Roadmap to CAT 2025: A Comprehensive Strategy Guide
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Admit Card - 12 Nov '25
CAT 2025 preparation strategy - To begin CAT exam preparation, you must first understand the requirement and target score. Finalise a study plan before hand. First of all, know the CAT syllabus and question types. Then, make a monthly strategy. Read here Roadmap to CAT 2025: A Comprehensive Strategy Guide.
Roadmap to CAT 2025 preparation
CAT preparation 2025 - The ideal time to start CAT preparation is March so that you get about 9 months of study time. To begin with CAT 2025 preparation, first understand the requirements. CAT is a high difficulty level exam and requires long hours of study and practice. So, you will need to make a time table from the very beginning. Whether you’re a graduation student or a working professional, you need to set aside 6-8 hours for CAT 2025 preparation on daily basis. If you have started CAT preparation late, don't worry you can still cover the CAT prep journey in time. To help you prepare for this national level MBA entrance exam, we have a comprehensive strategy guide.
- Roadmap to CAT 2025: A Comprehensive Strategy Guide
- CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern
- CAT Sectional Weightage
- Roadmap to CAT 2025: A Comprehensive Strategy Guide - Section Wise Preparation
- CAT Mock Test and Question Papers
- Best Books for CAT Preparation
Roadmap to CAT 2025: A Comprehensive Strategy Guide
A comprehensive CAT preparation strategy includes books, study material, guidance, problem solving sessions and mock tests. If you plan to join a coaching institute for CAT preparation 2025, you will be guided well. But if you plan to prepare by self-study, you will need discipline and dedication along with a solid CAT preparation strategy.
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CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern
CAT syllabus 2025 includes all important topics of Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. Unlike other MBA entrance exams, CAT has no vocabulary or grammar questions. All the questions in VARC pertain to comprehension – passages, para jumble, para completion, odd sentence, etc.
Check below the most important topics of CAT 2025 syllabus that you need to focus on during the exam preparation.
- CAT Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, algebra, arithmetic, mensuration, trigonometry, modern math.
- CAT Data Interpretation: Data structure, data sufficiency, tables, pie charts, graphs.
- CAT Logical Reasoning: Series, coding-decoding, family tree, blood relation, seating arrangement, assumptions.
- CAT VARC: Reading comprehension, fill in the blanks, para jumble, para completion, odd sentence out
Check below the key highlights of CAT exam pattern. The key to scoring high in CAT is choosing the right questions to answer and avoid negative marking.
| CAT Exam Pattern 2025 |
|
|---|---|
| Mode of CAT exam |
Computer Based Test |
| Duration of exam |
120 minutes 40 minutes per section |
| CAT exam slots |
Morning: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM Afternoon: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM Evening: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
| Number of questions |
68 |
| CAT total marks |
204 |
| Number of answer choices |
4 |
| Question Type |
MCQ and non-MCQ |
| Marking scheme |
+3 for correct attempt -1 for incorrect attempt 0 for no answer No negative marking for non-MCQ |
CAT Sectional Weightage
CAT VARC has maximum weightage, but since sectional cut offs are critical in CAT, you cannot ignore a section with low weightage for the section with high weightage. You need to prepare for every section of the CAT 2025 equally well.
| Sections |
Important Topics |
Number of questions |
Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC |
Parajumbles, Sentence-Completion, Reading Comprehension, Para-Summary, Inferences |
24 |
72 |
| DILR |
Tables, Graphs, Data Caselets, Blood Relation, Venn Diagram, Seating Arrangement and Syllogism |
22 |
66 |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
Percentages, Profit & Loss, Simple Interest-Compound Interest, Time & Distance, Averages-Mixtures-Alligations, Numbers, Mensuration, Logarithms, Functions & Graphs, Indices & Surds, Quadratic Equations, Special Equations, Statistics |
22 |
66 |
Roadmap to CAT 2025: A Comprehensive Strategy Guide - Section Wise Preparation
CAT VARC preparation tips: You need to start VARC preparation early as it involves developing reading habit. Read books and novels of different types from the very beginning. If you are an avid reader already, you may not need extensive reading. Only practicing Reading Comprehension passages for CAT will be helpful. However, if you are not much of a reader, you will need to start reading on a daily basis. The key is to practice a good number of Reading Comprehension passages of various types – easy, moderate and tough. Get hold of practice paper and sample questions from various sources.
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It is difficult but not impossible. If you give yourself a good enough time to improve English comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, you will be able to do it. Yes, a non- English medium student will require longer time for CAT preparation as they will have to start reading and improving English comprehension. So, may be they need to start English preparation for CAT in the second year of graduation, instead of final year (much earlier than English medium students). They may also need two attempts to crack CAT with high percentile. But that's not true for all. If you work hard and study smartly, you will be able to crack it.
CAT syllabus is vast. It has numerous topics from Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. Covering the CAT syllabus also includes practicing a variety of sample questions on the topics included. Thus, it requires a lot of time. Candidates must given themselves atleast 3-4 months to cover CAT syllabus and keep in mind the following:
· Check the previous years' CAT papers to know topics which carry more weightage so that you can focus on those topics more.
· List down topicsin order of easy, moderate and tough and allot time to them accordingly.
· Make sure to study about 6-8 hours per day to complete the syllabus 2-3 months before the exam.
