Preparing for CAT(Common Admission Test) is a challenging task for many students. It is one of the toughest exams in India and is also highly competitive. To crack this exam, one must need a comprehensive study plan and dedication. However, with the right approach, it is possible to prepare and crack teh CAT in nine months. In this article, we will discuss the step-by-step guide on how to prepare for CAT in 9 months, and the detailed section-wise and month-wise preparation strategy to start your CAT preparation in March.
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How to Prepare for CAT 2023 Exam From March
As we know, the syllabus of the CAT Exam is quite simple. The main agenda for conducting the CAT Exam is to test the basic aptitude skill of the candidate. It is not very tough to crack this exam if you have a structured learning strategy. If you are preparing from home, it is essential to have a preparation plan for the aspirants to crack the CAT 2023 Exam.
CAT preparation Section-wise study plan
Preparing for CAT 2023 requires a well-planned study strategy, and a section-wise study plan can help you prepare in a more focused and systematic manner. Here’s a section-wise study plan for CAT 2023 that you can follow to prepare for each section efficiently:
A study plan for CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Reading practice: Start by reading newspapers, magazines, and books to improve your reading speed and comprehension skills.
- Vocabulary: Improve your vocabulary by reading novels and books, and make it a habit to learn at least 10-15 new words every day.
- Grammar and usage: Work on your grammar and usage by solving grammar exercises and practising sentence correction questions.
- Mock tests: Take at least one mock test every two weeks to evaluate your performance and identify areas that need improvement.
Follow the below topic-wise study schedule for preparing this VARC section.
| Topic | No. of days |
| Reading Comprehension | 14-15 |
| Para Summary | 8-10 |
| Para Completion | 8-10 |
| Para Jumbles | 8-10 |
| Odd sentence out | 8-10 |
You need to spend at least 1 hour every day covering the VARC Concepts
A study plan for CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Understand the basics: Start by understanding the basics of data interpretation and logical reasoning.
- Practice: Practice as many questions as possible from different sources to gain a better understanding of the concepts.
- Mock tests: Take at least one mock test every two weeks to evaluate your performance and identify your areas of strength and weakness.
- Revise: Keep revising the formulas and concepts at regular intervals to avoid forgetting them.
Follow the below topic-wise study schedule for preparing this DILR section.
| LR Topics | No. of days |
| Arrangements (Linear, Circular, etc.) | 4 |
| Puzzles (Einstein puzzles, constraint-based etc.) | 4 |
| Networks, LR based on picking coins | 6 |
| Games and tournaments | 4 |
| Scheduling | 4 |
| Blood relations, family tree, Truth-liar concept | 8 |
| Cubes | 4 |
| Others (2D Space LR’s, etc.) | 6-7 |
| DI Topics | No. of days |
| Bar Graphs, Line Charts, Pie Charts, Unconventional charts (radar chart, bubble chart etc.) | 15 -16 |
| Tables | 5 |
| Venn Diagrams | 5 |
| Others (DI Based on growth over years, Data Sufficiency, Caselets, etc) | 10 |
A study plan for CAT Quantitative Ability
The Quant basics will play a crucial role in this Quantitative Ability section. The aspirant must spend at least 1-2 months learning the quant basics. Most of the Candidates will neglect to view the quant basics during the preparation. They will directly move on to solving the problems without having strong knowledge of Quant basics. The Candidates may forget the infrequently used concepts. So it is essential to allocate some time for refreshing the concepts.
- Basics first: Start with the basics and fundamentals of all the topics. Cover topics like Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, Number Systems, and Mensuration.
- Practice: Practice as many questions as possible from the different topics to gain a better understanding of the concepts.
- Mock tests: Take at least one mock test every two weeks to evaluate your performance and identify your areas of strength and weakness.
- Revise: Keep revising the formulas and concepts at regular intervals to avoid forgetting them.
Follow the below topic-wise study schedule for preparing this Quant section.
| Topic | Number of days |
| Number Systems | 5-6 |
| Ratio and Proportion, Percentages, Averages, Alligation, Profit Loss and Discount | 14-15 |
| Simple Interest and Compound Interest | 2-3 |
| Time, Speed and Distance | 4-5 |
| Time & Work | 3 |
| Linear equations, Quadratic equations | 7 |
| Inequalities | 3 |
| Logarithms, Functions | 7 |
| Progressions and series | 4 |
| Surds and indices | 2 |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 12-14 |
| Basic trigonometry | 2-3 |
| Coordinate Geometry | 3 |
| Permutation and Combinations | 5 |
| Probability | 4 |
| Set Theory | 3 |
| Miscellaneous | 6-7 |
Checkout: CAT Free Practice Questions and Videos
Month-Wise Study Plan
As mentioned earlier, our target is to complete all the sections within 3-4 months and thoroughly cover all the concepts in every section. The candidates must start revising the concepts and start taking mocks. In the below-given study schedule, we will provide you with a detailed month-wise study plan that can help the aspirants to prepare well in a month-wise schedule.
|
March-May/June |
Learning the concepts of all the three sections |
|
June |
Revise the concepts, Practice, Take one mock per week |
|
July |
Take sectional tests and one mock per week |
|
August |
Take two mocks per week, note down the mistakes and work on them before the next mock. |
|
September |
Take two mocks per week, improve your question selection skills, and Experiment with various strategies in the mocks. |
|
October |
Can take 2-3 mocks per week, and experiment with mock strategies. |
|
November |
Pick a strategy that suits you the most. Test it in the mocks. Revise the concepts and the common mistakes you tend to make. |
From June, you can start taking 1-2 mocks a week. Depending on your mock analysis, you can analyze them and practice your weak areas during the weekdays. It would be helpful to examine your mocks to identify the mistake you have made and not repeat them. And this process continues till exam day.
Daily routine while preparing for CAT
The daily routine depends on whether you are a college student, a working professional or whether you have taken a drop. The following is a broad schedule you can follow. You can customize the schedule.
The daily routine from Monday to Saturday:
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Watch the concept videos. Spend around 2-3 hours on understanding your weak areas.
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Reading regularly, read what you like (can be your favourite novels also)- 30 minutes to 1 hour daily.
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Reading diverse articles- 30 minutes.
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Solving puzzles like sudoku and doing basic mental math calculations- 30 minutes
Sunday: Take concept tests (to test yourself on the concepts learned during the week)
Overall try to allocate around 2-3 hours for preparation during the weekdays and more time on weekends.
Customize your schedule that balances all three sections. And make sure to allocate more time to work on weak areas. So, This is the best time to start preparing for CAT 2023. Try to complete the syllabus within 3-4 months and practice, take mocks and analyze them, and understand your strengths and weaknesses.
*Thank you so much, and All the best.
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