How to Prepare for CAT 2026: Tips from Previous Year CAT Toppers

Shiksha brings to you preparation tips by previous years' CAT toppers. Those planning to appear in CAT 2026 must take inspiration from toppers. Check here top tips by toppers on how to prepare for CAT 2026.

How to prepare for CAT 2026 - Every year, over 2.5 lakh candidates appear for the CAT exam and only about 30 of them score in the range of 99.98 and 100 percentile. Scoring so high in CAT exam is not easy. It requires hard work and smart work. Ask any CAT topper and they will tell you that only putting in long hours in studies will not be enough. The hard work must be complemented with strategies that ensure benefits in every phase of exam preparation. So, CAT 2026 aspirants, as you prepare for the exam, learn how to prepare like a topper. 

CAT exam preparation plan should be prepared based on one's individual capacity. Every student is different in terms of skills and capabilities. Some students are quick learners, some take time in understanding concepts or memorising formulae. Also, not every student gets the same amount of time to prepare for CAT as others. So, how to prepare for CAT 2026 like a topper?

CAT 2026 exam preparation can be done through coaching or self study. If you choose the latter, you will definitely need CAT topper tips. You must learn from past years’ CAT toppers how they prepared for the exam. Most of the CAT toppers will suggest practicing CAT mock tests in a good number. Many toppers would suggest starting CAT preparation early, whereas some will say focussed study even if started late, will help you sail through.

Most of the CAT toppers of the past five years have studied by self with some guidance from mentors and lots of mock test series. Here are some of them sharing their CAT 2026 preparation strategy. 

How to Prepare for CAT 2026: Tips From Toppers

CAT exam is all about developing and using logical reasoning and analytical aptitude accurately without wasting a single second. English comprehension also plays an important role in CAT preparation. So, how to prepare for CAT 2026 exam? Let's see what CAT toppers have to say.

CAT is a demanding exam and the only key to crack it is consistent practice. The more you practice, the better you get trained in handling any type of CAT question paper – difficult, lengthy, tricky or surprise questions. Ask the toppers and they will say in unison – “practice as many mock tests as you can”.  For candidates who are planning to appear for CAT 2026, we have compiled preparation strategy by CAT toppers of previous years. 

CAT 2025: Anmol Gupta, 99.96 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

Anmol Gupta

"My preparation was mainly focused on mocks and analysis. For VARC, I used to read a lot of articles as this has always been my weakest section. Plus, I used to analyze each and every mock that I gave and my aim was to do 3 RCs and all 8 VA Questions.

For DILR, my aim was to solve all 5 sets. I was quite naturally good in this section, as I have been a problem solver throughout my life. I love to solve Sudoku. The strategy I used in this section was to invest a maximum of 5 minutes on a set. I was so confident in this section that, within 5 minutes, I was able to judge whether the set was solvable by me or not. And I never used to do set selection, I was like hit on whatever set is there at the front. In the actual exam also, I was able to attempt all the 5 sets in less than 35 minutes."  Read full interview

Also Read: CAT 2025 toppers' list, interviews and more

Vagish Nangia

CAT 2024: Vagish Nangia, 100 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

" started considering CAT seriously in July 2024. Given the responsibilities and workload of the 7th semester, including placements, academics, extra-curricular activities, and projects, I couldn't devote much prep time. However, I focused on understanding the CAT exam, practicing questions for each section, and doing sectional and full-length mock tests.

For VARC, there are two components: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehensions. This section is tricky, but with enough practice, a high score is achievable. The key is to manage reading and attempting the entire comprehension within 7-8 minutes, which can be tough due to the length and requires a lot of practice. For Verbal Ability, understanding the general structure of paragraphs is crucial to identify odd-one-outs and determine where a particular sentence fits in a paragraph."

Read full interview

Also Read: CAT 2024 toppers’ list, interviews and more

CAT 2023: Kartik Bhageria, 99.99 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

Kartik Bhageria

For the DILR section, persistence is a key but it could get a bit tricky. Sometimes, if you just think about a question for another minute the whole question might get solved but in doing that, you might waste time which can be spent on other questions. So, with practice in CAT mocks, you can get a better idea on how to give time to each question set.

For the Quant section, try to attempt the easier questions first and leave the difficult ones. If you are left with time, you can re-attempt those questions but it is mandatory to at least get the easy questions right.

