CAT 6 Month Preparation Strategy 2025 for Beginners

Common Admission Test (CAT)

Last Date to Apply
13th September, 2025

Ridhima Jindal
Ridhima Jindal

Table of Content

The CAT 2025 is all set to be conducted on November 30. There are about 6 months left for CAT 2025 preparation, and it's the ideal time to start preparing for the same to ace the exam. The CAT 2025 will be conducted by the IIM Kozhikode, and students must strategise a smart study plan as this is one of the highly competitive examinations in India. These 6 months should be dedicated to building a strong foundation, finding strengths & weaknesses, being familiar with the highest weightage topics, finding the most repeated concepts and learning them, etc.

The CAT 6-month study plan must be made carefully and aspirants are advised to break their strategy into weekly, daily formats to achieve the ultimate goal. Aspirants are advised to check the CAT 2025 syllabus carefully and figure out their strongest and weakest areas to work on them accordingly. This will also help students divide their time wisely for each chapter/topic. Refer to the following to go through a detailed and impactful 6-month study plan for CAT 2025.

How to Prepare for CAT in 6 Months?

Refer to the following 6-month plan to prepare for CAT 2025.

1st and 2nd Month Preparation Plan

Goal: Clear the Basics and Be Familiar with All Topics

VARC Preparation Tips

  • Read newspapers, articles, monologues, and books regularly to enhance your reading skills.
  • To enhance reading and understanding skills, solve at least two reading comprehension passages regularly.
  • Focus on improving grammar, vocabulary, learning new words, spelling, etc.

DILR Preparation Tips

  • Focus on clearing the basics and learn basic Puzzles, graphs and tables.
  • To enhance overall basic knowledge, try to solve at least two problems regularly.

QA Preparation Tips

  • Refer to NCERT books and learn basic maths including percentage, average, ratio, time/work, statistics and more.
  • Students must note that NCERT Books are one of the best resources of learning, however candidates can also use other CAT preparation books to prepare.

3rd and 4th Month Preparation Plan

Goal: Build Speed and Accuracy

  • Follow the daily routine as per 1st and 2nd month preparation plan for all the sections.
  • Start taking online or offline tests to improve speed and accuracy.
  • Track your progress and learn about your weak areas to improve them.
  • Candidates can join an online or offline coaching to understand the competition level and ask questions.

5th Month Preparation Plan

Goal: Get Real Exam Experience with Mock Tests

  • Candidates are advised to take full CAT mock tests regularly in month 5.
  • After taking mock tests, analyze your performance carefully and learn what questions were challenging to solve.
  • Track your time carefully to plan it accordingly for each section.
  • Candidates must learn all crucial formulas and theories carefully.
  • Manage time wisely and know where you are spending the most time and try to reduce it.

6th Month Preparation Plan

Goal: Final Revision and More Mock Tests

  • Try to take at least 3 CAT mock tests everyday.
  • Candidates must revise all important formulas, topics, chapters and concepts.
  • Figure out your weak areas and work on them until you're pro at it.
  • Be fully prepared and take a final mock test to gain a better idea of your overall preparation level.

CAT Exam Pattern 2025

The following table contains the complete CAT 2025 exam pattern.

Section

Number of Questions

Time Allotted

Type of Questions

Marking Scheme

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

24

40 minutes

MCQs + Non-MCQs (TITA)

+3 for correct, –1 for wrong MCQs

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

20

40 minutes

MCQs + Non-MCQs (TITA)

+3 for correct, –1 for wrong MCQs

Quantitative Ability (QA)

22

40 minutes

MCQs + Non-MCQs (TITA)

+3 for correct, –1 for wrong MCQs

Total

66

120 minutes

Sectional time limit applies

No negative marking for TITA

Best Books for CAT Preparation

CAT Books are very important to begin your CAT preparation and play a vital role in preparing you for the CAT Exam 2025. If you intend to take the CAT exam in 2025 and want to get selected for one of the top MBA colleges in India, then the best time to start preparing is now. Know about the best CAT books for preparation, as these are the best tools that can help you grasp the theory and concepts of CAT.

Book Title

Authors

Features

How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for the CAT

Arun Sharma

Comprehensive coverage of DI topics, self-sufficient for preparation

Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT

Nishit K. Sinha

Strong concept building, practical application of problems, graded difficulty levels

Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency

Ananta Ashisha

Focuses on the interpretation of data and the sufficiency of information, a practical approach

How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT

Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay

Step-by-step approach to improve verbal ability and comprehension, including practice questions

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary

Wilfred Funk & Norman Lewis/Simon & Schuster

Enhances vocabulary through practical exercises and learning strategies

How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT

Sharma and Upadhyay

Comprehensive coverage of verbal ability topics, practical exercises, and mock tests

High School English Grammar and Composition

Wren & Martin

Covers the entire syllabus of English grammar, includes practice exercises, and self-assessment sections

How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT

Arun Sharma

Detailed coverage of quantitative topics includes shortcuts and tips for solving problems

NCERT Mathematics Books (Class 6 to 10)

NCERT

Fundamental concepts of mathematics, clear explanations, are essential for building a strong foundation in maths

PSC for VA for CAT

Nishit Sinha

Covers verbal ability topics, a practical approach with practice questions, and previous year papers

Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT

Sarvesh Sharma

Comprehensive coverage of quantitative topics includes advanced-level problems and solutions

Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations

Abhijit Guha

Detailed coverage of quantitative topics includes numerous practice questions and solved examples

CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Gautam Puri

Practical approach to DI and LR topics, includes practice questions and a mock test.

