (Bubble charts, radar charts, etc.) | 10 |
Tables | 4 |
Venn Diagram | 5 |
Others (Di-based on growth over the years, case lets, data sufficiency, etc.) | 6-7 |
Time required for CAT QA
When starting from scratch, it will take at least 2-3 months to cover all the fundamental concepts in Quant thoroughly. It is important to practice regularly and know the critical formulas. Make sure you know the application for each. Given below is a distribution of days that aspirants can spend on QA section. Please note that this is an idea and the aspirants are free to alter this schedule as per their understanding.
Topic | Number of Days |
Number Systems | 5-6 |
Percentages, Ratio and Proportion, Alligation, Averages, Profit, Loss and Discount, Simple Interest and Compound Interest | 14-15 |
Speed and Distance, Time and Work, Time | 6-7 |
Inequalities, Linear Equations and Quadratic Equations | 9-10 |
Functions, Logarithms | 7 |
Surds and Indices, Progressions and Series | 5 |
Mensuration and Geometry | 12-14 |
Basic Trigonometry, Co-ordinate Geometry | 3-4 |
Probability, Set Theory and Permutations and Combinations | 10 |
Miscellaneous | 5-6 |
Best Books for CAT Preparation
The CAT exam preparation should include a comprehensive study plan, relevant books and study materials, a workable schedule, and mock tests. Below are the CAT exam preparation books with a well-planned strategy and the best books for the CAT exam.
Book Category | Book Name |
Best CAT books for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT by Nishit K Sinha |
How to prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma | |
How to prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma | |
Best Books for CAT Quantitative Aptitude | Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma |
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Varma | |
Quantitative Aptitude by R.S Aggarwal | |
Best books for CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha | |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh |
Read More -
CAT Exam Preparation Through Coaching
CAT preparation is a long term plan. You have to start preparing for it at least 6 to 9 months in advance. If you are preparing for CAT by self study you have to start even earlier (preferably from March). If you are joining a coaching institute for CAT preparation 2025 you will be guided well by the mentors and coaches. Coaching institute will provide you with all the study material and CAT mock test series, will guide you through tricky topics and questions. However, you will have to attend classes for 6 to 8 hours a day.
Are you a non-engineer? → Begin your CAT preparation now!
CAT Preparation Tips for Working Professionals
It is tough for working professionals to balance work and CAT preparation. The right strategy can help you crack CAT even with long working hours and late night studies. Here is how one can balance work and studies while preparing for CAT:
- Working professionals will find it difficult to prepare for CAT or attend coaching classes regularly. Night classes and online CAT coaching are therefore more convenient.
- Organize your study plan in manageable chunks to start your CAT preparation systematically. A routine will help you track your progress and cover the syllabus quickly.
- Since you work most of the day, the time at hand is limited. So you need to divide your time according to the urgency of each task. Spend more time on the areas that need improvement the most.
- As a working professional you will have most of the time to prepare for CAT during holidays and weekends. Take up more intensive topics on these days to make up for the missed study sessions.
- Peer groups can be helpful in clarifying doubts, motivating and tracking progress. CAT aspirants can discuss and share ideas here.
You may read → How to balance a full-time job with CAT preparation - expert opinions
Mistakes to avoid while CAT Preparation
CAT exam is a precious gateway for MBA admissions and the only way to get into an IIM. The CAT preparation can be tough and thus the chances of making mistakes are higher. Given below are a few mistakes that the candidates must avoid when preparing for the CAT exam.
- Answering the questions from the chapters where you are clear is a cakewalk. To score well in the test you need to prepare well for the chapters where you don't have clear long term goals. Make sure you spend time on the chapters you are struggling with.
- CAT preparation time: Candidates should start preparing as soon as possible and before the exam date. If dedicated and focused, CAT VARC can be prepared in 2-3 months. For CAT QA you need to improve your mental calculation skills.
- Know your strengths and weaknesses: Prepare for the chapters where you don't have clear long term goals. Spend time on the chapters you are struggling with.
CAT preparation tips to score 100 percentile in the exam
CAT Preparation Tips from Toppers
There is no better way to prepare for CAT than hearing from the toppers themselves. We have curated the best preparation tips from the CAT Previous years' toppers to help you understand your way forward.
CAT Toppers | CAT Topper Tips |
Vagish Nangia CAT 2024, 100 percentile | “For an aptitude exam like CAT, one should focus on two things, speed and accuracy, both of which come with practice. Speed is important as the exam typically has 66-68 Questions to be attempted within 2 hours with sections like DILR and Quant in particular being fairly time-taking. Accuracy is also important as you need to avoid taking negative marks while looking to maximise your score as much as possible.” |
Mani Praneeth Chilukuri CAT 2024, 100 percentile | “In terms of preparation, I started just a few weeks before the exam due to my job and other commitments. I prioritised understanding the exam format, syllabus, and structure through YouTube videos. I then solved a few previous years’ question papers to familiarize myself with the patterns.” |
Vedant Chandewar CAT 2024, 99.98 percentile | “I began my preparation in August 2024. Being good at mathematics, I found Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Logical Reasoning (DILR) relatively easy to prepare for. I joined a coaching institute that provided daily practice questions for these sections, which I diligently solved.” |
Sarthak Jaiswal CAT 2024, 99.97 percentile | “I personally think that for the DILR section, the mock tests do not really help because every question is unique and there is no set pattern. Only practice can help for the DILR section preparation. Attempting mock tests for this section will not harm the preparation but also not give an edge. For QA and VARC, mock tests are very important.” |
Kartik Bhageria CAT 2023, 99.99 percentile | "I began my CAT preparation around July 2023. Being an engineering student, I did not spend a lot of time learning new concepts in the Quant and DILR sections. I spent most of my time giving mocks to practice and try to increase my attempted questions with better accuracy in each attempt." |
Riddhi Dugar CAT 2023, 99.91 percentile | "My overall strategy was to finish the entire syllabus a few months before the CAT. From July, I focused entirely on taking mock tests and sectional tests to maximise my score and have a strategy for D-Day. I completed around 70 mocks from July until the CAT exam day." |
Rounak Tikmani CAT 2023, 99.90 percentile | I started my preparation properly in May 2023. My preparation strategy was simple build your foundations by having conceptual clarity in the basics of each section. Then It was just mocks every day. I gave around 110 mocks and made sure I spent enough time analyzing them properly. Taking a mock is not as important as analyzing the mocks and improving on your mistakes." |
Nisakar Kumar CAT 2023, 99.83 percentile | “Quant emerged as my strength, whereas DILR presented a challenge. To address my weakness in DILR, I invested considerable time in understanding the question types and engaged in extensive practice until they became more intuitive. Simultaneously, I dedicated time to revising and practising Quant to maintain a solid grasp. I considered myself decent in VARC.” |
