CAT 2025 has come to an end and the admission process has begun. While 26 candidates achieved 99.99%ile only 12 cracked the CAT 2025 exam with 100% marks. If you have scored a few marks less than the required cutoff, you have to make a difficult choice. Will you repeat the CAT exam in 2026 to score a higher percentile in the range of 90 to 100 or take a college based on the current percentile?
For most of the top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, you will need a CAT percentile above 75. Students who wish to study at top management colleges but don’t want to spend another year preparing for the exam, need proper guidance on what to do next. Most importantly, those who were able to score a decent percentile in CAT 2025 but are unsure if they should take admissions this year or repeat CAT 2026 to score higher next year also require a careful analysis of their situation before making a firm decision.
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Profile 1 Evaluation: Final Year Student (Mostly 1st Attempt)
Students who are in their final year of graduation and took the CAT 2025 as their 1st attempt, usually have their dilemma of whether to repeat CAT or settle with the college they are getting this year.
Dilemma: Repeat CAT or Get Into A College
Normally, final year students take the CAT exam as a side gig only to realize that they have passed with a decent percentile around 80% or have scored low around 30 to 40%ile. If you belong in this profile of category of students, you have more than 1 option to go ahead with your career.
Resolving the Dilemma: Get a Job Then Repeat CAT
Get a decent job through college placements or self-application at reputable companies or MNCs. You may decide to retake the CAT exam, but you must do it with the sole objective of achieving higher marks without treating the exam as a parallel path. To do this, you will require a dedicated plan and a single goal in 2026, to achieve 95+%ile in CAT. It is important to retake the CAT exam with a higher level of preparation and commitment. 4 crucial benefits of choosing a job and preparing for CAT 2026 at the same time are as follows.
- You will gain valuable work experience which you can add to your resume.
- Alter your CAT exam preparation pattern based on your previous attempt.
- If you were able to score a decent percentile between 85 to 90 %ile, then you must focus on practice and covering those gaps or areas which were not covered thoroughly last year.
- If you scored a low percentile in CAT 2025 as a final year student, prepare for CAT 2026 with a new schedule and a fresh mindset. This time, learn from your previous mistakes and revise your CAT preparation strategy accordingly.
Profile 2: Few Years of Work Experience (2nd or 3rd Attempt)
If you have already started working and have built work experience in a related field for 1+ years, your CAT qualification journey will be different. You have taken the CAT 2025 exam and prepared as per your schedule, some days you had time, other days you were busy with work, either way, CAT 2025 did not go as planned. You must take out some time to evaluate what was lacking in your previous CAT attempt, such that you were not able to score a good rank or fell down some points.
Common Problem: Not Enough Time to Prepare for CAT
A common problem among working professionals is the time factor. Most jobs have a 9 to 5 schedule with an on-site job profile. While some individuals may have a hybrid or a remote work setting. In either case, you will need to allocate at least 5-6 hours towards CAT preparation daily. 1.5-3 hours for conceptual learning and around 2-3 hours for revision along with practice. To tackle the limited time problem, you must have a solid preparation strategy.
Solution: Retake CAT 2026 Strategically
If you have not prepared properly for CAT 2025 and were able to score close to 70 or 80 %ile, then you need a better strategy which covers all aspects of CAT from syllabus coverage to practice and learning. Don’t waste time after office hours on gossip or social media platforms, instead utilize the commute time to revise basic formulas or important concepts which were asked in the CAT 2025 paper. Few tips to ace CAT 2026 with a job are given below.
- Commute time must be used to study a quick formula or solve a few quick questions.
- Wake up early daily around 4:30 AM to 5:00 AM so that you have enough time to prepare for the CAT 2026.
- Make a solid strategy in which your focus must be on improving your results from your previous attempt.
- You cannot give up on your dream, despite your job, continue working hard and solving as many past year question papers as possible, at least a few more than the last time.
- In your previous attempt, if you were unable to solve 30-25 mock tests, ensure to cross this benchmark in CAT 2026 retest.
Profile 3 Evaluation: Multiple Attempts But Stuck at 97-98%ile
If you have taken the CAT exam more than 2 to 3 times or even 4 times and you are still not able to cross the 95 to 97 or 98 percentile mark, then a CAT 2026 retake is not a good solution for your profile. You cannot keep taking the CAT exam again and again only to end up in the same percentile range. Students who fall under this category have typically covered the entire syllabus, practiced numerous questions, taken mock tests, solved previous years papers, and more.
You have already done all the things which are possible for you to do in order to crack the CAT exam. Self-analyze all of your previous attempts, have you given your best in the past and are still not able to score above 98 or 99 percentile? If you are stuck in this place then it’s time to let go of another year worth of preparation for the CAT 2026. Here are all the 3 options which are open for you at the moment.
- Your first option is to accept the admission offer letter at any decent MBA college which you are getting this year and begin your MBA journey.
- Your second option is to prepare for the GMAT exam which is conducted all year round and plan on moving abroad for your masters degree.
- Your third option is to search for an MBA executive degree and join a decent college offering good placements with a high ROI.
Profile 3: Individuals with 3-5 Years of Work Experience
Not all students are able to start their MBA journey on time, some students do not have a certain age to retake the CAT exam. They have a gap year of almost 3-5 years or more. Students who fall within this category must not repeat CAT 2026. It is not suggested to do a full time MBA at an age which is suitable for a job or other masters degrees. You may still consider the option of going to a foreign country through the GMAT entrance test.
