Only 30 days are left for the CAT 2025 exam. With this final stage of CAT preparation started, aspirants are starting to panic over their exam strategy, revision, important topics, and CAT attempt strategy. In 2025, around 3.5 lakh students registered for the CAT exam, competing for thousands of seats at India’s top MBA colleges. Therefore, it is the best time to be serious and follow the best 30 day CAT preparation strategy that can help you reach your dream college. In this blog, we have covered all details like ‘How to prepare for CAT in 1 month’, ‘30 days CAT strategy’, ‘CAT exam important topics’ and ‘CAT section-wise strategy’.
We have also provided a detailed 30 days CAT daily timetable PDF in this blog, which you can follow and print for easy reference. Additionally, you should also checkout toppers’ strategy in the end about how they used to score 99 percentile and prepare for the CAT exam. We have also listed down some free, important CAT 2025 resources you can use.
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CAT 30 Days Preparation Plan: Core Strategy Pointers
Before going deep into the strategy, there are some most important points that you should be aware of. So that when starting your CAT one-month study plan, you can avoid any mistakes and follow the study plan diligently.
- Choose the best CAT exam resources to follow. Practicing with one good resource ensures quality practice, easy mock analysis, and provides room for fast improvement.
- Unlike Quant, VARC, and DILR don’t have a fixed syllabus. Therefore, you should practice daily with different CAT level sets.
- If you haven’t completed your syllabus, please let it be. Now is the time to focus on important topics, prepare your strong topics, and focus on accuracy.
- Updated your formula book with important Quant shortcuts and formulas.
- Do not lose hope from your mock scores or past mistakes; instead, focus on giving 100% effort to this last stage of CAT preparation.
CAT Preparation 1 Month Strategy
CAT 2025 Preparation Week 1 Plan: Day 1 to Day 7
CAT VARC Strategy
- Start with a sectional mock test. Give a mock test, test yourself and analyze where you lack. Meaning see where you are losing marks and taking most of the time. Try to see if you are struggling with understanding the passage, option elimination, speed or vocabulary.
- Next, attempt 3-4 reading comprehension (RCs) daily of different genres like arts & culture, business & economics, psychology & philosophy and abstract. Try CAT-level RCs of different difficulty levels as well.
- When reading passages, try to explain each sentence to yourself in the easiest way to remember. In addition, when attempting options, try not to overthink and follow your logic for the start.
- Now, you’re struggling with understanding the passage, speed or option elimination. The daily habit of reading may improve your passage understanding, connect with the author’s logic and improve option elimination logic.
- When eliminating options, you can eliminate the options on the basis of less ground coverage, out of scope, extreme choices, overgeneralisation, and faulty details. For a better understanding, when eliminating options, you should always try to be unbiased without a personal opinion when selecting options.
CAT DILR Strategy
- Start with a sectional test. Try to see how many sets you were able to solve correctly and analyze the test based on where you lose marks. Was it wrong set selection, not understanding the set, taking time to solve, reading the question incorrectly, or wrong calculation?
- After answering the questions, solve the sets again without a timer. This is how you can think of a correct approach without time pressure.
- If you’re able to solve it correctly, it means you are losing against time. And you should focus on practicing different variety of sets to sharpen your problem-solving skills and speed.
- By working smart, you can focus on solving the most frequently asked DILR sets in the CAT exam. For instance, you should focus on scheduling, set theory, ranking & order, and games & tournaments based on recent CAT exam trends.
- If you’re looking for a good resource, PYQs are the way to prepare for DILR right now. If you have already attempted those sets, go for other quality material mentioned below.
CAT Quant Strategy
- Follow the same above mantra, give a sectional test of Quant. Analyse it properly to see if you are losing marks because of concept gaps, applying the wrong formula, incomplete concept, or being slow. If so, start by reviewing all topics starting with Arithmetic.
- Starting your revision with Arithmetic right now is the best option. Arithmetic is the most scoring section of Quant with 8-9 questions every year in the CAT exam.The most important topics in this section are percentage, ratio & proportion, time & work, TSD and many more.
- If you’re still struggling with Quant, your priority should be practicing a minimum of 30-40 questions, including PYQs.
Attend the end of week one, you should attempt a full-length mock test to check your progress. When analyzing the mock tests, focus on core elements: clearing concepts, applying shortcuts, and minimizing repeated mistakes. Moreover, try to give mock tests as per your exam slot so you can train your brain to be active at important moments of the exam,
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CAT 2025 Preparation Week 2 Plan: Day 8 to Day 14
CAT VARC Strategy
- VARC Strategy for the second week is different. Now, the priority is to apply all the lessons to your daily routine of practicing 3-4 reading comprehension passages. In the CAT VARC section, one thing you should always mind is not to overthink and follow the right logic without any bias.
- During this time, you should also explore other RC question types like fact-based, inference-based, author’s tone, and negation types.
- Additionally, now is the time to work on the verbal ability section as well. In CAT VARC, verbal ability is also part in addition to reading comprehension. This includes important topics such as para summary, parajumble, odd one out, and sentence completion.
- Practicing a mix of 10 verbal ability questions should be your priority as well.
- Also, if you think you’re ready, try to go for a sectional test as well. This can ease your prep with more self-assessment and passage selection in the CAT exam.
CAT DILR Strategy
- If you’re following your daily routine of solving 3-4 DILR sets under a timer. That’s enough for now. However, you must pick up moderate to hard level sets. It may sound difficult, however, this can help you adapt to different problem-solving approaches.
- Moreover, many students overlook that DILR sets often allow multiple approaches to solve the questions. Recognizing this and exploring different alternatives can help you find the right solution path.
- For more variety, you can practice other DILR sets like selection & distribution, line graph, tables, and caselets.
