The Week Before CAT: What to study, what to drop, & what to mentally prepare for

Prioritise Precision Over Volume

At this stage, revision should be your primary focus, rather than learning something new. Revisit key concepts, formulae, and question types you’re already familiar with. Review your notes or bookmarked questions instead of opening new material. For Quant, focus on accuracy with medium-difficulty questions rather than chasing complex ones.

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In VARC, read two to three editorials or opinion pieces daily to stay in rhythm. For DILR, solve one or two sets daily, focusing on identifying patterns quickly rather than completing entire mocks.

Don’t Overdo Mock Tests

Many aspirants make the mistake of cramming in too many mocks this week. Instead, take one or two full-length tests, preferably in the same time slot as your actual exam, to simulate conditions and fine-tune your time management. Spend more time analysing than attempting. Look at where you’re losing time or marks and adjust your approach.

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Drop the ‘Perfection’ Mindset

It’s natural to want to master every topic, but the CAT doesn’t reward perfection; it rewards strategy. Drop low-probability or time-consuming areas that have consistently pulled you down. For instance, if Geometry or Puzzles continue to drain time, it’s wiser to move on. The goal isn’t to solve everything; it’s to maximise your score in areas of strength.

Prepare Your Mind, Not Just Your Notes

Last week is as much a psychological game as an academic one. Your confidence, calmness, and ability to focus for three hours matter more than your percentile predictions. Sleep well, eat right, and stay active. Avoid discussing scores or last-minute strategies with peers, as that only fuels anxiety.

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Visualisation helps too: imagine yourself calmly navigating the paper, skipping tough questions, and staying composed.

Set the Tone for Exam Day

Decide your exam-day routine now. What you’ll eat, what time you’ll wake up, and how you’ll travel; these are small logistics that help remove uncertainty. Two days before CAT, stop heavy study sessions altogether. Instead, do a light revision and relax your mind. The night before, sleep early and avoid overthinking your mock results.

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On the Day Itself

Remember: CAT isn’t a test of how much you know; it’s a test of how smartly you apply what you know under pressure. You don’t need all the answers, just enough of the right ones. Begin each section calmly, mark tough questions for review, and trust your preparation.

The final week isn’t about changing your destiny; it’s about ensuring all your hard work culminates in clarity, not chaos. As you walk into the exam hall, remember that this is just one step in your journey, not its definition.

Good luck, and trust the process you’ve built over months.

(The author is a professor of Marketing at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai)