A six-month CAT plan

Six months is the most common CAT runway, and it is enough. Many candidates who start in late May or June give the exam in late November with a solid chance. What separates those who improve steadily from those who stall is rarely talent. It is whether the six months have a shape: foundations first, depth next, then a long, honest mock season.

This plan assumes about two to three hours on weekdays and five to six on weekends. That works out to roughly 20 to 27 hours a week, or about 500 to 700 hours over six months. If you are working, our guide to preparing for CAT with a full-time job adapts this for tighter days.

The shape of the six months

When you are unsure what to do on a given day, the phase tells you. In month two, an untouched topic matters more than another mock. In month five, the mock and its analysis come first.

Month 1: Foundations

The aim is to build habits and basic speed, not to cover the syllabus.

• QA: percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest. Learn the fraction–percentage equivalents (1/8 = 12.5%, 1/6 ≈ 16.67% and so on) until they are automatic.
• VARC: 30 to 45 minutes of long-form reading every day, plus one RC passage with careful review of every answer.
• DILR: two simple sets a day, mixing tables, charts and arrangements.
• One diagnostic mock in the first two weeks. Its score does not matter. It shows you what 40-minute sections feel like and which section is weakest.

Months 2–3: Depth

Now cover the full range, section by section.

• QA: time and work, time speed and distance, mixtures, then algebra (equations, inequalities, functions, logarithms, progressions), number system and geometry. Do 30 to 40 questions per topic, of rising difficulty.
• VARC: two to three RC passages a day, plus a few para jumbles, summaries and odd-sentence questions. Start timing passages.
• DILR: three to four sets a day across all major types: games and tournaments, scheduling, Venn diagrams, networks, binary logic and mixed sets.
• Sectional tests every weekend, one per section, under strict 40-minute timing.
• A full mock every two weeks, fully analysed.

By the end of month three, you should have seen every major topic and set type at least once.

Months 4–5: Mock season

This is where scores move most. The work shifts from learning to applying.

• One full mock a week in month four, rising to two a week in month five.
• Analyse each mock thoroughly. Analysis often takes longer than the mock itself. Our guide to mock tests and analysis gives a step-by-step method.
• Use mock results to choose topic work. If geometry keeps costing you, spend three evenings on it. Do not revise topics you already score well in just because they feel comfortable.
• Keep daily reading and a few DILR sets going even on mock-free days.
• Modern maths (permutations and combinations, probability, set theory) if not already done.

Month 6: Readiness

• Two or three mocks a week in the first three weeks, then taper.
• Revise your formula sheet and error log daily.
• Light sectional practice to stay sharp.
• In the final week: one or two mocks at most, early nights, and a fixed routine that matches your slot timing.

See our last-month guide for a closer look at the final weeks.

A weekly timetable (months 2–5)

The weekday blocks add up to under two hours; fill the rest with 30 to 45 minutes of general reading. In months two and three, replace the Saturday mock with sectionals on alternate weeks.

When things go off track

Every plan slips. Build these rules in from the start:

• Keep one buffer day every two weeks. Leave it unplanned and use it to catch up.
• If a topic takes longer, cut depth, not coverage. Getting to 70% comfort in every QA area beats mastering half of them.
• If VARC lags, add a reading slot during your commute or lunch break.
• If DILR scores swing wildly, your set selection is the issue, not your ability. Practise the first five minutes of the section.
• If QA accuracy falls below about 75%, slow down. Write steps, check units and re-read the question before marking.

How you know it is working

Quick check

1. It is week seven and you have not started algebra. What should give way?
2. Your last three mocks show DILR at 60, 85 and 55 percentile. What do you work on first?
3. Is it sensible to take a mock every day in month five?

Answers:

1. Reduce depth in the topic you are on and start algebra. Coverage matters more than perfection at this stage.
2. Set selection in the first few minutes, since the swings suggest choice rather than skill.
3. Usually not. Without time for analysis, extra mocks mostly repeat the same mistakes.

What to do next

• Write your start date and CAT date at the top of a page and mark the four phases.
• Take a diagnostic mock this week.
• Set a fixed daily reading slot.
• Review the plan every Sunday for ten minutes and adjust the next week.