CAT Strategy 2026 for Beginners – Do’s and Don’ts for a 99+ Percentile

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CAT Strategy 2026 for Beginners - Do's and Don'ts for a 99+ Percentile
CAT Strategy 2026 for Beginners - Do's and Don'ts for a 99+ Percentile

Appearing for the CAT exam and cracking it with a 99+ Percentile is a dream come true for a huge number of candidates. Upon qualifying for this competitive exam, which will comprise 68 questions, shortlisted candidates will get the opportunity to appear for the GD-WAT-PI, which holds approximately 30-40% weightage in the final selection score. Candidates who have previously appeared for the CAT exam have an idea about the CAT strategy, which one must follow to complete the whole syllabus. However, there is a different CAT strategy 2026 for Beginners. You will have to start everything from scratch. 

From creating a bifurcation to cover the 80% significant topics from the Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension to allocating a specific timeline to practice basic, intermediate, to advanced level 1000+ questions, you will have to do it all. In this blog, we are going to share the CAT Strategy 2026 for beginners, which will stimulate their preparation, practice and revision. Beginners who are appearing for the CAT 2026 exam can follow this strategy to achieve success and get an admission letter from their dream B-school. 

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What Should Be the CAT Strategy 2026 For Beginners?

The CAT exam is known for its competitive spirit and for selecting the meritorious candidates to succeed in the management industry. Before starting your preparation for the CAT 2026, you must check the syllabus, exam pattern, marking scheme, etc. In 2026, this exam will consist of 68 questions, which you will have to answer in a span of 120 minutes. There will be 24 questions from the VARC section. Around 22 questions will appear in the QA and LRDI section. The marking scheme is expected to be +3 for a correct response and -1 for every incorrect response. No negative marking is applicable for the TITA (Type-in-the-Answer) questions or the unattempted questions. This was a precise overview of the CAT exam pattern 2026 and marking scheme 2026. Let’s now explain to you the CAT strategy 2026 for beginners, which is the perfect roadmap to score a 99+ Percentile in the CAT exam. 

  • Explore the whole CAT syllabus 2026 from the QA, DILR and VARC sections
  • Use certified sources to download the CAT past year papers and practice.
  • Enrol for an online preparation course at iQuanta for successful preparation
  • Plan your routine daily and track your progress to complete the syllabus on time
  • Segregate enough time to practice sectionals and full-length mocks for the CAT exam.
  • Pay attention to the section-wise preparation strategy. Allocate time for daily practice.

How CAT 2026 Flagship Courses Can Benefit Beginners?

Our CAT 2026 preparation courses are mainly designed for those students who are targeting to crack the CAT exam next year. These online classes are a solid combination of live lectures by top iQuanta experts, conceptual sessions on every topic, sectional tests, full-length mocks and highly beneficial exam strategies by the previous year’s CAT toppers. If you’re planning to ace the CAT 2026 exam with 99+ Percentile, then enrolling for the online preparation course by iQuanta will be the best move for you to establish a bright career. A complete checklist about the CAT preparation courses 2026 is addressed below for your reference. 

CAT Preparation Course 2026: Key Specifications

CAT Preparation Course 2026Important Features 
iQuanta CAT Expert Faculty Indrajeet Singh (Founder, CEO – iQuanta) 
Abhishek Leela Pandey Sir (CAT 99.93%iler)
Kamal Lohia Sir (CAT 99.99%iler)
Prashant Chadha (8 Times CAT VARC 99%iler)
Vikrant Kathuria (CAT 100%ile + VARC Expert) 
Shabana Ma’am (CAT VARC 99.56%iler)
Raj Kumar Jha Sir (6 Times CAT QA CAT 100%iler)
Teaching Method Dual Pedagogy (Online Live Sessions, Practical Sessions)
Live Online Classes Quantitative Aptitude: 300+ Interactive Live Sessions
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: 200+ Interactive Live Sessions
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: 200+ Interactive Live Sessions
Additional Resources Quantitative Aptitude:1000+ videos & 40+ Assignments
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: 250+ videos & 30+ Assignments
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension:250+ videos & 30+ Assignments
Full-Length CAT Mocks35 + Detailed Video Solutions
Sectional Tests45 + Detailed Video Solutions
Doubt-Solving Facility Experts are available 24*7 to assist the students 
Non-CAT Mocks 15 Non-CAT Mock (XAT, IIFT, SNAP, NMAT)
Crash Course Bonus Material 60+ Sessions each for QA, LRDI and VARC apart from CAT PYQs and shortcuts.
Online Class Timings 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Daily  (Weekends-2 Days Every week) 
Bonus QA Study Material Exclusive 250 iQuanta Questions (Last 2 Months)
Extra Resources 100+ Conceptual Videos 
Unique Modules for Engineers VARC, and Non-Engineers Quants Useful Strategy and Concepts 

Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid During CAT Strategy 2026

Being a beginner in the field of CAT preparation 2026, here is a list of a few important guidelines you must know in a detailed manner.  Remember, your effort, dedication and hard work will only lead to success when you avoid these certain mistakes while preparing for the CAT 2026. Primarily, you will be responsible for analysing your strengths and weaknesses, which will be the building block of your study plan for the CAT 2026 exam. Your entire effort will go in vain if you don’t avoid these mistakes before starting your preparation or while preparing for this national-level entrance exam.

