9 months is sufficient time to prepare for the CAT. But without a proper strategy, CAT preparation is not possible. No matter how hard you work, without a CAT 9 month preparation strategy or at least laying down a basic framework for your study plan, it will be difficult to measure your progress or improve your skills. This blog presents a 9 month CAT preparation plan for beginners and working professionals.
If you follow the roadmap on how to prepare for CAT 2026 at home as mentioned in this blog, you’ll be able to appear for the CAT exam with a new confidence. As it goes for most freshers, also known as beginners, your CAT 9 month preparation strategy must begin with covering the fundamentals or the concepts. Once this stage has been completed, you move on to working on speed, and lastly, take mock tests.Â
What You Must Know Before Starting CAT Preparation
Before starting your CAT exam preparation this year, you must know a few basic elements of the exam. These features are important to provide a structure, purpose and depth to your CAT exam planning. From eligibility criteria to the CAT exam sections. Important CAT details are covered below.
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
You must have a valid bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks. Reserved category candidates need at least 45% marks in the bachelor’s degree to apply. Also, if you are still in the final year of your graduation, you may apply for CAT based on a few conditions. Your
CAT 2026 Exam Structure
To develop a realistic CAT study plan or plan for CAT preparation correctly, you must know the exam format or structure beforehand. Here are the important aspects of the CAT exam format which will help you prepare for the test accordingly.
| CAT Exam Section-wise Format | |
| CAT Exam Segments | Number of Questions |
| Section 1 – VARC | 24 |
| Section 2 – DILR | 22 |
| Section 3 – QA | 22 |
| Total | 68 |
CAT 2026 Exam Centres
The previous CAT exam was conducted across 339 exam centres in 170 cities across India. CAT 2206 is likely to be conducted in the same manner. If you live in a small city, village, district or any remote area, you are still competing against all the candidates who will participate in the exam from all these cities.
CAT 2026 Exam Format to Plan Properly
Last year, the CAT exam’s total duration was 120 minutes. PwD candidates were allotted 40 minutes over the fixed time. Check the section-wise time limit for CAT 2026 in the table below.
| CAT Exam Format Section-wise | ||
| CAT Section | Duration (General) | PwD Special Time Limits |
| VARC | 40 minutes | 53 minutes and 20 seconds |
| DILR | 40 minutes | 53 minutes and 20 seconds |
| QA | 40 minutes | 53 minutes and 20 seconds |
| Total | 120 minutes | 160 minutes |
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CAT 2026 9-Month Preparation PlanÂ
Students who are about to complete their college studies or those who have already completed and are about to begin their careers are the most common type of audience who take the CAT. Working professionals also search for ‘how to prepare for CAT 2026 at home’ to get a detailed plan and work according to it. Here is a simple breakdown of what it is that you’ll require for CAT 2026 9-month preparation plan.
| Essentials for CAT 9 Month Preparation Strategy | |
| Weekly Schedule | Minimum Hours Required |
| Weekdays | 2-3 hours per day |
| Weekends | 6-8 hours per day |
| Mocks | Start with easy mock tests and less quantity and eventually scale up the quantity and the difficulty level |
Month 1-3 – Building CAT Basics During the First PhaseÂ
Random preparation without measuring the impact or outcome is not ideal for CAT. For CAT effective preparation, you must plan the journey, each and every phase, and begin your preparation with a diagnostic test. Take a normal CAT mock test to assess your strengths and weaknesses before working on the exam basics.
Month 1 – March 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
In the first week of your CAT 9 month preparation strategy, take 1 simple mock test probably based on past papers, choose an easy one like CAT 2023, where all slots were easy. Once you have taken the test, do not get worried about less marks or negative marks, this is only to check your current standing and map out the weaknesses.
Here are 3 test trackers which you must set up during the diagnostic test.
| CAT Diagnostic Test Trackers | |
| Type | Purpose |
| QA Error Log | To assess conceptual understanding, calculation accuracy and time taken. |
| DILR Set Journal | To keep track of the type of DILR set where you got stuck |
| VARC Log | Track the options and the reasoning behind why one is right and the other one is wrong. |
CAT 2026 Weekly Study Structure
CAT 2026 preparation plan for beginners and working professionals to achieve maximum results has been laid down in the table under.
| CAT 2026 Weekly Study Plan for Beginners | ||
| Segment and Study Agenda | Days Per Week | Minutes Per Day |
| VARC (RC reading + summary in 1 line) | 5 days/week | 45 minutes/day |
| QA (Start with Arithmetic basics) | 5 days/week | 60–75 minutes/day |
| DILR (Start with easy sets, do one at a time) | 4 days/week | 45–60 minutes/day |
Month 2 – April 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
During the second month of your cat preparation strategy, you must focus on building the arithmetic questions solving strategy to become a master of this chapter and segment. The second most important planning you need during April 2026, is discipline in solving Reading Comprehension questions and Logical Reasoning questions. Focus areas in the second month of CAT preparation for beginners 9-month strategy are as follows:
| Targets to Set for April 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy | ||
| QA Focus Areas | VARC Focus Areas | DILR Focus Areas |
| Percentages, Ratio, Proportion, Averages, Profit, Loss, Discount, Time & Work,, Time, Speed, Distance, Mixtures & Allegations, Simple Interest, and Compound Interest basics | Practice summary, odd sentence,para-completion, etc and at least 10-12 passages in a week. For Verbal Ability skills, practice 60-80 questions per week. | Start your DILR preparation by using a variety of sets, like tables, bar charts, simple arrangements, etc. Solve 10-12 sets per week and write down the complete solution. |
Month 3 – May 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
The table outlines the key areas to focus upon during your third month of CAT 2026 preparation. All areas to cover are highlighted section-wise below.
