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How to Crack CAT in 6 Months – A Complete Guide by IIM Alumni
April 17 2025

How to Crack CAT in 6 Months – A Complete Guide by IIM Alumni

A Month-by-Month Study Plan, Topic-Wise Syllabus, Mock Analysis, and Time Management Blueprint


  Can You Crack CAT in 6 Months? Yes, Here’s How

Many aspirants wonder if cracking the CAT 2025 in just 6 months is possible. The answer is a resounding yes — provided you approach your preparation with focus, structure, and consistency. Every year, working professionals, final-year students, and even fresh graduates make it to IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, and other top B-schools by following a disciplined CAT study plan.

This guide, crafted with insights from IIM alumni and mentors at CATKing, gives you a comprehensive strategy to crack CAT 2025 in 6 months. You'll find an in-depth syllabus breakdown, a month-wise plan, mock test strategy, resources, and expert tips.


Educational Qualification

A candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized university or educational institution to appear for CAT 2025.

Category

Minimum Marks Required in Graduation

General / EWS / NC-OBC

50% (or equivalent CGPA)

SC / ST / PwD

45% (or equivalent CGPA)

 

Final Year Students Are Eligible

If you are currently in the final year of your undergraduate degree, you are eligible to apply for CAT 2025

 

📝 CAT 2025 Exam Pattern Overview

CAT 2025 is expected to follow the same structure as recent years:

Section

Time Limit

Questions

Key Topics

VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)

40 mins

24

RC, Para Jumbles, Summary

DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning)

40 mins

22

Graphs, Caselets, Venns

QA (Quantitative Aptitude)

40 mins

22

Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry

Total

120 mins

68

Sectional Time + Mixed MCQ & TITA

Each section is time-bound and you cannot switch between sections during the exam. The marking scheme includes +3 for correct answers and –1 for wrong MCQs, while TITA questions have no negative marking.


 

📚 CAT 2025 Syllabus – Complete Section-Wise Breakdown

🔠 VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)

  • Reading Comprehension (16 questions): Four passages from diverse areas like philosophy, sociology, economics, science, and fiction.
  • Para Jumbles (2–3 TITA questions): Reordering jumbled sentences logically.
  • Para Summary (2–3 MCQs): Choosing the best summary for a given paragraph.
  • Odd Sentence Out (1–2 TITA): Identifying the sentence that doesn’t fit in a paragraph.

🔍Focus on building reading speed, identifying author tone, and understanding passage structure.


📊 DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning)

  • Data Interpretation: Tables, bar/line/pie charts, caselets, and data sufficiency.
  • Logical Reasoning: Venn diagrams, seating arrangements, binary logic, team formations, puzzles, and tournaments.

🔍Each set contains 4–6 questions. Some questions may be TITA. Practice set selection and time allocation to maximize attempts.


🔢 QA (Quantitative Aptitude)

Topic Category

Subtopics

Expected Questions

Arithmetic

Averages, Ratios, TSD, Mixtures, SI/CI, Work, Percentages

8–10

Algebra

Equations, Inequalities, Logs, Functions

4–5

Geometry

Triangles, Circles, Polygons, Mensuration

2–3

Number Systems

Factors, Remainders, LCM-HCF

2–3

Modern Math

P&C, Probability, Set Theory

1–2

🔍Prioritize Arithmetic first—it forms nearly 40–50% of QA.

 📊 CAT Marks vs Percentile – How Much Should You Score?

Understanding the relationship between your raw score and percentile in CAT is essential to set realistic goals during preparation. Since CAT is a scaled and relative exam, your percentile doesn’t just depend on how many questions you get right, but also on how others perform.

Here’s a simplified overview based on recent CAT trends:


🧮 What Is a Percentile in CAT?

A percentile is not the same as a percentage. A 99 percentile means you performed better than 99% of the candidates, not that you scored 99% marks.

With over 2.5 lakh test-takers, even a small difference in score can shift your percentile significantly.


📈 CAT 2024: Raw Score vs Percentile (Approx.)

Percentile

Estimated Raw Score (Out of 198–204)

99.5%ile

103–108

99%ile

95–100

95%ile

70–75

90%ile

58–60

85%ile

50–52

80%ile

44–46

📌Note: These are based on CAT 2023–24 data. Actual scores may vary slightly depending on paper difficulty.


🎯 How Many Questions Do You Need to Attempt?

If you're aiming for:

  • 99+ percentile: Target 45–50 correct answers out of 66
  • 95 percentile: Around 35–38 correct answers
  • 90 percentile: Around 28–30 correct answers

The accuracy rate should be at least 85–90%. Guesswork without elimination can significantly pull down your percentile due to negative marking.


📌 Key Takeaways

  • Scoring around 47–52% of the total marks can get you 99%ile
  • Focus on attempting fewer questions with higher accuracy
  • Mocks are your best tool to understand how your raw score translates to a percentile

📅 6-Month CAT 2025 Study Plan – Expanded Month-by-Month Preparation Strategy

Here’s a detailed timeline covering what to study each month, how to balance the three sections, when to take mocks, and how to revise effectively.


📍 Month 1: April – May | Build Your Basics

🔸Primary Goal: Understand the exam structure and build conceptual clarity.
🔸Time Commitment: 2 hours/day on weekdays, 3–4 hours/day on weekends.

What to Focus On:

  • QA: Percentages, Averages, Ratios, TSD, Time and Work
  • VARC: 1 RC + 1 verbal logic question daily, read one editorial (The Hindu, Aeon Essays)
  • DILR: Basic DI tables, bar graphs, pie charts, and simple logical puzzles

Tasks:

  • Take one diagnostic mock test (to evaluate your starting level)
  • Start a formula notebook for QA and an error log for all sections
  • Watch CATKing foundation videos for Quant & DILR

📍 Month 2: June | Strengthen Concepts + Start Sectional Tests

🔸Primary Goal: Focus on accuracy and practice topic-wise
🔸Time Commitment: 2.5 hours/day

What to Focus On:

  • QA: Algebra basics, ratios and mixtures, logarithms
  • VARC: Practice 2 RCs/day, add para summaries and odd sentence out
  • DILR: Solve Venn diagrams, binary logic, data sufficiency sets

Tasks:

  • Take 1 full-length mock (timed) every 10 days
  • Begin 1 sectional test per week per section
  • Analyze every mock and sectional in-depth

📍 Month 3: July | Apply Timed Practice + Increase Mock Frequency

🔸Primary Goal: Simulate real-time pressure and improve question selection
🔸Time Commitment: 3 hours/day + full-length mocks on weekends

What to Focus On:

  • QA: Geometry, modulus, functions
  • VARC: Start solving full 40-min VARC sectionals
  • DILR: Caselets, puzzles with multiple conditions, combo sets

Tasks:

  • Take 1–2 full mocks/week
  • Use an Excel tracker to record:
    • Section-wise scores
    • Accuracy %
    • Time per section
  • Start pattern recognition (e.g., do you lose time in DILR set 2 every mock?)

📍 Month 4: August | Build Stamina and Strategy

🔸Primary Goal: Increase mock frequency and revise tough concepts
🔸Time Commitment: 3–4 hours/day including mocks

What to Focus On:

  • Revise all Arithmetic + Algebra concepts
  • Revisit incorrect questions from earlier mocks
  • Finalize attempt strategies (e.g., attempt 15 questions in VARC aiming for 80% accuracy)

Tasks:

  • Take 2–3 full-length mocks per week
  • Evaluate which sets and question types are your strengths
  • Practice previous year CAT papers

📍 Month 5: September | Maximize Strengths and Minimize Errors

🔸Primary Goal: Finalize attempt strategy and polish strong areas
🔸Time Commitment: 3–4 hours/day, mock + analysis every alternate day

Tasks:

  • Take 3 mocks/week
  • Create and update a “mock score trend” sheet
  • Maintain 1-page formula + trick sheet
  • Avoid learning new topics unless necessary

📍 Month 6: October – November | Final Gear-Up

🔸Primary Goal: Reach peak performance under test conditions
🔸Time Commitment: 2–3 hours/day, 3–4 mocks/week

Tasks:

  • Revise from formula sheets, flashcards, and error logs
  • Simulate CAT day: take mocks between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM
  • Reduce screen time post-evening, eat healthy, and sleep well
  • Begin preparing for WAT/PI if you’re crossing 90 percentile in mocks

🧪 How to Analyze Mocks Effectively

Mock analysis is the single most important aspect of CAT preparation. Here’s how to do it right:

Step-by-Step Mock Analysis Process

  1. After the Mock:
    • Don’t check just the score. Focus on the number of correct attempts per section.
    • Break down time per section. Were you rushing or getting stuck?
  2. Question-Level Review:
    • For every question: label it as “Correct,” “Incorrect,” “Guessed,” or “Skipped.”
    • Identify why you got a question wrong:
      • Conceptual error?
      • Silly mistake?
      • Ran out of time?
  3. Section-Wise Strategy Check:
    • In VARC: Are you spending too long on one RC? Is para jumbles eating time?
    • In DILR: Are you picking the toughest set first? Re-order.
    • In QA: Which topics are giving you consistent accuracy? Focus on those in mocks.
  4. Final Mock Log Table:

Mock No

Total Score

VARC

DILR

QA

Accuracy %

Key Mistake

Mock 1

72

24

18

30

65%

DILR set wasted 12 mins


📚 Recommended Resources to Support This Plan

  • Quant: Arun Sharma QA, CATKing Concept Notes
  • VARC: RC99 practice app, Aeon Essays, CATKing VARC Modules
  • DILR: Puzzle sets from CATKing, Previous CAT papers
  • Mock Tests: CATKing’s Real CAT Series (25–30 mocks)
  • Analytics: Google Sheets or Excel for tracking performance

💬 Mentor Wisdom

“Mocks are your real teachers. Books and videos build your foundation — but analysis teaches you how to play the CAT game.”
Sumit Sir, CATKing Mentor & SP Jain Alum

🚀 Final Call: Make These 6 Months Count

Cracking CAT 2025 in 6 months is not just a dream — it’s a realistic goal if you stay consistent, analyze every mock, and play to your strengths.

🎯 Join CATKing’s Fast-Track Program designed for working professionals and serious aspirants:

  • Live + recorded concept classes
  • 1-on-1 mentorship
  • 30+ real CAT-level mocks
  • GD-PI-WAT prep after CAT

📞 Call: +91 8999-11-8999
🌐 Explore: courses.catking.in

“Six months of focused effort today can give you a lifetime of transformation. Start now — your IIM dream is waiting.”


Author
Anisha Mukhija

 

 

 

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