CAT Preparation Roadmap: Expert Tips from SuperGrads Mentors

Preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT) is often described as a journey—one that requires discipline, clarity, and smart strategic planning. Every year, lakhs of aspirants attempt the exam, but only a fraction secure seats in India’s top B-schools. What sets the successful candidates apart is not just hard work, but the right roadmap and the right mentorship.

Drawing from years of experience guiding MBA aspirants through structured CAT coaching in Jaipur and across India, SuperGrads mentors have developed a detailed, practical, and time-tested preparation strategy. This blog captures their expert advice and presents a comprehensive roadmap that any aspirant beginner or advanced—can follow to maximize their chances of cracking CAT with an exceptional percentile.

Why a Structured Roadmap Matters

CAT isn’t difficult because of the syllabus itself; it’s difficult because:

• The competition is intense
• The time pressure is high
• The skillset required is diverse
• The type of preparation needed is unique

A well-defined roadmap gives you direction, ensures consistency, and helps you measure progress. It also prevents the common pitfalls: losing momentum, feeling overwhelmed, or preparing inefficiently.

SuperGrads mentors emphasize that the journey becomes easier when broken down into three systematic phases:

1. Concept Building
2. Practice & Optimization
3. Testing & Refinement

Let’s explore these phases in detail.

Phase 1: Concept Building (Months 1–3)

“Strong fundamentals are non-negotiable.” – SuperGrads Quant Mentors

This phase lays the foundation for your CAT preparation. Even if you're good at English or have a science background, you must start by revisiting basics.

1. Understand the CAT Blueprint

Before opening any books, know what you're preparing for. CAT typically has three sections:

1. VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) – 24 questions
2. DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) – 20 questions
3. QA (Quantitative Ability) – 22 questions

Time is allotted section-wise, so sectional balance is essential.

2. Build a Strong Base in QA

Quant is usually the most time-consuming section to prepare for. SuperGrads mentors recommend:

• Start with Arithmetic: Percentages, Ratios, Averages, Time-Speed-Distance
• Then move to Algebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions
• Follow with Geometry and Number Systems
  

Tips from SuperGrads QA mentors:

• Do not rush. CAT questions test application, not memorization.
• Solve 20–25 basic-level questions of each chapter before increasing difficulty.
• Maintain a formula notebook but focus more on concepts than shortcuts.

3. Strengthen Reading Habits for VARC

Reading Comprehension carries the highest weight in VARC. SuperGrads VARC mentors advise:

• Read daily editorials, essays, scientific articles
• Practice summarizing passages
• Build familiarity with diverse genres: philosophy, sociology, business, science

Pro tip: Speed is important, but comprehension comes first. Don’t skim excessively.

4. Start Logical Puzzles for DILR

This section has transformed over the years. Instead of straightforward sets, CAT favors complex, logic-heavy puzzles.

Mentors suggest:

• Begin with basic puzzle types: arrangements, games, selections
• Practice 1–2 sets daily
• Move from standard puzzles to CAT-style unconventional sets

5. Begin Light Mock Practice

Even in the foundation phase, take at least one low-stakes mock every 2–3 weeks.

Purpose:

• Understand exam environment
• Identify comfort areas
• Track improvement from day one

Phase 2: Practice & Optimization (Months 4–6)

“This is where average students become toppers.” – SuperGrads DILR Mentors

Once your concepts are in place, it’s time to transition into serious practice. This is the most critical part of preparation.

1. Daily Practice Plan

SuperGrads mentors recommend dividing each day into three parts:

A. VARC:

• 1 Reading Comprehension passage
• 2–3 VA sets (para jumbles, odd sentence, para-summary)

B. DILR:

• 1–2 sets focusing on accuracy initially
• Gradually increase difficulty and speed
• Solve sets from various sources to build versatility

C. QA:

• 25–35 mixed questions across topics
• Start working on sectional tests

2. Solve Previous Year Papers

This is one of the highest-impact activities. CAT’s pattern is unpredictable, but solving past papers gives you:

• Realistic understanding of difficulty level
• Repeated exposure to recurring patterns
• Awareness of time traps

SuperGrads mentors strongly insist on practicing CAT papers from 2017–2023 at least twice.

3. Start Taking Weekly Mocks

Mocks are your best teachers. By Month 4, you should take:

• 1 mock per week
• Analyze each mock for 2–3 hours
• Track your accuracy, attempt rate, and time spent per section

Important: Don’t take too many mocks without analysis.
 SuperGrads mentors emphasize that 80% of learning comes from analysis, not giving the mock itself.

