How to prepare for CAT 2025 while working? This is one of the most asked CAT questions by the candidates. A good population of the CAT exam takers constitute the candidates who are balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation. For any candidate who is currently doing their professional job and is planning to start their CAT preparation, it is important to follow the CAT 2025 strategy for working professionals. Managing both job and CAT preparation might sound difficult, but it is possible with focused and consistent efforts and efficient time management skills. Balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation might be initially difficult for the candidates. Hence, they are advised to start slow and gradually increase their pacing. It is important for the candidates not to be stressed or feel underachieved during their CAT preparation while working. In this article of Careers360, we will go through the various CAT 2025 strategies for working professionals, which will guide the candidates in balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation and enhance their CAT 2025 preparation for working professionals.
IIM Kozhikode has not announced an official date for the CAT 2025 result. However, based on previous years’ timelines, the result is expected to be declared in the first week of January 2026.
Why Should a Candidate Prepare for CAT while Working?
Challenges Working Professionals Face in CAT Preparation
CAT 2025 Strategy for Working Professionals
CAT Preparation Time Table for Working Professionals
Common Mistakes to Avoid during CAT 2025 Preparation for Working Professionals
CAT Mock Test by Careers360
Top CAT Preparation Books
CAT 2025 Preparation Resources by Careers360
How to Prepare for CAT 2025 While Working: Strategy, Timetable & Expert Tips
Why Should a Candidate Prepare for CAT while Working?
Many candidates decided to quit their jobs while preparing for the CAT examination. This is because the CAT exam journey is vast and requires a lot of time. According to the experts, the candidates are advised to start their preparation at least 6 months prior to the CAT exam day. To accommodate this CAT preparation timetable, many working professionals decide to resign from their jobs and focus full-time on the CAT preparation. But this is not always the best practice. Some of the major reasons why the candidates should focus on balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation are:
Advantages of Work Experience in MBA Admissions
During the CAT GDPI section, the candidates with work experience are observed to be performing better. This is because with the vast experience of the candidates in the industry, they will be able to accurately answer the hypothetical scenario-based questions asked in the group discussions, followed by the personality questions asked during the CAT Interview. This will help the candidates to attain a positive image in front of the reviewers and secure admission in the top B schools of the country. In the selection parameters, the B-Schools provide weightage to the work experience of the candidates.
Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.8 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2025
The acceptance rate for the top B schools in the country is low. This means that not every candidate can make it into the top institutes. Having a job will act as a backup for the candidates if their CAT exam results do not go in their favour. The candidates can even attempt the examination the next year while working, which will help them candidates to perform even better. Having a backup is always better for the candidates.
CAT 2025 Percentile Predictor
Use the CAT Percentile Predictor to estimate your score, gauge your performance, and know your chances of getting shortlisted by IIMs.
Enrolling in CAT preparation classes and purchasing the best CAT preparation materials can be very expensive for the candidates. When the candidates have a job, they do not want to depend on any secondary sources for money, and instead, they can purchase them with their own money. This will make their CAT preparation independent.
Challenges Working Professionals Face in CAT Preparation
There are various challenges that the candidates might potentially face during their CAT 2025 preparation for working professionals. The candidates must be aware of how to prepare for CAT 2025 while working by tackling these challenges. This is one of the most important CAT 2025 strategies for working professionals. Having a good knowledge of how to balance work and CAT 2025 preparation comes from the perfect understanding of how to outsmart the challenges faced by the candidates during their CAT preparation while working.
Limited Daily Study Hours
Balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation means limited study hours per day. The candidate would be occupied with both work and commute from 8 AM to 7 PM. This is almost 11 hours. Now, the time management skills of the candidates will be put to the test. The CAT success of the candidates will depend on how well they manage their remaining 13 hours. These limited study hours pose a bit of a challenge for the candidates because the CAT 2025 syllabus is vast and demands a lot of study time.
Mental Fatigue After Work Hours
It is normal to be exhausted both mentally and physically after office hours for the candidates. The daily commute, hectic work schedules, followed by any pressure from the higher authorities might dishearten the candidates and affect their mood to prepare for the CAT exam. One of the important CAT 2025 strategies for working professionals is to leave what happens at the office at the office and start afresh after reaching home by doing some form of meditation. This will help the candidates to stay undisturbed and prepare for the CAT examination.
