Are you worried about ‘How to Prepare for CAT 2025 in 6 Months?’ Don’t Worry, get ready to start preparation for the CAT 2025 Exam with the detailed CAT Preparation Plan outlined in the blog below.
The Common Admission Test 2025 is expected to be conducted on 30th November 2025. It is a national-level management entrance exam for admission into the prestigious IIMs and other B-schools in India. The CAT 2025 Exam Pattern includes three sections namely, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). CAT 2025 is expected to have around 68 questions with a total duration of two hours. Each correct answer carries +3 marks, and for every incorrect answer, 1 mark is deducted (only for MCQs).
To crack CAT 2025 in 6 months, candidates need a structured plan. The CAT preparation must include foundation building, regular practice, mock tests, and analysis. It is important to refer to top-rated books for preparation and follow proven strategies shared by previous year CAT Toppers. Some of the top scorers include Vagish Nangia, Mani Praneeth, Vedant Chandewar, Sarthak Jaiswal, Kartik Bhageria, Riddhi Dugar, Rounak Tikmani, and Nisakar Kumar. Continue reading this blog to know How to Prepare for CAT 2025 in 6 Months in detail.
How to Prepare for CAT 2025 in 6 Months?
Preparing for CAT 2025 in six months is definitely achievable with a well-structured study plan. The key is to break down the CAT preparation into different phases like foundation building, practice and application, and finally, mock tests and revision. Start by understanding the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the CAT 2025 Syllabus.
If candidates have appeared for the CAT Exam 2025 before, rectify previous mistakes and improve in weak areas for improvement. For first-time test-takers, begin by understanding the CAT Syllabus and Topics properly. Next, aim to complete the core syllabus by September 2025, ensuring all foundational topics are clear and understood. Check out the following outlined section for CAT Monthly Preparation in 6 months.
CAT 2025 Preparation in 1st & 2nd Month (June-July): Foundation Building
Aspirants should start preparing for the CAT 2025 from the month of June 2025. For the first two months (June & July 2025), candidates should follow the below tips-
- Firstly, understand the CAT Syllabus and CAT 2025 Exam Pattern thoroughly.
- Candidates are advised to invest time in clearing the fundamental concepts in QA, DILR, and VARC.
- Identify the weak areas early on and spend more time on them.
- If candidates are new to competitive exams, revisit basic mathematics from Class 9 and 10.
- Start using recommended CAT books and online resources.
CAT 2025 Preparation in 3rd & 4th Month (August-September): Practice and Application
After the first two months, aspirants should follow the below plan for CAT 2025 Preparation in the month of August & September 2025. The plan is as given below-
- Once the core is strong, aspirants should shift their focus to solve previous year question papers of CAT exam.
- Practice problems of varying difficulty levels to improve both speed and accuracy.
- Concentrate on applying the concepts you've learned to solve problems efficiently.
- Incorporate time-bound practice sessions to simulate exam conditions.
- Regularly solve topic-wise and sectional tests to clear the core concepts on a regular basis.
- Make it a routine to solve 2-3 DILR sets and practice VARC exercises like para jumbles and RC passages daily.
CAT 2025 Preparation in 5th & 6th Month (October-November): Mock Tests and Revision
In the last month of CAT 2025 Preparation, aspirants should focus on revising from short notes, taking mock tests, etc. Preparation plan for October and November 2025 are as given below-
- Start taking full-length mock tests early in the months of October to November 2025.
- Analyze your performance in each mock to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses.
- Dedicate significant time on working on the weak areas from CAT Mock Analysis.
- Aim for at least 30 full-length mocks and 50-60 sectional tests.
- In the final few weeks before the CAT 2025 Exam, prioritize thorough revision of important concepts and formulas.
- Maintain a positive attitude and stay motivated throughout the CAT 2025 Preparation Period.
CAT 2025 Section-Wise Preparation Strategy
The CAT 2025 Syllabus is divided into three crucial sections namely, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Each section requires a unique plan of preparation. It's common to find one section more challenging than others, so it's advisable to dedicate more time to the weak areas. For instance,
- In VARC, daily reading from newspapers and journals is important, along with dedicated practice for Reading Comprehension passages and verbal ability questions.
- For DILR, consistent practice with a variety of sets involving different graph types and logical scenarios is important.
- In QA, a strong grasp of fundamental mathematical concepts across Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry, followed by extensive problem-solving, is important.
Check out the following table for a detailed section-wise preparation strategy for CAT 2025 Entrance Exam.
Sections | Strategy |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
|
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
|
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
|
Check CAT 2025 Exam Pattern
CAT 2025 Preparation Time Table for 6 Months
Candidates should start the CAT Preparation with planning a generic study routine. This routine should be flexible enough to clear core concepts, analyse personal strengths and weaknesses. The main purpose of the CAT 2025 Time Table for Preparation should be to allocate dedicated slots for each section, along with time for revision and mock test analysis.
Nevertheless, consistency is more important than long, infrequent study sessions. Remember to include short breaks to avoid burnout and maintain focus during the CAT 2025 Preparation. Adjust the time allocated to each section based on your proficiency. For example, if QA is your weak area, dedicate more hours to it. Check out the table below for the CAT 2025 Preparation Time Table for 6 Months.
