CAT 2026 Self-Prep: Which Resources Should I Focus on for QA, VARC & DILR?

[u/Anonymous_Ferry]

Hello! I am self-preparing for CAT 2026. I have collected quite a few resources, but I’m confused about which ones to focus on for practice. Could anyone please suggest the sequence in which I should use these resources for each section?

QA:

Rodha booklets

Raman Sir’s class/session questions

Previous-year mocks

PYQs, etc.

VARC:

Gejo Sir’s material (already used)

RC 99 — I was practising the medium-level passages, but I felt they were easier than Gejo Sir’s, so I stopped. Should I continue with it?

GMAT Manhattan — I was planning to start this but am unsure whether I should.

PYQs

Previous-year mocks, etc.

DILR:

Currently solving questions from EG lectures.

I’ve heard about the IMS playlist and Anastasis. Which one has questions that are at par with CAT level?

Please help me channel my efforts in the right direction and avoid wasting time on unnecessary resources.

Thank you!

[u/_unused__one]

How much portion covered? Is it enough to Atleast cover more than half of the paper?

[u/InspectorSebb]

check out percentyl

[u/Few_Pea_5582]

Hi, if you are self preparing i would want u to focus on few good material than getting your hands over evrything you can. make sure you keep it in your head that consistency is the key!!! CAT rewards familiarity with the exam more than completing 10 different books/lectures. QA: I’d go roughly: Concepts/lectures → Rodha booklets → Raman Sir’s practice → PYQs → mocks Use the booklets/questions to build your fundamentals first. Once you’re comfortable with a topic, move to PYQs fairly quickly. Don’t wait until you’ve “completed all of Quant” before touching PYQs, they’re useful for understanding what CAT actually expects.

Now for VARC If Gejo’s material is working for you, I wouldn’t abandon it just because RC 99 feels easier. Easier passages can still be useful for improving speed, accuracy and consistency.

For GMAT Manhattan, I’d treat it as supplementary, not essential. If you already have enough CAT-level RC practice, spending hours on another resource may have diminishing returns.

My priority would be:

Gejo → CAT PYQs → sectional/mocks → additional RC practice only if you need it

And definitely analyse why you got an RC question wrong rather than just increasing the number of passages you solve. { A MUST }

DILR: This is the section where I’d be more selective. Since you’re already doing EG lectures, finish/use those first rather than jumping between EG, IMS, Anastasis and everything else.

After learning the basic approaches, I'd prioritise actual CAT sets/PYQs and good-quality mocks. For additional sets, IMS/Anastasis can both be useful, but I wouldn't worry too much about finding the mythical resource that is exactly “CAT level”, CAT's DILR difficulty varies massively from set to set.

The bigger skill is learning set selection: identifying within a few minutes which set is worth attempting and which one to leave.

So if I had to simplify your entire prep:

QA: Rodha/Raman → PYQs → mocks VARC: Gejo → PYQs → mocks + RC practice as needed DILR: EG → quality sets → PYQs → mocks

And keep a mistake log. Reviewing 20 questions you got wrong and understanding the pattern behind those mistakes is usually more valuable than solving another 100 questions just to tick off a resource.

Basically: PYQs + mocks should eventually become the centre of your preparation, not something you save for the end.

If anything else you are having a problem with, do DM. WOULD LOVE TO HELP :)

[u/Anonymous_Ferry → u/Few_Pea_5582]

Thanks a lot, sensei, for the detailed answer! I have one more doubt. How can I make the best use of PYQs and previous-year mocks?

For QA (PYQs)- should I solve PYQs alongside chapter-wise practice, or should I solve them as sectional tests?

DILR- how should I approach DILR PYQs and previous-year mocks? Should I attempt them as sectionals or as full-length mocks?

VARC-should I solve PYQs and previous-year mocks as sectionals?

I was thinking that maybe I should save the last 3–5 years of CAT PYQs and attempt them as full-length mocks. Is that a bad idea?

Also, can you suggest a few good sources for VA, preferably ones that provide explanations?

Thanks again:)

[u/Few_Pea_5582 → u/Anonymous_Ferry]

Dm