CAT 2023

Study Plan
(7-12 months for Engineers)

BYJU’S Exam Prep Study Plan for Engineers

 Common Admission Test (CAT)
is a national level entrance exam
conducted by the Indian Institutes of
Management (IIMs) for admission to
MBA programs offered by B-Schools
in India. Around 2.22 lakh candidates
appeared for the CAT 2022 exam out
of 2.55 lakhs registered eligible
 Analyze your performance: After
taking mock tests, analyze your
performance, identify your
strengths and weaknesses, and
work on them.
Verbal Ability and

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candidates. The overall attendance
was approximately 87%. Reading
Comprehension

CA
The strategy for cracking the
Reading comprehension is an
Common Admission Test (CAT)
important part of the Common
2023 depends on individual
Admission Test (CAT). This section of
strengths and weaknesses, but to
create a study plan for the CAT, there the exam tests your ability to read
are a few key steps you can follow: and understand written passages, as
well as your ability to draw
conclusions and make inferences
 Understanding the exam pattern
based on the information presented.
and syllabus: Familiarize yourself
with the latest exam pattern,  Till 2019, 24 (71%) out of 34
sections and the type of questions questions were RC questions.
asked in each section.  In 2020, 18 (69%) out of 26
 Time Management: One of the questions were RC questions.
most important aspects of
 In 2021, 16 (67%) out of 24
cracking the CAT is managing time
questions were RC questions.
effectively. Make sure to allocate
equal time to all sections and  In 2022, 16 (67%) out of 24
practice solving questions within questions were RC questions.
the given time limit.
 Practice: Regular practice of mock
tests and previous year question
papers will help you understand
the pattern and improve your
speed and accuracy.
 Preparation of Strong
Fundamentals: Brush up the
basic concepts and formulas in
Math, English, and Reasoning.

01 BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program

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CA
To prepare for the reading comprehension section of CAT, you can try the
following strategies:
 Practise reading and comprehending long passages
 Take notes while reading
 Practise making inferences
 Practise questions

What to read?
We have compiled a list of sources from where RCs featured in CAT exams
have been picked up.

02 BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program

 Source analysis (2018-22)
Source Occurrence Occurrence (Percentage)
Excerpts from Books 13 23.21%
NYT 5 8.93%
Aeon 5 8.93%
Smithsonian Magazine 3 5.36%
The Guardian 2 3.57%

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TIME magazine 2 3.57%
The Atlantic 2 3.57%
The Economist 2 3.57%

CA
Scientific American 2 3.57%
New Scientist 2 3.57%
The Hindustan Times 1 1.79%
Britannica 1 1.79%
Forbes 1 1.79%
Cambridge 1 1.79%
SAGE 1 1.79%
NPR 1 1.79%
Prospect 1 1.79%
Passeidireto 1 1.79%
Brown.edu 1 1.79%
The Spectator 1 1.79%
MIT 1 1.79%
Wiley 1 1.79%
FT 1 1.79%
The Epoch Times 1 1.79%
Atmostphere 1 1.79%
Jstor 1 1.79%
Sociology.iresearchnet 1 1.79%
WSJ 1 1.79%
BBC 0 0.00%
3 Quarks Daily 0 0.00%
Total 56 100.00%

The verbal ability section of the CAT exam tests your ability to analyse and evaluate
arguments. Vocabulary questions test your knowledge of word meanings and usage.

Verbal ability section includes questions on parajumbles, parasummary, and picking

the odd one out.

03 BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program

 Verbal Ability and
Reading
Comprehension
Month-wise Strategy
 In the first month, focus on
Reading Comprehension. For
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understanding the basics of RC
read 30 min of newspaper
editorials every day (knowing the
CA
genres and going through PYQP 
analysis of RCs) along with 1 RC
every day. Refer to
BYJU’S YouTube videos for help
on genres asked.
1 topic test in RC every alternate
week. Take it slow to get into the
flow.
 In the second month, start
Verbal Ability prep along with
Reading Comprehension. 45 min
of newspaper editorials every
day along with solving 1 RC
passage and analysis from
course material per day.

