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The Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of India’s most competitive MBA entrance exams, designed to assess a candidate’s aptitude for top management programmes. While it has a reputation for being challenging, thousands of aspirants crack it every year with the right preparation plan. Success in CAT requires more than just hard work; it demands smart strategies, speed, and precision. In this article, we share proven CAT preparation tricks and tips for Quantitative Aptitude, DILR, and VARC. It is inspired by strategies used by past CAT toppers to maximise accuracy and achieve exceptional percentiles.
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Only 1 or 2% of the CAT aspirants achieve this milestone with the right preparation strategy, consistency, and exam-day execution. It requires mastering high-weightage topics in Quantitative Aptitude, VARC, and DILR, while balancing speed and accuracy. Regular mock tests, detailed performance analysis, and focused improvement on weak areas are essential. Time management plays a critical role, as does staying calm under pressure. With disciplined study, targeted practice, and a strategic approach, aspirants can significantly boost their chances of securing a 99 percentile and admission to top IIMs and B-schools. CAT-2025 is very near, and to achieve 99 percentile, you need to brush up all the basic concepts, all the related formulas, tips, and tricks.
The quant is often the most challenging section for the CAT aspirants. Also, this section has the largest number of questions. Let us see what past toppers have to say about acing this section.
Soumyajeet Ghosh, a CAT topper, emphasizes the importance of practice. He says, "This requires a lot of consistent practice. Speed is very important for it, and candidates can improve their speed by practising more and more. One should adopt all small and simple tactics to increase their practice and reduce their errors.”
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Rahul Gupta, another topper, says, "I was not good at Quant. But practicing with the CAT mock test, I eventually got better and had a strong grasp on this section. And I scored better in this section."
Shikhar Mathur, 99.68 percentiler, says – one should note down the weak areas in each topic (say it’s Permutations and Combinations, or DI) after two to three tests. Pinpoint the errors made and also what kind of errors they were. Sometimes, many errors in the same topic are because of a pre-held mental fallacy that will be cleared after one reading, but sometimes it’s a conceptual roadblock.
Ankit Desai got 99.91 percentile in CAT, he shared his experience handling the Quant section and said, "I was weak in Geometry and Numbers. So, first, I revised all the formulas and wrote them down. After that, I solved around 50 more questions on these topics to understand the concepts better."
1. Improve speed through more practice.
2. A strong foundation is required.
3. Practice mock tests.
4. Revised formulas regularly.
5. Make an error log through mocks and regularly update it.
Check out the complete CAT Toppers List here
Candidates can utilise these Quant preparation tips for the CAT 2025 exam and achieve the aim of scoring well in this section.
Practising MCQs from the CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus is crucial for mastering concepts and improving speed. The most important MCQs that we have decided by analyzing previous years' CAT question papers are listed below:
Selecting the right study material is essential for effective CAT 2025 preparation. For Quantitative Aptitude, opt for books that provide a strong conceptual foundation, ample solved examples, and graded practice exercises. For Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR), choose resources that focus on analytical thinking, data sets, and time-based problem solving. For VARC, pick books that enhance vocabulary, grammar, comprehension skills, and critical reasoning through targeted practice and mock tests
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Book Title |
Authors/Publisher Name |
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Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT |
Sarvesh Verma |
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Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension |
Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay |
|
Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
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High School English Grammar and Composition |
Wren and Martin |
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How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Arun Sharma |
|
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Gautam Puri |
|
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT |
Nishit K. Sinha |
|
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT |
Arun Sharma |
|
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency |
Ananta Ashisha |
|
The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Nishit K. Sinha |
|
CAT 2025 Solved Papers |
Arihant Experts |
The Data Interpretation (DI) and Logical Reasoning (LR) section in the CAT exam is there to test your decision–making ability within the given time. To ace this section, 99 percentiler Kumar advises, “You must bound your time for solving the questions of this section. I did not give more than 8 minutes to any puzzle questions, irrespective of the fact that I got stuck in some questions that seemed to be easier."
CAT 100 Percentiler Rahul Gupta shares his DI & LR preparation strategy. He quoted - "I used to practice many questions from particular topics and focused a lot on them while taking the mock test."
1. Do not spend much time on a particular question, whether it is easy, moderate, or difficult.
2. One should spend some minutes at the start of the test to categorize the questions as easy, moderate, and difficult.
3. Aspirants should spend most of their time on the analysis of mock tests, as it will lead them to land at any management school of their choice.
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The VARC sections may prove to be the easiest section to improve the sectional and overall score, says CAT topper Madhur Gupta. Further, while sharing his preparation strategy, he says – “this was not the area I was good at and consequently, I landed up in a conundrum about how I should deal with this section. Then I decided to look for some simple tactics to ace this section. I adopted the strategy of eliminating the wrong options to help me decide on the right one. This helped me later.”
99 percentiler in CAT, Naman Singhal, while sharing his preparation tips, stated that he solved RCs and Para jumbles as much as he could during his preparation for CAT and used them to analyse the VARC section after taking mock tests. He used to practice the questions of Verbal Ability (VA) and Reading Comprehension (RC) from the modules of different coaching institutions.
Topper Mayank Raj, while sharing his strategy, says, “I faced major challenges in this section. So, to improve my verbal ability, I started reading newspapers, novels, etc. This helped me increase my reading speed and also develop an understanding of the passages I was reading”.
CAT topper, Lakshya Kumar, shares his experience of the VARC section with us, quoted “My approach was building up my reading speed and that was achieved by reading newspapers daily, as it contains articles from various fields of life, ranging from psychology to biology, which is similar to the Reading Comprehension section of CAT. The verbal ability section was a tough nut to crack for me, but thinking about the question from an examiner's perspective and allocating it a greater percentage of time during the actual exam (feasible due to fast reading pace) did help me a lot.
1. Use the method of elimination of wrong options.
2. Read newspapers to build vocabulary, to understand the use of adjectives, idioms, and phrases etc.
3. Analyzing mock tests.
In the final days before the CAT 2025 exam, focus on consolidating your preparation rather than learning new concepts. The key points for last-minute preparation are listed here:
1. Revise Key Concepts: Quickly review important formulas, concepts, and shortcuts for Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, and Verbal Ability. Focus on areas where you feel less confident.
2. Practice Mock Tests: Take a few full-length mock tests to gauge your readiness and practice time management. Analyze your performance to identify and correct any remaining weaknesses.
3. Focus on Accuracy: Prioritize accuracy over attempting too many questions. Avoid making random guesses and focus on solving questions you are confident about.
3. Review Mistakes: Go over previous mock test errors and ensure you understand where you went wrong. Avoid repeating these mistakes in the actual exam.
4. Stay Calm and Confident: Maintain a positive mindset and avoid last-minute stress. Practice relaxation techniques to stay calm and focused during the exam.
5. Plan Your Exam Day: Ensure you know the exam location, required documents, and exam time. Plan your journey and get everything ready a day before to avoid any last-minute hassles.
6. Healthy Routine: Get adequate rest, eat a balanced meal, and stay hydrated. Avoid cramming late into the night and ensure you get a good night’s sleep before the exam.
Many CAT aspirants lose valuable marks due to common yet avoidable mistakes during the exam. Here is a list of common mistakes that should be avoided during the CAT exam to boost your percentile in CAT-2025.
Mistake 1: Spending Excessive Time on a Single Question
Many candidates get stuck on tricky problems, wasting valuable minutes. Since CAT is time-bound, it’s important to quickly decide whether to attempt or skip a question.
Mistake 2: Neglecting Easy Questions
In a rush to solve difficult problems, test-takers sometimes skip or overlook easier ones. This results in lost marks that could have been scored quickly. Scanning the paper first to spot low-hanging fruit is a smart approach.
Mistake 3: Poor Time Management
Attempting questions without a section-wise time allocation can lead to incomplete sections. Allocate fixed time blocks for Quantitative Aptitude, VARC, and DILR, and stick to them strictly to maximise attempts in all areas.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Negative Marking
Random guessing often leads to a drop in percentile due to CAT’s negative marking scheme. Only attempt questions when reasonably confident in the answer to avoid unnecessary penalty.
Mistake 5: Not Practicing Under Exam Conditions
Practising without time limits or in a distraction-free environment fails to replicate the actual exam stress. Simulating real CAT conditions through timed mocks helps build mental endurance and adaptability.
Mistake 6: Failing to Review Mistakes
Many aspirants take mocks but don’t analyse them thoroughly. Reviewing incorrect and skipped questions helps identify conceptual gaps and recurring errors, which can then be corrected before the final exam.
CAT 2025 eBooks by Careers360 offer comprehensive preparation resources for MBA aspirants aiming for top scores. These expertly curated eBooks cover the entire CAT syllabus, including Quantitative Aptitude, VARC, and DILR, with detailed concepts, solved examples, and practice questions.
|
Book Title |
Download Link |
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CAT 2024 Mastery: Chapter-wise MCQs for Success for VARC, DILR, Quant | |
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Mastering CAT Exam: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages | |
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CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers PDF | |
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CAT DILR Questions with Solutions | |
|
CAT VARC Study Material |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
CAT is one of the most competitive exams in India. This exam aims to check the candidate's level of intelligence and perseverance. To get 99.5 in CAT candidate must start their preparation well before 7-8 months of the exam. Dedicated study material, strict timetable and consistent practice are the main key points to get 99.5 in CAT.
You can get better at CAT quant by understanding the basic concepts behind the questions and by regular practice. To get success in CAT you have to do consistent practice. You should dedicatedly solve the practice questions and take mock tests daily. Daily practice helps in the improvement of both accuracy and speed. You should pay special attention to your weaker areas.
To prepare well and to score the highest percentile candidates need at least 7-8 months for CAT syllabus preparation. It is one of the most challenging entrance exams in India. You can get 99 percentile in CAT with focused preparation. Rest it all depends on the candidate's efforts, skill level, dedication and other factors.
Nothing can be impossible. The only thing to do to score 99 percentile is to do hard work, consistent practice, practice mock tests, and previous year's papers.
On Question asked by student community
Hi there,
You have to apply separately for each symbiosis college, like SIBM Pune, as they as not automatically included. The CAT form automatically includes many IIMs, but the SNAP exam is a separate test that is given for admission to Symbiosis Institute, which requires its own separate application and fee.
Hope it helps!!!
Toppers usually study 3–6 focused hours a day, but it’s not just about time — it’s about smart preparation and consistency. Focus on quality practice, regular mocks, and targeted revision.
Check this complete guide to learn how toppers plan their day and reach 99 percentile: Read Now
Hello,
To get admitted to the Institute of Management Studies (IMS), BHU, for an MBA in 2026, you must clear the CAT entrance exam. For that you need to fill out the application form of the CAT in August 2026, which you can get on the Official CAT website
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hello
You can get all the papers on the Careers360 website. To access the paper and download it for practice, just visit here:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-cat-2024-question-paper-with-solutions
Hope it will help you!!
Hello dear candidate,
Yes, you have a very good chance of getting a BPT seat with 488 out of 600 and TS EAMCET rank of 14,000 under the ST category.
As the cut off of BPT for ST category students are generally between 25,000 to 45,000 ranks, depending upon the college and you have TS EAMCET rank of 14,000.
Thank you.
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