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On exam day, CAT toppers focus on staying calm and following the strategy they practised in mocks. Most took their last full mock two to seven days before CAT, avoided new topics, slept well, and some practised at their exact slot time after the admit card was released.

Preparing for CAT 2026? Learn from those who have done it. Download the section-wise topper guides above, take free CAT mock tests, and follow the latest CAT 2026 updates on MBAUniverse.com.

CAT toppers improved VARC through daily reading of diverse articles and a fixed number of RCs every day. About 40% named VARC their weakest section. In the exam, they skimmed all passages before choosing, eliminated wrong options, and some skipped Verbal Ability questions that were costing them marks.

Yes, cracking CAT on a second attempt is common. About one in three toppers interviewed by MBAUniverse.com succeeded on their second or third attempt, including most of the CAT 2025 toppers interviewed. They usually fixed one weak section and improved their mock analysis between attempts.

Yes, a non-engineer can become a CAT topper. About 40% of the toppers interviewed are non-engineers, including commerce, management, law, psychology and tourism graduates. In CAT 2025, three in four of the 100 percentile scorers came from non-engineering backgrounds. Non-engineers usually rebuild Quant from the basics first.

CAT toppers who shared their schedules typically studied two to three hours a day on weekdays and more on weekends, since about three in four were working. Consistency mattered more than long hours: toppers used fixed slots such as early mornings, travel time and lunch breaks, and kept weekends for full-length mocks.

CAT toppers most often recommend Arun Sharma's books for Quant, DILR and VARC, named by more than one in four toppers. Others used Nishit K. Sinha's books, Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis for vocabulary, and coaching material, before moving to mocks and previous year papers.

Yes, you can crack CAT without coaching. About half of the CAT toppers interviewed by MBAUniverse.com prepared on their own, mostly with a paid mock series, and nearly three in four of them scored 99+ percentile. Self-study works best for disciplined aspirants who need flexibility around work.