- Tried to clear CAT in 2-3 attempts, still not able to cross the benchmark, in such a case you must set aside the plan to do an MBA.
- After 3 to years of work experience, a full time MBA is not a good option as the jobs you will get are at a fresher level.
- At the age of 27 or 28, you may not be comfortable with a fresher-level job.
- If you have a gap of 3-4 years or a work experience of 3-4 years, you must consider doing a part-time MBA, an executive MBA or go abroad for your higher studies.
- Your work experience will count for abroad studies.
Profile 4: A Low Paying Job and Failed Previous Attempt
Students who have failed in their previous CAT attempt or have a low paying job must consider repeating the exam by taking CAT 2026. You must not settle with your current low paying job. Instead, you must focus on cracking the CAT 2026 exam with the help of a proper plan. This time you must give CAT 2026 at least 11 to 12 or more months for preparation. You may also appear for the XAT 2026 exam after preparing thoroughly and seriously for a whole year. Committed preparation is essential for students who belong in such a profile.
Why do you need to repeat CAT 2026?
- It is better to repeat CAT 2026 with a full year of preparation rather than giving up too soon.
- Settling for a low paying job is not suggested when you can work hard and attract better jobs.
- You still have sufficient time and the right age to work hard for your dreams.
- If you get a good college through CAT 2026, you’ll be able to land a high paying job through college placements.
- Set aside your ego, other plans and your work expectations for a whole year then begin your CAT preparation.
Here’s Everything You Need to Know for CAT 2026 Preparation
Most of the students will fall under the above profiles which have been clarified so as to decide whether to repeat CAT 2026 or not. If you are planning on retaking the CAT 2026 exam, you must know how to prepare for the exam to score 95 to 98+ percentile.
About 45 to 46 weeks until CAT, how to begin your preparation is clarified below. Follow the complete weekly schedule through iQuanta CAT 2026 course if your CAT 2025 or CAT 2024 marks were below a 90%ile benchmark. You may start following a weekly routine from week 10 or week 15 skipping the basics from the iQuanta CAT course 2026 if your previous attempt resulted in a CAT score above 90%ile. Here are a few practical tips and tricks to help droppers, working professionals, and other CAT aspirants boost their performance in CAT 2026 repeat examination.
Before Taking CAT 2026 Learn About the Exam
Most students jump right into the learning part without realizing the exam pattern and format. You must know the syllabus, exam pattern, type of questions and similar exam related details in depth before starting your preparation. Your previous attempt and strategy can teach you a lot about the exam and its pattern. Before taking the CAT 2026, if you realize that your foundations are only weak, then restart all concepts from scratch. Remember, the stronger your basics are, the better overall percentile you can target.
Review Previous Attempt, Previous Paper and More Past Papers
The strategy to learn from your previous mistakes is the best strategy for CAT aspirants in 2026. You need to thoroughly scan previous year papers including CAT 2025 paper, check the question types, time taken per question, important topics and other crucial parameters. Break down the common themes throughout all previous CAT papers, after this step, categorize topics into simple and difficult as per your knowledge and skills. Practice difficult topics regularly while working on more speed and accuracy on the topics which are your strength. You can neither rely on your strengths nor your weaknesses, maintain a balance and pace of completing all questions which are easy as well some of those that are hard.
Make a Realistic Study Plan To Improve Overall CAT Percentile
A real study plan is based on each candidate’s personal objectives, strong areas and weaknesses. You must constantly work on your weak areas. CAT has 3 sections: VARC, DILR and Quant. Every person has their strong section and some areas where they require more time or find the concepts slightly challenging. 3 practical tips to improve in CAT 2026 are given below.
- Dedicate more time to Quant topics if math is your weak side.
- Regularly read and practice comprehension questions daily if English topics are hard for you.
- To cover any topic in any section, first build concepts, then practice hard and lastly take mocks to check if you get the right answer in the first attempt.
Use Mocks To Build Speed, Accuracy and Time Management Skills
To improve poor time management skills, practice more timed tests, timed questions and full-length tests. Keep your goal to save maximum minutes per question for last minute review and solving difficult questions. A mock test without analysis is taken in vain. You must go back and forth each mock or sectional, to check in which topics you are not able to answer correctly. Also work on speed through regular practice to build a natural flow towards accuracy.
Find a pattern in your mistakes, rather than making mistakes continuously. You must know when to skip a question and when you must attempt the question. Your goal must be to move on without losing a single thread of your confidence. CAT is a national level entrance test which will be just like a mock test but with real consequences. Practice your exam skills of speed, precision and time coordination for months before the exam.
Conclusion: Discipline, Consistency & Strategic Planning Leads to Success
Avoid wasting time, January to February is the best time to start working on a preparation plan. This is the time to give importance to learning if you wish to crack CAT 2026 and land a good college. You must know how to attempt each section with the right strategy. You can check iQuanta’s CAT 2026 online courses for detailed guidance and a workable plan. Smart preparation is more important than knowing it all or having it all.
- Wake up early for focused morning practice sessions around 4:30 to 5 AM.
- Complete the preparation a few days before the exam and have trust in your abilities.
- Stay flexible to adapt to the paper’s difficulty levels but also consistent with your strategy.
- Maintain confidence and calm on the final exam day.
