CAT 1 Month Study Plan: A Day-by-Day Schedule to 29 November
This CAT 1 month study plan starts today, Friday 30 October 2026, and ends the day before the exam on Sunday 29 November. It will not promise you a percentile, because nothing honest can. What it does give you is a fixed daily routine, seven timed mocks, a revision rhythm and a calm last three days, so that every one of your 30 days has a job.
- The CAT 1 Month Study Plan at a Glance
- What One Month Can and Cannot Do
- The Daily Routine That Repeats
- The Day-by-Day CAT 1 Month Study Plan Calendar
- Section Rules Inside the CAT 1 Month Study Plan
- How to Run Your Seven Mocks
- The Last Week: Revise, Do Not Cram
- Adjusting the Plan to Your Situation
- Frequently Asked Questions
The CAT 1 Month Study Plan at a Glance
CAT 2026 is scheduled for Sunday, 29 November 2026, as a computer-based test, and IIM Indore is conducting it. The admit card is reported for 4 November 2026, which sits in the first week of this plan. The exam runs in three sessions, and your own session time is printed on your admit card, so we do not guess it here. Please confirm every date on the official CAT website, because we could not open it directly while preparing this guide.
| Phase | Days and dates | Main goal | Full mocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Diagnose and repair | Days 1 to 7 (30 Oct to 5 Nov) | Find the weak topics and fix the cheapest ones first | 1 (Sun 1 Nov) |
| 2. Sectionals and speed | Days 8 to 15 (6 to 13 Nov) | Build accuracy and selection under the clock | 2 (8 and 11 Nov) |
| 3. Mock rhythm | Days 16 to 23 (14 to 21 Nov) | Full-length stamina and strategy | 2 (15 and 18 Nov) |
| 4. Peak and taper | Days 24 to 30 (22 to 28 Nov) | Final mocks, revision, rest | 2 (22 and 25 Nov) |
What One Month Can and Cannot Do
A month is enough to tighten what you already know, remove avoidable errors and learn to choose questions well. It is not enough to learn the whole syllabus from scratch at a comfortable pace. Any plan that guarantees a specific percentile is selling you something. The honest promise of a CAT 1 month study plan is this: if you follow a routine, analyse your mocks properly and protect your sleep, you will score better on 29 November than you would have by studying without a plan.
Do not do these three things
Do not start a brand-new topic after 21 November. Do not take a full mock on 27 or 28 November. Do not compare your mock scores with other people’s, since mock scales differ. Compare yourself with your own last two mocks.
The Daily Routine That Repeats
On a normal weekday of the CAT 1 month study plan, give yourself about five hours in four blocks. If you are working, scale each block down by a third and keep the order. Each block ends with a line in your error log, so the log, not your memory, tells you what to fix next.
| Block | Time | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | About 90 minutes | Three timed reading passages and one set of verbal-ability questions, with a note on why each wrong option was wrong |
| DILR | About 90 minutes | Two to three sets, with a scan and a rating before you commit to any of them |
| Quant | About 90 minutes | Topic questions from the day’s focus, then a short mixed set |
| Error log and formulas | 30 to 45 minutes | Write each mistake as a rule, and revise one formula page |
The Day-by-Day CAT 1 Month Study Plan Calendar
Every date and weekday in this CAT 1 month study plan was generated in code, so Sundays and Wednesdays line up with the mock days. The “Focus” column tells you what to emphasise on that day inside the routine above.
| Day | Date | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fri 30 Oct | Diagnostic. One timed 40-minute section each of VARC, DILR and Quant, to set your baseline. Start the error log |
| 2 | Sat 31 Oct | Analyse the diagnostic. List your five weakest Quant topics and two weakest verbal question types. Start a formula sheet |
| 3 | Sun 1 Nov | Mock 1 (120 minutes), then at least 90 minutes of analysis |
| 4 | Mon 2 Nov | Quant repair: arithmetic (percentages, ratios, time-speed-distance, mixtures). Routine blocks for VARC and DILR |
| 5 | Tue 3 Nov | Quant repair: algebra (equations, inequalities, functions, progressions). Routine blocks |
| 6 | Wed 4 Nov | Download and print your admit card; check every detail. Quant repair: geometry and mensuration |
| 7 | Thu 5 Nov | Quant repair: number system and modern maths (counting, probability). Fix the top error type from Mock 1 |
| 8 | Fri 6 Nov | DILR drill: scan and rate six sets, solve only the best two. Practise abandoning on a checkpoint |
| 9 | Sat 7 Nov | VARC drill: verbal-ability question types plus four timed passages with elimination notes |
| 10 | Sun 8 Nov | Mock 2 (120 minutes), then analysis |
| 11 | Mon 9 Nov | Fix the top two error types from Mock 2. One 40-minute Quant sectional |
| 12 | Tue 10 Nov | DILR sectional (40 minutes) and three timed passages. Update the formula sheet |
| 13 | Wed 11 Nov | Mock 3 (120 minutes, mid-week), then short analysis |
| 14 | Thu 12 Nov | Full analysis of Mock 3. One 40-minute VARC sectional |
| 15 | Fri 13 Nov | Quant previous-year questions by topic. DILR sets from past papers |
| 16 | Sat 14 Nov | Light day: formula sheet, error log, one passage and one set. Sleep early |
| 17 | Sun 15 Nov | Mock 4 (120 minutes), then analysis |
| 18 | Mon 16 Nov | Fix the top two error types. Sectional in your weakest section |
| 19 | Tue 17 Nov | DILR past-paper sets under the four-minute scan rule. Two timed passages |
| 20 | Wed 18 Nov | Mock 5 (120 minutes), then short analysis |
| 21 | Thu 19 Nov | Full analysis of Mock 5. Mixed Quant set of 40 to 50 questions |
| 22 | Fri 20 Nov | VARC sectional and a DILR sectional on the same day, 40 minutes each |
| 23 | Sat 21 Nov | Revision day: formula sheet, error log, flagged questions. No new topics from today |
| 24 | Sun 22 Nov | Mock 6 (120 minutes, your last big stamina test), then analysis |
| 25 | Mon 23 Nov | Fix the top two error types. Fix your final strategy: section order, scan times, skip rule |
| 26 | Tue 24 Nov | Three short sectionals of 20 minutes each, then review. One timed passage |
| 27 | Wed 25 Nov | Mock 7 (120 minutes, at your admit-card session time), then short analysis |
| 28 | Thu 26 Nov | Light analysis of Mock 7. Revise your formula sheets and error log |
| 29 | Fri 27 Nov | Very light: one passage, one set, 20 easy Quant questions. Check your route and pack your documents |
| 30 | Sat 28 Nov | Rest. Short walk, no new material, early night |
Key takeaway
The mocks are the spine of this CAT 1 month study plan, but the analysis days after them are where your score actually moves. A mock without a one-to-one analysis session is only a measurement.
