The CAT examination is a very difficult and competitive exam. Every year, lakhs of students give the CAT exam hoping it will help them get into some of the best MBA colleges in the country. However, not all students have the luxury of diverting all their energy to preparing for the exam. Many students have to deal with balancing a full-time job while preparing for the CAT 2025 exam. This article highlights some tips students with full-time jobs can use to prepare for the CAT exam based on the experiences of students who have done the same. Following these tips can help students’ preparation for the CAT 2025 examination a little bit easier.
CAT 2025 Important Dates
It is very important for students to keep up with the important dates of the CAT exam. Keeping up with these dates ensures students are updated on all key events and deadlines about examination.
As of now, a lot of the key dates for the CAT exam have not yet been revealed. Listed below are some of the tentative dates for the CAT 2025 exam:
Event | Dates (tentative) |
CAT 2025 Notification Out | 30th July 2025 |
CAT 2025 Registration Date | 1st week of August - 3rd week of September 2025 |
CAT Form Correction | Last Week of September 2025 |
CAT 2025 Admit Card Release | First Week November 2025 |
CAT Exam Date | 30th November 2025 |
CAT 2025 Answer Key Release | First Week of December 2025 |
CAT 2025 Results | December 2025 |
Balancing CAT Preparation with a Full-Time Job Tips
Balancing preparation for a highly competitive exam such as the CUET paper with a full-time job cannot be easy. However, some students out of circumstance might not be able to leave their jobs. Provided below are some tips that candidates with full-time jobs can follow to properly prepare for the CAT 2025 examination based on real people’s stories. The tips are as follows:
Quality Over Quantity
Instead of trying to focus on studying for long hours, students should aim to make the most out of their short hours of study. With a full-time job, students at most will be able to put in 4 to 5 hours of studying a day. In these hours, students should properly strategize and divide their time well. Focusing on topics with more weightage or those which are more difficult can ensure students are better prepared.
Weekly Goals
A very useful way for those with full-time jobs to stay motivated and consistent with their preparation for the CAT exam is to keep weekly goals instead of monthly ones. Keeping short weekly goals can ensure students keep hitting goals and are able to cover various portions of the CAT syllabus.
Utilizing Dead Time
While at work, students preparing for the CAT exam may have a few minutes up to an hour where they are not doing anything. Students could utilize this time to squeeze in a quick revision or review of anything. It is better for students to not start new topics here but instead focus on revising and reviewing topics that they have covered or need to develop a better understanding of. This ensures students are able to properly make use of their time when they are not doing anything.
Create a Realistic Timetable
The timetables created by students preparing for the CAT exam can vary from one person to another depending on their job and free-time available. Students should try and develop timetables that are better suited for their schedule. For instance, one student may not be able to study in the early morning as they have to normally wake up at 6am to reach their office on time, while another may not be able to study at night as their shift ends late. It is important for students to create their timetables for the CAT exam depending on their needs and circumstances.
Taking Care of Themselves
While sacrifices are part of the preparation process for any exam, students should not sacrifice on the basics. Taking breaks, eating enough, sleeping 6 to 8 hours and staying hydrated are very important. Students are already expending a lot of energy trying to balance studies with their job, sacrificing on basic needs in the long-run can do more harm than good. For a good and less stressed performance on the CAT exam, it is crucial for students to do the basics of taking care of themselves for the CAT examination.
Recommended: CAT Score Vs Percentile 2025: Get Complete Section Wise Percentile Analysis
