How to crack CAT in 6 months: the focused study plan that works
A complete 6-month roadmap covering VARC, DILR, and QA fundamentals plus mock cadence, revision sprints, and the daily schedule Sumit Sir prescribes for late-start aspirants.
Your gateway to 22 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIM Mumbai, 7 IITs and 1,200+ top B-schools. Built on 18+ years of CAT coaching, 2,080+ IIM converts in 2024-25, and live lectures from 99%ile faculty who have actually been to A, B, C, L, K, I.
Three flagship programs plus standalone mock packs. All prices inclusive of GST. 6-day money-back guarantee.
Concept Builder Videos, 130+ eBooks (LOD 1 and 2), Full-length Mocks. Validity till CAT 2026.
Live CAT lectures plus full coverage of NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, MICAT, CET, MAT, ATMA - all in one fee. Validity till May 2027.
Everything in Turbo plus full GMAT prep and Admission Consulting for IIM, ISB, and global B-school applications. Validity till May 2027.
20 Real CAT mocks released in 6 progressive waves (Apr-Nov). Waves 1-2 easier than CAT, 3-4 match it, 5-6 are 5-10% harder. 16K+ test-takers on peak mocks.
30 mocks across 6 waves blending multiple exam patterns. Progressive difficulty: easier early, CAT-level mid, harder than CAT in final waves. IIM-K alumni verified.
CAT + NMAT + SNAP + XAT + CMAT in one pack. CAT mocks follow the same 6-wave progressive program. Single subscription covers your full MBA exam season.
Five reasons 5,000+ students chose CATKing over any other institute. Not slogans. These are the levers that delivered 2,080+ IIM converts in 2024-25 alone - including 460+ to BLACKISM (Bangalore, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Indore, SPJIMR, IIM Mumbai).
Most coaching is taught by ex-students. CATKing is taught by the founder himself. Sumit Singh - SPJIMR Mumbai PGDM 2009, Harvard Executive Management alumnus, NIT Karnataka B.Tech - runs every live VARC class personally. No outsourcing. No franchisee model. The person who has built 2,080+ IIM admits across 18 years is teaching your batch.
Most students take random mocks and hope for the best. CATKing's Real CAT program delivers 30 mocks across 6 waves (April to November), each blending multiple exam patterns. Difficulty ramps progressively. Waves 1-2 are easier than CAT, Waves 3-4 match it, and Waves 5-6 are 5-10% harder. Participation peaks during festive-themed mocks like Diwali with 16.2K test-takers.
One bad CAT slot day shouldn't cost you a year. CAT Intensive at ₹24,999 covers 10 MBA entrances - CAT, NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, MICAT, CET, MAT, ATMA, CUET PG, SRCC GBO. Plus full GMAT prep for ISB, IIM-A PGPX, S.P. Jain PGPM, and global B-schools. Plus full GD-WAT-PI prep for IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, XLRI, NMIMS. Validity till May 2027 - through the entire 2026 admissions cycle. Students call this their insurance policy.
Stuck on a remainder problem at midnight? Post it on MBAGeeks.com and wake up to a worked solution. Staffed by CATKing faculty and 99%ile alumni - every question gets a response, no exception. 10,000+ solved threads already searchable, so often someone has already asked your exact doubt.
Every CATKing teacher has cracked a top B-school themselves and specialises in one section. Biswadip Sir (NMIMS) for Verbal. Sahil Sir and Prantik Sir (CAT 99%ile, QA specialists) for Quant. Krishna Sir (IIM Mumbai) for DILR. Anisha Ma'am (NMIMS + Harvard PMNO) for GDPI. Section-wise depth, not generalist shallow coverage.
The numbers that actually matter. Results compiled from the last admission cycle, verified via student converts.
Everything you need to know about the exam. Facts verified against the official CAT 2025 bulletin.
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national computer-based exam held on the last Sunday of November by one of the IIMs on rotation. CAT 2026 is tentatively scheduled for 29 November 2026. The conducting IIM is confirmed in the official notification released in the last week of July. CAT 2025 was conducted by IIM Kozhikode.
It is the primary entrance gateway for all 22 IIMs and 1,200+ top B-schools including FMS Delhi, IIFT Delhi & Kolkata, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Kharagpur. Your CAT percentile is the first filter, shortlisted candidates proceed to Written Ability Test and Personal Interview.
CAT is not just a test of content knowledge, it is a test of speed, accuracy, and composure under time pressure. Preparation typically runs 8 to 12 months.
68 questions, 120 minutes, 3 sections. Sectional time-bound (40 min each). MCQs +3/−1, TITA +3/0. Total 204 marks.
4 passages, 16 questions. Business, economics, philosophy, science, arts.
