Taking 10 CAT Mocks But Still Stuck? Here's What May Be Going Wrong
- IIMwalaBanda
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
I have uploaded one of the session here with Aspirant permission and the actual post session report so you can see what you receive after a 1:1 here
Harsh is a BAF fresher preparing seriously for CAT 2026 and currently studying around nine hours a day. Despite putting in significant effort, his mock performance has remained volatile: 10 mocks attempted, with a highest percentile of 34.43 and lowest of 1.04. VARC is his biggest weakness, DILR is inconsistent, and Quant concepts are often known but not recalled or applied reliably during mocks. The biggest issue, however, is what happens after a bad mock: self-doubt, overthinking and the temptation to question the entire preparation strategy.
The problem isn't necessarily lack of effort
Nine hours of preparation sounds like a lot.
But if those nine hours don't improve your ability to perform under CAT conditions, adding more hours won't automatically solve the problem.
Harsh's immediate plan was therefore to stop chasing mock scores for 10 days and focus on building exam-ready problem-solving habits.
1. Don't read newspapers to “prepare for RC”
This is one of the most common pieces of CAT advice.
But ask yourself:
Will reading one political article guarantee that the CAT RC will be about that exact issue?
No.
You don't need to become an expert in every possible RC topic.
You need to become comfortable reading unfamiliar material and identifying the author's argument.
One focused RC every day is a much more direct way of building that skill.
2. DILR is a patience game
Harsh's DILR issue wasn't simply “I don't know LR.”
He could perform better in sectionals but sometimes abandoned DILR in mocks when the set didn't immediately make sense.
The fix:
Pick one set.
Stay with it.
If you need a solution, take the clue.
Close the solution.
Solve it yourself.
The objective is to train your brain to stay engaged when the structure isn't obvious.
3. Don't postpone Quant revision until the syllabus ends
A common trap is:
“I'll revise formulas once I've finished everything.”
Then the syllabus keeps expanding and revision never happens.
Instead, work on one topic every day and solve 10–12 good questions.
Rate yourself:
3★ — strong2★ — workable1★ — weak
The goal is to systematically convert 2★ areas into reliable 3★ areas.
4. A mock should take more time to analyse than to take
This is probably one of the most important CAT preparation lessons.
If a two-hour mock takes two hours to write and then you immediately move to another mock, you're collecting scores — not learning.
A better cycle is:
2-hour mock→ break→ untimed re-attempt→ ~4-hour analysis→ identify changes→ implement them→ next mock
The analysis should tell you whether the problem was concept, application, selection, time pressure or anxiety.
5. Don't compare today's percentile with your final target
Harsh's long-term target is 99.5 percentile.
But staring at 99.5 while scoring 20–30 percentile can become psychologically destructive.
The immediate target was therefore 80.
Then make 80 repeatable.
Then push higher.
A score is a progression, not a verdict on whether you belong in an IIM.
The bigger CAT lesson
If you've taken 10 mocks and still feel like you don't know what you're doing wrong, you probably don't need mock number 11 immediately.
You need diagnosis.
Your score tells you what happened.
Your analysis tells you why.
And your next preparation cycle should be built around that “why.”
That's exactly what a personalised 1:1 strategy session is designed to do.
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