CAT Strategies from Toppers: Scoring 99+ percentile in CAT is not merely about studying for long hours; it’s about combining relentless hard work with smart, adaptive strategies. With over 2.9 lakh aspirants competing for a few thousand seats at the IIMs and other top B-schools, CAT 2025 preparation must be rigorous, personalised, and meticulously planned. Every aspirant has unique strengths, learning speeds, and time constraints, so a common approach rarely works for CAT 2025. Instead, aspirants must craft a strategy tailored to their profile, balancing concept clarity, recommended books, mock test analysis, and time management.
This Story also Contains
- CAT 2025 Preparation Strategies by Toppers: Overview
- CAT 2025 Strategies from Toppers for VARC
- CAT 2025 Preparation Strategies from Toppers for Quantitative Ability
- CAT 2025 Strategies from Toppers for DI and LR
- Topper’s Tips for Cracking CAT 2025 in 1st Attempt
- Ebooks for CAT 2025 Preparations
How to Crack CAT 2025: Strategies from toppers
Understanding the CAT Exam Pattern
The CAT exam pattern consists of three main sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The exam is conducted online and typically has 68 questions. The total duration is 2 hours. Questions are a mix of multiple-choice and non-multiple-choice types.
Creating a Study Plan
Creating a study plan for CAT involves a few key steps:
Understand the Syllabus: Know the topics covered in each section: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation andLogical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses: Identify which areas you're good at and which ones need more work.
Set Realistic Goals: Break down your preparation into weekly or monthly goals, focusing on covering all topics.
Create a Schedule: Allocate specific times each day for studying different sections. Make sure to include time for revision and practice tests.
Practice Regularly: Solve previous years' question papers and take mock tests to get used to the exam pattern and improve your speed and accuracy.
Review and Revise: Regularly review what you've learned and revise important concepts and formulas.
Stay Consistent: Stick to your schedule and make studying a daily habit.
Take Care of Yourself: Ensure you get enough rest, eat well, and take breaks to avoid burnout.
Section-wise Preparation Strategy
To prepare well for the CAT 2025 exam, follow unique tactics for each section. Make it a practice to read various sources, such as books and newspapers, to increase your vocabulary and comprehension. To improve your Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) skills, start with the basics and practice different sorts of questions regularly to increase your speed. To maintain speed and accuracy in Quantitative Ability (QA), ensure you have a good understanding of basic arithmetic principles, apply shortcut approaches, and tackle varied problems daily. Following these concentrated techniques will improve your performance in all sections of the CAT exam.
1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC):
Develop a Reading Habit: Regularly read newspapers, magazines, and books to enhance your comprehension skills. Exploring different genres can broaden your understanding.
Build Your Vocabulary: Make a habit of learning new words and understanding their usage to improve your performance in this section.
Practice Reading Comprehension: Daily practice with reading comprehension passages and summarizing them can boost your speed and accuracy.
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR):
Master the concepts: Make sure you understand the concepts of logical reasoning and data interpretation methodologies.
Practice frequently: Solve multiple DILR tasks regularly to spot trends and improve your problem-solving skills.
Take mock exams: Taking mock examinations regularly allows you to simulate exam conditions and identify your weak points for targeted improvement.
3. Quantitative Ability (QA)
Build a Strong Foundation: Focus on mastering basic mathematical concepts, including algebra, geometry, and arithmetic.
Learn Shortcut Techniques: Practice shortcut methods and formulas to solve problems quickly and accurately.
Daily Practice: Solve a variety of quantitative problems every day to keep up your speed and precision.
CAT 2025 Preparation Strategies by Toppers: Overview
It is not easy to appear for and pass the CAT exam. CAT preparation requires an immense amount of effort and commitment. There are certain commonalities among toppers' strategies, such as their constant attention to critical subjects. In every section, each CAT topper has a unique viewpoint. For example, most high scorers state that "Even a non-reader can score well in Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section" while discussing VARC sections. In addition to this approach, they follow an organised study schedule and routinely administer CAT practice exams to evaluate their readiness and performance.
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CAT 2025 Strategies from Toppers for VARC
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) is all about understanding the text and comprehending the ideas that the author or writer wants to convey. Usually, the reading comprehension section consists of a total of 4-5 passages with approximately 300 to 400 words and each passage will consist of a minimum of five questions. Read the following tips from CAT toppers on how to prepare for the CAT VARC section.
Ravi Prinshu - On asking for VARC preparation strategy Ravi says- “I used to read a lot of novels and while preparing for VARC, I used to just give the mock tests. To ensure that I could answer the question with ease, again I used to practice a lot of CAT mock test”
Ashish Sen - For VARC preparation, Ashish added “This was the section that troubled me a lot in mocks and I put a lot of effort into it. I used to read articles daily from sites such as aeon (aeon.co) and aldaily(aldaily.com). Along with that, I used to solve at least 3 RC Passages daily. Consistent practice improved my performance in this section considerably."