I attempted 35-40 CAT Mocks tests. Mock tests are incredibly crucial as they simulate exam conditions, help manage time effectively, and identify areas of improvement. Analysing mock tests played a pivotal role in refining my strategy. Read full interview

Risshi Agrawal

CAT 2022: Risshi Agrawal, 99.99 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

I started my preparation with VARC subject by identifying 2 out of 4 RCs which are easiest to solve (24 min to solve). Rest focus on the VA aspect. In DILR, start by doing the DI question (often easiest of all) and then focus on 2 of the remaining 3 puzzles. In QA, start filtering the questions as per your strength and attempt them first. For VARC, I read newspapers on a daily basis. I preferred reading topics which were of interest to me like sports and politics. For DILR, I tried to solve a variety of DILR puzzles. My focus was largely towards the LR section since I messed it up the last time. For Quantitative Aptitude, I didn't devote additional time towards it since I was pretty confident in this subject. Read full interview

CAT 2021: Chirag Gupta, 100 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

Chirag started preparing in March 2021. Talking about his preparations he said, "For VARC, I read a lot in general. You can read anything you like. I read fiction mainly and even that helped me a lot. For DILR, I focused on identifying certain types of sets and getting familiarised with them. I applied this strategy in the mock test and read every set in first five minutes. I began the section by doing the easiest DI set/s, then attempted the easier sets of the LR section. It will ensure that you will always clear the sectional cutoffs. For the Quant section, I focused on getting my basics right at the beginning of the preparations. I focused on doing only easy questions first, and later attempted the harder ones."

"I took about 50-60 CAT mock tests, as I think that it is probably the most important aspect of CAT preparation. My exam day strategy was just to stay calm and not think too much about the results." he told Shiksha. Read Full Interview

CAT 2021: Bir Anmol Singh, 99.94 percentiles shares CAT preparation tips 

Bir Anmol had internship commitments so he did not get time to join a coaching institute. He achieved 99.94 percentile by self-study. Talking about his CAT preparation, he said, “I started preparing in April 2021. I solved Arun Sharma sir's CAT books for VARC, LR, DI and Quant. I attempted as many past year CAT questions papers (timed attempt) that I could attempt, on weekends. I used to analyse my shortcomings to improve further.

For Quant and DILR, my academic background helped me a lot. I just practiced and solved many questions without relying on a calculator. For VARC, I read editorials from The Hindu and Mint. Vocabulary was improved after reading "Word Power Made Easy" by Norman Lewis. My VARC strategy was to read more and to improve more. Para jumbles and summary based questions need a lot of practice and critical analysis for understanding the gist of solving such problems.” Read Full Interview

CAT 2020: Kshitiz Singhal, 99.99 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

Kshitiz Singhal started preparing in July. “Being from an engineering background helped me in my preparation as I am good in Quants. I started my preparation by knowing about the CAT exam pattern andCAT syllabus. Once I completed the syllabus, I started taking mock tests. Although I did not enroll into any coaching institute, I bought study materials and took a mock test series from noted institutes for practice purpose,” he said.

Quant was my strong area and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) was my weak area. To improve the VARC section, I took the help of my seniors who are currently pursuing MBA. They told me to work on fundamentals. I reworked on my approach to solving the question. I also analysed my mock tests in detail and identified the areas where I needed to improve. After following this method, my mock test scores started improving, he added. Read Full Interview

CAT 2019: Somansh Chordia, 100 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

Somansh Chordia practiced a lot of similar questions in VARC together to understand the common types of mistakes that he was committing and this gave a major boost. After that, he just practiced and analysed the section through mock tests. In DILR, solving a few questions of each type and practice through mocks was enough for him.

“Practice was specifically important for increasing the speed since accuracy is generally not a concern in this section,” he said. In QA, training in ABACUS helped him solve questions much faster. Read Full Interview

CAT 2019: Rishi Mittal, 100 percentiler shares CAT preparation tips

Rishi Mittal said, “people have this notion that if you read a lot, you can score well in VARC. I think even a non-reader can score in this section, I haven’t ever read a single novel.” When Rishi started his preparation, he was inconsistent, scoring 62 out of 102 or even 18. His seniors and mentors advised hi, work on RC separately and for each type of question he prepared a strategy. For DILR, he solved TIME and IMS study material. “The more mocks you give the more sets you solve, it’ll get easier for you to crack DILR”, he said.

He practiced a lot for Quant as well. “Similar to DILR, Quant is also experience based. The more you solve [question] the more you learn about new concepts.” Read Full Interview

CAT 2018: Rounak Majumdar, 100 percentiler, shares tips on CAT preparation

22-year-old Rounak Majumdar started CAT preparation in August and would study for 2-3 hours daily. He attempted 30-35 mock test series in total and believes that mock tests conducted by reputed coaching institutions is a must for all CAT aspirants. “My entire preparation was based on taking mock tests. I attempted two mock tests every week and around 40 mock tests in a year. I used to do practice tests on the weekends and analyse my results during the week. Analysing mock tests are more important than actually appearing for them; it helped me understand my shortfalls and device a test strategy,” Rounak said. Read Full Interview

CAT 2018: Swapnil Suman, 100 percentiler, shares tips on CAT preparation

Swapnil Suman, a Mechanical Engineer, attempted about 54 mock tests for CAT preparation. Swapnil attempted CAT for the first time in 2017 but was not satisfied with his performance, so he decided to give it one more shot in 2018. “I started preparation in August and took mocks of popular coaching institutes. I used to give 3-4 mocks on weekdays during evenings and 1-2 mocks on Sundays. In total, I took 54 mocks. Learning from the previous year, I made sure to analyze each mock and observe what mistakes I was making and tried to learn from each mistake. I believe that turned out to be the game changer this time,” Swapnil told Shiksha.

