CAT preparation guide by Aditya Malhotra

Dear future CAT topper,

I hope you are doing well & keeping safe!

Enclosed within this PDF are a collection of relevant tips and strategies that proved beneficial in my
own journey to cracking the CAT exam. I trust they will be of assistance to you as well. Read through
the same and if you have any follow-up questions or want to discuss anything reach out to me on
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adityamalhotra13

Allow me to introduce myself:

My name is Aditya Malhotra, a general non-engineering male graduate, holding a Bachelor's degree in
Management Studies from DU. I scored 9/9/9 in my 10th, 12th, and undergraduate examinations
respectively. Throughout my CAT preparation, I balanced my studies with a full-time role in management
consulting at KPMG India. In CAT 2023, I attained a 99.4%ile, with sectional scores of 99%ile in VARC,
99.1%ile in DILR, and 92%ile in Quants. I will join IIM Lucknow's 24-26 batch for their flagship MBA
program.
MOCKS! MOCKS! MOCKS! The Brahmastra for acing CAT:

 Practice mocks relentlessly! My CAT preparation journey primarily consisted of taking mock
tests and diligently analyzing my performance. I believe there is no substitute for mock tests
when it comes to CAT preparation.
 Do not give up, even if you score poorly in mocks. The significant hurdle to conquer in this
journey is persevering through setbacks. Remember, top scorers of the CAT do not typically
broadcast their low mock scores, so it may seem like you are alone in this struggle, but that is
not the case. Even I started with scores in the 70-80%ile range in initial mocks and encountered
dips in performance in between. The key disparity between a 95%ile+ scorer and an
average CAT test taker lies in the ability to persist and enhance one's scores over time.
 Adopt a consultant's mindset. Your capability to conduct root cause analyses on your
performance, pinpoint underlying reasons for performance gaps, and then applying the 80/20
principle to identify the most critical challenges, will be pivotal to your success.
 Enhance your strengths and optimize your weaknesses. For many students & me as well,
certain sections serve as strengths while others induce stress. Identify your strengths and
weaknesses. To achieve a 98-99%ile or higher, your goal should be twofold: first, elevate all
three sections to above 90-95%ile by addressing weaknesses, and second, maximize your
strengths to score 98-99%ile in two out of the three sections.
 Develop a test-taking strategy customized to your strengths and weaknesses. Test it
across multiple mock exams to assess its effectiveness. Adjust it as needed, considering its
limitations, until you find the optimal approach.
 Create a book of mistakes from mocks and write down the learnings from each mock,
noting where you went wrong. Additionally, bookmark important questions for revision. This
practice will help reinforce concepts and avoid repeating the same mistakes in future mocks.
 Do not wait for syllabus completion to start giving mocks. The worst mistake I have seen
most aspirants make is that they wait until they feel they are fully prepared and have completed
their entire syllabus before giving mocks. I recommend giving mocks very early, even if you
have just started your preparation.
 Build stamina. One of the challenges aspirants face is that they are not accustomed to
studying or taking exams for 2 hours at a stretch; I also faced this challenge. You can overcome
this by gradually increasing the duration of your study sessions over time.
 Aim to give 50 mocks. I believe that dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to mocks, along with
thorough analysis and addressing your weaknesses, regardless of your current aptitude level,
can lead to scoring 95%ile or higher. I gave 30 mocks during my prep, all from CL. To achieve
this goal, you could consider purchasing one or two national-level test series.
 CAT preparation guide by Aditya Malhotra

VARC section

 Material used: CL mocks & sectionals [You could choose any national-level test series. I found
CL's VARC analyses by Gejo to be particularly helpful. Gejo also offers a course called VARC
1000, which you could explore if you struggle with VARC. I did not take his course due to time
constraints and because VARC is my strength, but I appreciate his teaching style.]
 The most effective method for approaching VARC is through mocks; you do not require
separate materials for this. Since the bulk of the effort is dedicated to learning how to eliminate
options and reading various genres of passages, mocks serve both purposes efficiently.
 You do not need to memorize words. It is a myth that you require exceptional vocabulary to
crack CAT. What is crucial is developing the ability to comprehend the meaning of a sentence,
even without understanding every word in it.
 VARC Root Cause Analysis: Example of challenges I faced and how I resolved them (You
could implement a similar framework while analyzing your mocks)
# Insight Root cause Actionable steps
1. Reading speed is slow in 1. Less exposure to writings 1. Read articles and
some passages from humanities fields like attempt more RCs from
philosophy, history, etc. unfamiliar fields. Initially,
focus on increasing
familiarity, and then focus
on increasing speed
2. Low accuracy in para 1. Lack of basic knowledge 1.(a) Watch YouTube
jumbles & wasted & limited practice of para videos to learn about
significant time on PJ jumbles leading to mistakes connecting words & other
questions, many of which in easy-level para jumble techniques of solving para
turned out incorrect. questions jumbles
2. Increased time spent on (b) Attempt para jumbles
high-level difficulty para topic tests
jumble questions which are 2. Since this is a TITA
frequently answered question with no negative
incorrectly marking, ensure that the
time spent on solving
para jumbles is not
excessive, with a
maximum of 2 minutes
per question.

