A few years back, I was working in the corporate sector when I decided to upskill myself and prepare for CAT. I thought the exam preparation would require around 6 to 8 hours per day. However, studying for the CAT while working full time and managing office and personal responsibilities felt impractical. That’s why I procrastinated my preparation for a few years.
However, after discussing with some friends and consultants, I found that preparing for CAT doesn’t require unlimited free time. The key to preparing for the exam is to manage the available time strategically. Also, time is not the only challenge for working professionals. They have to be consistent and make smart plans to crack the exam.
In this blog, I will share how I used practical strategies to study for the CAT and get admission in a reputed B-school.
The Real Challenge is Not Time, it's Energy
Most working professionals who prepare for CAT think that the main issue is a lack of time. However, when I started preparing for the exam, I understood that the main problem was not time but energy and focus. I had 2-3 hours to study after the office, but after managing office meetings and work, it became difficult for me to study during those hours.
Generally, a fresh mindset is needed to solve the Qaunt and DILR sections, which was not possible after office hours. I tried solving some questions late at night, but I made silly mistakes, and that demotivated me. Also, I could hardly focus for around 30 minutes. Then I shifted to a morning study routine with a fresh mind.
I used to solve the questions for around one hour, and the results were good. This also increased my concentration power. Then I realised, studying for many hours is not the right approach. The key is to analyse the best energetic hours when the mind is fresh and use them wisely.
The study slots that worked for me:
Morning - practice Quant questions with a fresh mind, as it delivers better accuracy.
Lunch time - vocabulary or revision of formulas
Night - RC practice or light questions
This approach will make the process more stable and manageable, without feeling unnecessary pressure.
Practical Changes That Can Make CAT Preparation Doable With a Job
Preparing for the CAT while working is manageable with the right study approach. Small, smart changes to daily routine make the preparation consistent and effective. Here are important changes to implement for getting the best results.
Give Priority to Focused Study Blocks
The first thing to prepare for the CAT is not to pressurise yourself for long hours. Instead, adopt focused study blocks. Initially, I thought I would study for long hours after office; however, that’s not practically possible. That’s why I changed my approach and started studying with focus for around 45 minutes.
I used to pick only one topic at that time. This helped me concentrate better. For weekdays, I focused on short practice sets and RCs. I kept heavy topics for mornings and studied vocabulary and light topics while commuting to the office and home.
This helped me to get more study time on weekends. I kept mock tests and detailed analysis for weekends, and this helped to boost my score.
Additional practical tips:
Keep one topic per study session.
Before studying, decide what you want to study.
Avoid using the phone and other distractions.
Take short breaks after 60-90 minutes.
In the end, quickly revise what you studied.
Keep weekdays for learning and weekends for analysis.
Focus on Accuracy and Use a Reverse Preparation Approach
Solving a large number of questions is not always the right approach; what matters is accuracy. Earlier, due to limited time, my preparation was not planned. I only focused on covering all the topics. However, this approach didn’t improve my performance.
Then, I changed my strategy and used a reverse approach. First, I took sectional and mock tests and analyzed which question types I was unable to solve. Later, I revised only those topics and practiced related questions.
Many students solve 80 to 100 questions, yet their scores don’t improve because they don’t focus on analyzing the answers. The goal is to solve enough questions to clear your basics and deeply analyse them. This improves accuracy and helps in understanding the performance gaps.
Additional important points:
Focus on performing, then analyzing, and lastly improving.
Take the mock tests and make efforts to analyse them.
Don’t repeat the same mistakes frequently.
Revise a habit to improve performance.
If you have a busy schedule, decide what not to study.
Progress might be slower if learning and testing are disconnected.
Have a Smart Study Support System
The main problem for working professionals is not about time. They don’t get direction and clarity for studying for the CAT. Initially, I spent hours thinking about what to study today, and wasted a lot of time.
Eventually, I understood that having a structured study schedule makes preparation stable and saves time. That’s why I used to attempt mock tests on weekends and analyze them properly. This also helped me track my progress. I also understood that independent studying might not be sufficient for people in jobs.
Hence, I researched platforms offering CAT online coaching and ended up exploring an online coaching platform where students excel in CAT through structured online learning. They take live classes and mock tests for ace preparation. Therefore, enrolling in any such platform will help you with structured preparation and boost your score.
More tips:
Don’t waste time deciding what to study every day.
There’s more uncertainty with the job, hence go for a structured study schedule.
Avoid random study sessions.
Sections to Study on Priority When You are Short on Time
I had limited time to prepare for the CAT, and then I realized that studying for each section with the same approach might not be right. I smartly prioritise each section to get maximum study hours.
VARC
Working professionals have an advantage in this section, as they have reading practice and can easily process the information. I focused on calmly handling the reading comprehension and understanding the questions. My aim was accuracy rather than speed.
Quants
This section demands good, structured practice, which is why I didn’t study the topics randomly. Instead, I studied the high scoring topics such as arithmetic and algebra. I also covered the number system. Conceptual clarity and regular practice are effective in getting good scores.
DILR
Improvement for the DILR section requires time. Practicing for about 45 minutes daily is useful and effective. I solved different types of sets to understand the patterns and improve my scores.
Conclusion
Preparing for the CAT while working was possible with a practical study approach. Time is important, but energy management is equally required. Also, I was consistent and studied smartly. I improved my scores by fixing a fixed study structure and focusing on study hours. I focused on prioritizing topics for stable progress. A consistent, sustainable routine is the key to cracking the CAT for working professionals.
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