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. CAT 2026: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore is set to conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 on November 29.
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. 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. Prof Mishra also stressed that knowing when to leave a question is as important as knowing how to solve it. Drawing on principles from the Bhagavad Gita, he advised candidates to focus on sincere effort rather than being paralysed by uncertainty about results.
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. Effective CAT preparation should begin with a diagnostic mock test to identify a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, according to Prof Mishra. “Learning to recognise when a question is not worth pursuing” can protect both time and accuracy during the test, he said. He also suggested maintaining a practical “Plan B” while approaching the exam with confidence.