Understanding what constituted
VA, getting the basic concepts,
going through the lectures if and
when they take place
1 topic test in RC every
alternate week. Gear up for
increased workload
 In the third month, we will
practice verbal ability questions
as well. 30 min of newspaper
editorials every day along with
solving 1 RC passage and analysis
04
from course material per day
Ensure you attend all VA classes
without fail and the class content
is solved again on the day after
the class
1 topic test in RC every alternate
week along with 2 sectional
tests in month - one in every
two weeks (all tests ideally on
weekends)
In the fourth month, give 30
min or paper every day along
with 1 RC passages every
alternate day
4-6 PJ one day, 4-6 PS another
day & 4 Para completion on the
third day (alternate these
between RC solving).
1 topic test every week (alternate
between RC and VA) along with
a total 2 sectional tests in a
month (one in every two weeks).
Keep all tests ideally on
weekends
In the fifth month, give 30 min
or paper every day along with 1
RC passages every alternate day
4-6 PJ one day, 4-6 PS another
day & 4 Para completion on the
third day (alternate these
between RC solving).
1 topic test every week (alternate
between RC and VA) along with
a total 2 sectional tests in a
month (one in every two weeks).
Use Mock questions that went
wrong /unattempted
BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program
  In the sixth month, 2 RC 
passages every alternate day.
4-6 PJ one day, 4-6 PS another
day & 4 Para completion on the
third day (alternate these
between RC solving).
2 topic tests every week
(alternate between RC and VA)
T
along with a total 2 sectional tests
in a month (one in every two
weeks). Use Mock questions that
CA
went wrong /unattempted
 In the seventh month, 2 RC 
passages every alternate day,
4-6 PJ one day, 4-6 PS another
day & 4 Para completion on the
third day (alternate these
between RC solving).
2 topic tests every week
(alternate between RC and VA)
along with a total 2 sectional tests
L
in a month (one in every two
weeks). Reading paper should
have become a hobby by now
and should be done on your own
interest and not as a reason for
preparation
05
In the eighth month, 2 RC
passages every alternate day.
4-6 PJ one day, 4-6 PS another
day & 4 Para completion on the
third day (alternate these
between RC solving).
2 topic tests every week
(alternate between RC and VA)
along with a total 2 sectional
tests in a month (one in every two
weeks). Use Mock questions that
went wrong /unattempted
In the ninth & tenth month,focus
on solving CAT and XAT previous
year question papers (last 5
years/wrong and unattempted
mock questions).
2 topic tests every week
(alternate between RC and VA)
along with a total 3 sectional tests
in a month (one per week for 3
weeks with one week break as per
convenience). Spend at least 1.5
hours per day on english in total
BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program
 Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
The data interpretation and logical reasoning section of the Common
Admission Test (CAT) is designed to test your ability to analyse and interpret
data, as well as to reason logically. This section typically includes a variety of
question types, including graphs, tables, and other visual data representations,
as well as logical reasoning problems.
Let's look at the important topics that have come in the last 5–6 years in CAT:

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Sr. No. Topic Number of sets in

CA
PYQP 2017–22
1 Reasoning-based DI 10
2 Scheduling and matrix 6
3 Matrix arrangement 7
4 Venn diagram 7
5 Matrix and grid 7
6 Unconventional and hybrid 6
games and tournament
7 Arithmetic caselet 3
8 Order and ranking 3
9 Missing data 3
10 Mathematical AR 4
11 Logic-based table 3
12 Arithmetic-based DI 2
13 Gantt chart 2
14 Maxima-minima concept 2
15 Algebra caselet 2
16 Routes and networks 3
17 Miscellaneous 11

