How to Prepare for CAT Exam at Home? Check Section-wise Preparation Strategy, Study Plan and Books

Sahaj Anand Content Writer | Journalism Graduate

Content Writer | Journalism Graduate | Updated On - Jul 29, 2025

It is possible to prepare for CAT at home and score good percentile. Check subject-wise preparation strategy, study plan, and recommended books for VARC, DILR, and QA.

MBA is one of the most sought-after programs in India. Many students from diverse backgrounds plan to pursue management and secure good packages. The dream colleges for candidates include top colleges like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, FMS, etc. To get admission into such prestigious institutes, one should clear the CAT with a good percentile.

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Set The Goal for CAT

First, decide when you have to give the exam. For example, if you are a 1st-year graduate student, then you have two years, or if you have just three months. This will mainly decide your overall plan.

You should also establish the colleges and the CAT percentile that you are targeting. The targets should be realistic. It's everybody’s dream to crack IIM Ahmedabad, but make it realistic. Once set, be determined to achieve the same.

Research About The CAT Exam

Research the CAT exam's syllabus, course structure, and exam pattern. This will help you in the future. The most important thing is to connect with as many students who are preparing and have passed the CAT. They will help you collaborate with others, share resources, build a support system, and have healthy competition.

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CAT Exam Preparation

Next comes the main game of CAT preparation, so let’s understand how to prepare. Break the full course into small parts. There are three major sections in CAT – Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Quantitative Ability (QA), and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR). Now further bifurcate them into small parts.

The first 5 - 6 months should be given for the study material that you have purchased, with 1-2 hours given every day for all three sectors together.

CAT VARC Preparation

Topics	Study Plan	Books recommendation
Reading Comprehension Techniques	Read and analyze 1 comprehension passage daily	How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT - Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay/Arihant 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary Mass Market Paperback - Wilfred Funk & Norman Lewis/ Simon & Schuster How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT - Sharma and Upadhyay PSC for VA for CAT - Nishit Sinha
Vocabulary Building (Root Words, Synonyms, Antonyms)	Learn 20 new words daily and practice their usage
Grammar Rules and Usage	Focus on topics like tenses, articles, prepositions, and sentence structure
Para Jumbles and Paragraph Completion	Solve 7-8 questions daily
Critical Reasoning and Assumption-Based Questions	Solve 5-7 questions daily and analyze the reasoning behind each option

CAT QA Preparation

Topics	Study Plan	Books recommendation
Number Systems and Basic Arithmetic Operations	Practice solving problems based on fundamental concepts and formulas	CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning - Gautam Puri Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT - Nishit K. Sinha Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency - Ananta Ashisha How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT - Arun Sharma
Algebra and Equations	Master topics like linear equations, quadratic equations, and inequalities
Geometry and Mensuration	Learn and apply formulas for triangles, circles, polygons, and three-dimensional shapes
Arithmetic Math	Cover topics like percentages, profit and loss, time and work, probability, etc.
Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency	Solve 2-3 sets of DI and DS questions daily, focusing on speed and accuracy

CAT DILR Preparation

Topics	Study Plan	Books recommendation
Data Interpretation Techniques and Basic Calculation Skills	Solve 3-4 DI sets daily and focus on improving calculation speed and accuracy	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning - Gautam Puri Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT - Nishit K. Sinha Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency - Ananta Ashisha How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT - Arun Sharma
Logical Reasoning: Arrangements and Patterns	Practice solving puzzles, seating arrangements, and coding-decoding questions regularly
Logical Reasoning: Blood Relations and Directions	Solve a variety of questions based on blood relations, directions, and analogies
Logical Reasoning: Syllogisms and Assumptions	Focus on improving logical reasoning skills by solving syllogisms and assumption-based questions
Practice Mixed Sets	Solve full-length DILR sets, simulating the actual exam conditions

The next four months should be spent on practice and mock tests, which are the most important part of the plan. It shows your understanding of concepts. Give as many mocks as you can and solve the CAT previous year questions. Take an hour to analyze the result to see where you need to improve. Don't be discouraged by the early poor scores—consistency will help you manage time, lessen exam anxiety, and revise.

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The last month should be spent on revising the concepts you already know.

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Conclusion

Note that this plan was prepared by taking 1 year. But don’t worry if you have less time. All the steps and elements of the plan will remain the same; only the time allocated to each part will vary depending on how much time you have—whether it's 6 months or 3 months. Simultaneously, you must also work on your CV, interview skills, etc. If you follow these steps with hard work, dedication, and determination, you will be able to crack the CAT.

ALL THE BEST!

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