Lack of Consistency
Consistency is the key to CAT success. It is essential for candidates during their CAT 2025 preparation for working professionals to stay consistent with the CAT preparation. But constant travel, deadlines, and stress might be a hindrance for the candidates as this can affect their CAT preparation while working schedule. This will lead to procrastination and the topics not being covered in time. This may lead to the candidates missing the most important topics for the CAT 2025 preparation, and this, in turn, affects the CAT percentile of the candidates.
CAT 2025 Strategy for Working Professionals
It is necessary that the candidates are aware of the various insights into how to prepare for CAT 2025 while working. This will help the candidates to structure their CAT 2025 preparation for working professionals in the right manner that can yield the best results. This section will provide the candidates with the expert's suggestions on how to prepare for CAT 2025 while working.
Create a Realistic and Flexible CAT Preparation Plan while Working
The work environment is often unpredictable and dynamic. Preparing for the CAT while working makes it more difficult to manage. So, for balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation, the candidates should start by creating a CAT preparation timetable which can accommodate both the uncertainties of work as well as the requirements of the CAT examination. The candidates are advised to make their CAT 2025 prep for working professionals timetable as flexible as possible. To make sure that all the targets are met, the candidates should also put in efforts to start their CAT preparation journey as early as possible.
Use the Free time wisely
The most important point that the candidates should understand on how to prepare for CAT 2025 while working is that they should make the complete use of all the available free time that they can muster. During the weekdays, they can start their preparation early in the morning, and in the evenings, they can start their CAT preparation while working after the reaching back home. During weekends or holidays, the candidates should spend at least 5 hours on the CAT preparation. This should ideally be the time when the candidates attend various CAT mock tests, both sectional and complete, solve CAT sample papers, and refer to as many CAT previous year question papers as possible.
Carry CAT Preparation Materials to the Office
One of the CAT 2025 strategies for working professionals is that they carry CAT preparation materials (preferably online)such as important formula sheets, short notes, etc, to the office so that they can refer to those during short breaks. This will help them to retain the concepts and make the most of their available break time.
Analyse Your Performance Deeply
While staying consistent is essential during the candidate’s CAT preparation, assessing their current preparation level is also very important. The candidates can divide their CAT 2025 preparation for working professionals into phases, which involve the various topics of CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude and in the end write a mock test to analyse their preparedness for the CAT exam. Among the CAT 2025 strategy for working professionals, not getting disheartened while making common CAT mistakes is an important one. The candidates should embrace the mistakes that they have made and learn from it so that they do not repeat the same mistakes during the CAT examination.
Stay Consistent
Since there are a lot of possible distractions that may occur during the candidate’s CAT 2025 preparation while working, it is important for the candidates to stay consistent in learning the most important CAT topics. If the candidate is not able to complete a CAT topic on a particular day that they had planned, they must complete the topic on some other day without procrastinating it further. Only through this consistency can it be maintained. This is why the CAT preparation timetable for the working professionals designed by the candidate should be very flexible to adapt the changes as per work and study, and requirements.
Allow Time for Leisure Activities
Balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation can be very tedious and at times can even give the candidates burnout. It is important for the candidates to allocate leisure time in their CAT preparation timetable, such as watching a movie, going out to meet friends or going for a small hike, etc, so that they can complete their preparation comfortably without a lot of stress. This will ensure that the candidates are doing fine both mentally and physically. But the candidates should also be cautious not to spend a lot of their time on leisure activities, such that they start procrastinating their CAT preparation.
CAT Preparation Time Table for Working Professionals
One of the most important CAT 2025 strategies for working professionals is to create a flexible yet achievable CAT preparation schedule which will accommodate all the work and study requirements of the candidates. Careers360 has designed a CAT preparation timetable in 5 months for the candidates. If the candidate is unaware of choosing the right CAT 2025 evening study plan or a complete CAT study plan, they can refer to the table provided below for reference.