Section Rules Inside the CAT 1 Month Study Plan
These rules stay the same through the whole CAT 1 month study plan, so you do not have to decide them under pressure on exam day.
- VARC: scan a reading passage for about two minutes before committing, and skip a passage that feels dense. With +3 and −1, a guess breaks even at a 25% chance of being right, so eliminate options before you guess. Our RC selection strategy shows how to choose passages.
- DILR: spend about four minutes scanning, rate each set 1, 2 or 3 and start with your best-rated sets. Set a checkpoint and walk away from a set that is not giving returns. Our DILR set selection method covers the rating and checkpoint rules in full.
- Quant: take the questions you can do first, flag the long ones, and use type-in-the-answer questions to your advantage, since they carry no negative marking.
- All sections: each section has its own 40-minute clock, so unused time in one section does not carry into the next. Decide your skip rule before the mock, not during it. For a general method, see our guide to choosing which questions to attempt.
How to Run Your Seven Mocks
The seven full-length mocks in this CAT 1 month study plan are a demanding load, so treat each one as a lesson. Take the first two in the morning if you like, and from the day your admit card shows your session, take the rest at that exact time of day. For the logic of how many mocks to take and how to review them, read our guide on how many mocks to take and how to analyse them. If you want free practice papers, our free TruCAT mocks are a good place to start, and our previous year papers work well for sectionals.
- Before the mock: sleep properly, eat as you would on the exam day and sit at a desk, not on a bed.
- During the mock: follow your section rules and your skip rule. Do not pause the timer.
- After the mock: spend about as long on analysis as you did on the attempt. Sort every lost mark into one of three buckets: concept gap, selection mistake or careless error.
- Next day: fix the top two error types with targeted practice. Do not try to fix everything.
The Last Week: Revise, Do Not Cram
In the last week of the CAT 1 month study plan, from Day 24, you are no longer building skills. You are protecting the ones you have. Re-read your error log, redo the questions you got wrong twice, and keep one formula sheet per section, which you glance at daily. Your admit card is a logistics item too: download it on 4 November, check every detail, print it, and confirm your centre and route well before the final days. Pack your ID and admit card the night before.
On Days 29 and 30, stop heavy practice. A light set, a walk and an early night will do more for your score than another mock. On the morning of 29 November, eat normally, reach early and trust your selection rules.
Adjusting the Plan to Your Situation
- If you work full-time: keep the order of the blocks but cut each to about an hour on weekdays and use weekends for the long sessions. Our strategy for working professionals is written for exactly this schedule.
- If you are weak in Quant: give Quant an extra 30 minutes in Phase 1 and drop the second verbal-ability set on those days. Do not abandon VARC, because it rewards steady daily reading.
- If you are weak in DILR: do fewer sets but analyse every one, especially the ones you abandoned, to see whether the set was fair to leave.
- If you are also writing XAT or SNAP: the weeks after CAT give you more time, so keep CAT as the priority until 29 November and move your other tests into December.
In short, the best CAT 1 month study plan is the one you can repeat for 30 days without burning out. Follow the routine, trust the log and let the exam come to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a CAT 1 month study plan enough to prepare?
You can improve a lot in one month if you already know most of the syllabus. You cannot learn everything from scratch comfortably, and no plan can guarantee a percentile.
How many mocks does a CAT 1 month study plan need?
This plan uses seven full mocks, on 1, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22 and 25 November. Quality of analysis matters more than the count, so cut a mock rather than skip its analysis.
How many hours a day should I study?
About five hours on normal days if you are free, and about three if you are working, with longer sessions on mock days. Consistency beats occasional marathons.
Should I learn new topics in the last week?
No. After about 21 November, revise what you know, redo your error-log questions and keep the last two days light.
When is the CAT 2026 exam?
It is scheduled for Sunday, 29 November 2026, as a computer-based test in three sessions. Your session timing is printed on your admit card, so confirm it there and on the official CAT website.
What if I miss a day of the schedule?
Skip the lowest-priority block and move on. Never stack two days of work onto one, and never skip a mock analysis to catch up.
