CAT 2025 Toppers’ Success Strategies: Learn from IIM Students Who Scored 99+ Percentile

CAT 2025 Toppers’ Success Strategies: Learn from IIM Students Who Scored 99+ Percentile

Ongoing Event

CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 20 Sep' 25

Team Careers360Updated on 18 Jun 2025, 10:16 AM IST

CAT IIM Toppers Success Strategies: Cracking the CAT 2025 exaamination is not easy. It requires both smart work and strong perseverance. The CAT exam is attempted by lakhs of candidates, and to come out on top requires a tremendous amount of skills. So, it is necessary for all the candidates who prepare for the CAT 2025 examination to heed the responses of the CAT toppers who are currently pursuing their management degrees from the various prestigious Indian Institutes of Management. While each candidate may have their own CAT preparation plan, it is very beneficial for the candidates to listen to the success stories of the candidates and make slight changes in their CAT preparation plan. The first-hand experience of the CAT toppers will prove to be of great help for the candidates in devising their CAT examination strategy. This article also lets the candidates understand how to crack CAT by the toppers, which is the best way to prepare for the CAT exam, the last-minute CAT preparation tips and many more. The CAT 2025 examination will be conducted tentatively in November 2025.

LiveCAT 2025 Registration LIVE: IIM Kozhikode extends registration till September 20; MBA admission criteriaSep 13, 2025 | 9:43 PM IST

Candidates applying for CAT 2025 should keep their documents, including Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, a valid photo ID, graduation certificate, work experience proof (if applicable), and any other relevant papers, ready as these will be required during the registration process.

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This Story also Contains

  1. CAT Preparation Strategy by Toppers
  2. CAT Preparation Books 2025
  3. CAT 2025 Exam Preparation Materials by Careers360
CAT 2025 Toppers’ Success Strategies: Learn from IIM Students Who Scored 99+ Percentile
CAT Topper Interview

CAT Preparation Strategy by Toppers

For those candidates who are planning to appear for the CAT exam, we have compiled a set of CAT preparation strategies with past years' toppers. Read below for their experiences and suggestions on how to prepare for CAT 2025.

IIM Kozhikode- Tanya Gupta

Tanya Gupta achieved a high CAT percentile of 99.47 in CAT and secured admission to IIM Kozhikode. Tanya, who worked with JP Morgan in the Investment Banking Division before her admission into IIM, aims to become a financial market expert post her management course at IIM K. Tanya shares how she strategically prepared for the CAT exam by practising extensively for all four sections of the IIM CAT question paper.

CAT Topper Strategy: Start preparing for the CAT five months in advance. The strategy is to first solidify the basics for all four sections and then deep-dive into each one of them. Go for an exhaustive numerical practice and individual topic tests for each section.

Sectional tips: For the CAT Quantitative Aptitude section, practice numerals as much as you can. Read newspaper editorials and other online material regularly to help you with grammar and also your reading comprehension ability for the Verbal section.

Exam Day Formula: Divide time judiciously between your strengths and weaknesses. Build theoretical knowledge first, and then move on to extensive practice. Move to write CAT mock tests about 1.5-2 months before the exam, and devote at least 4-5 hours after each test to understanding your weaknesses. Practice more questions to deal with these points. During the CAT exam day, remember to keep calm, a positive frame of mind will always yield better results than a nervous one.

Know : How to Crack CAT: Strategies from Toppers

IIM Indore- Soumik Biswas

Soumik Biswas scored an admirable 99.94 percentile in the CAT examination and secured admission in one of the top B-schools of India- IIM Indore. The ex-IBM India employee shares the right strategy to be followed by the CAT aspirants, which can support them in scoring a high percentile.

Success Mantra: CAT does not require extensive study sessions as long as your basics are strong. The main concern is to develop speed, which automatically comes if you can systematise your CAT mock test. Around 140 minutes per week from your study and work schedule are enough to let individuals focus on IIM CAT preparation and achieve a great CAT score.

