CAT preparation in 6 months
Six months gives you room to learn concepts properly, practise each section, and still take a long run of mocks. CAT 2026 is on 29 November 2026, so a six-month plan is for the next cycle, whose dates are not announced yet. The extra time helps only if you spend it on regular practice rather than on collecting material.
Who this is for
Someone starting early, for example a student in the final year of college or a first-time aspirant planning for the next CAT.
Time needed: 10 to 15 hours a week.
Before you start, read the CAT exam pattern and the CAT syllabus so you know what the paper looks like. Each section has its own guide: VARC, DILR and Quant.
Months 1 and 2: concepts and reading habit
Weeks 1 to 8
- Diagnostic mock in week 1, then a second one at the end of month 2 to see the change.
- Quant: cover each topic area once, with graded practice after each.
- VARC: build a daily reading habit across different subjects and styles. Read, then summarise each article in two lines.
- DILR: solve one set every day, starting with easy ones.
Months 3 and 4: practice at exam pace
Weeks 9 to 16
- Move to timed sectional tests. Work on choosing which questions and sets to attempt.
- Revisit weak Quant topics using your error log.
- Do a full mock every two weeks.
Months 5 and 6: mocks and refinement
Weeks 17 to 26
- One full mock a week, rising to two a week in the last six weeks.
- Use previous papers for section-wise practice.
- Fix repeated errors only. Cut the topics that your mocks show are not worth the time.
Weekly template
| Day | Task |
|---|---|
| Mon | Quant, 1.5 hours |
| Tue | DILR, 1.5 hours |
| Wed | VARC, 1.5 hours |
| Thu | Quant, 1.5 hours |
| Fri | DILR or VARC sectional, 1.5 hours |
| Sat | Practice or full mock, 2 to 3 hours |
| Sun | Analysis and error-log review, 2 hours |
Mocks
Two diagnostics (start and middle), a mock every two weeks in months 3 and 4, then weekly and finally twice a week: roughly 15 to 20 in all. After every mock, spend at least as long on analysis as on the test. For each wrong or skipped question, note whether it was a concept gap, a calculation slip, a bad choice of question, or a time problem. Then redo the question without looking at the solution.
Start with our free CAT mock test, which needs no sign-up, then put your score into the CAT percentile predictor to see where it would have landed in recent years.
Exam facts for every plan: three sections of 40 minutes in a fixed order, +3 for a right MCQ, -1 for a wrong MCQ, and no negative marks on typed-in answers.
Common questions
Is 6 months too long or too short for CAT?
It is a comfortable window if you study consistently. The risk with long plans is losing momentum, so fix a weekly routine and keep taking mocks.
When do I start taking mocks in a 6-month plan?
Take one in week 1 as a baseline. Regular mocks matter most from month 3 onward.
Can I start with VARC and skip Quant for now?
You can start with whichever section you find hardest, but plan to cover all three. Each is scored separately and there are 40 minutes for each.
Take free CAT mock 1 (full length)
Other plans
- CAT preparation in 1 month
- CAT preparation in 2 months
- CAT preparation in 3 months
- CAT preparation for working professionals
- CAT preparation for beginners
- CAT preparation without coaching
Sources
Last checked 8 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and it goes on the errata page.