· After studying every topic, practice sample questions. Balance theory with practical.
CAT DILR preparation tips: Data Interpretation section of CAT is calculation based and has questions on tables, charts, graphs, etc. B thorough with mathematical calculations. The questions are asked in sets, so you need to be able to solve all the questions of a particular set. For this, correct selection of the CAT Data Interpretation set is important. You will be able to make this judgment if you have enough practice of all types of DI questions.
In CAT Logical Reasoning, the challenge is to understand the patterns and puzzles. There is no formula or theorem in CAT LR. There is neither any mathematical calculation involved, so all you have as the sources of preparation is practice questions. An important aspect to learn for LR is how to unravel a question. For this, take guidance and attend online practice sessions. Sectional time-bound CAT mock tests for DILR will be of great help.
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CAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation tips: If your Mathematics is strong you can sail through this section with practice. However, if it isn’t then you should better start from scratch. Go back to Class 9 and 10 NCERT Maths books to understand the basics of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Arithmetic. The CAT Quantitative Aptitude questions are of advanced level so after understanding the basics, start working on advance level Maths. Practice sample questions and previous years’ CAT question papers to gain control over the topics. Most of the questions are asked from Arithmetic and Algebra so pay special focus on them.
Overall, cracking CAT with high scores is dependent on your practice. The more you practice the better you gain control over topics and types of question – easy, medium, difficult, tricky or lengthy.
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CAT Mock Test and Question Papers
Shiksha has created free CAT mock tests for aspirants to practice and assess their preparation level. These mock tests are based on previous years' CAT questions so that you get familiar with the difficulty level of the actual exam.
| CAT_Mock_Test_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
DOWNLOAD: Previous years' CAT question paper PDFs
CAT Questions with Solutions for Practice - PDFs
- Verbal Ability (VA) solved questions for practice PDFs
- Logical Reasoning (LR) solved questions for practice PDFs
- Logical Reasoning (LR) solved questions for practice PDFs - Part 2
- Data Interpretation (DI) solved questions for practice PDFs
- Data Interpretation (DI) solved questions for practice PDFs- Part 2
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA) solved questions for practice PDFs
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Best Books for CAT Preparation
Preparation of CAT is largely dependent of CAT books. You should refer to the book suggested by experts and previous years’ toppers for comprehensive preparation. Listed below are section wise best books for CAT preparation:
| CAT Books (DILR) |
Author/Publisher Name |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| CAT Books (VARC) |
Author/Publisher Name |
| 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 |
| CAT Books (Quantitative Aptitude) |
Author/Publisher Name |
| NCERT Mathematics books (Class 9-10) |
NCERT |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT |
Arun Sharma |
| Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT |
Sarvesh Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Nishit Sinha |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
RS Aggarwal |
To prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, stick to the traditional path of concepts first and practice later. Study English grammar and Verbal Ability first to understand the concept. Then practice a number of sample questions of different kinds to gain confidence, speed and accuracy. For RC passages, develop the habit of reading from early stages. Read books from all walks of life.
Practicing sample Reading Comprehension passages and questions in a crucial part of VARC preparation. This will help you understand the types of questions and RC passages asked in various entrance exams.
As an aspirant, you will be appearing for more than one entrance exam, thus you need to have the practice of different types of RC passages.
CAT Quantitative Aptitude has the potential of 100 percentile if you prepare well. The Quantitative Aptitude topics of CAT are advance level Mathematic topics from Class 9 and 10. So, for any candidate, the foundation is already there, they only need to work on it further.
The important topics of CAT Quantitative Aptitude include Geometry, Ratios and Proportion, Inequalities, Trigonometry, In-equations, Quadratic and Linear Equations, Work and Time, Algebra, Surds and Indices, Percentages, Mensuration, Time-Speed-Distance, Logarithms, Partnership (Accounts), Number System, Square Root and Cube Root, Profit & Loss, Geometric Progression, Probability, Mean-Mode-Median, Binomial theorem, Simple interest and compound interest.
Maximum questions are asked from Arithmetic and Geometry so keep the main focus on these two topic. Understand and memorise the formulas and theorems well, and practice enough questions to be thorough with their application.
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Answered 4 days ago
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GIBS Business School, Bangalore, has a strong and dynamic Placement Cell that helps in securing excellent career opportunities for the students. Every year, more than 260 reputed companies have visited the campus for recruitment, offering versatile jobs in sectors like BFSI, IT, consulting, manufact
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- Entrance Exam Score (Approx. 40% weightage): A valid score in any of the accepted national-level exams (CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT, etc.) is a primary eligibility requirement for shortlisting.
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Getting into the MBA programme of NIT Trichy with a 300 SC CAT rank is somewhat uncertain. As the recent data sets suggest, NIT Trichy's CAT cutoff for SC category admission stands around 65th percentile. A 300 SC rank could be borderline depending on how many SC candidates apply and the quality of
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Answered 3 weeks ago
Candidates who did not appear for the CAT entrance exam can apply St. Xavier's College, Kolkata admissions as it is not a mandatory entrance exam. The candidates who wish to gain admissions into the MBA course of the institute have to appear for the Kolkata University entrance test for St. Xavier's
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
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That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
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Contributor-Level 9
Yes, CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of the candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.