Too Late for CAT 2025? Avoid These 5 Mistakes to Score a 99+ Percentile

Author: Planet E | Expert CAT Coaching Institute | Offline & Online Batches Available

Feeling Late for CAT 2025? You’re Not Alone!

If you’re wondering, “Is it too late to prepare for CAT 2025?”, you’re not the only one. Every year, thousands of students start late due to internships, college, jobs, or simply procrastination.

But here’s the truth from Planet E’s 99+ percentilers: It’s not about how early you start — it’s about how smart and consistent you are.

This blog is your complete strategic guide to scoring a 99+ percentile in CAT 2025, even if you start late. We’ll decode:

• The 5 most common mistakes late starters make

• How to avoid them and recover time

• A practical 4-month preparation strategy

• Smart time-management hacks and success stories

❌ Mistake #1: Rushing Without Understanding the CAT Pattern

Why This Is a Big Mistake:

Most late starters jump straight into solving questions without understanding the exam format. This leads to:

• Time mismanagement in mocks

• Incomplete coverage of important topics

• Wrong approach to VARC, DILR, and QA sections

What Planet E Recommends:

• Spend 2 days studying the CAT structure:

  • 3 sections (VARC, DILR, QA)

  • 66 questions in 120 minutes

  • Adaptive difficulty via sectional cut-offs

• Go through CAT previous year papers (last 5 years)

• Understand the weightage of each topic
  (Check table below for syllabus breakdown)

❌ Mistake #2: Ignoring VARC – The Most Neglected Section

What Students Do:

Most engineers and quant-loving aspirants spend 70% time on QA and ignore VARC. The result?

• Sectional cut-offs not cleared

• Reading speed never improves

• 99+ percentile dream dies due to 60–70 percentile in VARC

Planet E’s Strategy:

• Start with daily 2 RCs and 1 VA exercise

• Maintain a reading journal (Economist, Aeon, NYT, Hindu)

• Use Elimination technique to improve accuracy

• Join Planet E’s VARC Workshops with 99%ile mentors

❌ Mistake #3: Blindly Practicing Without Giving Mocks

Common Late-Starter Trap:

“I’ll finish the syllabus first, then give mocks.”

Wrong approach. Mocks are not just for testing—they’re for learning and developing exam temperament.

Planet E’s 99+ Mock Rule:

• Give 1 mock per week (July-Aug)

• Increase to 2-3 mocks/week (Sep-Nov)

• After each mock:

  • Track accuracy vs. attempts

  • Maintain an error log

  • Identify question types where you’re weak

Mock Analysis Tracker Sample:

❌ Mistake #4: No Study Plan or Time Table

Problem:

Late starters panic and go all over the place—studying Algebra one day and RC the next. This leads to:

• No topic mastery

• Burnout

• Missed weekly targets

Planet E’s 4-Month Study Plan

Month 1: Concept Building (July-Aug)

• 3 hours daily: 1 hour QA + 1 hour DILR + 1 hour VARC

• Weekends: Mock + Full review

Month 2: Speed Practice (Aug-Sep)

• Increase mock frequency

• Focus on timed sectional tests

• Fix accuracy and revisit weak areas

Month 3: Full-Length Mocks + Strategy (Sep-Oct)

• 3 mocks/week minimum

• Attempt with different order strategies (QA first vs VARC first)

Month 4: Peak Performance Zone (Nov)

• Final revision

• Confidence building

• 8–10 mocks in 4 weeks

❌ Mistake #5: Not Seeking Expert Guidance

What Happens Without Mentorship?

• You waste time on low-priority chapters

• You get demotivated after low mock scores

• You don’t know how to improve percentile after 85–90

Planet E’s Advantage:

• Offline + Online Mentorship

• 99%ilers from IIM A/B/C guiding your prep

• Section-specific masterclasses + Live doubt-solving

• Small batch focus at Dadar & Thane centers

✅ CAT 2025 Smart Prep Toolkit by Planet E

Here’s everything you need if you’re starting late: