Most Common Mistakes CAT Aspirants Make Between May and August | Career Launcher Malviya Nagar

If you’re planning to crack CAT 2025, the months between May and August are crucial. This is the foundation-building phase — and sadly, this is also where many aspirants make mistakes that hurt their performance later in the year.

At Career Launcher Malviya Nagar, we interact with thousands of CAT aspirants every season, and we’ve noticed a few common patterns. This blog highlights the mistakes most students make at this stage and gives you practical tips to stay ahead.

1. Not Starting Early Enough

One of the biggest mistakes CAT aspirants make is delaying their preparation until mocks begin or till August-September. The truth is, the earlier you start, the better your chances.

Why it matters:
CAT is a competitive exam that requires strong concepts, consistent practice, and smart strategy — none of which you can achieve in a short time.

What you should do:

• Start with concept-building from May itself.

• Focus on strengthening your weak areas.

• Gradually increase your practice intensity by July.

2. Ignoring Mocks in the Initial Months

Many students believe mocks are only for the final stages of prep. That’s a myth.
Not taking mocks early means you miss out on understanding your strengths and weaknesses on time.

Smart tip:

• Start with one mock every two weeks from June.

• Analyze every mock thoroughly. Don’t just look at scores — check accuracy, time spent, and which question types you struggled with.

3. Focusing Only on Quant and Ignoring Verbal/DI-LR

A lot of students spend 70% of their early prep time on Quantitative Ability (QA) because it's considered tough.
But CAT is a balance of VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DI-LR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning), and QA.

What happens when you ignore other sections?

• You struggle with time management later.

• DI-LR and VARC become last-minute challenges.

• Your overall percentile suffers.

Correct approach:

• Give equal weekly focus to all three sections.

• Start building reading habits for VARC from now on.

• Solve at least 3-4 DI-LR sets per week.

4. Over-Relying on Shortcuts and Tricks

Shortcuts and Vedic maths tricks look great on YouTube, but they’re not a substitute for clear concepts.
Between May and August, your focus should be on building solid fundamentals.

Why it’s risky:

• Without concept clarity, you’ll struggle with twisted or moderately difficult questions in the exam.

• CAT frequently changes question patterns, making over-reliance on tricks dangerous.

What to do instead:

• Understand the logic behind every formula.

• Practice questions of all difficulty levels.

5. Skipping Analysis After Practice Tests

Giving mocks and sectional tests without analyzing your mistakes is like shooting arrows in the dark.
Aspirants often skip test analysis because it’s time-consuming, but it’s the single most important step to improve your score.

How to analyze properly:

• Identify which topics took extra time.

• Spot the question types you frequently get wrong.

• Track accuracy and silly mistakes.

6. Underestimating the Importance of Profile Building

Many top B-schools now look at academic records, work experience, internships, and certifications along with CAT scores.
Aspirants often focus only on CAT prep and ignore this aspect till the last moment.

Tip:

• Take up online internships.

• Join relevant certification courses.

• Participate in debates, quizzes, or group activities.

7. Lack of a Proper Study Plan

Without a proper weekly/monthly plan, students end up studying random topics or following what their friends are doing.
This results in incomplete syllabus coverage and inefficient preparation.

How to plan smartly:

• Divide your syllabus into weekly goals.

• Allocate time based on difficulty and your comfort level.

• Track your progress regularly.

Final Thoughts

May to August is the most underestimated yet valuable phase in your CAT preparation journey. Avoiding these common mistakes can give you a head start over thousands of other aspirants.

At Career Launcher Malviya Nagar, we guide students with personalized mentoring, structured study plans, regular mocks, and expert sessions to help them avoid these pitfalls.
If you’re preparing for CAT 2025, connect with us for a one-to-one free counseling session.

👉 Visit Career Launcher Malviya Nagar Now

FAQs

Q. When should I start taking CAT mocks?
You should start with one mock every 2 weeks from June, gradually increasing the frequency after August.

Q. Is it okay to skip VARC in the early months?
No. All three sections — VARC, DI-LR, and QA — require consistent practice. Ignoring VARC early can harm your overall percentile.

Q. How important is profile building for IIM admissions?
Very important. Top B-schools consider your academics, work experience, and extracurricular activities along with CAT scores.