Is 4 months enough to prepare for CAT if I start now in July?

Question

B.K Sharma · Accepted Answer

Yes, four months is enough to prepare for CAT if the plan is realistic and consistent. Plenty of people have cracked 95+ starting in July ,  the key is focusing on smart practice rather than syllabus completion.
Start with a mock test. It gives a baseline and shows where time is being wasted. Based on that, split the first 6 weeks into concept revision. Focus on Arithmetic, Algebra, and RC ,  these form the bulk of the paper. For DILR, start solving 1 set a day from past CATs (2018&ndash;2024). Stick to familiar set types like arrangements, games, and selection puzzles.
After six weeks, start mock testing weekly and increase to two mocks per week by October. Spend more time analysing than attempting,  this is where most score jumps happen. Keep one section daily for revision, whether it&rsquo;s a formula notebook or past mistakes. You don&rsquo;t need 8 hours a day, 2 to 3 solid hours consistently is enough if done right.

D. Aarav · Answer

Four months seems short until you realise most people waste time trying to study everything. It&rsquo;s enough if the prep is focused and lean.
&bull; Started in July last year and hit 97. Took a mock on day one to identify strong and weak areas ,  RC and Arithmetic were decent, so focused more on those. &bull; Fixed a 6:30 to 9:30 am study slot on weekdays. Mornings went to QA or DILR, evenings were used for short VARC drills or mock analysis. &bull; For VARC, read editorials daily and solved 2 RCs under a timer. Didn&rsquo;t waste much time on para jumbles and odd-one-out &mdash; they didn&rsquo;t give consistent returns. &bull; Solved one DILR set daily from CAT 2017&ndash;2023 papers. After a few weeks, pattern recognition kicked in and set selection during mocks got easier. &bull; Gave one mock every Sunday and reviewed it the next day. Maintained a simple log of repeated errors and things to avoid , that helped more than any coaching notes.
Four months is enough, if every hour counts, not just every topic.
For more details you can even read this blog on "CAT 3 Month Study Plan"