Reorder 4-5 sentences into a coherent paragraph. Usually TITA.
Best one-line summary of a short paragraph.
Identify the sentence that doesn't belong in a 5-sentence set.
Strengthen/weaken arguments, assumptions, inference.
Fill-in-the-blank with contextually appropriate word.
Multi-variable data reasoning and trend extraction.
Bar, Pie, Line, combined with percentages and ratios.
Linear, circular, matrix-based seating and scheduling.
Knockout, round-robin, scoring pattern puzzles.
Truth-teller and liar puzzles, classical logic.
Decide if given data is sufficient. Rare but reappearing.
Percentages, P&L, TSD, Time & Work, Ratios, Averages.
Equations, inequalities, functions, logarithms.
Triangles, circles, coordinate geometry, areas & volumes.
Divisibility, HCF/LCM, remainders, factorials.
P&C, Probability, Set Theory, Series.
Age problems, Calendar, Clocks, Mixtures.
Turbo covers CAT + all Non-CAT exams below. Intensive adds GMAT on top.
Speed-over-depth tests for NMIMS and Symbiosis.
XAT adds Decision Making + GK. CMAT for AICTE colleges.
CET for Maharashtra (JBIMS). MICAT for MICA Ahmedabad.
WAT, GD, PI for IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, XLRI, NMIMS.
GMAT Focus Edition for ISB, IIM PGPX, global B-schools.
Past papers reveal the real exam: pattern, difficulty, weightages and recurring traps. Download CATKing's curated PYQ pack, slot-wise, with detailed solutions.
Our faculty reverse-engineered what 99%ile students do differently in the final 10 months. This is the exact roadmap we follow in every live batch, starting with VPAR (Verbal-Para-Arithmetic-Reasoning) foundation.
Build the concept base before speed becomes relevant. CATKing's VPAR phase is a signature start covering Vocabulary, RC, Para Jumbles, Arithmetic, Algebra and easy LR.
One module at a time, with Arithmetic and Algebra getting deeper coverage. Verbal live with Sumit Sir on a fixed weekly cadence, plus LOD 1 and LOD 2 drills running through the phase.
Real CAT mocks released in 6 progressive waves: easier than CAT early, matching CAT mid-season, 5-10% harder in final waves. Faculty-led analysis after every attempt, fix weaknesses mid-week. 16K+ test-takers on peak mocks.
Revision, last-mile speed, exam-day simulation at your allotted slot. This is where 98 becomes 99+. Post-CAT, immediate pivot to OMET and GDPI.
Free walkthroughs covering syllabus, weightages, and how to attempt each section, strategy etc.
22 IIMs plus 1,200+ top B-schools including FMS Delhi, IIFT, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur. Top IIMs (BLACKISM) shortlist at 99+ %ile with sectional cutoffs in the 80-85 band. Mid-tier IIMs at 95-99, new IIMs at 90-95.
CAT score is the gate, but the final shortlist is composite. Here is a representative weightage pattern for top IIMs. Exact figures vary by institute and category, but the shape is consistent.
Note: IIM Ahmedabad places heavier weight on the interview (around 50% for the PI stage composite). IIM Calcutta uses a 98%ile minimum plus academic record as filters. New IIMs shortlist at 90 to 95%ile with less weight on academics. Always verify the latest weightage on each IIM's official admissions page.
Verified CATKing students with named percentiles and IIM converts. Hover or tap a card to flip and see the institute they joined.
"74 percentile in my first mock. 99.69 on the actual CAT. CATKing believed in me before I believed in myself."
"I stopped chasing mocks. I started chasing clarity. That shift was the unlock from 95 to 99.66."
"My first mock was 78 percentile. I cried. The CATKing mentor check-in the next morning changed everything."
"Full-time job. Two hours a day. 99.29. If I can do it, so can any working professional reading this."
"I was 94.3 in my first attempt. Most people would have taken it. I took a year off. Second attempt is a different story."
"Sectional strategy separates 95 from 99. Everyone studies the content. Almost nobody studies the strategy."
"Engineers keep losing marks in VARC. I used to read fast to finish fast. That was my biggest mistake."
"Non-engineer, 99 percentile. VARC was my weapon, not my weakness. CATKing helped me lean into my strengths."
"74 percentile in my first mock. 99.69 on the actual CAT. CATKing believed in me before I believed in myself."
"I stopped chasing mocks. I started chasing clarity. That shift was the unlock from 95 to 99.66."
"My first mock was 78 percentile. I cried. The CATKing mentor check-in the next morning changed everything."
"Full-time job. Two hours a day. 99.29. If I can do it, so can any working professional reading this."