- A sectional test is also a good practice to test your practice under time pressure and set selection.
CAT Quant Strategy
- Now, it’s time to pick up the Algebra topics. Algebra is the second most important topic in the quant section. Every year, 7-8 questions appear from Algebra. The important topics under Algebra are linear & quadratic equations, inequalities, modules, indices & surds, logarithms, and many more.
- The speciality of Algebra is that’s questions are heavily variable-based. Meaning you have to understand the basics with proper application. This can boost your confidence a lot since in recent CAT exam trends, more variable-based questions are appearing from every topic in the Quant section.
- Lastly, during the week, try to give a sectional test with an objective to select and solve most easiest questions. In addition, it will provide you with challenges to solve Arithmetic/Algebra questions to activate the subconscious brain.
End the week with another full-length CAT mock test. One mock per week may seem insufficient for well-prepared students, but for beginners or those new to mock tests, it’s important and focus on mock test analysis.
CAT 2025 1 Month Study Plan PDF Download
If you’re struggling with a detailed plan, we have made a CAT 30 days study plan for you in a PDF. The PDF contains all the important topics, the CAT daily timetable strategy and the important CAT resources to help you prepare for CAT 2025 in one month.
You can download the PDF by joining the free CAT preparation group below. The group is filled with serious aspirants with regular mentorship classes and free resources.
Join this free WhatsApp group to get the latest information about CAT exam along with the strategies by CAT experts
CAT 2025 Preparation Week 3 Plan: Day 15 to Day 21
CAT VARC Strategy
- Week 3 for VARC preparation is very important. By now, you must have realized that in VARC, there’ no fixed accuracy. Since the options are close, the passage’s difficulty varies, and your accuracy may increase/decrease with each attempt. Thus, your priority right now is to maintain the accuracy within a range by a correct attempt.
- Meaning, if the passage is hard and the options are too close, you should minimize your attempt and focus on fewer questions that are easy or you’re confident of. If the passage is easy and the options are easy to eliminate. You should increase your attempts as well after you’re confident about accuracy.
- Attempt one more sectional test during this period and attempt to increase the accuracy.
CAT DILR Strategy
- Continue with your daily practice of solving 3-4 DILR sets of different varieties. By now, you must have understood the importance of set selection and set set-solving approach.
- The next step is to focus on simulating exam conditions, unlike the other two sections. Many students may panic during the CAT DILR section since there are only two cases in the exam. Either you’re able to solve the set completely or you are not. There’s no between. Clearly, you should focus on sectional tests and solving sets under a time limit.
- You should try to control your emotions. Let go of your ego, if you don’t understand a set or may not be able to move forward by a single step after 5 minutes. In set selection, many aspirants choose the wrong (hard level) sets, losing time.
CAT Quant Strategy
- The third week of Quant preparation focuses on mastering key geometry concepts, as geometry has become increasingly important in the CAT exam due to its broad syllabus and logical application.
- By now, you should also focus on mixed practice and topic-wise marathons of each topic. Practice Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry to brush all concepts, remembering their applications and shortcuts.
- During the week, give a sectional mock test too. This will help you with mixed practice so you don’t lose your edge over other topics.
- In Quant, you should also know how to find easy questions and attempt them first to save time and increase your score.
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CAT 2025 Preparation Week 4 Plan: Day 22 to Day 28
CAT VARC Strategy
- Week 4 of CAT VARC strategy is all about continuing your consistency and practice. Do daily RC and VA practice, give sectional mock tests and focus on mock analysis.
CAT DILR Strategy
- CAT DILR Strategy for the 4th week is also about continuing your flow state of consistency. Continue with your practice, analyse sectional mock tests, and always approach problems with a positive mindset.
CAT Quant Strategy
- Unlike VARC or DILR, you should focus on covering either of number system or modern maths. Both topics are important, but with time approaches, you also need time for mixed practice and topic-wise marathon practice questions.
- Try to complete any one topic under 3 days and shift your focus to practice mixed questions from Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Number System/Modern Maths.
CAT Toppers’ Tips for Last 2 Days of CAT 2025
- You’ve done enough. If you have followed the schedule, you are already ahead of many aspirants without a clue or practice. Now, relax yourself with formula revision, walk outside, talk to your family, and read all exam-related instructions. This time is very important to give your mind some rest for not to be burned with anxiety in the last moment.
- Pack all necessary documents, read all exam instructions, steps, and decide on the route & mode of transportation to your given exam centre at your exam slot. Reaching 30-45 minutes before the exam centre entry is always better than being late to your exam, which you prepared so well.
In conclusion, this 1-month CAT preparation strategy is definitely going to help you prepare for CAT 2025 and score 99%ile. Not only CAT 2025 aspirants, CAT 2026 aspirants are going to greatly benefit from this strategy. If they are going to appear for CAT 2025 and planning to appear for CAT 2026, they should start practicing and experience the real CAT preparation under pressure in the last month.
How to Prepare for CAT in 1 Month – FAQs
Yes, if you have been practicing for a long time and giving mock tests while following every core element of CAT preparation. Scoring a good percentile in CAT is possible in 30 days.
Yes, you can prepare well for CAT in 1 month. You’ve got to revise all important topics across all sections, practice daily, give sectional mock tests and attempt full-length mock tests with proper CAT mock test analysis.
It’s only possible if you have been preparing diligently. In CAT, there’s no fixed time to prepare; still, if you are practicing and following every step of the CAT preparation strategy. A student can score 99%ile.
Honestly, there’s no confirmation. Nobody knows it. However, you should always prepare yourself and practice enough to tackle any CAT exam scenarios.
If you are preparing for the CAT exam, last month is very important to maintain your consistency and do a detailed mock analysis. However, you should atleast give 5-6 full-length mock tests in addition to the 10-11 sectional mock tests.
