When I first committed to preparing for the CAT, I wasn’t just intimidated—I was overwhelmed. I knew I needed structure, discipline, and a strategy. That’s when I decided to create a CAT plan tailored to my schedule, strengths, and learning style. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how I structured my first 30 days of CAT prep, what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d suggest to anyone starting their own CAT plan.
Week 1: Laying the Groundwork
In the first week of my CAT plan, I focused on building the right mindset. Instead of jumping into full-throttle studying, I spent time:
Understanding the CAT exam structure (Quant, VARC, LRDI)
Taking a basic diagnostic test
Identifying my weak and strong areas
Setting realistic daily goals
I also started reading editorials from The Hindu daily to warm up my brain.
My biggest takeaway from Week 1? Clarity. Once I understood where I stood, creating a personalized CAT plan became easier.
Week 2: Building Conceptual Strength
This is when the grind began. I divided my day into three focused slots:
Quantitative Aptitude: Focused on number systems and arithmetic
VARC: Started with reading comprehension (short passages)
LRDI: Daily puzzle practice for 30 minutes
I referred to the 2IIM free question bank and took up 2–3 beginner-level questions daily per topic.
This week, my CAT plan was all about consistency. Even if I studied for just 3 hours, I made sure they were distraction-free.
Week 3: Introducing Sectional Practice
Now that I was getting comfortable, I modified my CAT plan to include sectional tests. I took one test each for Quant, LRDI, and VARC—untimed, just to analyze performance.
I also created a CAT plan tracker on Excel to log my scores and accuracy.
Major focus areas this week:
Improving calculation speed
Understanding different types of RC questions
Mastering bar graphs and tables in LRDI
By the end of Week 3, I began to enjoy the process. My CAT plan started feeling more like a habit and less like a pressure.
Week 4: Time-Bound Challenges
The final week of my 30-day CAT plan was about pushing limits. I added:
Timed tests (40 mins per section)
Error analysis after every test
Weekend full-length mock (with full analysis)
I also began revisiting topics I struggled with earlier—especially percentage and geometry.
To spice things up, I also explored free YouTube playlists by Cracku and Unacademy for concepts I found hard to grasp in books.
Tools I Used in My CAT Plan
Google Sheets (for tracking)
Stopwatch apps (for timing practice)
Online question banks
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If you’re at the start of your CAT journey, don’t wait for the “perfect” time or plan. Build your own. Your first 30 days should not be about perfection—they should be about momentum. Craft a CAT plan that suits your pace, review it weekly, and keep improving it.
The key is not in having the best CAT plan—it’s in showing up every day with intention and focus.