"I was 94.3 in my first attempt. Most people would have taken it. I took a year off. Second attempt is a different story."
"Sectional strategy separates 95 from 99. Everyone studies the content. Almost nobody studies the strategy."
"Engineers keep losing marks in VARC. I used to read fast to finish fast. That was my biggest mistake."
"Non-engineer, 99 percentile. VARC was my weapon, not my weakness. CATKing helped me lean into my strengths."
Free · Live · Every Saturday 6 PM IST. Get your MBA profile reviewed live by CATKing's founder - and find out exactly what's between you and your dream IIM.
Founder & CEO, CATKing. SPJIMR PGDM 2009, Harvard Exec Management, NIT Karnataka B.Tech
Dates below are tentative until the official notification is published by the conducting IIM (expected last week of July 2026). We will update this timeline as announcements drop.
CAT 2025 was held on 30 November 2025 in three sessions. Results were declared in the first week of January 2026, per the official bulletin. Admit cards were available from Nov 5 to Nov 30, 2025.
DONECATKing CAT Turbo and Intensive batches are filling up. Early enrolment gets the full 10-month prep cycle. Weekend, weekday, morning, and hybrid batches open.
NOWThe conducting IIM publishes the official notification, detailed syllabus, and test city list on iimcat.ac.in. Typically released on the last Sunday of July.
NOWOnline application at iimcat.ac.in. Fee ₹2,600 General/EWS/NC-OBC, ₹1,300 for SC/ST/PwD. Select 6 test city preferences in order. Help Desk: 1800 210 0175.
NOWLast date to submit application 13 Sep 2026 (tentative), following the CAT 2025 pattern of a ~6-week window. A brief correction window opens thereafter for photograph and signature fixes only.
NOWAdmit cards available for download on iimcat.ac.in from Nov 5 to Nov 29, 2026, following the CAT 2025 pattern. Login with registered credentials. No physical copies are mailed.
NOWThree slots: Morning (8:30 AM), Afternoon (12:30 PM), Evening (4:30 PM). Percentile normalised across slots. Approximately 3 lakh candidates expected to register.
NOWScorecards published on iimcat.ac.in in the third week of December. Score validity: till 31 December 2027. Simultaneously, IIMs begin releasing shortlist criteria and cutoffs.
NOWShortlisted candidates attend Writing Ability Test, Group Discussion, and Personal Interview at IIM campuses. Each IIM uses its own composite scoring with CAT score, academics, WAT/PI, and work experience. CATKing Intensive students enter dedicated GDPI prep.
NOWIIMs publish merit lists and extend admission offers. Waitlist movement continues through June. Final year students must submit degree completion certificate by 31 Dec 2027 per the official bulletin.
NOWTry the CATKing prep ecosystem for free. Sample these before deciding on a paid course. No credit card, no strings.
One full-length CAT 2026 mock plus detailed analysis. Know your starting percentile before you pick a course.
Start Free Mock →MBAGeeks.com - connect, discuss, ask doubts, share strategy. CATKing faculty and 99%ile alumni answer every question. 10,000+ searchable threads, fully indexed.
Open MBA Geeks Forum →Free CAT strategy sessions, topper interviews, topic explainers. Weekly uploads from Sumit Sir and full faculty.
Subscribe →Score calculators, IIM cutoff trackers, percentile predictor, profile evaluation tools. Check where you stand.
Open Profile Portal →Everything you need to know about CAT 2026 in one PDF: exam pattern, sectional structure, marking scheme, eligibility, key dates, accepting institutes, and how percentile is computed.
Live waitlist movement, RTI data, and college result status for IIMs and top B-schools. Updated every admission cycle.
View Waitlist Data →Hand-picked articles from the CATKing blog. CAT strategy, exam analysis, B-school admit guides, and the prep frameworks our faculty actually use in classes.
A complete 6-month roadmap covering VARC, DILR, and QA fundamentals plus mock cadence, revision sprints, and the daily schedule Sumit Sir prescribes for late-start aspirants.
Section-wise difficulty breakdown of CAT 2025, expected percentile cut-offs across IIM ABCLKI and tier-2 schools, and how the response-sheet rollback compares to the actual scorecard.
Sumit Sir's inference-first reading method built on Aeon-style essays. Covers passage decoding, time-per-RC discipline, and the elimination logic that takes you from 85 to 98 in VARC.
Quick answers to the most common CAT 2026 queries. Pulled from CATKing's actual FAQ and student calls.
Free 15-minute consultation with a senior CATKing counsellor. All our counsellors are IIM, SPJIMR, or NMIMS alumni who have cleared these exams themselves. We will analyse your profile, target colleges, and timeline, then recommend the right prep path. No sales pressure, just honest guidance.
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