Step 1: Recognise the Voices for What They Are

Your self-doubt sounds real. But it’s not. It’s just a story your brain spins to keep you in your comfort zone.

The next time that voice says, “I’m terrible at quant,” pause. Label it. Is it fear of failure? Is it perfectionism? Is it anxiety?

Labelling the emotion takes away half its power. It turns it from an overwhelming feeling into just another thought. And thoughts can be managed.

Step 2: Counter with Hard Evidence

Self-doubt loves general statements.

“You suck at QA.”

“You’re too slow for VARC.”

Fight vagueness with data. Maybe you got only 5 QA questions right in your last mock. But weren’t you at just two a month ago? That’s over double the accuracy. Small, but real.

Write down your progress every week. When your brain throws sweeping negative statements, open that record. Let hard evidence silence emotional noise.

Step 3: Treat Mistakes as Feedback, Not Failure

Every DI set you bomb, every RC you mess up – these aren’t proof that you’re bad at CAT. They’re feedback telling you exactly what to fix before the next mock.

Top-rankers don’t see errors as personal flaws. They see them as directions for growth. One mindset drains confidence. The other fuels improvement.

Step 4: Visualise Success, Not Just Strategy

Every night before bed, close your eyes for two minutes. Picture yourself in the exam hall. Visualise reading each question calmly, solving with focus, and feeling composed.

Don’t just think strategy. Feel your breath steady. Feel your mind sharp. Visualisation rewires your brain to associate CAT with clarity instead of panic. Olympians use it. So should you.

Step 5: Choose Who You Listen To

Your environment shapes your inner game. Avoid aspirants or groups that feed your fears with panic talk, percentile gossip, or negativity.

Instead, surround yourself with mentors and peers who believe in consistency and growth. The voices you hear daily become the voices in your own head.

Step 6: Anchor Yourself to Effort, Not Outcome

You can’t control the CAT paper, the cutoffs, or what set appears on D-Day. But you can control:

• Whether you showed up today
• Whether you learned something new
• Whether you reviewed your mock deeply

Ask yourself each night: Did I give my best effort today? If the answer is yes, let that be enough for now.

The One Shot That Matters

In the end, CAT isn’t just about what you’ve learned – it’s about how well you execute under pressure. By mastering your inner game, you’re training your brain to respond, not react. You’re eliminating panic and building confidence.

This isn’t just another mock. This is the dress rehearsal for your main show. One day. One slot. One shot.

So take a deep breath, think of your exam day, and remember – you’ve faced these voices before. Now it’s just time to trust yourself one last time.

Let it count.