Smart CAT preparation: Strategy, analysis, and composure key in final phase

As the CAT exam approaches, the final days can often feel like watching the climax of a suspense thriller.You are eager for the resolution, yet equally anxious about what comes next. Contrary to what many aspirants may believe, this phase is less about learning new topics or finishing the syllabus and more about managing. The very skills students aspire to learn in theirMBA journey, begin right from the CAT exam.

Prioritise What Matters

Think of this phase the way we train MBA students to optimize limited resources in a competitive environment. Performance in CAT is as much determined by the mastery on different topics as it is by how well you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and your ability to channel them on the D-day. The smartest candidates focus on high-impact actions, not maximal effort. Across the sections of Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), certain topics and types will consistently deliver greater value for you – identify that pattern. Don’t attempt to “finish the syllabus” now! Your energy is better invested in strengthening what you already know.

Establish a Balanced Routine

Follow a routine that balances practice and performance analysis. Management principles often focus on the principle of iterative testing which involves small experiments, feedback and improvement.

1) One mini-mock or sectional test:The idea is not to drain yourself at this point with too many full-length long mock tests. Maintain momentum by setting a micro-practice routine; for instance, 10-15 chosen QA questions, 1 RC passage and 1 DILR set from familiar patterns.

2) Focused performance analysis:The real gains are expected to happen here. Identify what slows you down, what tricks you, and what patterns you repeatedly miss.

3) Targeted revision:Revisit key formulae, your personal list of pitfalls, two or three solved DILR sets every day.

Common Mistakes to avoid

The final stretch may tempt many aspirants into counterproductive habits. Self-awareness at this point can save crucial marks. First, trying to learn new topics at this point is the academic equivalent of redesigning your product in the final week of launch – far too late to add real value and very likely to create instability. Depth beats breadth now. Second, ignoring sectional strategy can cost you high. Random attempts, lack of planning, or getting stuck at difficult questions can undo months of preparation. Third, sacrificing sleep can lead to costlier sacrifices. Sleep deprivation can weaken comprehension slow you down and impair decision-making – three critical abilities CAT demands. Lastly, unload emotional baggage at the earliest. A bad mock, a tough QA session, or a confusing RC passage can trigger panic. But as we teach students: Data from one event doesn’t define a trend. Emotional overreaction is a major obstacle in CAT. Remember it is not a war against a particular question or a section; you are here to perform not prove.

The Last 48 Hours

The last days before CAT require a shift from intensity to composure. Reduce mock-taking, maintain light revision, sleep well, and protect your mental bandwidth. A rested brain processes information faster and displays greater clarity in decision-making, the biggest asset in time or resource constrained situations – a lesson we repeatedly highlight in our consumer behaviour classes on cognitive load.

In these last days before CAT, developing a strategy that maximizes your strengths and minimizes your weaknesswill likely matter more than sheer intensity of efforts. Your preparation is already done; now what will differentiate you is if you can stay sharp, steady and purposeful. Approach the exam with confidence, discipline, and a calm mind, and you will give yourself the strongest chance to perform at your full potential.

(The author is Associate Professor (Marketing Management), IMT Ghaziabad)