Mixed topic sets – Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math
8:00–11:00 PM
Sectional Practice
VARC, DILR, QA on alternate days
Saturday
9:00–11:00 AM
Sectional Mock
Full DILR (40 mins)
11:00–1:00 PM
Sectional Mock
Full QA (40 mins)
2:00–4:00 PM
Sectional Mock
Full VARC (40 mins)
4:00–5:00 PM
Error Log Review
Identify errors and fix gaps
Sunday
9:00–11:00 AM
Sectional Retake
Reattempt weak sections
11:00–1:00 PM
Topic Recap
Focus on low-score topics
2:00–4:00 PM
Speed Practice
Timed QA/DILR drills
4:00–5:00 PM
Weekly Review
Mixed Revision + Notes
Month 5
(Mock Test & Strategy)
Mon–Fri
5:30–7:30 AM
Revision + Weak Areas
Topic-wise recaps, flashcards
8:00–11:00 PM
Mock/Sectional + Review
1 sectional/2 topic mocks per week
Saturday
9:00–12:00 PM
Full-Length CAT Mock
QA + DILR + VARC
2:00–5:00 PM
Mock Analysis
Deep review + score log
Sunday
9:00–12:00 PM
Full-Length CAT Mock
New mock (rotation)
2:00–5:00 PM
Revision/Correction
Error log + concept rework + confidence building
Common Mistakes to Avoid during CAT 2025 Preparation for Working Professionals
There are good chances that the candidates might fall into the trap of falling into common pitfalls that they might face during their CAT preparation while working. Understanding these common CAT mistakes and not repeating them in the examination will give the candidates a better clarity on how to prepare for CAT 2025 while working. A few are listed below.
Procrastination due to work pressure. This is a common issue seen in professionals who take part in the CAT preparation. The candidates should follow a flexible but achievable CAT preparation timetable that could accommodate any necessary changes in the last minute if required. This will help the candidates to cover the concepts that they had left behind as well.
Ignoring mock analysis. Attempting the mock test alone is not sufficient. The candidates should analyse the mock tests and asses their performance as well. This will help them to understand their improvement stage by stage.
Spending too much time on theory without application. While conceptual knowledge is important, the candidates should also prioritise solving as many problems as possible in all the CAT sections. Complete theory questions are asked only rarely in the CAT examination, so spending too much time on theory alone is not advisable.
Unrealistic daily goals that lead to burnout. While creating a CAT timetable, setting impossible goals will only lead to burnout and underachievement. The candidates should initially start with a few topics and then asses how many topics they are able to cover in day vowing to their work commitments. Then, based on it, a further CAT preparation timetable must be devised as per the convenience of the candidates. This is the best approach to balancing work and CAT 2025 preparation.
Amity University-Noida MBA Admissions 2026
Ranked among top 10 B-Schools in India by multiple publications | Top Recruiters-Google, MicKinsey, Amazon, BCG & many more.
For the working professionals who are planning to attempt comprehensive CAT mock tests, Careers360 has designed one for them. This CAT mock test is designed with extensive insights into the candidate’s performance, such as the time taken to solve a question, best and worst performing sections, section-wise analysis and comprehensive answer key.
Seeking practice from the best-rated CAT preparation books is always advisable for the candidates. With the help of extensive research, Careers360 has shortlisted a set of books for the CAT preparation of working professionals. These books will include a lot of practice questions, clear explanations for each topic and expert-crafted solutions for the various CAT previous year question papers. The section-wise best-rated CAT preparation books are listed below.
CAT Section
Book Name
Author Name
Quantittaive Aptitude
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
R.S. Aggarwal
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT
Sarvesh Verma
NCERT Mathematics Books (Class 9–10)
NCERT
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT
Arun Sharma
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT
Arun Sharma
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT
Nishit K. Sinha
A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning
R.S. Aggarwal
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency
Ananta Ashisha
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT
Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
Word Power Made Easy
Norman Lewis
PSC for VA for CAT
Nishit Sinha
High School English Grammar & Composition
Wren & Martin
CAT 2025 Preparation Resources by Careers360
The candidates can download the various CAT preparation resources designed by Careers360 using the links given below.
Q: How important are mock tests and performance analysis in CAT prep for working professionals?
A:
Mock tests alone aren't enough; consistent performance tracking and error analysis are essential for identifying weak areas and building exam-day strategy, especially for those juggling job responsibilities with limited study time.
