The Complete Study Plan for CAT 2026

CL Team September 23 2025

4 min read

Step 1: Know the Exam Inside-Out

Before diving into preparation, let’s break down CAT:

Duration: 2 hours (40 minutes per section)
Sections:
- VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)
- DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning)
- QA (Quantitative Aptitude)
Number of Questions: ~66–70 (varies slightly each year)
Marking Scheme: +3 for correct, -1 for wrong (MCQs), no negative marking for TITA.

CL Mentor Insight: The CAT is not about attempting every question. It’s about smart selection, accuracy, and composure under pressure.

Study Plans for Different Profiles

1. College Students (10–12 Months Timeline)

Best for: Students in 2nd/3rd year who can dedicate 2–4 hours daily.

Phase 1 (Months 1–3: Foundation)

QA: Learn basics of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry.
VARC: Read 1 editorial daily + practice 2 RC passages every alternate day.
DILR: Start with basic puzzle sets (tables, arrangements).
Mock tests: Take 1 mock to understand baseline, then 1 sectional test/week.

Phase 2 (Months 4–6: Strengthening)

QA: Move to tougher problem sets, start mixed-topic practice.
VARC: 4–5 RC passages per week, focus on inference-based questions.
DILR: Practice 4–5 sets per week from different types.
Mock tests: 2 mocks per month + full analysis.

Phase 3 (Months 7–9: Application)

QA: Focus on weak topics identified from mocks.
VARC: 1 RC passage daily + para jumbles, para completion practice.
DILR: Daily 1 set timed.
Mock tests: 1 mock per week, record learnings in an error log.

Phase 4 (Months 10–12: Final Lap)

Daily revision of formula sheet and short notes.
QA, DILR, VARC — alternate sectional tests.
Mock tests: 3–4 per week with deep analysis.
Simulate real test conditions (same time slot, minimal breaks).

2. Working Professionals (6–8 Months Timeline)

Best for: Aspirants with 2–3 hours on weekdays, 5–6 hours on weekends.

Phase 1 (Month 1: Diagnostics & Basics)

Take 2 mocks to identify weak areas.
Allocate weekdays to basics (QA formulas, daily RC reading).
Weekends for 1 sectional test + 3 hours concept drilling.

Phase 2 (Months 2–3: Core Strengthening)

QA: Focus on Arithmetic & Algebra (most weightage).
VARC: 1 RC daily + 15–20 VA practice questions per week.
DILR: 2–3 sets on weekdays, 4–5 on weekends.
Mock tests: 1 full mock every 10 days.

Phase 3 (Months 4–6: Acceleration)

QA: Advance topics (Geometry, Probability).
VARC: Intensive RC practice, analyze why you got RCs wrong.
DILR: Solve curated “difficult” sets under time pressure.
Mock tests: 1–2 mocks per week + error analysis spreadsheet.

Phase 4 (Last 2 Months: Peak)

3–4 mocks per week.
Strict error-log revision.
Revise short notes every day for 20 minutes.

CL Mentor Insight: For working professionals, it’s about quality, not hours. Even 90 minutes of focused prep daily beats 4 distracted hours.

3. Repeaters (4–6 Months Timeline)

Best for: Aspirants who already attempted CAT once and know the pattern.

Strategy:

Start with last year’s mock scores & real CAT performance.
Create a “mistake diary”: concepts, question selection errors, silly mistakes.
Dedicate first 2 months to fixing weak topics (e.g., Geometry, RC Inference).
2–3 mocks every week from Month 3 onwards.
Revise error log weekly to avoid repeating old mistakes.

4. Last-Minute Aspirants (2–3 Months Timeline)

Best for: Students who decide late but want a serious attempt.

Week 1–2:

Take a mock test immediately.
Make a formula sheet and “must-know” concepts list.

Week 3–6:

Daily schedule: 1 sectional test + 1 topic drill.
2 full-length mocks per week.

Final Month:

3–4 mocks per week.
Focus on strengths; maximize attempts in comfort areas.
Light revision in the last week, no new topics.

Section-Wise Micro-Strategy

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

Focus: Arithmetic (highest weightage), Algebra, Geometry.
Drill: 20–40 questions daily.
Tip: Maintain a “formula flash sheet” for last-month revision.

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Focus: Set selection is key.
Drill: Practice 200+ sets (tables, puzzles, caselets, games).
Tip: Learn to quickly decide which sets to attempt and which to skip.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Focus: Reading speed + comprehension accuracy.
Drill: 1 RC daily + weekly VA drills (para jumbles, odd-one-out).
Tip: Read diverse sources (economics, philosophy, science) to handle unfamiliar topics.

Mock Test & Analysis

Mocks are the backbone of CAT prep at Career Launcher Noida. Here’s how to use them effectively:

Start with 1 mock every 2–3 weeks → move to weekly → 3–4 per week in last 2 months.
After every mock, record:
- Attempts vs accuracy per section
- Time taken per question
- Top 5 errors + reasons
- Action plan to fix errors
Maintain an Error Log Sheet and review it every weekend.

CL Mentor Insight: Many students take 50+ mocks but don’t analyze them. 1 analyzed mock = 3 un-analyzed mocks.

Tracking Your Progress

We advise students to maintain 3 trackers:

Topic Mastery Tracker: Track accuracy & speed for each QA/DILR/VARC topic.
Error Log: Capture mistakes and how you fixed them.
Weekly Plan Sheet: Map planned vs completed tasks.

These trackers help you measure progress and keep accountability.

Career Launcher Noida Advantage

What makes CL Noida’s CAT prep unique?

Personalized mentoring: One-to-one guidance to track your progress.
Faculty accessibility: Doubt-clearing sessions anytime.
Comprehensive mocks: Closest to actual CAT, with AI-driven analysis.
Peer learning: Group practice sessions that simulate test-day competitiveness.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a college student, working professional, repeater, or last-minute aspirant, the formula for CAT success remains the same:
Concepts → Practice → Mocks → Analysis → Revision.

Start today with a diagnostic mock, build consistency, and follow the structured plan above. With the right guidance, CAT 2026 can open doors to the IIMs and other top B-schools.

At Career Launcher Noida, we are committed to walking this journey with you — through classes, mocks, mentoring, and motivation.