Vipra ShrivastavaSenior Manager - Content
CAT 2024 exam is over. Aspirants planning to pursue MBA in the year 2026, must start preparing for CAT 2025 exam from January onwards.
Aspirants must know that the key to success in CAT exam is a well balanced plan. The CAT preparation plan must include six to eight hours of study on daily basis. Working professionals must take out at least four hours daily for CAT exam preparation and eight hours on weekends. Even if you have joined a coaching institute, do keep spare time for revision and practice. Shared below are key tips on how to prepare for CAT exam.
Q: What is the structure of CAT question paper?
Q: Is CAT exam tough for an average student?
CAT is a speed based test which is designed to assess a candidate's analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advance level problems.
However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.
Q: Which CAT slot has the toughest question paper?
- CAT Preparation Strategy 2025
- CAT Preparation: Know the CAT Syllabus
- How to Prepare for CAT VARC?
- How to Prepare for CAT DILR?
- How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude?
- Last Month CAT Preparation Strategy
- CAT Preparation Tips: How Many CAT Mock Tests to Practice?
- CAT Preparation 2025: Tips from Toppers
- FAQs on CAT Preparation
CAT Preparation Strategy 2025
Check below a general CAT exam preparation strategy that can be adopted by any candidate to make an overall study plan for CAT 2025 exam.
Step 1: Check the CAT syllabus thoroughly and understand the CAT exam pattern well
Step 2: Obtain CAT books recommended by experts and other study material
Step 3: Join online MBA study groups on YouTube, Telegram, Quora, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.
Step 4: Make a monthly time-table, a weekly time-table and a daily time-table
Step 5: Stick to the CAT prep strategy and the time-table for best results
Explore subject-wise topics asked in CAT
Select your preferred subject
CAT Preparation: Know the CAT Syllabus
CAT syllabus is often said to be more engineer-friendly but the truth is that except for Quantitative Aptitude, no other section of CAT exam syllabus is such that students from non-Engineering background cannot crack. However, they need to practice a lot.
CAT Quantitative Aptitude section, which is often considered tough, includes advance level Mathematics topics studied in Class 9-10. All that the candidates need to do is brush up on the fundamentals of the topics included in the CAT syllabus from the study material. infact, it is CAT VARC, that candidates from Engineering stream find tough to crack as the RC passages are long, dense and inference based. Check important topics of CAT syllabus 2025 in the table below:
CAT Syllabus |
CAT Important Topics |
---|---|
Reading Comprehension, Parajumbles, English Grammar, One-word Substitution, Fill in the Blanks, Antonyms-Synonyms, Sentence Correction, Foreign Words, Verbal Ability, etc. |
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Tables, Line Charts, Pie Charts, Bar Charts, Mixed Charts, Series, Coding-Decoding, Data Structures, Blood Relations, Family Tree, Assumptions, etc. |
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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. |
Prepare as per Latest CAT Pattern
In order to aim for 100 or 99.99 percentile in CAT exam, candidates must understand the exam pattern well, so that their selection of question is accurate and they solve the paper with overall 100 per cent accuracy. Given below is the table highlighting key aspects of the latest CAT exam pattern.
CAT Exam Features |
Details |
---|---|
Number of sections |
Three - VARC, DILR, QA (to be answered in the same sequence) |
Number of questions |
66 |
Types of question |
MCQ |
Examination mode |
Online |
Sectional time-limit |
40 minutes |
Total marks |
198 |
Marks per question |
3 |
Negative marking |
-1 (no negative marking for TITA and unattempted questions) |
Exam duration |
120 minutes |
Download:
- CAT 2024 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2023 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2022 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2021 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2020 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2019 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2018 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2017 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
Difficulty Level of CAT Exam
While preparing for CAT 2025, you must also know the difficulty level of the question paper so that you are aware of what' coming in the exam. Check the table below for CAT exam difficulty level of past six years.
CAT Year |
Difficulty Level |
Paper Analysis |
---|---|---|
CAT 2024 |
Moderate |
|
CAT 2023 |
Moderately difficult |
|
CAT 2022 |
Moderately difficult |
|
CAT 2021 |
Moderately difficult |
|
CAT 2020 |
Moderately difficult |
|
CAT 2019 |
Moderately difficult |
|
CAT 2018 |
Moderately difficult |
|
CAT 2017 |
Moderately difficult |
|
CAT 2016 |
Moderately difficult |
Also Read:
How to Prepare for CAT VARC?
The CAT VARC section is broadly divided into Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, Vocabulary and Grammar. To prepare for this section of CAT exam, candidates need to have a separate approach for each part. For example, preparation of Reading Comprehension should begin in early months of the year as it all about developing and cultivating the habit of reading. CAT Verbal Ability can be tackled by practicing sample questions and can be done in lesser time. Grammar and Vocabulary can be handled alongside. However, the CAT VARC is mostly about RC, parajumbles, odd sentence out and para completing, you need to focus on practice of exercises based on these. By the time exam day approaches, candidates must practice mock RCs and parajumbles.