| QA Focus Areas | VARC Focus Areas | DILR Focus Areas |
| Algebra- Linear Equations, Inequalities, Quadratic BasicsNumber System Basics Geometry- Triangles, and Circles Fundamentals | Games & Tournaments, Venn Diagrams, and Distributions | Work on developing discipline with Data Inference techniques. Assumptions outside the passage must be avoided. |
Month 4 – June 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
Now it is time for you to switch your basics preparation into proper CAT level studies. Once the basics are clear, you’ll need to work on converting your theoretical knowledge into practical implementation. The main aim of this month is to build the skill to perform under constraints or sectional limits.
- You already know the CAT exam sectional limits, 40 minutes per section.
- In a week, set a target to practice on weak topics, practice 1 VARC, 1 DILR and 1 QA sectional mock test every week.
- By June 2026, you must start to attempt 1 full mock test every 2 weeks.
- After taking a mock test, check your results, spend about 1-2 hours on analysis. Note where you went wrong, how you could have solved the problem faster and what mistakes or decisions you made while solving that led to an incorrect answer.
Month 5 – July 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
Month 5 is almost the middle of your preparation journey. As we approach the exam date in July, you must focus on improving your speed and accuracy, the two pillars of success in CAT 2026. There is no time left to waste at this stage. You must bring all your energy to increasing your net score per minute.
| Weekly Targets to be Set during July 2026 for CAT Prep | |
| Particulars | Details |
| VARC | 12-15 RC passages + 80-100 VA questions |
| DILR | 14-18 sets per week |
| QA | 150-200 mixed difficulty level questions per week |
| Mock Tests Per Week | 1 full-length |
Month 6 – August 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
The August month marks your important stage during CAT exam registrations. During this month, based on past trends, CAT registrations start by August and close in September. For CAT 2026, the registrations are expected to begin during this time. Aspirants must take precaution to fill the form carefully during this time and avoid breakage in their study cycle.
- Attempt at least 4-5 mock tests during this month
- Solve 2 sectional tests per week
- Maintain a daily revision schedule comprising QA formula, DILR methods, VARC techniques for effective problem solving.
Month 7 – September 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
This period marks the peak performance of the candidate. During Month-7 of your daily CAT preparation plan 2026, make the most of September 2026 by focusing on thoroughly knowing your strengths and weaknesses. By this time, you must be able to predict your CAT 2026 scores. Practice with high intensity in September 2026 for CAT.
| September CAT Preparation Tips 2026 | |
| Area to Work Upon | To Do |
| Mock Tests | Practice 6 mock tests this month totalling to 1-2 mock tests per week |
| Re-Do Questions | Do 20-30 of such questions |
Month 8 – October 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
October 2026 is a tightly packed month for you. This is one of the crucial times for CAT aspirants. In October 2026, you have to work hard and practice as much as possible. Attempting mock tests and mostly increasing the number of tests taken is important for aspirants to develop skills, time management abilities and confidence.
| 2 Months Before CAT 2026 Final Preparation Tips | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Increase Mock Test Attempts | 8-10 total closing down to 2 full-length and 2-3 sectionals per week |
| Use the Golden Revision Technique | Re-attempt failed DILR sets as it helps turn your weak areas into strengths. |
Month 9 – November 2026 CAT Preparation Strategy
CAT 2026 is expected to be conducted at the end of November 2026. Past patterns reveal November last week to be an ideal time to schedule the CAT exam and such is expected for CAT 2026. The CAT 2026 exam is anticipated to be held on November 29, 2026. This is the month to shun all distractions and focus on being exam ready.
- Don’t skip mock test practice, it is the most important thing and the last stage for those who have followed all the above techniques, tips, tricks and plans set month-wise.
- Maintain your pace of solving high-quality mock tests in the final month before CAT 2026.
- Reduce the volume of practice but maintain a high focus on revision.
- Do not add any new learning material to your plan.
- Maintain a proper sleep schedule.
- Do light revision regularly to keep building exam day confidence
Exam Day Tips for CAT 2026
The last and the final section of your 9 month CAT preparation strategy concerns how well you handle different types of questions asked in the exam through planning and smart problem-solving skills. Avoid assumptions to be more accurate in the RC segment of CAT 2026. Read daily to keep your mind fresh and your reading skills sharp. Analyse your RCs after solving them to know where you went wrong so you can be careful for that part in the next question.
Use smart sequencing techniques for solving the QA questions. Build the main concepts which you will use to score maximum marks in CAT 2026. The suggested topics which you must have full confidence on to score maximum marks in QA are Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Number System. Your CAT QA strategy 2026 must be accurate and well crafted to avoid last minute panic or errors. The competition in CAT 2026 will be high based on past trends. 2.58 lakh appeared in CAT 2025. Likely, more candidates will participate in 2026 leading to a tough competition, so start your CAT 2026 preparation as early as possible.
