Issue 01 · 2026
The Karma Yogi Journal. Field notes for the long grind.
- Essays
- 78
- Exam tracks
- 5
- Topics
- 52
The Lead
The essay we keep coming back to.
The Archive
Everything else worth reading, ordered by date.
Page 8 / 8 · 77 entries
CAT Exam Day Tips: The Routine I Ran Before 20 Mocks
I haven't sat the real CAT yet - mine is in November - but I've run this exact pregame for 20-plus mocks, including the one where I scored 96 and the one two days later where I scored 40. Here is the routine, and the mock-day failure that taught me why it matters.
Study Timer vs Pomodoro: My 340 Sessions Average 59 Minutes
My own 340 logged sessions average 59 minutes - well past a Pomodoro interval - and my longest single session ran 190 minutes. That gap is the actual argument for when a fixed 25-minute timer helps CAT prep and when it gets in the way.
CAT DILR Practice: 75% Accuracy at the 35th Percentile
My own DILR score has run from 2 to 30 across 23 mocks - the same section, the same person, a 3.5-month window. One sectional note explains more of that gap than any generic tip does: I could have doubled a score just by attempting more of what I already knew how to solve.
CAT Quant Shortcuts: 8 Techniques and Why Each One Works
Eight calculation techniques for CAT Quant, each with the algebra behind it and where it actually appears in the paper. Understanding why a shortcut works is what makes it survive exam pressure.
CAT VARC Preparation: A 3-to-39 Score Range Across 23 Mocks
My VARC score has run from 3 to 39 across 23 mocks - a 13x swing in the same section. A note I wrote myself after one sectional explains most of the gap: "could have gotten 35 though - always look carefully and eliminate extreme options."
How to Build a Study Streak: 5 Habits From 135 Active Days
340 sessions, 135 active days, one 190-minute outlier against a 59-minute average - and a streak that has broken more than once. Here is what my own Karma Yogi data says actually keeps a study habit alive.
CAT 2026 Study Plan: 340 Sessions and 23 Mocks So Far
My CAT 2026 exam is on 29 November. Here is the actual month-by-month shape of my prep so far - 340 sessions, 23 mocks, one four-day stretch that went 96, 40, 94 - and what changes for the 13 weeks left.
Colophon
Written between mocks. Edited between sits.
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