Every year there are more than 3 lakh students who register for the CAT exam and all are carrying the same dream to secure a seat in the top IIMs. But the reality is something different as there is less than 1% acceptance rate, even IIM Ahmedabad is considered as the crown institute to provide best management education but carries only few seats against lakhs of hopeful aspirants. It is one of the most competitive management exams in India, where every single mark can decide whether you land an admission seat in one of the top IIMs or not. In short, a cut-throat competition is there and overall timing becomes everything for students. So, if you are targeting CAT 2026, the right time for CAT preparation is now. With the right consistency, guidance and strategy, you can turn this intense competition into your biggest opportunity for securing the dream seat of top IIMs.
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Right Time for CAT Preparation 2026
The right time for CAT 2026 preparation is NOW! Time is never a factor if you have the right strategy, the right resources and the right mentors. Nevertheless, it also depends on how strong you are in all the three sections – VARC, DILR and Quant. Just completing the syllabus is not enough. You need to apply the concepts that you have learnt in all types of problems that can be asked from a topic. How do you do this? You practice, give mocks and analyse your results.
CAT is not an easy exam. You can let loose a bit in your initial preparation days but consistency must be worshipped from the very beginning. If you feel like you get stressed or distracted quite often, we advise you to enroll in the CAT 2026 course offered by many top coaching institutes. CAT courses by iQuanta are highly recommended by CAT qualifiers. In 2024, 500+ aspirants from iQuanta secured 99+ percentile. The numbers justify the growing demand of iQuanta’s CAT courses. Before we jump into the best CAT 2026 courses for you, let’s look at the strategy on how to proceed with your CAT preparation for 2026:
What Should Your CAT 2026 Preparation Strategy Be?
CAT is a serious exam where you need to get your concepts clear and master the art of applying these concepts into a given problem. If we analyse the previous year difficulty level of the CAT exam, it is said to be on the ‘moderate to difficult’. Have a look at the CAT difficult level for the past 10 years in the table below:
| Year | CAT Exam Difficulty Level |
| 2024 | Moderate |
| 2023 | Moderate to difficult |
| 2022 | Moderate |
| 2021 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2020 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2019 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2018 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2017 | Moderate |
| 2016 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2015 | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT 2026 Preparation Strategy
Step 1: Know the Exam
Understand the CAT 2026 syllabus, exam pattern, marking scheme, and post-MBA packages.
Step 2: Make a Strategy
Set clear goals and build a timeline. Meanwhile, you can refer to the CAT 2025 preparation timetable shared by iQuanta.
Step 3: Begin Subject-Wise Preparation
For QA, start with Number System then Arithmetic, PNC, Algebra, and Geometry. Enroll in iQuanta CAT 2026 course and go through the 100+ concept videos. There is also a Basic NCERT package for those who are from non-engineering background.
For Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), iQuanta has free study material that consists of over 250 genre-wise articles. Solve previous years reading comprehension questions asked in CAT. iQuanta’s Engineers’ VARC Module is a perfect resource for those who are weak in VARC.
There is no one perfect resource material in the market as expressed by the CAT topper’s for DILR. So, to start your preparation for CAT 2026 for this section you need to understand the set-solving approaches by attempting the past 15 year PYQs. The live concept classes and the live application classes by iQuanta is more than enough to guarantee you a 99+ percentile in this section.
Step 4: Build the Right Mindset
Believe in yourself. If aspirants like you can, so do you. Don’t stress about profile/internships, getting a 99+ percentile can change your life. If you want more motivation here it is – By qualifying CAT you can land on a package as high as 20+ LPA. Watch the concept videos by iQuanta twice and practice ‘n’ number of times till the day before your CAT 2026. Success in CAT 2026 needs a smart mix: 20% theory, 50% focused practice, and 30% mock tests with in-depth analysis.
THE BEST AND EASY WAY –
Enroll in a course that helps you practice quality problems, provide the updated and the best study material as well as guide you throughout your CAT preparation journey. Here are a few courses from iQuanta that you can take a shot at for guaranteed success with 99+ percentile. Starting with the new course launched for CAT 2026 aspirants.
Right Time for CAT Preparation 2026: Smart Preparation Tips
| Preparation Stages | Focus Areas | What to Avoid |
| Foundation Building | Strengthen basics in QA, build reading habit for VARC, practice simple DI/LR sets | Ignoring weak areas, skipping daily reading |
| Concept Strengthening | Complete syllabus systematically, practice topic-wise PYQs, give sectional mocks | Overloading with multiple resources |
| Practice & Application | Start full-length mocks, analyze mistakes, focus on accuracy & speed | Taking mocks without proper analysis |
| Mock Test Phase | Attempt 1–2 mocks per week, simulate exam conditions, refine time management | Stressing over percentile too early |
| Final Revision & Strategy | Increase mocks to 3–4 per week, revise formulas, polish RC techniques, focus on exam-day mindset | Learning new topics at the last minute |
| Exam Week | Light revision, stress management, maintain confidence | Over-studying, panic, irregular sleep cycle |
Why the Right Time for CAT Preparation is Now?