"I always had a strong penchant for puzzles and I treated solving DILR as solving puzzles. This is considered to be the most difficult section in CAT, but if one practices enough number of problems, most questions would seem repetitive and can easily be tackled," he added. Read Full Interview

Also read: How to Prepare for CAT 2026 in 6 Months

CAT 2017: Chhavi Gupta, 100 percentile, shares tips on how to prepare for CAT

Chhavi Gupta, 24, found little time to prepare for CAT as she had a full-time job. She studied mostly on the weekends and joined a coaching institute. From the very beginning, she used to give mock tests at least every other weekend and used to analyse for improvement in performance.

"I used to go to work for 5 days a week, and found almost no time during those days. However, I tried to cut down my relaxing time at night and started waking up a bit earlier to get an extra hour to study in the morning. However on weekends I would solely focus on CAT preparation, which meant cutting down going out and meeting my friends and all, but I had to do it as that was the only time I got for preparation," she said. Read Full Interview

CAT 2017: Meet Agrawal, 100 percentile, shares tips on how to prepare for CAT

Meet Agarwal from Surat, scored 100 percentile in CAT 2017. For this Commerce graduate, the best way to prepare for CAT is attempting mock test papers and analyzing them well to ensure you are moving forward.

“For me, attempting and analyzing CAT mock tests was the best way to prepare. So, I took more than 80 mock tests. After each mock, I analyzed the mistakes and maintained an error log. If you simply avoid making the same mistakes again, the performance improves,” he said.

“I had opted for commerce with math at school, so I was quite comfortable with the QA section. But even for non-Math students, the section shouldn’t be seen as something beyond reach. This is because the section does not test your mathematical prowess but your basic aptitude and comfort with numbers. The focus should be on understanding the logic behind each formula,” he added. Read Full Interview

CAT 2017: Madhur Gupta, 100 percentile, shares tips on how to prepare for CAT

Madhur Gupta, one of the toppers of CAT 2017, and A Mechanical Engineering graduate from Delhi Technological University, Delhi started preparing almost a year before the exam, but ramped up his preparation only four months before the exam.

“I started preparing for CAT 2017 from January and joined TIME for coaching. I ramped up my preparation only in August after quitting my job at Amazon, as Operations Manager. I joined a small start-up alongside CAT preparation from August onwards. In the last-three to four months I gave over 70 mock tests, of different mock series. The number of mocks don’t matter alone. What is important is that one attempts variety of questions so that the possibility of surprise questions in the actual exam is negated. To be able to handle surprise questions is important and that can be done only by attempting a wide variety of mock tests,” he said.

For CAT 2019 aspirants, he said, “They should really focus on attempting lot of mocks but do so only at the later stage when they have completed the course. If they start attempting mocks in the initial stages, without completing the course, they will not score well and that will make them anxious. So don’t start with mock test series before you have completed your course." Read Full Interview

CAT 2016: Avidipto Chakraborty, 100 percentile, shares his CAT preparation tips

CAT 2016 topper Avidipto Chakraborty also emphasizes on the importance of attempting mock tests. He attempted almost 80 mock tests.

“CAT is a random exam, in the sense that one wouldn’t know what questions will be asked. It is necessary to attempt mocks as they familiarize you with and prepare you for all kinds of scenarios-easy, moderate, difficult, lengthy, vague etc. If you’ve attempted good enough numbers of mocks, nothing will surprise you. It helps you keep your cool while writing the test,” he said.

Another key advice for future CAT aspirants from Avidipto is, “Find people around you who are preparing to take the exam. Be it social media or your own friend circle, connect with people who are doing the same thing as you are, to keep the motivation going." Read Full Interview

CAT 2016: Akshay Mehndiratta, 100 percentile, shares his CAT preparation tips

CAT topper Akshay Mehndiratta feels since it is an aptitude test, what matters is the candidate’s preparation for the exam day. “CAT, I feel is less about knowledge and more about aptitude. And the right way to build that is by practice (mock tests). It is more about how smartly you prepare in the limited time you have. I guess a period of 5-6 months, with concentrated effort for 2-3 days in a week works fine. You would be able to see significant improvement with each passing week.”

About his own preparation strategy for CAT he shared, “Typical of an Engineer, I was quite weak in Verbal and RC Section. So my preparation time on Saturday was basically spent on improving that. I used to prepare from TIME Workbooks, Internet and perhaps Sectional Tests. I won’t say my English has improved considerably, but the desired knowledge in Verbal was gained appropriately." Read Full Interview

CAT Topper Tips for Exam Preparation

Read more interviews of previous years' CAT toppers to get key insights on how to prepare for CAT 2026 exam.