How to Start CAT 2025 Preparation ➤ COMPLETE 1-Year Roadmap for Beginners 📚

Summary

In this video, Shweta Arora, a 99.09 percentile achiever in CAT 2017, shares her structured preparation plan for CAT 2025. The preparation is divided into three phases: Foundation (Dec-Mar), Conceptual Learning (Apr-Jul), and Strategy Development (Aug-Nov). She emphasizes the importance of familiarizing oneself with the exam pattern, strengthening core skills, and building a strong foundation. Throughout the phases, Shweta provides actionable tips, resources, and strategies to improve accuracy and performance. The video also encourages consistency, timely practice, and using mock tests to track progress. Stay tuned for more updates and personalized strategies in upcoming videos.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video introduces a detailed preparation strategy for the CAT 2025 exam, starting with a 1-year roadmap divided into 3 phases: Foundation (Dec-Mar), Concepts (Apr-Jul), and Strategy (Aug-Nov).
• 😀 The foundation phase focuses on understanding the CAT paper pattern, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the 3 sections: VARC, DILR, and Quant.
• 😀 For VARC, improving reading comprehension ability is key, with recommended reading from newspapers, books, and blogs on various topics of interest.
• 😀 In DILR, practicing puzzles and developing lateral thinking is important. Suggested activities include online games like Brain Riddle and solving Sudoku.
• 😀 The Quant section requires improving calculation speed by memorizing squares, cubes, fractions, and percentages, and practicing mental calculations instead of using a calculator.
• 😀 Maintaining a formula book for all learned concepts is critical. Regularly revise this book to retain formulas and tricks for the long term.
• 😀 By April, the conceptual phase begins. The goal is to complete the syllabus, focusing on more difficult questions (LOD 2) for familiar chapters, and practicing consistent weekly schedules.
• 😀 Mock tests are introduced in the conceptual phase to familiarize with the test-taking experience, not to focus on scores, but to improve timing and question approach.
• 😀 In the strategy phase, from August onward, mock tests become essential for refining time management, accuracy, and developing an attempt strategy (which questions to attempt, skip, etc.).
• 😀 A key part of preparation is to practice questions with the mindset of learning, even if you can't solve them, by understanding the solutions and noting down the learning points in your formula book.
• 😀 The video encourages monthly feedback from viewers to fine-tune preparation strategies and plans, aiming to provide tailored guidance based on individual progress.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the December to March phase in the CAT 2025 preparation?

The December to March phase focuses on building the foundation. Aspirants should familiarize themselves with the exam pattern, understand the sections (VARC, DILR, Quant), and identify which sections they feel comfortable with and which need more focus. The emphasis is on improving basic skills, like reading ability for VARC, lateral thinking for DILR, and calculation speed for Quant.

Why is it important to take a free mock test during the foundation phase?

Taking a free mock test during the foundation phase helps aspirants understand the exam format, question types, and difficulty level. It also helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses in each section, which is crucial for planning focused preparation.

What resources does Shweta recommend for improving reading ability in VARC?

Shweta recommends reading newspapers, books of various genres (not just novels), and blogs or topics of personal interest. This helps improve comprehension ability, which is essential for performing well in VARC.

What is the main task for aspirants in the DILR section during the foundation phase?

In the DILR section, the main task is to solve puzzles and develop lateral thinking. Shweta recommends using apps like Brain Riddle and solving Sudoku puzzles to enhance problem-solving skills and thinking in multiple ways.

How can aspirants improve their calculation speed for the Quant section?

Aspirants should focus on improving their comfort with numbers by memorizing squares, cubes, fractions, and percentages. They are encouraged to practice mental calculations instead of relying on a calculator.

What is the importance of maintaining a formula book during preparation?

A formula book is crucial for quick reference and revision. As aspirants learn new concepts and formulas, they should note them down in the book. Regularly revising the formula book helps in retaining formulas for the long term and aids in revision before mock tests and exams.

What is the objective of the April to July phase in the preparation timeline?

The April to July phase focuses on completing the syllabus and practicing more challenging questions. Aspirants should start working on Level of Difficulty 2 (LOD 2) questions for topics they feel comfortable with and ensure that they finish the entire syllabus by the end of July.

Why is it recommended to start taking mock tests in the April to July phase, even if the syllabus isn't fully completed?

Starting mock tests early helps aspirants get used to the exam's time constraints and pressure. It also provides valuable insights into the exam's format, helping them develop strategies for managing time and navigating through questions efficiently.

What are the key objectives of the August to November phase?

The August to November phase is focused on refining strategy. By this point, the syllabus should be mostly or entirely completed. Aspirants should focus on taking regular mock tests, refining their attempt strategy (like deciding which questions to attempt or skip), and improving accuracy to make marks consistent.

What role do mock tests play in the strategy phase (August to November)?

Mock tests in the strategy phase are essential for fine-tuning strategies, such as deciding the order of sections to attempt, which questions to prioritize, and how to manage time efficiently. Regular mock tests help improve both accuracy and the speed of attempts, which is crucial for scoring well in the actual exam.