Read More:
-
CAT Exam Preparation: Your Love For Reading Can Get You Desired Result
- Types of Reading Comprehension questions in CAT
- Common Pitfalls to Avoid in RC Questions in CAT
How to Prepare for CAT DILR?
To score well in CAT Data 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 of CAT study material having a good number of sample questions on these topics.
Read More:
Free Quantitative Aptitude Question Bank with Answer Keys |
Free DILR Question Bank with Answer Keys | Free VARC Question Bank with Answer Keys |
How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude?
Quantitative Aptitude section is the last section of CAT exam and the most rigorous one. The CAT QA section includes Mathematics topics such as Algebra, 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 immensly. Also, mental calculation plays a major role in scoring well in this section. Although an on screen calculator will be provided in the CAT exam, mental calculation saves time. Here are some tips fior CAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation:
- Get the CAT exam study material which has a good number of sample questions on these topics.
- Cover the topics end to end. Do not leave out any topic of Arithmetic and Algebra as most of the questions are asked from these two topics.
- Break down your CAT Quant preparation into phases. Start with concepts, then move to practice questions and then to mock tests.
- Start with easy topics and then move to tough ones. Starting with easy topics will give you confidence.
- Revise important formulae and theorem every day in the last one month.
- Practice sectional mock tests for Quantitative Aptitude to learn how to handle 40 minutes in the exam.
Read More:
Last Month CAT Preparation Strategy
By now, aspirants must have completed the CAT syllabus and now fully focus on practice CAT mocks and sample papers in the last one month. Check below a few last month CAT preparation tips 2024 for reference.
- Take a CAT mock test every alternate day and analyse it. Immediately work on the topics which posed challenge in the mock test.
- Practice CAT mock tests of various difficulty levels - easy, medium and tough.
- It is important to also practice sectional mock tests for CAT to learn how to maximise performance in 40 minutes (sectional time limit for CAT).
- Check your weak points and get your doubts cleared by mentors or in an online session for problem solving.
- Seek last leg guidance from mentors on how to crack tough DI and LR patterns or tricky parajumbles without applying long process.
- Read tips and watch videos to know shortcut methods of mathematical calculations and reading of LR patterns. This skill is important for saving time in the exam.
- Strengthen your skill of quick reading and picking out important points
- Make a time table for revision. From now on, you need to revise all the topics of CAT syllabus dedicatedly everyday.
- Practice more of CAT Logical Reasoning and Parajumbles questions in the last month for better results.
- Stop practicing CAT mock tests once you start getting the desired score. If your performance is consistent in CAT mocks, you will maintain it in the actual exam too.
- Do not practice CAT mock test in the last week of the exam. Stop earlier and focus on revision when CAT is only 5-6 days away.
CAT Preparation Tips: How Many CAT Mock Tests to Practice?
It is recommended that candidates must practice about 40-45 CAT mock tests during the preparation phase. The aim of a CAT mock test is to improve application, accuracy and speed. If you have reached a stage where you're consistently performing well in the mock tests (high difficulty level) you can slow down. It is not mandatory for all candidates to solve 40-45 mock tests. You can be prepared equally well by solving lesser number of mock tests. Judge your capacity.
Aspirants must start practicing CAT mock test after they have completed the syllabus and dedicate the second half of CAT preparation phase to it. The key here is to analyse each mock test result to see where you stand and how much more practice you need. One tip you should take note of is to not practice mock tests continuously till the exam day. In the last week of CAT preparation 2025, attempt only one mock test to keep your confidence high. Irrespective of the result of that CAT mock test, you will scoer well in the exam.
CAT Mock Test by Shiksha
IIMCAT releases official CAT mock test a month before the exam to help candidates prepare themselves for the actual exam. The official CAT mock test is replica of the exam and provides an insight of the exam pattern for that year. The official mock test provides a sneak peek of the final CAT exam. Every candidate must attempt the official CAT mock test, which can be accessed online on the official IIMCAT website.
Shiksha has also created CAT mock tests for candidates to practice and strengthen their preparation. Given below are two CAT mock tests you can practice for free.
CAT Mock Test 1 | CAT Mock Test 1 Solutions |
CAT Mock Test 2 | CAT Mock Test 2 Solutions |
Also Read:
CAT Preparation 2025: Tips from Toppers
Shiksha reached out to previous years' CAT toppers to know their CAT preparation journey for the benefit of future aspirants. Click on the links below to know how CAT toppers prepared for the exam and follow the CAT exam day tips that they offer for a brilliant performance.
