1) Before starting your CAT preparation, read the official CAT bulletin and find out about the eligibility criteria, structure, date and time of the exam. Getting the list of test centers before hand is also a good idea.

2) Borrow TIME or IMS material from your friend or colleague to start your preparation of CAT exam.

3) Start taking mock cat tests after 3-4 weeks of CAT preparation. No doubt, you will score very less but this will make your preparation much more interesting and will motivate you to study harder. After 10-15 tests, you will find out your weak and strong areas of preparation. You will learn to manage your time by picking up questions smartly.

4) Take as many mock cat tests as possible. There are many websites which provide free online mock cat test like mypretest.com. Taking one test a day is sufficient. If you are short of mock cat tests, then try mock gmat tests.

5) Focuss on attempting maximum number of questions you know you can solve correctly.