Struggling with consistency, restart cycles & execution in CAT prep
Asked by Anonymous on 2026-06-01 in CAT Prep
Hi Shweta Di, I'm preparing for CAT 2026 alongside college, and right now I'm in my semester exam phase till 18th June, so my CAT prep has been almost on pause. My main issue is not understanding what to do, but actually doing it consistently. I often get stuck between planning and execution, and there’s too much conflicting advice online which makes it hard to stick to one approach long enough.
Another big concern is inconsistency after breaks like exams or busy college phases—I tend to lose momentum and struggle to even maintain 2–3 hours of focused study when I restart. Restarting always feels harder than starting from scratch, and I think many others might also resonate with this. Along with this, balancing CAT prep with college academics, assignments, and personal responsibilities becomes difficult, especially when schedules clash, and mental fatigue from continuous switching between tasks also affects consistency.
I’m currently on leave from regular college due to past health issues but I’m fine now, and I want to use this phase properly without falling into irregular study cycles again. My core concern is how to build consistency, restart quickly after breaks, avoid over-planning, and maintain steady execution toward a 99+ percentile goal without burning out.
1 Answer
Shweta Arora(Mentor) · 2026-06-01 · 4 helpful
Momentum generally requires small steps to start with. Even if you can solve 5 questions a day, try that. Don't beat yourself up for skipping a day you genuinely don't have the energy. But, on other days, it is okay to do as much as you can even if it is little. Consistency pays off but the amount of effort put in daily doesn't have to be the same.
In regards to college vs exam, since it is only a few more days you can devote it to college since these semester marks may count towards your IIM admissions. But, after that focusing mainly on CAT will help. Till then just solve 1-2 RCs a day, solve 2-3 DILR puzzles daily. Just stuff that doesn't require building conceptual clarity (quant chapters may be causing that friction)