CAT 2026 Study Plan: The Last 60 Days Before 29 November

A good CAT 2026 study plan for the last 60 days has four phases: a baseline mock and error audit this week, four weeks of fixing your weakest topics while taking two mocks a week, three weeks of heavier mock practice, and a light final week. The exam is on Sunday, 29 November 2026, so from 28 September you have about nine weeks, which is enough time to move your score if every week has a clear job.

This guide gives you the dates that matter, a week-by-week plan, daily timetables for working professionals and full-time aspirants, a section-wise focus list, a simple way to analyse mocks, and a checklist for the last seven days.

CAT 2026 dates and how much time you really have

IIM Indore is conducting CAT 2026 on 29 November in three slots: 8:30 to 10:30 am, 12:30 to 2:30 pm and 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The admit card is expected on 4 November, according to MBAUniverse's CAT 2026 schedule. Always confirm dates on the official site, iimcat.ac.in, since the IIM can revise them.

The paper is 120 minutes long with three sections of 40 minutes each: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). A correct answer earns 3 marks, a wrong MCQ costs 1 mark, and type-in-the-answer (TITA) questions carry no negative marking, as summarised in Career Launcher's CAT 2026 overview.

Two festival stretches fall inside your window: Navratri and Dussehra from 11 to 20 October, and Diwali on Sunday, 8 November. Block those days on your calendar now and plan lighter study around them instead of hoping you will find time.

Week 1 (28 September to 4 October): take a baseline mock and audit it

Do not start by buying another book. Start by finding out where your marks are leaking.

1. Take one full-length mock in exam conditions: 120 minutes, no breaks, no phone, at the same time of day as your likely slot.
2. Note your score and number of attempts for each section, and your accuracy (correct answers divided by attempts).
3. List every question you got wrong or skipped, and tag each one: concept gap, calculation error, misread question, or ran out of time.
4. Group the tags by topic, for example Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, arrangements, Reading Comprehension inference questions, para-jumbles.
5. Pick the three topics that cost you the most marks. These become the main work for the next four weeks.

Weeks 2 to 5 (5 October to 1 November): fix weak areas, two mocks a week

This is the phase where your score actually moves. Spend most of your study time on the three weak topics from your audit, not on the topics you already enjoy.

A simple weekly rhythm works well: one full mock on Saturday or Sunday, one more midweek if you can manage it, and the rest of the week split between topic practice and reading. Keep the Navratri week lighter and use it for revision of formulas and old mistakes rather than new topics.

• Topic practice: 20 to 30 questions a day from one weak topic, timed, then checked immediately.
• Sectionals: two or three 40-minute sectional tests a week, especially for your weakest section.
• Reading: 30 minutes a day of long-form editorials or essays to build RC stamina.
• Mistake notebook: every error from mocks and sectionals goes into one notebook or file, with the correct method written out.

Weeks 6 to 8 (2 to 22 November): mock-heavy practice

Now shift from learning to performing. Aim for two or three full mocks a week, and spend at least as much time analysing each mock as you spent taking it. Download your admit card as soon as it is released on 4 November and check your slot and test centre.

Use this phase to settle your exam strategy: the order in which you read DILR sets, how many RC passages you attempt, and when you move on from a QA question that is not working. Diwali falls on 8 November, so plan your mocks for the weekends either side of it.

A daily timetable for working professionals and full-time aspirants

The exact hours matter less than doing the same blocks at the same time every day. Two sample timetables:

• Working professional (about 3 hours on weekdays): 6:00 to 7:15 am QA or DILR practice; commute or lunch break for one RC passage and vocabulary; 9:00 to 10:15 pm sectional test or mock analysis. Weekends: one full mock plus two hours of analysis.
• Full-time aspirant (about 7 hours): 8:30 to 10:30 am full mock or sectional at your slot timing; 11:00 am to 1:00 pm analysis; 3:00 to 5:00 pm weak-topic practice; 6:30 to 7:30 pm reading; 9:00 to 9:30 pm mistake notebook review.
• Every day: one short review of formulas and old mistakes, and a fixed sleep time. Late-night cramming before a morning mock usually costs more than it gains.

Section-wise focus for the last 60 days

• VARC: Reading Comprehension carries most of the section, so practise full passages daily and review why each wrong option is wrong. For para-jumbles and odd-one-out TITA questions, remember there is no negative marking.
• DILR: The skill that matters most is choosing sets. In practice, spend the first two or three minutes scanning all sets and start with the one that looks most structured.
• QA: Arithmetic (percentages, ratios, time-speed-distance, profit and loss) and Algebra deserve the most revision time. Keep a one-page formula sheet and read it daily.
• All sections: because each section is locked to 40 minutes, practise sectional timing strictly. You cannot borrow time from one section for another.

How to analyse a mock in 60 to 90 minutes

1. Re-attempt every question you skipped, without a timer. If you solve it, it was a selection problem, not a knowledge problem.
2. Check every wrong answer and tag the reason, the same way you did in week 1.
3. Look at the time you spent on each question. Anything over three minutes that ended wrong is a question you should have left.
4. Read the solutions for questions you got right slowly. There is often a faster method.
5. Add the lessons to your mistake notebook and choose one thing to do differently in the next mock.

The last week before CAT (23 to 28 November)

• Take your final full mock around 24 or 25 November, then stop taking mocks so a bad score does not shake you.
• Revise your formula sheet, mistake notebook and a few solved DILR sets. Do not start new topics.
• Print your admit card, keep a valid original photo ID ready, and plan the route to your centre. Reporting times are well before the slot starts (7:00 am for slot 1), so check the time printed on your admit card.
• Sleep at the same time every night and, if possible, wake up at the time your slot needs.
• On 28 November, keep study light: an hour of review at most.

Put the plan on a calendar you will actually follow

A 60-day plan only works if each day's blocks are written down somewhere you check. A paper wall calendar with the four phases marked is enough for many people. The key is to block time for mocks and analysis first, then fit topic practice around them.

If you prefer your phone, DayPilot is our free Android planner that works offline. You can time-block your study sessions on its calendar and timeline views, set recurring tasks for daily reading and mistake-notebook review, and run its built-in Pomodoro timer with focus mode during practice. Habit tracking with streaks helps you keep the daily reading going through the festival weeks.

For more on building a schedule that holds up, read our guides on time blocking to beat procrastination and turning your commute into a learning hour.