Note: Students can easily ace the CAT examination with proper preparation strategies in 6 months. Learning about the basics of each concept is a must and this will help students build a strong foundation. Students must divide their time wisely to prepare for each section wisely including VARC, DILR, and QA.

Also Check: CAT Notification 2025

Top Colleges Accepting CAT

View All

Related Articles

Exam

22nd August, 2025 , 10 min read

Practice Questions for Logical Reasoning for CAT preparation Solved Practice challenging Logical Reasoning questions for CAT here. Understand exam patterns & question types. Prepare for 22 DILR questions. Start solving today! By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
Exam

11th August, 2025 , 3 min read

CAT 2020 Exam Analysis: Difficulty, Topics & Score Insights Get detailed CAT 2020 exam analysis: slot-wise difficulty, section-wise topics, and scores vs. percentile. Prepare for CAT 2025 with key insights. Explore now! By - Tushar Read More >
Exam

11th August, 2025 , 6 min read

Slot-Wise CAT 2021 Exam Analysis Get the complete CAT 2021 exam analysis for all 3 slots. Dive into section-wise difficulty, good attempts, and detailed paper review for VARC, DILR, and QA. Read now! By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
Exam

10th August, 2025 , 4 min read

CAT 2025 Preparation: Verbal Ability Questions Prepare for CAT 2025 Verbal Ability with our guide. Get detailed syllabus, practice sample questions, and expert tips to ace the 22-24 question section. Start your prep now! By - Nirek Rishi Read More >
Exam

10th August, 2025 , 3 min read

CAT 2025 Preparation: Geometry Formulas and Guide Master essential CAT 2025 Geometry formulas for the Quantitative Aptitude section. Learn key mensuration, coordinate, and solid figure formulas to tackle this 10-20% weighted topic. Boost your CAT score! By - Nirek Rishi Read More >
More Articles

Related News

Exam

31st July, 2025 , 3 min read

CAT Registration 2025 LIVE Now: How to Fill IIM CAT Application Form? he CAT registration for 2025 has now been officially launched, and thus the window to submit the application for one of India's most sought-after MBA entrance exams has also opened. By - Tushar Read More >
Exam

31st December, 2024 , 2 min read

CAT 2024 Result Controversy - Petition Filed in Delhi High Court, CAT Final Answer Key To Be Released Again? Delhi High Court has received a petition filed against CAT 2024 Result. Candidates claim that IIM Calcutta has released the answer key without considering the objections raised by them. By - Avantika Bhardwaj Read More >
Exam

05th December, 2024 , 2 min read

CAT 2024 Result Date. Check Complete Details Here CAT 2024 Results When? This news contains complete details for the same. Students can check their result from the official website. By - Nawal Read More >
Exam

28th November, 2024 , 4 min read

CAT Normalization Process. Know How is CAT Score Calculated, CAT Percentile Predictor In this news, we will help the candidates understand the meaning of CAT normalization process, CAT Scaled Score, CAT Final Score, and how to calculate the CAT scores. CAT Normalization is a process that is followed by the Indian Institutes of Management to ensure fairness in the scoring process. By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
Exam

29th November, 2024 , 2 min read

CAT Answer Key 2024 Out at iimcat.ac.in, Check Expected Marks The CAT answer key is expected to release soon on the IIM Calcutta website. The answer key will be provisional and the candidates will be able to raise objections to the CAT response sheet during a window of 2 days. The authorities will examine the objections and then based on the responses the final CAT answer key will be released along with the CAT Results 2024. By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
More News

Latest Articles on CAT 2025

Practice Questions for Logical Reasoning for CAT preparation Solved

22nd August, 2025

Practice challenging Logical Reasoning questions for CAT here. Understand exam patterns & question types. Prepare for 22 DILR questions. Start solving today!

CAT 2020 Exam Analysis: Difficulty, Topics & Score Insights

11th August, 2025

Get detailed CAT 2020 exam analysis: slot-wise difficulty, section-wise topics, and scores vs. percentile. Prepare for CAT 2025 with key insights. Explore now!

Slot-Wise CAT 2021 Exam Analysis

11th August, 2025

Get the complete CAT 2021 exam analysis for all 3 slots. Dive into section-wise difficulty, good attempts, and detailed paper review for VARC, DILR, and QA. Read now!

CAT 2025 Preparation: Verbal Ability Questions

10th August, 2025

Prepare for CAT 2025 Verbal Ability with our guide. Get detailed syllabus, practice sample questions, and expert tips to ace the 22-24 question section. Start your prep now!

CAT 2025 Preparation: Geometry Formulas and Guide

10th August, 2025

Master essential CAT 2025 Geometry formulas for the Quantitative Aptitude section. Learn key mensuration, coordinate, and solid figure formulas to tackle this 10-20% weighted topic. Boost your CAT score!

More Articles

Other MBA / PGDM Exams

CAT logo
CAT CAT | 30th November, 2025
XAT logo
XAT XAT | 04th January, 2026
MAT logo
MAT MAT | 28th September, 2025
TS ICET logo
TS ICET TS ICET | 08th June, 2025
GMAT logo
GMAT GMAT | Date not available
View All