 Avoid reading novels for CAT preparation. I believe that dedicating time to novels may not
be the most efficient use of your time, contrary to common belief. Instead, focus on reading and
comprehending passages from various sources, topics, and genres, which closely align with
the skills required for the exam.
 Master the art of option elimination. If there is one skill that can elevate your VARC score, it
is understanding the types of option traps, identifying them, and avoiding them. Start by learning
the theory and then apply it repeatedly in the mocks and take note of your mistakes while
reviewing mock analysis video solutions. This iterative process will help solidify your
understanding and improve your performance.
 You do not need to understand the entire passage. While reading the RCs, you may
encounter passages where you understand only 50% of the passage. However, most of the
time, that is enough because based on your partial understanding of the passage and option
elimination techniques, you can still navigate through. I scored 99.9%ile in XAT's VARC section,
and even I cannot say I understood the RC passages in the exam completely.
 My test-taking strategy: I attempted 22-24 questions. This strategy worked well for me as my
reading speed was high, allowing me sufficient time to attempt all questions and score high
despite my accuracy being around 70%. On D-day as well, I attempted all 24 questions and got
16 correct and 8 incorrect (including 2 TITA), achieving a raw score of 42 and a scaled score
of 39.8, which translated into 99%ile.
 CAT preparation guide by Aditya Malhotra

DILR section

 Material used: CL mocks & sectionals and Elites Grid YouTube channel videos [Additionally, I
watched a few videos of Ravi Prakash [Rodha]. I find Ravi Prakash and Elite Grid’s Gaurav
Kapoor to be great LRDI teachers whom you could consider if you are looking to purchase a
course. I did not buy either of the two due to time constraints, but I appreciate their teaching
style.]
 The most effective method for approaching DILR is also through mocks; once more, you
do not require separate material for this section. Since most of the effort is spent on selecting
the right sets to attempt and building reasoning skills to tackle unseen questions, mocks
effectively serve both purposes.
 Practice unseen and mixed types of questions rather than focusing solely on practising tons
of sets of traditional topics, like solving 15-20 sets of linear arrangements together, which is a
common approach for many aspirants. If you are a student with ample time, you could follow
this traditional method. However, for working professionals with time constraints, I would
recommend a different approach.
 Spend time on set selection rather than directly jumping into the first set. Allocate a couple of
initial minutes to go through the sets and rank them based on your assessment. Improve this
skill by taking numerous mocks, analyzing them, and identifying reasons for choosing difficult
sets or leaving easy ones.
 Give up! I would never advise you to give up in any scenario, except when you have been
solving a set for 3-4 minutes without any breakthrough. I have ruined multiple mocks by getting
stuck in a set and not accepting that I am unable to solve it, and not giving up at the right time.
If you do not learn when to give up you could waste a year due to not meeting the sectional cut-
off of DILR. (I have seen this happening to multiple aspirants)
 Learn Jugaad: Sometimes, you can tackle an entire set or a few questions using intelligent
hacks like utilizing option choices, combining two questions, making approximations, etc. For
instance, on D-Day, there was a set involving weighted averages where if your answer is
correct, it satisfies both questions. I used both questions in combination, along with information
from the set, to solve those questions without solving them mathematically, saving me 4-5
minutes of valuable time and earning 6 marks.
 Do not leave a set just because it is unfamiliar. In many cases, aspirants choose familiar-
looking sets, such as games and tournaments, which can be extremely difficult, and leave out
easier but unfamiliar and unconventional sets. I highly recommend reading through unfamiliar
sets with an open mind while selecting the sets to attempt. Then, make an informed decision
about whether to attempt or leave it.
 Master the art of concise note-making using appropriate symbols. A common mistake
aspirants make, which I did initially, is wasting time repeatedly rereading a set's statements. To
reduce the time spent on a set, write down the constraints concisely so you do not need to read
the question multiple times. This skill can be developed through conscious effort and repeated
practice.
 You do not need to solve all the questions in a set. Sometimes, you will encounter sets with,
for example, two tough and time-consuming questions but three straightforward ones. I
recommend attempting the straightforward questions first and then looking for another set to
maximize your score. Only attempt the tough questions if you cannot find an easier set. Also,
when you are stuck and cannot identify which set to attempt, look for straightforward questions
within sets that can be solved directly.
 Learn approximations and speed math. You can save a lot of time in DI sets by mastering
these techniques. In some cases, using approximations can save you 3-4 minutes of valuable
time since the options are not always very close.
 My test-taking strategy involves spending an initial 3-4 minutes going through the sets,
ranking them, and selecting the easiest one. I aim to solve 2 sets in most cases and 3 if the
exam seems doable, allocating around 12 minutes for each set. On D-Day, I spent 4 minutes
on set selection, 16 minutes solving the first set, and 20 minutes on the second. I attempted 10
questions, getting all 10 correct, leading to a raw score of 30 and a scaled score of 27.5 which
translated to 99.1%ile.
 CAT preparation guide by Aditya Malhotra

