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Foundation (Minimum 1 month):
 
This is typically the phase where you make yourself aware of the CAT exam and its structure. But I will add few more sub-steps in this. This step is also the foundation step and preparing of tools step.
 
a) Improve upon your English: If you are not comfortable with English then you have to spend a considerably good amount of time in this step. I will suggest for 2 months one should just spend preparing for English and how one should prepare? Step A: Read lots of novels. If you are not habitual reader then start with small and much familiar writings like those by R.K Narayan, Khuswant Singh and Shobha De etc. I don’t say they are easy to read but being Indian their writing will look familiar with your environment and it will help you to hold your interest and attention.
 
While reading keep a notebook, a pen and a dictionary ready with you. Note down all the difficult words you come across and make sure whenever you find difficult words you look for the meaning at the same time without making out a meaning of yourself from the reference of the sentence and topic. I understand it is a tedious process but referring a dictionary whenever you are in need cultivates a good habit and simultaneously you understand different usage also. Remember this process will be only for sometime later on will surely overcome it and then you will enjoy your reading without even referring a dictionary. Keep this reading practice for 1 month, in next 1 month read on other variety of other subject. I would suggest read Bertrand Russell, Sigmund Freud, Nirad C Choudhary, Samuel Huntington and Jawaharlal Nehru etc. They have written on variety of subjects but their writing is more complex and suggestive, hence it needs a good amount of basic preparation before reading them. I won’t suggest you jump into their writing straight forward because then you may loose interest in reading owing to the level of difficulty.
 
Also throughout the process keep a good habit of reading newspapers and magazines. I will suggest read 2 NPs.One “The Hindu”, for its English and comprehensive editorials and articles. Second “The Times of India” for its Delhi Times...just kidding…for keeping you familiar with different style of writing. Read magazines like EPW (Economic and Political Weekly); they have their online version also so it is a good read. Read India Today or/and Outlook. If possible you can read online version of various foreign magazines.
b) Preparing for Math and DI (2-3 weeks): Math preparation is big matter of fright for many people. Even before preparing for it people tend to take it as a burden and this where they loose interest and their confidence. Remember Math is done in brain and if your brain is not ready for it you will surely loose the battle. For preparing Math you need to know the importance of time management during the test. You will surely don’t want to waste precious seconds multiplying and dividing simple numbers.
 
Memorize below tables and functions:

1. Table upto 35 with multiples upto 20. ( 35x1= 35 to 35x20=700)
2. Cubes of number upto 15, Squares of numbers upto 15, sqrt of number upto 10.
3. Basic geometrical formulae and Pi values.

I strongly believe if you have memorized all these important things and even before you have started the first chapter, it going to give a tremendous boost to your preparation and confidence. Remaining Math is all about learning basics and practicing those basics.
 

Building (5-6 months)

This is the phase where you start learning the basics of different chapters in Math and start preparing for English tests.

For quant I will divide this process in more substeps:
 
a) Preparing for Math: Divide the study for Math in two broad areas 1) Arithmetic 2) Geometry 3) Algebra

For Arithmetic start with number system, in CAT and exams of its ilk, number system is most important one and you simply cannot ignore or lightly prepare it. Other than number system group remaining parts of arithmetic into 3 groups and study them in continuity.
Group 1: Percentages, Average, Ratio and proportions, Mixtures and Alligations
Group 2: Profit and Loss, Simple and Compound Interest
Group 3: Speed Time and Distance, Races, Pipes and Cisterns

Algebra as in order of importance: Linear and Quadratic Equations, Progressions- AP, GP, HP; Inequalities, Binomial Theorems, Functions, Permutations and Combinations, Set theory, Probability.

Geometry In order of importance: Plane geometry (triangles, triangle within a circle are very important), Coordinate geometry in recent years has been playing a big role in the CAT exam, Mensuration, Trigonometry.

I have here presumed that after the completion of step 1 (Foundation step) you have started the specific preparation that is the step 2 by the month of Feb. So now from the Feb to Oct last (Nov is the exam month so I don’t count this as a preparation month) the adjacent Picture Timetable will help you to streamline more.
 
b) Preparing for English: If you have done enough preparation in foundation step then you can straight forwardly jump into taking test. The best source for practice of English test is the CAT papers itself. Before starting just go through at least 10 years CAT papers and see the variety of question appeared in the test. Now make your own strategy for handling these cases. Reading Comprehension (RC) will always be no matter how much the papers pattern has changed, so you should give specific attention and time to this section. Read a lot and take lots of tests, and try to improve on your timings. But don’t worry, with number of test taken your timings will also improve. But always strive for keeping more than 90% of accuracy in number of questions attempted. Remember not all questions need to be answered in CAT but you need to know which all to leave.
 
c) DI preparation: For DI preparation also you have to be first good in group 2 and 3 of Quants as most of the questions revolve around these topics. Fast calculations (memorized tables will come into play here), and knack of eliminating wrong options will always be helpful. The mantra for DI preparation is practice as much as you can, I will suggest from the month of Feb you should start with 3-4 sets of DI with time constraints. With practice only you will get to know as many as types of question types.

Testing, Implementation and Fine tuning ( 2-3 months)
This is the phase where you have to test the knowledge you have gained and how is the turnout in numbers. You have to; preferably from month of Aug to Oct, just practice the test taking strategies. You should make it a point that every day you take at least 2 tests (other than the test series of the coaching center you might have enrolled in), so that by the end of Oct you have taken a minimum of 100 tests. But test giving is not of any use if you are not improving in it. You should track your performance by noting down all the details like:

• Attempted and Got right answers
• Number of wrong answers
• Unattempted questions
• Section wise marks
• Within sections chapters wise marks breakup
• Time taken for each section
• Your growth chart

Now after collecting all these information you should be able to answer some of very important answers:
1. why did I get it wrong, is it a) careless mistake b) wrong option marked c) chapter not clear yet d) knew it but due to lack of time could not spend enough time in answering or was it e) due to lack in concentration ? There may be many more questions like these which will help you to get you the right picture about your growth during the course of exam. You should be able to prepare a chart and jot down each and every detail in it about your exam.
Remember, remember and surely do remember that, simply giving test without any time constraint and not analyzing it afterwards is of no use at all. You cannot aspire for a better result in CAT if you don’t spend enough time understanding your marks and reasons therefore.
After a detail analyses of the questions you have done, you should now analyze the unattempted questions. The correct method for analyses will be:

1. First try attempting the untouched questions with a time constraints. Check for the answers and for the wrong answers analyze those with the same method you have applied before.
2. Try attempting the answers which are still untouched, but this time without the time constraints because by this time you have left only those questions which are time consuming and should have really been left untouched in the exam.

But in no case, leave any question unattempted during the analyses phase. You should always try to learn and try solving all the questions.

For your help I have made a progress chart (the picture on the side). Try using it or feel free to customize it for yourself.