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CAT 2025 Preparation Strategy for College Students: Discover how to prepare for CAT 2025 while in college with a semester-wise study plan, expert tips, recommended books, and time management strategies. Start early and ace the CAT exam without a drop year.The Common Admission Test or the CAT examination is expected to be attended by more than 2 Lakh candidates in 2024. Out of this immense CAT population, a good portion belonged to the percentage of candidates who were still in their last year of college. Preparing for the CAT examination during college is one of the best approaches for the CAT examination, as it could save 1 year of the candidate’s CAT preparation. It may seem that preparing for a management entrance examination like CAT could be challenging for the candidates who are currently enrolled on various degrees in college. Some candidates might feel that managing both CAT preparation along studies might hinder any of the two or both. But in reality, a lot of candidates have successfully cleared the CAT examination while preparing for it during their college days. All it takes is perseverance, smart work, and good CAT time management skills. This article from Careers360 goes into detail about the various CAT 2025 tips for college students and how college students can prepare for CAT 2025.
Preparing for the CAT 2025 examination begins with the proper understanding of the CAT 2025 exam pattern and the CAT syllabus 2025. As per the previous year's CAT question papers and the CAT exam trends, the expected CAT 2025 exam pattern is provided below for the reference of the candidates.
Particulars | CAT Exam Pattern and Syllabus |
CAT exam time duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) & (160 Minutes for PwD) |
Name of the Section | - Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) - Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) - Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
Section-wise CAT exam time duration | - 40 Minutes for Each Section (VARC, DILR, QA) - 53 Minutes 20 Seconds for PwD candidates for each section |
Number of Questions | 68 |
Total Marks | 204 |
Mode of the CAT 2025 exam | Computer-Based Mode (CBT) |
CAT Marking Scheme | - For every right answer, +3 will be awarded - For every wrong answer in MCQs, -1 will be deducted - No negative marks for Non-MCQs |
The candidates should also note that the CAT exam pattern might also change and is completely under the discretion of IIM Kozhikode, the institute which will conduct the CAT 2025 examination.
When it comes to CAT 2025 preparation, a lot of candidates are sceptical about starting the preparation with their college. Some of the major reasons why the candidates do not prefer to attempt the CAT preparation along with their college studies are the difficulty in managing the CAT preparation and academics, time management issues that the candidates might face during assessments and examinations, lack of self-motivation, procrastination and less support from peers. Another reason why the candidates do not wish for CAT preparation during college is the lack of awareness of how college students can prepare for CAT 2025 While the candidates might have justifiable reasons, it should also be taken into account that preparing and acing the CAT examination during college can also be very helpful for the candidates.
Starting CAT preparation during college gives candidates more time to cover the syllabus at a comfortable pace. Instead of rushing through topics, they can focus on understanding the basics and improving steadily over months. One advantage in such cases is that the candidates will be able to take a break from the preparation if they have to concentrate on academics. This can bring a balance for both the candidate’s academics and CAT preparation.
The CAT examination is all about conceptual understanding and not rote memorisation. When the candidates start their CAT preparation during their college days, they will get enough time to prepare for the examination. More time means more time for understanding the topics in depth. Hence, when the candidates begin their CAT preparation from college, they will be able to spend more time on the topics they need to. This will help them build a conceptual foundation in topics such as Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, and Logical Reasoning, which are essential for scoring well in these sections.
If a candidate clears the CAT exam while still in college, they don’t have to take a gap year or prepare again after graduation. This reduces the pressure and uncertainty about what to do next. This is one of the biggest advantages for the candidates who are planning to start their CAT preparation during college. The candidates can also save themselves from taking a drop for the CAT examination. Having clarity on what to do after completing graduation is always beneficial.
CAT is not an easy examination to crack. For some candidates, it might take more than one attempt to crack the CAT examination. So, preparing for the CAT examination after college is also helpful for the candidates, so that even if the first attempt at the CAT examination does not go well for the candidate, they can still attempt the CAT examination again. Appearing for the CAT examination once will give the candidates the necessary exam practice and help them to understand the CAT exam insight, such as the exam pattern, difficulty and sectional CAT preparation tips.
While being in college, the candidates can always use the college resources such as the library and the internet, from where the candidates can get access to CAT preparation books, which, if not, the candidates must purchase, which can be costly, various CAT preparation materials such as ebooks can also be accessed using the internet which can be helpful for the candidates in their CAT preparation journey. Another advantage is that the candidates can also seek advice from their peers and faculty, which will help them to structure their CAT preparation during their college journey in the right direction.