4. Build Exam Strategy

This phase must help you figure out:

• Ideal attempt strategy
• Which types of questions to avoid
• Optimal pacing for each section

For example, in DILR, selecting the right set is half the battle. In VARC, reading order and elimination technique matter. SuperGrads mentors work closely with students to build these customized strategies.

Phase 3: Testing & Refinement (Last 2–3 Months)

“This phase creates your final percentile.” – SuperGrads VARC Head Mentor

Now is the time to simulate the actual exam repeatedly. Your focus shifts from learning new topics to refining performance through consistent practice and CAT exam analysis to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.

1. Intensive Mock Taking

• Take 2–3 mocks per week
• Review them meticulously
• Track your percentile trajectory
• Work specifically on weak areas identified from mocks

2. Sectional Mastery

Each section requires a slightly different approach now.

VARC:

Work on improving:

• Accuracy in RC (especially inference-based questions)
• Consistency in VA
• Reading speed without losing comprehension

DILR:

Focus on:

• Quick set selection
• Maximizing score from 2–3 high-scoring sets
• Recognizing CAT-style logic faster

QA:

Refine:

• Mental calculation speed
• Question selection skills
• Confidence in high-yield topics like Arithmetic & Algebra

3. Maintain a Revision Routine

At this stage:

• Revise formulas and notes every 7–10 days
• Reattempt mocks or sectional tests that went poorly
• Practice RCs, sets, and QA questions in mixed mode

4. Don’t Pick New Topics

SuperGrads mentors strongly discourage learning entirely new topics now.
 Instead, deepen what you already know.

Common Mistakes Aspirants Make (and How to Avoid Them)

1. Overemphasis on Speed First

Speed comes naturally once concepts are strong. Trying to rush early leads to errors.

2. Ignoring VARC

Many engineers focus heavily on QA and ignore reading practice. Big mistake—VARC often determines the final percentile.

3. Solving Too Many Basics, Too Few Mocks

Practice without evaluation is incomplete.

4. Not Analyzing Mocks

Simply taking mocks doesn’t improve scores. Analysis is where improvement happens.

5. Emotional Overload

CAT prep can be mentally exhausting. SuperGrads mentors highlight the importance of:

• Having a consistent routine
• Taking breaks
• Speaking to mentors during low phases

Role of Mentorship in CAT Preparation

A mentor doesn’t just teach concepts—they guide you strategically. SuperGrads mentors help students with:

• Personalized time-tables
• Customized mock strategies
• Section-specific problem-solving techniques
• Motivation and accountability
• Realistic performance evaluation

Many students fail not due to lack of ability, but due to lack of direction. Appropriate guidance makes a massive difference.

Sample Weekly Schedule (Mentor Recommended)

Monday–Friday

• VARC: 1 RC + 2 VA sets (45 mins)
• QA: 25–35 questions + formula revision (1.5 hrs)
• DILR: 1–2 sets (1–1.5 hrs)

Saturday

• 1 Full Mock (2 hrs)
• Break
• Mock Analysis (2–3 hrs)

Sunday

• Focus on weak areas
• Reading practice
• Light revision

Mental Preparation: The X-Factor

Expert mentors at SuperGrads repeatedly stress that CAT is more of a psychological battle than an academic one.

Key mental habits to build:

• Calmness during pressure
• Consistency over perfection
• Resilience after poor mocks
• Adaptability to unpredictable patterns

The ability to stay composed during the actual exam is what differentiates a 99+ percentile scorer from the rest.

Final 30 Days Strategy

1. Take 8–10 mocks

Maximize exposure to different difficulty levels.

2. Stick to your best strategy

Don’t change strategies unless mock performance is consistently poor.

3. Sleep well and maintain health

Fatigue can ruin even the best preparation.

4. Focus on accuracy

Attempts matter, but accuracy matters more.

Conclusion: Your Roadmap to a 99+ Percentile

Cracking CAT requires discipline, clarity, and smart effort—qualities that grow naturally when you follow a structured plan. The roadmap laid out by SuperGrads mentors, enriched with insights from solving CAT previous year questions, has helped thousands of aspirants transform their preparation journey and secure admissions in IIMs, MDI, IMT, FMS, and other leading B-schools.

If you follow this three-phase plan
 Build Concepts → Practice Intensively → Refine with Mocks,
 you are already ahead of most aspirants.

With the right mentorship and consistent effort, a 99+ percentile is absolutely achievable.