Section Wise Strategy: For Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, stress 3 points- speed, technique, and choices. A positive approach and reading all the questions in the stipulated time are very important for answering the questions correctly.

In Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, students can score maximum marks. For this section, the focus should be on increasing reading and vocabulary capabilities.

Exam Day Tip: Time Management is the key. Plan your time perfectly for each section. Winning over time will let you win.

IIM Calcutta- Arijit Kumar Gorai

Arijit Kumar Gorai cracked IIM Calcutta PGDM admissions with his high CAT percentile of 99.87. He had worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining his MBA programme at IIM Calcutta. A strong believer in practice and time management, Arijit shares his success mantra for IIM CAT.

Preparation Strategy: The primary focus should be on accuracy rather than maximising the number of attempts. Analysing the mock exams is a major help and should be meticulously done.

Sectional Tips: If your verbal section is weak, pay extra attention to topics like para-jumbles and CAT Reading Comprehension. Try to increase your speed along with accuracy. Practice reading newspapers or magazines to learn new words.

Exam Day Formula: Time management is very important in the actual CAT question paper. The focus must be on accuracy. Be sure that you spend around 2 minutes on each problem. It is important to let go of problems if you are stuck in a question. Wasting time on one question is a huge disadvantage. It is important to go through all the questions since the last 5 questions of a section might have some really simple problems that are very scoring and should not be missed.

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IIM Udaipur- Sneha Mittal

An Engineering graduate, Sneha Mittal prepared for the IIM CAT while working for Cognizant Technology. She cracked the CAT with 97.91 percentile and got admission to IIM Udaipur. Sneha’s entrepreneurial ambitions motivated her to join an MBA programme.

Key Strategy: Regular study, practice, self-analysis, and adaptability to tricks are the main stakes for preparation. Traditional methods may seem to be easy, but always use the tricks to solve the IIM CAT questions with speed and accuracy. And lastly, practice even before the exam day.

Sectional Plan: Quant & DI: The most important point to keep in mind is to stay calm and focused. While solving the QA & DI section, browse through the entire CAT question paper once. Attempt easier questions first, and do not waste a lot of time solving the difficult ones. This strategy helped me achieve a score of 98.23 percentile in the QA&DI section.

VA & LR: For the VA & LR section, solve the LR questions first. With the VA section, if you don’t know the answer, do not mark anything. This saves you from negative markings and lets you maintain your percentile.

Exam day Tips: IIM CAT is not a difficult exam. The right strategy, paired with a lot of practice, will guarantee you a good percentile in the CAT examination.

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CAT 2025: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages
Comprehensive CAT prep guide with focused practice on Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
Download Now

IIM Rohtak- Gagandeep Singh Pannu

Gagandeep Singh Pannu achieved a high percentile of 99.97 in IIM CAT and secured admission to IIM Rohtak. An Engineer by education, Gagandeep aims to become a financial market expert post his management course at the IIM. He also talks about his Time Management strategy, which led him to crack the CAT with a high percentile despite his hectic work schedule.

Key Advice: One word: Practice. You must practice to your full capacity. At the end of the day, just practice what you have done and learned.

Sectional Strategy: Learn basic Quantitative concepts; self-preparation would suffice. The focus should be more on brushing concepts and later switching to higher-level questions. VA and LR require speed to read and answer correctly. For this section, focus on increasing your reading abilities.

Exam Day Tip: On the day of the exam, first go through the entire questions and then attempt formula-based questions first. Keep a target of 15 Questions in 15 minutes.