06 BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program

 It's clear from the table above that
you need to pay special attention to
the following five topics to perform
well in the exam.
1. Reasoning-based DI
2. Arrangements and matrix sets
3. Grouping, distributions, and 
selections
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4. Set theory (Venn diagram)
5. Games and tournaments
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You can easily get a 99 percentile in
the DILR section of CAT if you focus
only on these five topics and aim for
cent percent accuracy.
To do well on this section, you will
need to have strong analytical and 
problem-solving skills, as well as the
ability to think logically and draw
conclusions from the data presented.
Data Interpretation &
Logication Reasoning
Month-wise Strategy
 In the first month, make a list of 
all topics that come in LR. Try to
solve 2 sets per day and cover
all topics. Get to know the
structure of each topic. Refer to
BYJU’S YouTube videos for help
on topics.
In DI, focus on speed maths
(percentages, squares, cubes).
Go through the analysis of last
year's CAT and XAT papers -
Refer to BYJU’S YouTube videos
07
for help. Alternate between LR,
QA, DI, QA that is if day 1 is LR,
day 2 is QA, Day 3 is DI, day 4 is
QA, day 5 is LR again and so on.
Spend around 1-1.5 hours
whenever you are doing DI or LR
In the second month, focus on
Linear & Circular Arrangements
(2 sets whenever it is LR's turn)
& Tables (2 sets whenever it is
DI's turn)
1 topic test each in DI and LR
every alternate week. Topic tests
obviously from areas you are
preparing.
In the third month, focus on 2
Matrix arrangements and more
parameters 2 sets whenever it is
LR's turn. In DI, Line and Bar (2
sets whenever it is DI's turn)
1 topic test each in DI and LR
every alternate week. Total 2
sectional tests in month - one in
every two weeks with all tests
taken ideally on the weekends.
In the fourth month, focus on
Games and Tournaments - 2
sets whenever it is LR's turn &
Pie Chart - 2 sets whenever it is
DI's turn
1 topic test each in DI and LR
every alternate week. Total 2
sectional tests in month - one in
every two weeks with all tests
taken ideally on the weekends.
BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program
  In the fifth month, focus on
Reasoning Based - 2 sets
whenever it is LR's turn &
Scatter Plot - 2 sets whenever it
is DI's turn
1 topic test each in DI and LR
every alternate week. Total 2
sectional tests in a month - one
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in every two weeks. Use Mock
questions that went wrong
CA
 In the sixth month, focus on
Reasoning Based - 2 sets
whenever it is LR's turn & Radar
Plot - 2 sets whenever it is DI's turn
2 topic tests every week
alternate between DI and LR.
Total 2 sectional tests in a month
- one in every two weeks. Use
Mock questions that went wrong
 In the seventh month, focus on
Venn Diagrams - 2 sets whenever
it is LR's turn & Combo Graph - 2
sets whenever it is DI's turn
2 topic tests every week alternate
between DI and LR. Total 2
sectional tests in a month - one in
every two weeks. Try to write all
open mocks whenever possible
 In the eight month, focus on
Scheduling based - 2 sets
whenever it is LR's turn &
Combo Graph - 2 sets whenever
it is DI's turn
2 topic tests every week
alternate between DI and LR.
Total 2 sectional tests in a month
- one in every two weeks. Try to
08
write all open mocks whenever
possible
 In the ninth & tenth month,
focus on solving CAT and XAT
previous year question papers
(last 5 years/wrong and
unattempted mock questions).
2 topic tests every week -
alternate between DI and LR. Total
3 sectional tests in month - one
per week for 3 weeks with one
week break as per convenience.
Spend 1.5 hours every alternate
day on DILR in total
Quantitative Aptitude
The quantitative aptitude section of
the Common Admission Test (CAT) is
designed to test your ability to
reason, analyse, and solve problems
using mathematical and statistical
concepts. It typically includes
questions on topics such as
arithmetic, algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, and data
interpretation. Some questions may
require you to perform calculations,
while others may require you to
understand and analyse data
presented in tables or graphs.
To prepare for the quantitative
aptitude section of CAT, you should
be familiar with the following topics:
BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program
 1. Arithmetic
2. Algebra
3. Modern maths
4. Geometry and mensuration
5. Numbers
There used to be a total of 34
questions in this section till 2019. It
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was reduced to 26 questions in
2020 due to the shortened duration
of the exam from 180 minutes to 120
CA
minutes. In 2021, the number further
Year Arithmetic
(No. of Questions)
CAT 2020 10
CAT 2021 7-10
CAT 2022 8-9
Quantitative Ability
Month-wise Strategy
 In the first month,make a list of
all topics that come in Quant.
This should include the subtopics
and concepts in each topic.Refer
to BYJU’S YouTube videos for
help. Start with Arithmetic in the
first month. Percentages first and
then profit and loss to be
covered whenever it is the QA's
turn. 12+ questions per day from
the topic. Move to Profit & Loss
only after covering atleast 75+
questions in percentages. Atleast
75+ questions to be solved from
P&L in this month
09
came down to 22. In 2022, the QA
section had 22 questions.
Consequently, the time allotted for
each of the three sections came
down from 60 minutes to 40 minutes
each (2020, 2021, and 2022 had a
40-min sectional time limit.)
In the QA section, arithmetic, and
algebra make up 60–65% of the total
section. Therefore, these two topics
are of utmost importance.
Algebra
(No. of Questions)
6-8
6-8
5-9
Alternate between LR,QA,DI,QA
that is if day 1 is LR, day 2 is QA,
Day 3 is DI, day 4 is QA, day 5 is
LR again and so on. Spend
around 2 hours whenever you
are doing Quant. Try to start the
week with QA and end with QA
making 4 days of QA and 3 days
of DILR prep
 In the second month, focus on
SICI (50+ Questions in total),
move to Ratios (50+ Questions),
Averages (50 + Questions)
1 topic test every alternate week.
Topic tests obviously from areas
you are preparing
BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program
  In the third month, focus on 
Mixtures and allegations (100+
Questions), move to Time & Work
(100+ Questions).
1 topic test every alternate week.
Total 2 sectional tests in a month
(one in every two weeks). All
tests to be taken ideally on
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weekends.