CAT Toppers |
CAT Topper Interviews |
---|---|
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." Read Kartik's full interview |
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." Read Riddhi's full interview |
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. Read Rounak's full interview |
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." Read Nisakar's full interview |
Risshi Agrawal CAT 2022, 99.99 percentile |
Mocks play a crucial role while preparing for CAT. It helps you determine the strategy which suits you the best. |
Parul Arora CAT 2022, 99.93 percentile |
I started preparing for CAT in April. My preparation strategy for CAT was to clear my basic concepts in all topics and then maximum practice. |
Aditya Singh CAT 2022, 99.90 percentile |
For my first attempt I attended offline coaching classes, post which I only took the online test series. This year I took the test series from two of the most renowned coaching institutes. Coaching really helps a lot. |
Atish Naskar CAT 2022, 99.81 percentile |
I started my CAT preparation back in January 2022. I set a daily target for all 3 sections that included daily 3-4 RCs daily 3-4 LRDI sets 20-30 QA questions or some QA concept understanding. The last 2-3 Months gave mocks and analyzed them properly. |
Tushar Sarkar CAT 2022, 99.80 percentile |
My serious preparation started in the month of June 2022. My overall strategy had three parts: Diagnosing my problems, guiding policy for improving and actions. |
Chirag Gupta CAT 2021, 100 percentile |
I started preparing in March 2021. I focused mainly on giving mock tests and analysing them. I used to work on my weaknesses by watching various CAT preparation YouTube videos on various topics. |
Bir Anmol Singh |
I started preparing in April 2021. I solved Arun Sharma sir's CAT books for VARC, LR, DI and Quant. I attempted as many past year CAT questions papers (timed attempt) that I could attempt, on weekends. I used to analyse my shortcomings to improve further. |
Sagar Sengar CAT 2021, 99.48 percentile |
I started preparing around the end of June this year and went into the full-throttle mode by end of August. My overall strategy was to first complete the theory end to end and then practice different kinds of problems across all the sections. |
Ved Vineet CAT 2021, 99.40 percentile |
It is not at all important to join a coaching institute for CAT preparation. You just need to prepare in a disciplined manner. Read Ved's full interview |
Sareen Shah |
Don't delay your prep. Start as early as possible. Solve as many questions as you can. Understand RCs and DILR sets properly. Quality over Quantity should be your aim. |
Kshitiz Singhal CAT 2020, 99.99 percentile |
My suggestion for the aspirants is to work on your fundamentals, speed and accuracy. |
Ekansh Agarwal CAT 2020, 99.98 percentile |
I would say that mock tests are the most important part of CAT preparation. Attempt as many mock tests as possible. |
Naval Mittal CAT 2020, 99.97 percentile |
Solve as many types of questions you can from each section. Secondly, focus on your accuracy. |
Swarnadeep Ghosh CAT 2020, 99.92 percentile |
Attempt all kinds of mock tests, difficult and easy. Maximize your strengths and do not stress about the weaker areas. |
Sabyasachi Mishra CAT 2020, 99.90 percentile |
Focus more on concepts more than the mock tests. I would say that mocks do not matter much. What you learn from the mock tests is what matters. |
Prepare for CAT exam with previous years’ question papers & prep guides. Get topper tips & expert advice.
Download Question PapersCAT Preparation: Tips That Will Enhance Your Performance
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Download MBA preparation mobile apps to prepare for CAT exam anywhere and anytime.
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CAT is a speed and accuracy test. Practice as many CAT question papers and mock tests as you can to improve speed and accuracy.
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During CAT exam preparation, measure your performance after each CAT mock test. Analyse strengths and weaknesses to work upon them more.
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Solve each question of CAT study material at least thrice, because in the first attempt, you will understand it, in the second attempt you will solve it faster, and in the third attempt you may discover a shortcut.
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CAT exam has sectional time limit, which means you need to complete each section within the stipulated time-frame.
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CAT exam has negative marking. For each wrong answer 1 mark is deducted. To avoid this, learn the trick of selecting the right questions.
- Do not do speed reading in RC. Nor should you go for reverse reading, i.e. reading the questions first and passage later. Read the RC passage and note down important points in the rough sheet. This way you will be able to address the questions easily.
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CAT has sectional cut off limit, so do not ignore any topic. The sectional cut off directly affects the overall CAT percentile and selection in WAT-GD/PI.
- Practice time-bound CAT mock tests as part of your CAT prep strategy. It will help you to develop time management skills.
- Keep your CAT 2025 preparation optimum but do not over do anything. If you have prepared certain topics already. Do not work on them again and again. Focus on topics that are still your pain points.
- Memorise tables up to 20, square, square roots, cubes, cube roots, etc. These will help you in mental calculation during the CAT exam.
- Revise all the concepts of VA and LR and formulae of QA every day for one hour. You should be so well versed with these that on the exam day, you can recall them without wasting a single moment.
- In this last phase of CAT 2025 preparation, focus completely on mock tests and revision. This is the crucial time when you can take your CAT score from 95 to 99 percentile.
Get Here: CAT Questions for Practice with Solutions: Free PDF Download
Also read:
- Changes in CAT exam pattern over the years
- Last week preparation tips for CAT VARC
- Last week preparation tips for CAT DILR
- Last week preparation tips for CAT Quantitative Aptitude
- How many questions to attempt in CAT to score 99+ percentile
Download CAT Previous Year Papers
Download CAT question papers of last five years from the below table to know the type and difficulty level of questions asked:
FAQs on CAT Preparation
Check below Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) on CAT preparation:
News & Updates
Get prep tips, practice papers, exam details and important updates
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