CAT 2026: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore is set to conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 on November 29. The CAT exam remains the primary gateway to Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses at IIMs and is used by several other business schools for admission.
As lakhs of candidates prepare for the CAT 2027, an expert from the Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon has said that success in the exam depends not only on conceptual knowledge but also on mental resilience, disciplined preparation, and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure.
Prof Satyam Mishra, Assistant Professor of Marketing at MDI Gurgaon, said CAT is a gateway to India’s leading management institutes, with an estimated two to three lakh aspirants competing for limited seats at top business schools. He noted that while the pressure to perform is intense, candidates often overlook whether they are preparing to handle exam-day stress as well as the questions.
Preparation Needs Structure, Use Mock Tests To Identify Strengths And Weaknesse
According to Prof Mishra, effective CAT preparation should begin with a diagnostic mock test to identify a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. Aspirants should then create a structured study plan that gives extra attention to weaker areas without neglecting stronger sections, while practising questions across varying difficulty levels.
He advised candidates to track sectional scores so that every section receives adequate preparation and they remain on course to clear individual cutoffs. Regular mock tests are important, he said, but equal time should be spent analysing mistakes, identifying time-consuming question types and refining strategy.
He stated: “Track sectional scores ensuring that every section receives adequate attention to clear its cutoff.” “Take mock tests regularly, but spend equal time analysing mistakes, identifying time-consuming question types and refining your approach,” he added.
Accuracy, Speed, Decision-Making
The MDI Gurgaon faculty member said that CAT assesses accuracy, time management, and decision-making under constraints – skills that are also essential in corporate life. Practising under timed conditions can help improve speed without compromising accuracy.
Prof Mishra also stressed that knowing when to leave a question is as important as knowing how to solve it. “Learning to recognise when a question is not worth pursuing” can protect both time and accuracy during the test, he said.
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Stress Management Is Strategic
Highlighting the psychological side of preparation, Prof Mishra said that stress affects even well-prepared candidates. He recommended meditation, mindful breathing, adequate sleep, and relaxing activities to help aspirants remain composed on examination day.
The MDI Gurgaon professor noted that “preparation is only half the battle won.” He further said: “Just as soldiers train relentlessly before the moment they must perform in battle; aspirants need to develop the mental and physical resilience to face examination-day pressure.”
Drawing on principles from the Bhagavad Gita, he advised candidates to focus on sincere effort rather than being paralysed by uncertainty about results. He also suggested maintaining a practical “Plan B” while approaching the exam with confidence.
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Prof Mishra said candidates should treat mental well-being as a strategic pillar of CAT preparation, alongside academics and mock tests, to approach the exam with clarity, confidence and calm.