Quants section

 Material used: CL mocks, Rodha’s YouTube channel, and TIME quants booklets [Since quants
require extensive practice, utilizing booklets from national-level institutes would be beneficial
for self-preparation]. Additionally, video lessons may be helpful, especially if you are weak in
quants. I found Ravi Prakash's [Rodha] YouTube videos helpful. However, his detailed courses
require a very significant time commitment, so I only stuck with the YouTube videos. If you have
the time, you may consider enrolling in his course for more comprehensive preparation.
 Learn the basics! Practice! Practice! Practice! That is the mantra for quants. Unlike the
other two sections, you cannot rely solely on mocks for quant preparation. If you are weak in
quants, you need a lot of practice to excel in this section. I fell short of following this advice
myself due to the time constraints of working in a full-time management consulting role.
However, I would recommend you to start early and put in effort to maximize your score in this
section.
 Let go of the mindset that you cannot perform well in this section just because you are
a non-engineer. I scored the lowest in this section, but it was not because I am a non-engineer;
it was simply because I lacked practice. The first thing you need to fix is your mindset; believe
that you can do it. I have seen many non-engineers score 98-99%ile+ in this section. All you
need is practice! practice! practice! in the right direction.
 Right question selection is the key to scoring a high percentile in this section. According
to CAT 2023, you only need 9 net correct answers out of 22 questions (27 marks) to score
99%ile+.
 Do not get scared if you encounter a very difficult previous year question (PYQ) or
generally a very difficult question. Aspirants, including myself, often feel intimidated when
faced with such challenging questions which were asked in actual CAT exams. However, you
should not be discouraged because you can leave more than half of the questions unanswered
and still achieve a 90%ile or higher. To put it in perspective, I got 5 net correct answers and
scored 92%ile. This means that despite leaving 77% of the paper unanswered, you can still
score 90%ile or above. Therefore, focus on building your basics so that you can at least answer
those 5-6 questions that can secure you 90%ile+ and clear any sectional cut-off.
 Apply the 80-20 principle to your quants prep: Focus on Algebra and Arithmetic as they are
the most important chapters for CAT. Prepare them well before moving on to anything else. I
left out the entire geometry section for CAT because the price-to-reward ratio for this area was
very low. Generally, only 2-3 questions are asked, which often are on a high difficulty level and
require a lot of effort to memorize theorems, etc. Instead, I focused on Arithmetic and Algebra,
which yielded better results.
 Learn Jugaad: The role and scope of Jugaad are significant in quants. You can solve entire
questions by utilizing the information provided in the question, options, and tricks like solving
questions using 100. I watched "GP ka Jugaad" which was part of CL mock analysis and would
highly recommend that or something like that which will help you build this skillset. It can
increase your quants score by 15-20%.
 Create a formula book incorporating formulas, shortcuts & tips from Day 1 of your
preparation, which you can refer to for revision in the last month, and keep updating it regularly.
This will ensure that you have all the important formulas & shortcuts at your fingertips for quick
reference, making your revision process more efficient and effective.
 Build stamina. One of the key challenges I faced in quants was that when I reached this
section, I was mentally exhausted from the previous sections and could not perform as well as
I did in sectional tests. The most useful tip I found to overcome this was to give one sectional
test after giving a mock. This trains your mind to sit for 2 hours and 40 minutes, which is longer
than what is required in CAT.
 Analyze the time wasted and work on reducing it. To improve your quants score, you must
reduce time spent on three things: questions that take a lot of time and are answered incorrectly,
time spent on questions left unanswered, & time spent that is much higher than the average.
 My test-taking strategy involved going through each question sequentially and attempting L1
questions in the first round (easy and less time-consuming). In the next round of attempts, I
would solve the L2 questions and attempt the L3 questions only if time was left.