Saturday, 5 September 2026Playbooks: The exact steps, in order.Reviewed through 5 Sept 2026
29 playbooks, 180 steps. Every fee, date and pass mark is sourced, and each playbook says when it was last checked.
for.doThe exact steps, in order.
Tick a step and it stays ticked on this device. Print a playbook, or copy it out as a plain checklist.

Entrance exams

Pattern, marking, dates, and a preparation plan that fits the calendar. India and global.
Entrance exams · India

Prepare for CAT (MBA entrance)

Register by mid-September, sit the 120-minute computer-based test on the last Sunday of November, and convert the percentile into IIM and top B-school calls.

Time 6–9 months of preparation · registration Aug 3–Sep 15 · exam 29 Nov 2026 in three slots · Cost ₹2,600 general · ₹1,300 SC/ST/PwD · 6 steps · Reviewed 5 Sept 2026

CAT is a two-hour aptitude test with an unusual structure: three sections in a fixed order, forty minutes each, with no movement between them. Because the marking penalises wrong MCQs and each section has its own cutoff, the preparation is about accuracy and balance rather than coverage.

You end up with A CAT percentile valid for the 2027 admission cycle at the 21 IIMs and 1,000+ institutes
  1. Confirm eligibility and register
  2. Take a diagnostic mock in week one
  3. Section-wise preparation
  4. Mock series and analysis
  5. Exam day (29 November 2026)
  6. After the result

Begin with step 1, Confirm eligibility and register →

Take the digital SAT

A total SAT score of 400–1600 (Reading & Writing 200–800 + Math 200–800), sent to colleges via College Board

10–12 weeks of preparation · US$68 in the US · 6 steps

Prepare for GATE

A GATE score valid for three years, used for IIT/NIT M.Tech, PSU jobs and some fellowships

6–8 months · ₹1,000 · 6 steps

Take the GRE General Test

GRE Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing scores, valid five years

8–12 weeks of preparation · $220 in India and most countries · 6 steps

Crack JEE (Main and Advanced)

A JEE Advanced rank for IIT admission via JoSAA, or a JEE Main rank for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs

12–24 months of preparation · JEE Main ₹1,000 · 6 steps

Prepare for NEET-UG

A NEET-UG score and All-India Rank used for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and nursing admission via MCC and state counselling

12–24 months · ₹1,700 · 6 steps