Preparing for the CAT 2025 examination during college is not an easy task. It requires strong time management skills. The candidates should be able to accommodate all the necessary adjustments into their CAT preparation cycle to ensure that the CAT preparation does not hamper the candidates’ academics. It is very important that the candidates always ensure that both their academic and CAT preparation go hand-in-hand. The candidate should prepare for the CAT examination online. Offline classes can be difficult to attend and may also have rigid timings, which may go against the candidate’s college hours. Careers360 has devised a plan for the CAT 2025 prep for college students, which will help the candidates understand how college students can prepare for CAT 2025.
It is ideal for the candidates to begin their CAT preparation from semester five of their 4 year degree course. (For the candidates who are enrolled in 2-year courses, they must start their CAT preparation from the first year or the first semester.) This would give them exactly one year for the CAT preparation. It can be very helpful for the candidates to understand the CAT examination and structure their CAT 2025 preparation. The candidate should begin by understanding the CAT exam pattern, going through the CAT examination syllabus, and going through a few CAT previous year question papers to gain an idea of the difficulty level of the CAT examination. CAT 2025 preparation while in college might seem a bit difficult at this stage, but it can be achieved with consistent efforts. The candidates should ensure that they are practising different CAT questions daily without fail. Around this stage, the candidates should also start reading various materials, such as their subject-related materials. This can be very helpful in preparing for the reading comprehension section of the CAT examination, which constitutes almost 60% of the CAT VARC section. The candidate should also understand the various CAT quantitative aptitude topics and memorise the various CAT quantitative aptitude formulas. The candidate should also attempt a few CAT DILR questions and understand its difficulty.
Now that the basics of the CAT 2025 examination are understood, it is time for the candidates to strengthen their basic knowledge and move ahead with further preparation. The candidates should go through the topics that they had learnt in the 5th semester, but make sure that this time around, they go through the various important CAT topics in detail and apply them while studying. This CAT revision would help the candidates to retain the concepts in case they have forgotten and solidify their subject knowledge. CAT time management and accuracy play a really important role in determining the CAT success of the candidate. Hence, the sem 6 of the candidate’s CAT 2025 preparation while in college must focus on time management and improving the speed of answering. In this sem, the candidates can focus on going through various CAT quant shortcuts, study mental math calculations and go through CAT techniques such as Vedic Maths. This is also an important phase for the candidates to understand their weak areas while going through the second round of CAT revision. The candidates should ensure to work on their weak areas, and this will help them to gradually improve over time. At the end of the 6th semester, the candidates should be able to complete the CAT 2025 syllabus. At fixed intervals, the candidates should ensure that they take sectional mock tests and analyse their preparation levels.
By the 7th semester, students should begin taking sectional tests to get a feel of the actual exam pattern. Both semesters 7 and 8 should be reserved for revision, solidifying the conceptual understanding and going through any topics that require further attention. At this stage, the candidates would become the final year students and will have more time for CAT practice as the number of subjects per semester would be cut down, and eventually, they will be left with only the final year project. One of the essential CAT 2025 tips for college students is that the candidates should make use of the time they have during the semester breaks solely for CAT preparation, as they would not have any academic-related pressures during that time. The 7th semester is absolutely critical for the candidates, as this is the phase when the candidates develop a test-taking strategy, such as deciding question selection, time allocation, and order of sections based on personal comfort and performance. The transition from sectional mock tests to gradual full-length CAT mock tests should also start from this phase.
The 8th semester will be the final semester for the candidates who are appearing for any 4-year course. In most of the universities in India, the final semester will be reserved for minimal subjects and mostly for the course project alone. This would mean that the candidates will have more time for CAT 2025 preparation while in college during the final semester. The candidates should split the time equally between working on their project and preparing for the CAT 2025 examination while in college. They can devote the weekends to unwind, but the weekdays should be invested properly by following the various CAT 2025 strategies for final-year students. In the final semester, students must start attempting full-length mock tests regularly and analyse their performance. This phase should also include revising key concepts, formulae, and shortcuts. The candidates should also try to engage in at least 2 full-length mock tests daily because this would help them to stay focused and be CAT exam day ready. Once the candidate has completed the CAT mock tests and solving of the CAT sample papers, they must then devote time to preparing for CAT GDPI. This should begin with reading the newspapers, going through various static GK topics, etc. Also, the candidates can get in touch with the placement cell of the university and, if possible, arrange CAT mock interviews to gain first-hand experience on how the CAT interviews are going to be conducted.
CAT 2025 preparation for college students can often be challenging without following a proper CAT timetable. It is ideal for the candidates to choose their CAT preparation timetable during their CAT 2025 preparation while in college. If a candidate is unsure about creating one, they can refer to the CAT preparation timetable for college students using the table provided below.
