So, it’s June, and your mock test series is about to begin. You’ve probably got a calendar full of tasks and a brain buzzing with questions: How many mocks should I take? When should I start analysing? Am I even ready?

Breathe. I’ve been there. Planning mocks for CAT and OMETS (XAT, SNAP, NMAT, etc.) is not just about throwing yourself into a test every other day. It’s about playing smart, like a chess player who doesn’t just make moves but calculates five moves ahead.

Let me walk you through what worked for me.

June- July: The Training Ground

Imagine you’re training for a marathon. You wouldn’t start by running 42 km on Day 1, right? The same goes for mocks.

In June and July, treat mocks like simulations rather than judgments. Take one mock exam a week. Not more.

Why?

At this stage, the goal isn’t to score high; it’s to get comfortable with the format, the timer, and your mind games. You’ll learn things like how your brain slows down in DILR after an intense VARC or how your ego sometimes refuses to leave that one QA question.

Pro tip: Use this time to experiment, try different strategies, attempt sections in varied orders, mess up, recover, and reflect. Keep a “Mock Journal.” Not for marks, but for mindset.

August-September: The Analyse-and-Adapt Phase

Okay, now we enter serious territory. By now, you’ve taken about 8-10 mocks and are beginning to see patterns, strengths, weaknesses, and your average score band.

Now’s the time to bump it up: 2 mocks a week. No more, no less.

And don’t just take mocks; study them.

Imagine your mock is a puzzle you just couldn’t solve. Now, you get to peek at the solution. Why wouldn’t you?

Spend twice as much time analysing as you spent writing the test. Dissect every question: what went wrong, what went right, and why. Aim to extract learnings, not to feel good or bad about the score.

OMETs? Sprinkle them in. Once every 2-3 weeks, just to get used to their flavour. SNAP is speed-driven. XAT has decision-making. NMAT is adaptive. They’re all different breeds.

October-November: No Panic Season

This is where everything comes together. You know your zones now, where you thrive and where you tank.

Start taking three mocks a week, one of them an OMET. Time yourself like it’s D-Day. Wear that test-day mindset: no pausing, no breaks, no distractions.

One thing I did? I replicated the test slot I had picked for the CAT. My mocks were always at 8:30 AM. Took some adjusting, but it helped.

Also, revise your strategies. Mocks now aren’t about learning new stuff; they’re about rehearsing your best self under pressure.

Don’t Marry the Score, Date the Process

Let’s face it, some mocks will suck. You’ll score a 60 when you were expecting a 110. You’ll misread a question. You’ll panic. You’ll even cry (I did).

But the point of mocks is not to be perfect; it’s to become aware. The awareness that helps you stay calm when your real CAT RC section is more complicated than you expected. The awareness to let go of one tricky DILR set and move on. The awareness to manage your energy, not just time.

So, when your mock test series starts this June, don’t see it as a scoreboard; see it as a self-reflecting mirror.

Keep showing up. Keep learning. And trust me, your effort will show up when it matters the most.