Every year, over 2 lakh students prepare for the CAT exam. Most complete the syllabus, attempt mock tests, and solve hundreds of questions. Yet, only a small percentage manage to score above the 95 percentile.
So, what separates these students from everyone else? It is rarely about studying 12 hours a day or solving every book available in the market. The biggest difference lies in the habits they build over several months of preparation.
The journeys of MBA KARO CAT toppers Khushi Goyal (95.97 percentile, IIM Kozhikode convert) and Sneha Kabra (96.09 percentile, IIM Lucknow convert) show that high performers don’t necessarily study more; they study smarter. They track progress, analyse mistakes deeply and trust their strengths.
They remain consistent even when preparation becomes mentally exhausting. Read ahead to know the 5 Habits of 95+ Percentile CAT Toppers and other relevant details.
What Makes High CAT Percentilers Different?
Here is what makes 95+ Percentile CAT Toppers different from other test-takers,
| Preparation Area | Average Aspirant | High Percentile Aspirant |
| Study approach | Focuses mainly on completing the syllabus | Focuses on improving performance every week |
| Mock tests | Gives many mocks | Analyses every mock in detail |
| Weak sections | Tries to master everything | Improves enough to maximise overall score |
| Strong sections | Often ignored after reaching comfort level | Continuously strengthened |
| Progress tracking | Depends on memory | Uses trackers, notes and revision logs |
5 Habits of 95+ Percentile CAT Toppers
The biggest takeaway is simple. Successful aspirants treat CAT preparation like a performance improvement process. Check the list of 5 Habits of 95+ Percentile CAT Toppers below:
Habit 1: They Measure Consistency
One of the biggest myths around CAT preparation is that long study hours automatically lead to better scores. The journeys of both MBA KARO toppers suggest otherwise.
For Khushi Goyal, maintaining consistency became the toughest challenge during preparation. Long study sessions often led to burnout.
This makes it difficult to maintain momentum the next day. She changed her definition of consistency instead of forcing herself to study for several hours daily
Some days, consistency meant solving only one Reading Comprehension passage. Some days, it meant sitting at the study table for just ten minutes.
This simple mindset shift helped her avoid the guilt that many CAT aspirants experience after missing their study targets.
She also maintained detailed Excel trackers to record daily progress. She could actually see what she had completed each day. This positive reinforcement helped her remain disciplined throughout the preparation cycle.
Sneha Kabra followed consistency differently.
Since she was preparing alongside a full-time job, long study hours were simply not possible every day. She relied heavily on recorded lectures and utilised whatever time she had after work.
She focused on ensuring that learning never stopped. Although their situations were different, the habit remained the same. Both prioritised showing up every day.
What You Can Learn
| Khushi Goyal | Sneha Kabra |
| Reduced burnout by changing the meaning of consistency | Balanced office work and CAT preparation |
| Used Excel trackers to measure daily progress | Relied on recorded lectures to stay regular |
| Focused on showing up daily instead of chasing long hours | Maintained preparation despite limited study time |
Action Point: Avoid setting unrealistic goals like “study for 10 hours.” You can measure your consistency by completing one meaningful task every day. Small wins build long-term momentum.
Know Whether Your Profile Matches Top B-Schools
Before deciding your CAT target percentile, it is equally important to understand where your current academic profile stands.
The MBA KARO CAT Profile Evaluator 2026 analyses factors such as Class 10 and 12 marks, graduation score, work experience, category, and academic background to estimate your chances at top IIMs and other leading B-schools.
It also suggests the CAT percentile you should realistically aim for based on your profile.
Habit 2: They Spend More Time Analysing Mocks
Most CAT aspirants proudly talk about the number of mock tests they have attempted. High scorers focus on something else. They analyse every mock.
Khushi Goyal attempted nearly 45-50 mock tests during her preparation. However, she believes the real learning happened after the test ended.
According to her, many students either skip analysis because of procrastination or eventually stop taking mocks altogether after getting poor scores.
She avoided both mistakes. She spent time understanding:
- Why was the question incorrect?
- Was the mistake conceptual or due to poor decision-making?
- Could the question have been skipped?
- Was there a faster approach?
She also recommends sticking to only two or three quality CAT mock test series instead of attempting random free tests available online. Sneha Kabra also relied heavily on mock tests, attempting 40+ mocks while preparing alongside her job.
For her, mocks were not just scorecards. They helped improve time management under actual exam pressure.
This proved especially useful in Quantitative Aptitude. Maintaining speed without compromising accuracy became one of the reasons behind her excellent sectional percentile.
Mock Test Strategy Followed by CAT Toppers
| Preparation Aspect | Khushi Goyal | Sneha Kabra |
| Approximate mocks attempted | 45-50 | 40+ |
| Primary focus | Deep analysis after every mock | Time management under pressure |
| Mock advice | Stick to 2-3 reliable test series | Use mocks to simulate exam conditions |
| Biggest takeaway | Analysis matters more than mock count | Build speed and accuracy together |
Action Point: If you spend two hours attempting a mock, spend at least the same amount of time analysing it. The score improves during analysis.
Habit 3: They Maximise Their Strengths
Many CAT aspirants make one costly mistake. They spend months trying to perfect their weakest section while ignoring the area where they can score the highest.
95+ Percentile CAT Toppers followed a different approach.
Khushi Goyal knew that Quantitative Aptitude was her weakest section. She set a realistic goal of getting around 10 questions correct.