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CAT Preparation Books 2025

After deciding the right time to begin CAT 2025 preparation, candidates should start gathering their study materials without delay. There are plenty of resources available, which can make it tricky to pick the ones that suit individual needs best. To make this easier, Careers360 has reviewed and analysed the most important CAT preparation books. The recommended list is given 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 Exam Preparation Materials by Careers360

Careers360 provides a variety of resources to help with CAT 2025 preparation. These include detailed syllabus breakdowns, topic-wise study materials, mock tests, and expert strategy articles. Candidates can check out these resources through the links mentioned below.

eBook Title

Download Links

3000+ Most Important Words - Vocabulary Builder

Download Here

500+ Most Important Idioms and Phrases

Download Here

300+ Most Important Phrasal Verbs

Download Here

Permutation & Combination - Video Lectures and Practice Questions

Download Here

Mastering DILR Questions with Expert Solutions

Download Here

CAT 2025 Exam's High Scoring Chapters and Topics

Download Now

Mastering CAT Exam: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages

Download Now

CAT 2025 Mastery: Chapter-wise MCQs for Success for VARC, DILR, Quant

Download Now

CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers

Download Now

CAT DILR Questions with Solution, Download LRDI Questions for CAT

Download Now

CAT 2025 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Study Material

Download Now


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What do toppers recommend for the final 1-2 months before CAT?
A:

Toppers emphasise switching to full-length mock tests, analysing each one for weak areas, and dedicating 4–5 hours post-mock for review, while maintaining calm and strategic time management on the exam day.

Q: What is the most common CAT preparation approach among IIM toppers?
A:

Most IIM CAT toppers preferred a self-study route supported by regular mock test practice and targeted mentoring, showing that a personalized, disciplined strategy can often outperform traditional coaching.

Q: How much time should I dedicate to CAT preparation if I’m a working professional?
A:

According to toppers like Soumik Biswas and Gagandeep Pannu, even a focused 2-3 hours per day or around 140 minutes per week can lead to a 99+ percentile, provided your basics are strong and mock tests are analysed thoroughly.

Q: How do toppers tackle the different sections of the CAT exam?
A:

Successful candidates suggest mastering Quant through concept revision and intensive practice, handling VARC by reading editorials and improving vocabulary, and approaching DILR with speed-focused puzzle-solving techniques.

Q: Which study materials and books do CAT toppers rely on the most?
A:

 Most toppers build their foundation using NCERT Mathematics (Class 9–10), and then progress to advanced-level books like Arun Sharma’s series for all sections, A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal, and Nishit K. Sinha’s CAT-specific guides to sharpen both conceptual clarity and problem-solving speed.

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Questions related to CAT

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Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello Aspirant,

Since your payment status shows "S" , it means your payment is successful. The "payment unsuccessful" message on the form is likely a temporary system error or a delay in updating.

Do not make another payment.

Making a second payment could cause a double debit, which is difficult to get a refund for. You should:

  1. Wait 24-48 hours for the status to update automatically.

  2. Download and save a copy of your form and a screenshot of the "S" payment status as proof.

  3. Check your bank statement to confirm the money has been debited.

  4. If the issue is not fixed after 48 hours, contact the official CAT helpdesk immediately with your transaction details.

Hello

The CAT 2025 exam is a national-level MBA entrance test for IIMs and top B-schools in India. It will be held on 30th November 2025 in computer-based mode across ~170 cities.
The registration is open from 1st August to 13th September 2025 on iimcat.ac.in .
Admit cards will be available from 5th November 2025 onward.
Graduates with at least 50 marks (45 for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.
The exam tests English, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude in three timed sections.

Yes, you can pursue an MBA at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, through the CAT exam.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Educational Qualification: A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) from a recognized university.

  • Entrance Exam: A valid CAT score is required for admission.

Admission Process:

  1. Application: Register online through the BBAU admission portal.

  2. Entrance Exam: Appear for the CAT exam and obtain a valid score.

  3. Counseling: Shortlisted candidates will be called for counseling based on their CAT scores.

  4. Document Verification: Submit necessary documents for verification.

  5. Fee Payment: Complete the fee payment to confirm admission.

Course Details:

  • Duration: 2 years (full-time).

  • Specializations: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, among others.

Placement Opportunities:
BBAU has a strong placement record, with top companies recruiting MBA graduates.

For more details and to apply, visit the  official BBAU MBA admission page

Hello Amgothu

With 305 marks in ICAR PG and being from ST category, your chances of getting an AIEEA (CAT) seat is good, especially in plant sciences and less competitive subjects