Semester | Preparation Focus | VARC Topics | DILR Topics | QA Topics |
Semester 5 (Start of Prep) | - Understand the CAT syllabus & pattern - Start daily reading habit - Practice basics of all three sections - Begin concept building | - Para-jumbles - Sentence Completion - Inferences - Odd One Out - Sentence Correction - One-word Substitution - Short RC Passages - Para Summary | - Graph types - Table-based DI - Bar & Line Graphs - Pie Charts - Radar Graphs - Scatter & Innovative Graphs | - Percentages - Ratios & Proportions - Averages & Mixtures - Profit & Loss - TSD - SI & CI |
Semester 6 (Concept Strengthening & Revision) | - Strengthen concepts - Focus on time management - Second round of revision - Work on weak areas - Begin sectional mock tests | - RC (Factual) - Para Completion - Syllogism - Analogies - Para-jumbles - Summary-based RC - Tone & Style RC | - Venn Diagrams - Cubes & Dicing - Blood Relations - Binary Logic - Decision Making - Analytical Puzzles | - Time & Work - Partnership - Linear & Quadratic Equations - Inequalities - Functions - Surds & Indices - Logarithms - Sequences & Series |
Semester 7 (Mock Tests & Strategy Building) | - Start full-length mock tests - Finalise test-taking strategy - Identify strong & weak topics - Continue revision & practice | - RC Variety Practice - Para Summary & Inferences - Sentence Correction - RC Timed Practice - VARC Round-up | - Logical Deductions - Selections & Distributions - Linear & Circular Arrangements - Routes & Networks - Games & Tournaments - Caselets - Mixed LR sets | - Factorisation - Maxima & Minima - Coordinate Geometry - Mensuration (2D & 3D) - Square & Cube Roots - Base Systems - Set Theory - P&C - Probability |
Semester 8 (Final Prep & GDPI Readiness) | - Intensive full-length mocks - Final brush-up of all concepts - Time for revision & interview prep - GDPI awareness | - Full VARC Practice Sets - Error Logs Revision - Final Review + Mock Tests | - Mixed DI + Reasoning Sets - Puzzle Practice - Final Brush-up - DI-Reasoning Combo Practice | - Final QA Practice Sets - Arithmetic Revision - Geometry & Algebra Revision - Stats & Mixed Practice |
Since the candidates are often engulfed with a lot of responsibilities and other commitments during their CAT 2025 preparation while in college, there is always a chance that the CAT preparation of the candidates might be hindered. Procrastination is seen to be the biggest challenge for candidates and their CAT preparation in college. It is vital for the candidates to break this shell and be focused on their CAT 2025 preparation. Some of the effective CAT 2025 tips for college students are provided below for the reference of the CAT 2025 aspirants.
The candidates should start as early as possible to make sure that they have enough time for both their CAT 2025 preparation as well as academics.
The candidates should make wise use of breaks and holidays to prepare for the CAT examination. The college hours should be used only for studies.
The candidates must read newspapers, editorials, and magazines daily to improve Reading Comprehension and vocabulary.
The initial semesters should be given for understanding the basics only. The candidates should build a strong foundation in Quant, VARC, and LRDI before moving further.
Once the candidates have mastered various topics, sectional mock tests must be taken to asses their preparation levels.
From the seventh semester, the candidates should emphasise taking part in full-length mock tests, as they should have ideally completed the CAT 2025 syllabus by then.
The candidates should also create a weekly or monthly plan that incorporates both the studies and CAT preparation. It should also be flexible enough to accommodate any sudden changes.
One of the most important CAT 2025 tips for college students is that the candidates should stay consistent throughout their preparation timetable. This would help them to stay ahead of the curve, and eventually, 1-2 hours of daily practice would make a lot of difference in the end.
Choosing the right CAT preparation books is one of the most important CAT 2025 strategy for final-year students. Since the candidates will have free access to the library of their college, it will be easy for them to access the best CAT books. Borrowing these important CAT books and preparing for the CAT examination forms an essential part of the candidate’s CAT 2025 preparation while in college. Careers360 has shortlisted a set of books for enhancing the candidate’s CAT 2025 preparation while in college. The list is provided 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 |
How college students can prepare for CAT 2025? The answer is with the help of efficient CAT preparation resources. Careers360 has a lot of CAT preparation materials in store for the candidates who are preparing for CAT 2025 from colleges. A few of the selected CAT preparation materials from Careers360 are listed below.
eBook Title | Download Links |
3000+ Most Important Words - Vocabulary Builder | |
500+ Most Important Idioms and Phrases | |
300+ Most Important Phrasal Verbs | |
Permutation & Combination - Video Lectures and Practice Questions | |
Mastering DILR Questions with Expert Solutions | |
CAT 2025 Exam's High Scoring Chapters and Topics | |
Mastering CAT Exam: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages | |
CAT 2025 Mastery: Chapter-wise MCQs for Success for VARC, DILR, Quant | |
CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers | |
CAT DILR Questions with Solution, Download LRDI Questions for CAT | |
CAT 2025 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Study Material |
Yes, college is an excellent time to start CAT prep as it allows a gradual understanding of key areas like Quantitative Aptitude, VARC, and DILR, while building time management skills without the added pressure of post-graduation uncertainty.