She even skipped topics that she knew were unlikely to work for her, such as Logs and Functions, and invested that time in improving her already strong VARC section.
The result speaks for itself. Her 98.91 percentile in VARC became the biggest contributor to her overall 95.97 percentile.
Sneha Kabra followed a similar philosophy but with a different strength. Coming from a mathematics background, QA was naturally her strongest section. She used more than 40 mock tests to improve speed and accuracy under exam pressure.
In both cases, the toppers did not ignore their weaker sections. They simply ensured that weak areas reached a respectable level while their strongest section became a major scoring opportunity.
How 95+ Percentile CAT Toppers Used Their Strengths
| Topper | Strongest Section | Weakest Section | Strategy |
| Khushi Goyal | VARC (98.91 %ile) | QA | Focused on accuracy, limited QA target, strengthened VARC further |
| Sneha Kabra | QA (98.45 %ile) | DILR | Built DILR gradually while continuing to maximise QA performance |
Habit 4: They Build Personal Systems
Every CAT season, students consume countless YouTube videos and social media posts claiming to reveal the “perfect strategy.” The problem?
There is no universal CAT strategy. The preparation methods of CAT toppers prove this clearly.
Khushi Goyal finalised her VARC attempt strategy as early as April. From that point onwards, she followed the same approach for several months. She consistently practised RC drills, sectional tests, and previous mistakes.
One unique habit she developed was spending five extra minutes after every VARC question to understand the examiner’s thinking.
Instead of asking, “Why is my answer wrong?” She asked, “Why did the question setter make this the correct answer?”
Gradually, this improved her elimination skills and helped her understand the logic behind CAT questions.
Sneha Kabra developed her own system for DILR. She solved Sudoku daily for nearly six months. Along with this, she regularly attempted Daily DILR Challenges and solved important sets multiple times. She even bookmarked unique questions for future revision.
She kept her resources limited and revised them repeatedly.
Personal Systems Built by 95+ Percentile CAT Toppers
| Area | Khushi Goyal | Sneha Kabra |
| VARC | RC drills, sectionals, question analysis | Tested different approaches before finalising one |
| DILR | Regular sectionals | Daily Sudoku + Daily DILR Challenge + Revision |
| Revision | Reflected after every practice session | Bookmarked concept-based sets for repeated revision |
| Study Material | Limited mock series | Limited resources with multiple revisions |
Unsure Whether Your Preparation Is on Track?
Many students prepare for months without the right strategy. The MBA KARO MBA Readiness Quiz helps you assess your preparation level through a short 15-question test covering Quant, VARC, DILR, study habits, and preparation routine.
In just a couple of minutes, you will receive a personalised readiness band that highlights where you currently stand and which areas need more attention.
It’s a quick way to measure your progress before jumping into another mock test.
Habit 5: They Stay Consistent Even When Results Don’t Go Their Way
One poor mock score is enough to make many aspirants question their preparation. CAT toppers also face self-doubt.
The difference is how they respond. Khushi Goyal openly admits that burnout affected her preparation multiple times. She focused on simply returning to her desk, even if it meant solving just one RC passage.
That small habit prevented long breaks from becoming permanent.
Sneha Kabra’s challenge was different. Her biggest obstacle was not academics. It was the fear of failing again. She had already scored 60 percentile in her first CAT attempt and 85 percentile in the second.
Preparing for a third attempt while managing a full-time job required enormous mental strength. But she trusted the preparation process and continued showing up every day.
That persistence eventually resulted in a 96.09 percentile and an IIM Lucknow convert.
The Mindset That Helped Them Improve
| Challenge | Khushi Goyal | Sneha Kabra |
| Biggest obstacle | Burnout | Fear of failing again |
| Solution | Redefined consistency and tracked daily progress | Trusted mentors and remained consistent |
| Final Outcome | 95.97 percentile & IIM Kozhikode | 96.09 percentile & IIM Lucknow |
Common Mistakes That Stop CAT Aspirants from Reaching 95+ Percentile
Here are the common mistakes that stop CAT aspirants from reaching the 95+ percentile:
| Mistake | Better Alternative |
| Solving every available resource | Stick to limited, high-quality material |
| Giving mocks without analysis | Spend equal or more time analysing each mock |
| Ignoring strong sections | Convert strengths into high-scoring sections |
| Changing strategy every week | Follow one approach consistently and refine it |
| Measuring success only through mock scores | Track improvement in accuracy, speed, and decision-making |
Final Takeaways from 95+ Percentile CAT Toppers
| 5 Key Habits | Why It Matters |
| Stay consistent daily | Prevents long breaks and burnout |
| Analyse every mock | Improves decision-making and accuracy |
| Build on strengths | Maximises overall percentile |
| Create a personal preparation system | Removes confusion and improves efficiency |
| Trust the process | Helps overcome poor mock scores and self-doubt |
Conclusion
Scoring a high CAT percentile is not about finding a secret shortcut. It is about following a preparation process that remains effective for several months.
The journeys of Khushi Goyal and Sneha Kabra show that success comes from consistent effort, thoughtful mock analysis and realistic goal-setting.
Looking for structured guidance?
MBA KARO CAT Online Coaching offers everything you need for focused preparation, including recorded lectures, manual mock analysis, personalised mentorship, sectional practice, doubt support, and a dedicated peer-learning community.
You will get continuous feedback that helps you identify mistakes early and improve with every mock.
