– Karan Mehta The preparation phase for the Common Admission Test (CAT) demands both time and discipline. For most aspirants, the challenge is not just the syllabus or the academic part of it, but managing preparation alongside a full-time college schedule or a demanding job. Achieving the right balance requires smart planning, consistent efforts, and the ability to prioritise effectively and efficiently. This is what the exam takers want to test, apart from aptitude for management and mental endurance — your ability to manage and prioritise. And many aspirants have done it in the past. The percentage of students with work experience in top IIMs like Ahmedabad and Bangalore typically ranges from 50 per cent to 70 per cent, with freshers often making up the remaining 50 to 30 per cent. For instance, the IIM Ahmedabad 2024 batch had 71 per cent experienced candidates, while IIM Bangalore had a higher percentage of experienced professionals with 14.45 per cent freshers only. Following are few tips that can help you juggle between your preparation and work and college. 1. Accept the dual responsibility The very first step is to have the right mindset. Do not choose one over the other. Preparing for CAT while attending college or working full-time is about creating harmony. Accepting that both tasks matter equally prevents guilt from creeping in whenever you devote time to one over the other. Many top B-schools, including the IIMs, give weightage to graduation percentage and work-experience in the call and admission stages. Therefore, focusing just on the CAT score will not give fruitful results as institutes demand smart candidates who can balance multiple things at the same time. 2. Create a realistic schedule One of the most effective ways to optimise your time better is to build a time-blocked schedule. Identify commitments and tasks that are fixed in nature – lectures, office hours, assignments, or deadlines – and allocate CAT preparation slots around them. Don’t approach it as “No CAT prep in college time” or “No college work after college hours”. Even 2-3 hours of focused study daily can bring remarkable progress if maintained consistently. For example – Have morning slots for quantitative practice, sometimes around in college or work hours keep revising vocabulary and formulas or read an article or two, evening slots for VARC and LR, weekends for mocks – sectionals, topics, full lengths. 3. Prioritise quality over quantity A common mistake is believing that only long study hours guarantee good percentiles. When you talk to students who have cracked it, they will tell you: quality trumps quantity. One highly focused hour without distraction is far more valuable than three hours of halfhearted reading. Break your sessions into Pomodoro blocks (25-30 minutes each), followed by short breaks to maximize focus. 4. Leverage small windows of time Think smart. What are some of the slots in your schedule where-in you are not doing any college or work specific tasks? Lunch breaks, commuting or waiting between classes can be used for light preparation. Reading editorials or revising formulae or vocab during these micro-sessions keeps you in touch with the syllabus without overwhelming you. Prep tasks that require high focus - concept building and solving - should not be incorporated in work and college hours. Tasks like reading and revising can be done between work or college. 5. Learn to say no Is it difficult for you to say No? If yes, work on it. Balancing CAT with college or work requires conscious trade-offs. It may mean saying no to some social events, reducing time on streaming platforms, or limiting late-night distractions. The idea is not to cut relaxation completely, but to channel your energy toward activities that recharge you without wasting study time. 6. Seek support where possible Informing colleagues, professors, or managers about your CAT preparation goals (Wherever possible) can sometimes result in support – whether it’s flexible deadlines, lighter workloads during exam season, or simple encouragement. Similarly, creating study groups with peers can keep motivation levels high and ensure accountability. 7. Maintain Health and Energy Healthy body = Healthy mind. A demanding routine can take a toll on physical activity. Adequate sleep, a balanced diet, and regular physical activity are non-negotiable. Remember, burning out weeks before exam before the exam is counterproductive. Even short 15–20-minute workouts or mindfulness practices can enhance focus and energy levels. 8. Make mock tests your anchor Mock tests serve a dual purpose – they simulate the actual exam and help identify weak areas. Even with limited time, aim to make one mock every 10-15 days initially and gradually increase frequency closer to the exam, more importantly, spend as much time analysing mistakes as taking the test – this is where true learning happens. 9. Keep perspective Finally, remember that CAT is not merely just a test of knowledge but also mental endurance, decision-making ability, and composure under pressure. Preparing while managing another major responsibility actually mirrors the challenges of MBA life – juggling academics, internships, and projects. Take it as early training for the road ahead. It is hard, but not impossible to prepare for the CAT with college or work. If you prepare ahead, stick to your plans, and set the correct priorities, you may convert it into an opportunity instead of a problem. Every hour of good study time gets you closer to your objective. This shows that doing well on the CAT is less about how many hours you study and more about how well you use them. (The author is the co-founder and CXO of Toprankers)