The CAT exam is a real game of clarity, strategy as well as consistency. Starting early in CAT due to intense competition can be the difference between success and disappointment
There are a few points which make it clear that the right time for CAT preparation is now.
- Early CAT 2026 preparation allows you to build a strong basics in all the sections that are DILR, Quant and VARC.
- Starting now ensures that you have sufficient months to cover the exam syllabus, take multiple mocks as well as revise properly.
- If aspirants spread preparation over time reduces exam anxiety or pressure and boosts confidence level.
iQuanta CAT 2026 Course
In this course by iQuanta you will get 100+ assignments – around 40 for Quant and around 60 for DLRI and Quant sections. Moreover, iQuanta’s Dual Pedagogy is the highly recognized learning methodology among the aspirants. After every conceptual class you get to attend the live application classes where you solve the problems using the concepts learned in the previous class. Your doubts are no longer a trouble-maker. The 24/7 doubt clearing initiative, where you can get your doubts solved within 8 minutes on an average. Through the live sessions, the experts in iQuanta solve your doubts in just 15 seconds and within 20 minutes in private groups. To personalize your preparation strategy as per your preparation, iQuanta can assign you an expert mentor exclusively for you.
Here are few other highlights of iQuanta CAT 2026 course:
- Get your CAT syllabus completed twice
- Multiple sections-wise module
| Sections | Modules | Highlights |
| QA | Non-Engineers’ QA Module | Beginner-friendly videos that simplify Quant fundamentals, specially designed for those who struggle with math. |
| VARC | Engineers VARC Module for Engineers | Master how engineers ace the CAT VARC section with 100 in-depth videos covering essential concepts, strategies, and genre-wise RC practice. |
| VARC Essentials | Covers the most important Reading Comprehension (RC) topics, essential vocabulary, and frequently asked passage types in the CAT exam. | |
| DLRI | LRDI Inception | A curated set of 50 high-quality LRDI questions that every serious CAT aspirant should solve. |
| LRDI Essentials | Master LRDI fundamentals, charts, graphs, and tables, through a clear, step-by-step learning approach. |
CAT Mock Test Series by iQuanta
Strengthen your preparation with AI-based mock tests after every class and full-length CAT-level tests (CAT Marathon) after each topic to assess your progress. All the CAT Mocks are redesigned based on the latest CAT pattern.
| Types of Mocks/ Practice Questions | Number of Mocks |
| Full Syllabus Mocks with Video Solution | 35 |
| Unproctored Mocks (Time-based with Peer-Performance Comparison) with Video Solution | 15 |
| Sectional Mocks with Video Solution | 45 |
| Practice Questions per Topic | 50 |
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You’ll also get free quality mocks for other MBA exams like NMAT, XAT, CMAT, MHCET, so that, in case, you have a backup plan you can be on the track for the same as well. The mocks available for other MBA exams with these course is tabulated below:
| Mocks | Total Count |
| NMAT Full Mocks | 2 |
| XAT Full Mocks | 2 |
| CMAT Full Mocks | 2 |
| MHCET Full Mocks | 2 |
Other CAT 2026 Courses by iQuanta
If you are looking for more alternatives for your CAT 2026 preparation, iQuanta has introduced several other courses as well. Each course is crafted keeping in account the various issues faced by aspirants. Have a look at these and you may exactly find what you are looking for:
| Course Name | Link |
| CAT 2026 Full Course | https://www.iquanta.in/details/cat-full-course-2026 |
| CAT 2026 Full Course + Hard Copy | https://www.iquanta.in/details/cat-full-course-2026-and-books |
| CAT 2026 Full Course Pro | https://www.iquanta.in/details/CAT-2026-full-course-pro |
| CAT 2026 + IIM ABC Batch | https://www.iquanta.in/details/cat-2026-full-course-iim-abc-practice-batch |
| Maha MBA 2026 Course | https://www.iquanta.in/details/maha-mba-2026-course |
| IIM ABC Practice Batch 2026 | https://www.iquanta.in/details/iim-abc-practice-batch-2026 |
Conclusion: Right Time For CAT Preparation 2026
The CAT is not just an exam but it is a gateway to the top IIMs and other B-Schools in India where competition is intense and opportunities are more. With over 3 lakh aspirants on an average giving CAT exam and the acceptance rate of top IIMs are less than 1%. So, cracking CAT 2026 exam requires consistent practice, early and strategic preparation as well as requires smart tips. The right time to start CAT exam preparation is today itself, not tomorrow. Success in CAT 2026 does not come from last-minute preparation but from the discipline that you build as an aspirant on time.
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iQuanta CAT Course 2026
Right Time for CAT Preparation 2026 FAQs
The best time to start preparing for CAT 2026 is now. With over a year in hand, you can build strong concepts, practice enough, and take multiple mock tests. Starting early also gives you time to manage stress and improve weak areas.
Yes, it’s possible. Many toppers like Churchill Jain have cracked CAT with 5 months of focused preparation. What matters more than time is your strategy, consistency, and mock test analysis.
Start by understanding the syllabus and exam pattern. Then, move to topic-wise preparation for Quant, VARC, and DILR. Enroll in a course like iQuanta’s CAT 2026 course to get expert guidance, live classes, mock tests, and 24×7 doubt-solving support.
