Strategy & execution notes
for serious aspirants.
Study plans, exam strategy and lessons from the daily drill data — written by the GRADSCALE team.
CAT VARC Reading Comprehension: A Section-Wise Approach to Improve Accuracy
Speed reading advice dominates CAT RC prep discussions, but it solves the wrong problem for most aspirants. Here's a more useful way to think about RC accuracy.
CAT PYQs: How Many Years Should You Practice and How
More years of PYQs isn't automatically better. Here's how to think about which years matter most, how to sequence full papers versus sectional practice, and when smart mix practice beats single year drilling.
CAT DILR: How to Choose Which Sets to Attempt First
DILR is the section where set selection often matters more than raw ability. A practical framework for deciding what to attempt, what to skip, and when to cut your losses.
CAT Quant: The Formula-Memorization Trap and What to Do Instead
Formula sheets feel productive. They rarely translate into exam day speed. Here's a more durable way to build Quant fluency.
Why Most CAT Aspirants Plateau After 3 Months (And How to Break Through)
The first eight to ten weeks of CAT prep usually show fast, visible improvement. Then it stalls. Here's what's actually happening, and what to do about it.
CAT Mock Tests vs Daily Drills: When to Use Each and Why Both Matter
Mocks and daily drills aren't competing approaches. They test different things. Confusing their purpose is one of the most common CAT prep mistakes.
Coaching vs Self-Study vs Structured Daily Practice: What Actually Moves the Needle for CAT
These three approaches get framed as competing choices, but the framing is misleading. Here's a more honest breakdown of what each one actually does and doesn't solve.
The Science of Streaks: Why Daily Consistency Beats Cramming for CAT Prep
Streak mechanics feel like a gamification gimmick until you look at why they work. The behavioral science behind daily consistency is more substantial than it gets credit for.
How I Built My CAT Prep Strategy to 99.93 Percentile (And What I'd Do Differently)
A student's honest look back at the strategy that worked, the time that was wasted, and what I'd actually change if I were starting over today.