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From late-night chai to mock test meltdowns — CAT prep made me sharper, stronger, and slightly sleep-deprived!
You thought CAT prep meant finding the right coaching, hoarding mock tests, and maybe upgrading from chai to green tea because “top scorers do that,” right? It all felt like the start of a great mission, new notebooks, fresh motivation, and the dream of that coveted IIM call.
When your score was not improving even after sitting with books day and night, the question arose—where was I going wrong? Everyone around me was saying, “Read more.” It seemed that the more you studied, the more your success would be.
But no one was saying, “Understand yourself.”
Looking back, I wish I could tell my younger self something. It is not just the strategy but also the attitude, learning from mistakes, and the importance of small victories. This is a small letter to my younger self when I was preparing for the CAT.
If you get low marks in the first few mock tests, you may feel scared. You may feel like you are falling behind. But mock tests are not a judge; they are a mirror of learning.
The real purpose of these tests is to identify your weaknesses, time management, and question selection mistakes. Find your mistakes after each mock test. Write down where you spent more time and which type of question you made more mistakes in.
It is important to keep track of your progress, not the marks. If you go from 60 marks to 75 today, that is success. Continuous improvement is the basis of CAT preparation.
So instead of chasing the percentile, see each mock as your learning material. Permanent improvement will come from there.
Sometimes, you might notice that someone can sit down for 8 hours but struggles to focus for even 3 hours. It's all about that quality time spent, right? Nope. On the other hand, someone might have spent just 2 hours, but they really put in the effort and practiced with dedication. If you can learn a topic clearly every day or correct a mistake anew, that is a big achievement.
Ask yourself, what did you learn today? Solving a problem well is also a victory. These small victories create the foundation for big success.
And when you feel tired in body and mind, do not give up and set a small target – maybe 20 minutes of revision or 10 practice questions. This will maintain consistency.
In CAT, it is more important than just asking more questions—choosing the right questions. Many people struggle with questions that seem difficult or familiar during the exam. This wastes time, and in the end, relatively easy questions are left.
Before starting each section, take 1-2 minutes to scan the questions. Do those that seem easy to the eye first? Leave the questions that require many steps for a while.
Develop the habit of skipping questions in daily practice; you do not need to attempt all the questions. Instead of spending time on what you do not know, focus on the remaining questions. Question selection is a kind of strategy, and this strategy will ultimately have a big impact on your exam score.
If you are good only in QA and ignore the rest of the sections, then even if you get a good score in CAT, you will not be successful. Because CAT has cut-offs for different sections.
Many people think that VARC or DILR is difficult, so they will give time towards the end. But the reality is, if you give importance to the weak section from the beginning, the fear will be reduced.
Keep a specific day in the week that is only for that week's section. Break it down into subtopics; for example, one day for VARC, another day for para-summary. One day for DILR, another day for data arrangement, and another day for a logical puzzle.
The most crucial part of CAT preparation isn’t just solving questions; it's staying mentally steady and self-aware throughout the journey. When a mock test doesn't go your way (and there will be days like that), the first step is simple: acknowledge it. Don’t ignore the bad score, and don’t fear it either. Look at it as feedback, not failure. Reflect on what went wrong, because without understanding your mistakes, you're bound to repeat them.
On this path, neither overconfidence nor self-pity is your friend. What you need is balance. A mindset that embraces the truth, however uncomfortable, and moves forward anyway.
Any preparation journey is not just about learning concepts but also about accepting your limitations and dealing with them.
CAT preparation is not just about studying for a competitive exam. It is a form of self-discipline, patience, and development of thought. If you learn to accept your mistakes from the very first day of preparation, learn to be happy with small progress, and maintain consistency, then you will not only build your score but also your confidence.
Your preparation journey may start today, but it can also inspire someone tomorrow. CAT is an exam where the path to victory lies in correcting small mistakes. So learn every day, change your thinking, and move forward towards giving your best.