IIM CALLING: Your 2026 Roadmap to India’s Top B-Schools

CAT preparation often starts with talk of cut-offs and strategy, but what often shapes outcomes is the slower work that builds judgement, consistency, and command over pressure. Having a clearer understanding of what is actually assessed, right at the start of the year, directs the strategy well before test day.

- Nikhil Abhishek

Nikhil Abhishek explores how CAT scores improve when you pick questions wisely, structure thoughts clearly, and absorb feedback

EVERY January, CAT aspirants begin with a sense of urgency. New books arrive, past papers are downloaded, and students dive straight into problem solving. Questions and sets pile up fast, and the rhythm scratches the itch of momentum. Mock tests appear within days, and scores begin to shape mood. But the risk with this approach is that aspirants end up preparing for the exam they think CAT is, rather than the exam it turns into once the clock starts. They work harder, yet their performance stays stubbornly inconsistent because the exam is filtering for a deeper skill than most realise, something much more fundamental.

CAT tests choices, not techniques: how well a student can judge what to attempt and what to avoid, how quickly they can recognise when they are heading in the wrong direction, and how calmly they can realign under pressure. This skill comes from reading situations accurately and responding without panic. It also includes the discipline to drop a plan midstream and restart neatly. The aim is consistency under a relentless stopwatch.