 In the fourth month, focus on
CA
TSD (100 + Questions), move to
Linear Equations (50 +
Questions), Quadratic Equations
(75+ Questions)
1 topic test every alternate week.
Total 2 sectional tests in a month
(one in every two weeks). All 
tests to be taken ideally on
weekends.
 In the fifth month, focus on
Progressions (75+ Questions),
Logarithms (75+ Questions),
Functions (75+ Questions)
1 topic test every alternate week.
Total 2 sectional tests in a month
(one in every two weeks). Use
mock questions that went wrong.
 In the sixth month, start

Geometry. However, it is difficult
to prepare only one topic of
geometry at a time as usually
geometry is a combination of
multiple aspects. Focus on
triangles, quadrilaterals, circles
here. Total 200 problems.
2 topic tests every week. Total 2
sectional tests in a month (one in
every two weeks). Use Mock
questions that went wrong
10
In the seventh month, focus on
Mensurations (75+ questions),
Number theory/systems (150+
questions)
2 topic tests every week. Total 2
sectional tests in a month (one in
every two weeks). Try to write all
open mocks whenever possible
In the eighth month, dedicate
the entire month to modern
maths (200+ questions)
2 topic tests every week. Total 2
sectional tests in a month (one in
every two weeks). Try to write all
open mocks whenever possible
In the ninth month, cover the
leftover topics in algebra like
inequalities, special equations
etc and same with geometry.
Start solving previous year
question papers
2 topic tests every week. Total 3
sectional tests in a month (one
per week for 3 weeks with one
week break as per convenience).
Try to solve in the exact exam slot
that you would have got by then.
In the tenth month, focus on
solving CAT and XAT previous
year question papers (last 5
years/wrong and unattempted
mock questions).
2 topic tests every week. Total 3
sectional tests in a month (one
per week for 3 weeks with one
week break as per convenience).
Try to solve in the exact exam slot
that you would have got by then.
BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program
 Mock Timelines:
Often students ask when is the right time to write mocks. Below mentioned is
the timeline for giving mocks:

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CA
To improve your quantitative aptitude skills, you can practise solving problems
from past CAT exams, or use online resources and practice materials. You can
also consider taking the BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT course to get more
personalised instruction and feedback on your progress.

11 BYJU’S Exam Prep CAT Classroom Program