The syllabus is divided into VARC (with topics like RC, para-jumbles, and sentence correction), DILR (covering puzzles, charts, and arrangements), and QA (including arithmetic, algebra, and geometry), with each section allotted 40 minutes in the 2-hour test.
Students are advised to start in their 5th semester, progressing from understanding basics to mastering concepts, taking sectional and full-length mocks by the 7th and 8th semesters to build a strong test strategy.
They should begin with 1-2 hours daily, use semester breaks effectively, and follow a flexible plan that includes reading, regular practice, and mock tests without neglecting academic performance.
Hello aspirant,
The question papers for CAT MGU University can be found on their official website, or you can also visit careers360 website for the same.
The link of which, I am attaching here,
https://university.careers360.com/articles/mgu-cat-2025
Regards
Hello Anshuman!!!
You have gotten 86% in 10th, which is a good score. 70% in graduation is not the best but decent. But the main problem is your 12th score which is 62%.
You would be already aware that the Top IIMs (BLACKI) give a big emphasis on your academic score. Let me tell you one example of IIM Ahmedabad,
According to a research i read a few days ago, in IIM Ahmedabad,
70.8%
of students has 90+ percent in 12th,
25.8%
has 80-90 percent and around
3.8%
has less than 80% with the bracket of 60-69 having only
0.26%
students of the total batch. Nearly same is the case of the other top IIMs like IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore.
Statistically, getting into these TOP IIMs is possible with 62% in 12th is possible (0.26% has done it) but practically you cannot get into these TOP IIMs unless you top the CAT exam.
See, I don't wish to dishearten or demotivate you but I wish to tell you the truth. Although the probability of you getting into these TOP IIMs is very less, but trying is better than doing nothing. You have a good score in 10th which will certainly help you. The least you could do is try your best.
My advice would be that you should not focus on these things like "Will I get top IIM" or negative talk like " I got low marks I won't qualify" etc.
The main focus should be on your preparation.
Give 100% in your preparation because that's the only thing in your hand. You can't change your 10th/12th/Graduation scores but you can put some more effort in your preparation which would certainly help to get better percentile.
Keep working hard and give your best. You might surprise yourself!!! And if not BLACKI, there are many other good colleges like FMS, MDI, newer IIMs etc.
Hello,
Yes, with a 622 rank in IPU CET for MBA and being a Delhi candidate, you have a good chance of getting admission in MAIT (Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology).
You don’t need to worry about not giving the CAT exam. IPU CET rank is enough for admission in MAIT under the CET quota.
Just make sure to keep MAIT high in your preference list during counselling.
Hope it helps !
Hello,
A NEET 2025 score of 333 marks, an All India Rank (AIR) near 3,56,000, and belonging to the SC category from Andhra Pradesh suggest a fair possibility of obtaining an MBBS seat within the state quota, especially in private medical colleges under Category A (government quota seats in private institutions).
In Andhra Pradesh, SC category cut-offs for Category A seats in private institutions generally vary from 320 to 370, influenced by the college and the counselling round. Government medical colleges tend to be more competitive, with the SC cut-off for MBBS frequently rising, often exceeding 400 marks.
Although obtaining a government MBBS seat is improbable, you stand a feasible opportunity in private medical colleges within A category (which offer lower tuition than B and C categories). In Round 2 or the Mop-Up round, you can anticipate improved opportunities, since cut-offs generally decrease when other students move to superior colleges or vacate seats.
Colleges such as NRI Medical College (Guntur), Katuri Medical College (Guntur), Great Eastern Medical School (Srikakulam), Alluri Sitarama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences (Eluru), and Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences (Kadapa) are among those where seats could become available for SC students in subsequent rounds under Category A.
Hope this helps. All the best!
Yes, candidates who qualify in CUSAT CAT can gain admission to various participating institutes based on their rank. These include engineering colleges associated with CUSAT, such as its own School of Engineering in Kochi, Model Engineering College, and over 20 government and private engineering colleges across Kerala like College of Engineering Thrikkaripur, Co-operative Institute of Technology Vadakara, and MG College of Engineering Thiruvallam. The final seat allotment is based on your rank and your choice of program during the counselling process.
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