Delaying the CAT 2026 Preparation: We agree that you have more than a year to prepare for the CAT 2026. However, the syllabus of the CAT exam is vast. As a beginner, you will need to review the syllabus and identify which topics align with your major strengths and weak areas for improvement. Accordingly, you will have to develop a powerful strategy for important and low-weightage topics. 

Don’t Stick to Rote Memorisation: CAT has never been the game of theoretical knowledge.  Your logical reasoning, problem-solving ability and decision-making skills will also play a pivotal role in your success. Candidates who will appear first time for the CAT 2026 must practice CAT PYQs and sample question papers to prepare in relevance with the past trends and updated syllabus. Practice questions from different resources and master the art of answering any question.

Avoid Peer Comparison: In a competitive exam like CAT, every aspirant will have a different preparation strategy. The CAT strategy 2026 for beginners will solely be dependent on their learning pace and ability. Someone might be a Quant king, and others might ace the VARC section. With this point, we want to highlight that focus on your preparation and not compare your mock scores with other competitors.

Not Reviewing the Mock Performance: This is the most important part of the CAT Strategy 2026 for beginners. Reviewing the mock performance is as important as appearing for them. Initially, you should appear for the sectional tests. Once you complete the syllabus, start appearing for the full-length mocks every alternate day. Take at least 5-6 hours on the same day to analyse your mocks and prepare an error log to note down the mistakes. With this approach, you will not repeat similar mistakes again. 

Beginner’s Checklist For CAT 2026 Success

  • Aim to study at least 10-12 hours on weekends. 
  • Target to appear for 30-45+ full-length mocks. 
  • Register for iQuanta’s online classroom sessions.
  • Look for doubt-solving guidance and mentorship. 
  • Always track your mock test performance. 
  • Develop an error log for the sectionals and full-length mocks.
  • Start your CAT 2026 preparation with high-weightage topics. 
  • On weekdays, study for 6-7 hours with frequent breaks.
  • Practice mental calculations for Quants.
  • Build a regular reading habit to ace the VARC section.
  • Solve simple sets first from the LRDI section.

Final Words

The complexity level of CAT 2026 remains unknown. It totally depends on the past year’s analysis and the type of questions in the CAT exam 2025. Although you have more than a year for CAT 2026 preparation, enrolling for an online preparation course with iQuanta can still speed up your preparation game. Currently, it’s the best time to enrol for our online preparation courses. You will get personalised guidance from experts along with a 24*7 doubt-solving facility. There will be more than 100 daily assignments. To boost your mock frequency, we are offering a total of 35 full-length mocks and 45 sectional tests along with the video solutions. Apart from this, there will be 15 unproctored time-based mocks. These unproctored mocks will also consist of video-based solutions and will provide peer performance comparison. Grab this exclusive opportunity and quickly enrol now to score 99+ percentile in the CAT exam 2026. This CAT strategy 2026 for beginners is a complete game-changer and will surely level up your preparation phase. 

iQuanta CAT Course 2026

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the tentative exam date for the CAT exam 2026?

Mostly, the CAT exam takes place on the last Sunday of November. Keeping the tradition alive, it’s expected that the CAT exam 2026 will take place in November 2026. Monitor the official website to get the latest updates about the exam date. 

What should I prioritise while preparing for the CAT 2026?

You must learn how to create a perfect balance between the high-weightage and low-weightage topics. Beginners must prioritise significant topics from Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension to achieve good sectional scores in CAT 2026.

When should I start my preparation for the CAT 2026?

Currently, it’s the best time to start your CAT preparation for 2026. You can create a month-wise strategy to gain top-notch conceptual clarity on the concepts. Additionally, you will also get enough time to work on your accuracy and improve time-management skills. 

What should be my preparation strategy for CAT 2026?

In comparison to droppers, the CAT Strategy 2026 for beginners is different. Candidates appearing for the first time in the CAT 2026 will first have to take a complete review of the entire syllabus. Next, commence your preparation with the repetitive topics and practice assignments daily. Set a daily target to practice questions from every section and conduct a regular review. 

Can I achieve a 99+ Percentile by preparing for 1 year for CAT 2026?

Yes, 1 year is more than enough to prepare for the CAT exam and hit a 99+ Percentile. During this timeline, you will get the opportunity to segregate high-weightage and low-weightage topics accordingly for preparation. Focus on completing the syllabus early to increase the frequency of the CAT full-length mocks. 

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