Shivam Chandak - On the other hand, Shivam Chandak says, "My VA was weak, so I had to really work for it, like a lot of reading but was not pretty consistent with it, which got me really scared. I knew I wasn’t good at VARC. So in the first few CAT mock tests, I tried to understand the questions I could solve correctly in the section. This is where analysing the mocks comes to the rescue. Once I understood that I wasn’t comfortable with inference-based questions and para jumbles, I started practising more RCs and more para jumbles daily. Also, I started reading an article or two daily for one month to increase my reading speed."
Recommended Books for CAT 2025 VARC Section by Toppers
Books Name | Author |
Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
Mastering the Verbal Ability for CAT | Ajay Singh |
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT | Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay |
CAT 2025 Preparation Strategies from Toppers for Quantitative Ability
While preparing for the Quantitative Ability section one should focus on their mathematical skills, numerical ability as well as problem-solving skill. Most of the questions asked in the QA section are related to elementary mathematics. As per experts, those who have good command over fundamental concepts can easily ace this section.
CAT topper, Ashish shares his CAT Quantitative Ability preparation tips. He says “I first focused on strengthening my concepts in all the topics asked in CAT, for this I completed the entire module provided by TIME, after which I was pretty confident about my Quantitative section."
CAT topper, Ravi Prinshu also shares his QA preparation tips. He quoted “I searched Facebook groups from where I could get to know about the formulae and their short cut and I could execute them while solving the questions. For Quantitative ability, I used to give four to five hours in a week. After every CAT mock test, I used to analyse the questions and see where I had made a mistake and work accordingly and ensure that i fix my mistakes at the earliest."
The Quantitative Ability section is considered as the most challenging section for all CAT aspirants. Aditya Devalla (CAT topper) shares his QA preparation journey and says, “For Quantitative Aptitude, I made the short notes of all the important concepts of quantitative aptitude. I managed my time for each section equally. I appeared in sectional and overall tests every week to know my performance. Also, it is very important to go through your wrong answers, this is what I used to do after all tests.”
Best Books for CAT Quantitative Ability - Recommended by Toppers
Book name | Author |
How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Arun Sharma |
Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Nishit K. Sinha |
CAT 2025 Strategies from Toppers for DI and LR
To attain a high sectional and total score on the DILR exam, applicants must follow an effective preparation plan throughout. Following the QA section, the most difficult section in the CAT syllabus 2025 is Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Consistent and intense preparation can give you an advantage in the DILR section. In the DILR section, evaluate the toppers' techniques and advice.
For Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Shivam Kumar (CAT 2020 topper) says “For DILR, I religiously solved all the sets which were there in the mocks. I maintained a list that detailed my analysis of all types of sets. It helped me in categorising the sets into easy, medium, and tough buckets."
Aditya Devalla also shares his preparation strategy for DILR section. He quotes “ For DILR, I practised a lot. The more you practice the better you will be. The practice helped me to attain accuracy in the CAT exam. I would further move on to the last minutes, I would just solve the questions which could be solved with either specific data or less data and eventually would end up doing 4-5 complete sets and around 2 partial. Even on the D-day, I attempted 6 complete sets and 2 sets partially. DILR is more about accuracy than speed. On the exam day, I found the Quantitative section easy and I can say I solved easily. The DILR section was definitely the toughest this year. It was not easy to answer the questions in one go. Meanwhile, Data interpretation and logical reasoning questions were on moderate level, you can answer if you practiced and appeared for CAT mock tests."
Best Books for CAT DILR Recommended by Toppers
Book name | Author |
How to prepare for Data Interpretation for the CAT | Arun Sharma |
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit K. Sinha |
Topper’s Tips for Cracking CAT 2025 in 1st Attempt
Cracking CAT 2025 in your first attempt demands a disciplined, data-driven approach. Top scorers emphasise the importance of early preparation, strategic mock testing, and mental resilience. Their insights offer a roadmap for aspirants aiming for excellence. Know about the toppers tips for cracking CAT 2025 in 1st attempt:
Initiate Early with a Structured Plan
Begin preparation 8 to 12 months prior. Make a clear roadmap, focusing on fundamentals before advancing to complex topics. Regularly assess progress through mock tests.
Conceptual Clarity
Master core concepts in Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability, and Logical Reasoning. You can also engage in daily practice and revision to get better clarity over different types of questions.
Two-Round Attempt Strategy
In the exam, first attempt questions that are simple and consume less time. In the second round, address more challenging questions, ensuring time management is optimised.
Leverage Mock Tests
Regularly take full CAT mock tests or sectional tests. This helps to identify errors and also refine strategies. You must attempt at least 5 to 6 mock tests weekly to get a clear understanding of your preparation.
Prioritise Time Management and Accuracy
Allocate 2–3 minutes per question during practice sessions. Maintain a balance between speed and accuracy to maximise scores.
Maintain Mental Equilibrium and Physical Health
Add relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga into your routine. Ensure adequate sleep and maintain a balanced diet to keep your mind and body in optimal condition for preparation.
Ebooks for CAT 2025 Preparations
Ebooks for CAT 2025 preparations contain section wise study material for Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. They include solved examples, high-scoring chapters and topics designed specifically to match the actual CAT exam pattern 2025.
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 |
CAT 2025 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Study Material | Download Now |
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 |
