How to use the CAT Study Planner for Engineers
- 1. Set dates and hoursEnter your start date, the CAT date and hours per weekday and weekend.
- 2. Rate each sectionRate VARC, DILR and QA from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong).
- 3. Get your planSee each week's topics, then timed sectionals and mocks.
How the plan is made
CAT has three sections in a fixed order: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA), each with its own time limit. The planner gives about half your weeks to concepts and sectional practice, a quarter to timed sectionals and a quarter to full mocks, because CAT rewards practice under time pressure.
Each section's weight is 6 minus your rating, so a section rated 2 gets twice the time of one rated 4. Reading Comprehension gets a fixed slice every week, since reading speed builds slowly. Check the current pattern and date in the official notice on iimcat.ac.in.
Worked example
An engineer starts on 15 November with CAT about 54 weeks away, studying 2 hours on weekdays and 5 on weekends: 20 hours a week. They rate VARC 2, DILR 3 and QA 4.
VARC gets weight 4, DILR 3 and QA 2. The plan gives 27 weeks to concepts, 14 to timed sectionals and 13 to mocks. Each concept week has 6 hours of Reading Comprehension; the first weeks then cover Arithmetic, followed by Data Interpretation. Over the learning and revision weeks, VARC gets about 365 hours in total and QA about 180.
Tips for engineers
Engineers often start with stronger QA, but rate yourself from a real mock rather than a guess. Read every day: editorials, long-form articles and books build RC speed more than any shortcut. Analyse each mock for as long as you took it. When you think about the outcome, compare the money side of an MBA with the M.Tech vs MS vs MBA comparison or the MBA after B.Tech ROI calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many months do engineers need for CAT?
It varies. The planner shows how your available hours spread over the weeks you have, so you can see if you need more.
Why does Reading Comprehension get time every week?
Reading speed and comprehension improve slowly with daily practice, so it is spread across the whole plan.
Can I change the ratings later?
Yes. After a few mocks, update your ratings and rebuild the plan.
Is this planner free?
Yes. You enter your name and WhatsApp number once when you see your plan, and other Uncodemy tools then open without the form.