Q: What are the biggest challenges faced by working aspirants and how can they overcome them?
A:
Limited study hours, mental fatigue, and lack of consistency are common struggles; these can be mitigated by using free time wisely, maintaining flexibility in the study plan, and incorporating short breaks and mindfulness practices.
Q: What are the main sections and topics to cover in CAT 2025 for working candidates?
A:
The CAT syllabus is divided into three core areas: Quantitative Aptitude (covering Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Modern Math), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, with each topic receiving dedicated weekly focus in the prep plan.
Q: How can working professionals manage time effectively for CAT 2025 preparation?
A:
Time management is crucial; professionals should craft a realistic, flexible schedule that includes early morning and late evening study slots, along with focused weekend sessions for mocks and revision, as outlined in the 5-month study plan.
Q: Why should I continue working while preparing for CAT 2025 instead of quitting my job?
A:
Staying employed while preparing for CAT offers several advantages, including gaining weightage during B-school admissions due to work experience, financial independence to afford prep resources, and a crucial backup plan in case the exam doesn't go as expected.
CAT does not restrict eligibility based on stream. Candidates from commerce, arts, science, engineering or any other background can appear for CAT and apply to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.
The basic eligibility criteria for CAT are:
You must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC, ST and PwD categories). Final-year graduation students are also eligible to apply.
Being a commerce graduate can actually be an advantage in areas such as accounting, finance, economics and business studies, especially during MBA coursework in finance, marketing and operations.
After qualifying CAT, admission depends on multiple factors including CAT percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), performance in GD, WAT and personal interview rounds. Many IIMs and B-schools follow a diverse academic background policy, which means non-engineering candidates, including commerce graduates, often receive additional weightage.
Apart from IIMs, several reputed institutes such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and many state and private universities also accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.
So, as a commerce graduate, you are fully eligible to appear for CAT and pursue an MBA, provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and perform well in the selection process.
If you want, I can also help you with realistic CAT percentile targets based on your academic profile or suggest suitable MBA colleges.
With a CAT 2025 raw score of 84 and strong sectionals, your expected percentile may fail in the high 98 range , depending on scaling. Your excellent academics and 2 years of work experience strengthen your profile .IIM Lucknow calls are possible but competitive for EWS engineers , while FMS Delhi looks mainly at CAT score and VARC , so you have a reasonable chance there . Final calls depend on cutoffs and composite score.
For MANAGE Hyderabad MBA , the OBC cutoff in CAT 2024 was generally around 85-90 percentile for shortlist consideration , tough exact figures vary by section and profile . For CAT 2025, if fewer candidates appeared , the cutoff might slightly adjust , but percentile based cutoffs dont change drastically year to year. A minor decrease is possible , but you should still aim for 90+ percentile to be competitive. Factors like VARC, QA-LRDI and overall profile influence the final shortlist.
For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this
article
you'll find more about the CAT result.
Hello,
With a projected CAT percentile of 87% but not clearing sectional cutoffs, your chances at top IIMs are limited because they require both overall percentile and sectional minimums. However, you still have a good shot at other reputed management institutes and non-IIM B-schools. Consider colleges like NMIMS, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes, and other well-ranked private or state-level B-schools that accept CAT scores and weigh your profile holistically. Your academic record, BSc in Animation with 80%, and 5 years of work experience at Ubisoft India are strong points and may help in institutes that value work experience in their selection process. Also, explore institutes that accept XAT, MAT, or CMAT, where your profile can be competitive.
Hope this helps you.
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
A Business Development Executive identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive company growth. They generate leads, build client relationships, develop sales strategies, and analyse market trends. Collaborating with internal teams, they aim to meet sales targets. With experience, they can advance to managerial roles, playing a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and revenue.
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
A Sales Manager leads a sales team to meet targets, formulates strategies, analyses performance, and monitors market trends. They typically hold a degree in management or related fields, with an MBA offering added value. The role often demands over 40 hours a week. Strong leadership, planning, and analytical skills are essential for success in this career.
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
2 Jobs Available
Never miss CAT update
Get timely CAT updates directly to your inbox. Stay informed!
