Anisha has done MBA in Marketing from NMIMS And Executive Management(PMNO) from Harvard Business School. She has been instrumental in growing CATKing Digital with her experience with Marico and Henkel in the past.
Hey students! If you’re aiming to crack CAT 2025 and make your way into a top B-school or IIM, you’ve landed at the right place. In this article, we’ll understand a complete, practical, and realistic plan for how to crack CAT in 230 days. From understanding the updated CAT exam pattern to a detailed month-wise preparation strategy, when to start giving mocks, how toppers plan their schedules, and what you should focus on in these crucial months — you’ll find it all right here.
📖 CAT 2025 Exam Pattern – What’s New This Year?
Before diving into your preparation, the very first step is to get familiar with the latest CAT exam pattern. As per CAT 2024, the total number of questions increased from 66 to 68. The DILR section now has 22 questions instead of 20, distributed into 3 sets of 4 questions and 2 sets of 5 questions. According to expert mentors’ analysis, CAT 2024 was easier than CAT 2023 in the DILR and Quant sections, while VARC maintained a similar difficulty level.
Among the three slots, Slot 1 was the easiest and Slot 3 was the most challenging. The overall difficulty level was said to be comparable to CAT 2021, and as a result, the cutoffs for top B-schools are expected to rise. The expected score vs percentile benchmarks are likely to touch around 47-51 marks for 90 percentile and 58-61 marks for 95 percentile this year.
🧠 Manifest Your Goal: Believe You Can Crack CAT 2025
Now comes the most important part — manifesting your goal. The first step towards success is believing in yourself. You need to mentally commit that you’ll crack CAT 2025, no matter what. With the exam scheduled for 30th November 2025, you have a good 230 days in hand, and with the right strategy and consistency, it’s absolutely achievable. Remember, success in CAT doesn’t come overnight — it’s a combination of smart study plans, regular practice, and consistent test-taking.
📅 Month-Wise CAT Preparation Plan for 230 Days
Let’s now divide these 230 days into well-defined phases for effective preparation.
📌 Phase 1: First 60 Days — Focus on Basics (LOD 1)
Start with a 60-day plan where your primary focus should be on completing the entire syllabus at LOD 1 (basic level). Focus on clearing your fundamentals and getting comfortable with the concepts.
📌 Phase 2: Next 60 Days — Move to LOD 2 and Topic-Wise Tests
Once you’ve covered the syllabus, move to the next 60 days where you start practicing LOD 2 level questions and taking topic-wise tests. These tests will give you clarity about your preparation levels and highlight your strengths and weaknesses.
📌 Phase 3: - Attempt Sectional Tests
Spend the next 30 days on sectional tests for Quantitative Aptitude, DILR, and VARC. This phase is important because it teaches you to manage time within a section, handle pressure, and optimize question selection.
📌 Phase 4: Focus on Full-Length Mocks
In the last 80 days, shift your complete focus towards full-length CAT mocks. Aim to give at least 12-15 mocks in this phase and remember — analyzing your mocks is as important as giving them. If you’re looking for good mocks, consider CATKing’s Real CAT Mocks, designed by IIM alumni with detailed analysis videos.
📊 Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Strategy
When it comes to Quant preparation, it’s important to understand the weightage of topics and plan accordingly. Focus primarily on Arithmetic and Algebra, as these two topics carry the highest weightage in the CAT exam.
Dedicate 2 weeks each to cover Arithmetic topics like Time-Speed-Distance, Work, Profit & Loss, Ratios, Percentages, Averages, and SI-CI, followed by Algebra topics like Equations, Progressions, Inequalities, and Functions. A solid command of these topics can help you secure a good score in Quant.
🔍 DILR Preparation Strategy
For the DILR section, start with Level 1 Traditional DI sets like tables, pie charts, and bar graphs to build your base. Gradually move towards Level 2 sets that include Caselets, Games and Tournaments, Scheduling Problems, Routes, and Arrangements.
The trick to mastering DILR is consistent practice and improving your ability to spot logical connections quickly. Toppers often focus on identifying question types they’re most comfortable with and leave out time-consuming or tricky sets during the exam.
📖 VARC Preparation Strategy
VARC preparation is all about daily reading, comprehension, and practice. Make a habit of reading editorials from The Hindu, Indian Express, and LiveMint. Focus on improving your reading speed and understanding.
Start solving 2 RC passages and 5 Verbal Ability questions daily after completing your basic syllabus. The important areas to focus on include Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Para Summaries, Para Completion, and Odd One Out. Regular practice is the only way to improve your verbal scores.
🚀 Weekly Incremental Growth Strategy
A smart preparation strategy involves incremental growth every week. Don’t expect overnight results. Set small, achievable weekly goals where you focus on improving one weak topic, revising a strong one, and increasing your speed in sectional tests. Track your progress at the end of every week and make minor adjustments to your plan. This keeps your preparation on track and boosts confidence gradually.
📝 Mock Test Tips for CAT 2025
The most critical part of CAT preparation is giving mock tests. It’s very important to understand that your first 10 mocks may not go well — and that’s absolutely normal. Even toppers start off with low scores.
The key is not to judge yourself early on but to keep attempting mocks and learning from each of them. After every mock, spend at least 1-2 hours analyzing your mistakes and figuring out where you went wrong. Focus on your weak areas and work on question selection strategy. Giving mocks regularly builds stamina, improves time management, and prepares you for the actual exam pressure.
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📌 Most Important CAT 2025 Topics to Cover
Quantitative Aptitude: Arithmetic and Algebra
DILR: Traditional DI, Caselets, Games & Tournaments, Scheduling, Routes, Arrangements
VARC: Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Para Completion, Odd One Out
Covering these areas thoroughly will give you an edge in the final exam.
🎯 Final Thoughts: Can You Crack CAT in 230 Days?
To wrap up, cracking CAT in 230 days is not about studying 10-12 hours a day, but about being consistent, disciplined, and following a smart, structured plan. Focus on concept clarity, regular practice, and incremental improvements. Believe in yourself, stay committed, and you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve in these next few months.
Remember—small daily improvements lead to extraordinary results over time. I wish you all the very best for your CAT 2025 journey!
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