Time Slot | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
Morning (2-3 hours) | VARC (RC Passages & Vocabulary) | QA (Arithmetic) | DILR (DI Sets) | VARC (Para Jumbles & VA) | QA (Algebra) | Full-Length Mock Test | Revision of Weak Areas / Light Study |
Afternoon (1-2 hours) | QA (Geometry) | DILR (LR Sets) | VARC (Grammar & Sentence Correction) | QA (Number System) | DILR (Mixed Sets) | Mock Test Analysis | Current Affairs / Light Reading |
Evening (1-2 hours) | Topic-wise tests (VARC) | Topic-wise tests (QA) | Topic-wise tests (DILR) | Revision of daily topics | Sectional Tests (any section) | Practice previously missed questions | Rest & Relaxation |
Best Books for CAT 2025 Preparation
Choosing the right books is very important for CAT 2025 Preparation. There are many resources available online and offline. Highly recommended and popular books explain the CAT 2025 Syllabus Topics clearly. They also have many practice questions, previous year questions, leveling from easy to hard levels. Candidates can also use online videos, coaching materials, and student groups along with these books. Below is a list of the most recommended books and their authors for CAT 2025 preparation.
CAT Books | Name of the Author |
CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | Gautam Puri |
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit K. Sinha |
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency | Ananta Ashisha |
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma |
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay/Arihant |
30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary Mass Market Paperback | Wilfred Funk & Norman Lewis/ Simon & Schuster |
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT | Sharma and Upadhyay |
PSC for VA for CAT | Nishit Sinha |
High School English Grammar & Composition | Wren & Martin |
NCERT Mathematics Books (Class 6 to 10) | NCERT |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Arun Sharma |
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT | Sarvesh Sharma |
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | Abhijit Guha |
Check CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria
Topper’s Advice for CAT 2025 Preparation
CAT 2025 Aspirants should learn from the experiences of previous CAT toppers which can be very helpful. The Previous Year CAT Toppers used different strategies to succeed. Most of them focused on regular practice and proper mock test analysis. Most importantly, they understood and worked on their strong and weak areas. Check out the following table for CAT 2025 Preparation from previous year toppers.
CAT Topper | CAT Percentile (Year) | Key Advice |
Vagish Nangia | 100 (CAT 2024) | "For an aptitude exam like CAT, one should focus on two things, speed and accuracy, both of which come with practice. Speed is important as the exam typically has 66-68 Questions to be attempted within 2 hours with sections like DILR and Quant in particular being fairly time-taking. Accuracy is also important as you need to avoid taking negative marks while looking to maximise your score as much as possible.” |
Mani Praneeth Chilukuri | 100 (CAT 2024) | “In terms of preparation, I started just a few weeks before the exam due to my job and other commitments. I prioritised understanding the exam format, syllabus, and structure through YouTube videos. I then solved a few previous years’ question papers to familiarize myself with the patterns.” |
Vedant Chandewar | 99.98 (CAT 2024) | “I began my preparation in August 2024. Being good at mathematics, I found Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Logical Reasoning (DILR) relatively easy to prepare for. I joined a coaching institute that provided daily practice questions for these sections, which I diligently solved.” |
Sarthak Jaiswal | 99.97 (CAT 2024) | “I personally think that for the DILR section, the mock tests do not really help because every question is unique and there is no set pattern. Only practice can help for the DILR section preparation. Attempting mock tests for this section will not harm the preparation but also not give an edge. For QA and VARC, mock tests are very important.” |
Kartik Bhageria | 99.99 (CAT 2023) | "I began my CAT preparation around July 2023. Being an engineering student, I did not spend a lot of time learning new concepts in the Quant and DILR sections. I spent most of my time giving mocks to practice and try to increase my attempted questions with better accuracy in each attempt." |
Riddhi Dugar | 99.91 (CAT 2023) | "My overall strategy was to finish the entire syllabus a few months before the CAT. From July, I focused entirely on taking mock tests and sectional tests to maximise my score and have a strategy for D-Day. I completed around 70 mocks from July until the CAT exam day." |
Rounak Tikmani | 99.90 (CAT 2023) | "I started my preparation properly in May 2023. My preparation strategy was simple build your foundations by having conceptual clarity in the basics of each section. Then It was just mocks every day. I gave around 110 mocks and made sure I spent enough time analyzing them properly. Taking a mock is not as important as analyzing the mocks and improving on your mistakes." |
Nisakar Kumar | 99.83 (CAT 2023) | "Quant emerged as my strength, whereas DILR presented a challenge. To address my weakness in DILR, I invested considerable time in understanding the question types and engaged in extensive practice until they became more intuitive. Simultaneously, I dedicated time to revising and practising Quant to maintain a solid grasp. I considered myself decent in VARC." |
Final Thoughts
The CAT 2025 Preparation in six months is tough but possible. Aspirants must have a proper plan and stay disciplined during the entire CAT Preparation. First, build a strong base in VARC, DILR, and QA sections. In the middle two months, practice a lot and focus on using concepts to improve your speed and accuracy. In the last two months, take CAT Mock Tests and check performance carefully to find and fix the weak areas. Keep a positive mindset and stay motivated. Also, take enough rest along with the studies. If candidates follow a proper plan, use good books, and follow tips from CAT toppers, they can improve their chances of getting a high score in CAT 2025.
