Preparing for the CAT over a three-year horizon is both a blessing and a trap. On one hand, you have the luxury of time to build a rock-solid foundation in Quant and DILR. On the other hand, burnout and the tendency to "over-prepare" by solving overly complex, irrelevant material can often lead to diminishing returns.

Looking at the data, a 99.93+ percentile isn't just about raw intelligence; it’s about high-stakes consistency. To hit the IIM Ahmedabad threshold or similar elite-tier targets, you don't need to study 10 hours a day for three years. Instead, you need:

• Year 1: Master the concepts. Focus on building speed and intuitive grasp of Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry.

• Year 2: Transition to strategy. Analyze mocks, identify your weak zones, and start building an "exam temperament" that stays calm during the DILR section.

• Year 3: Precision and optimization. This is where you refine your selection process (what to solve and, more importantly, what to skip).

The cutoff table shows that while individual sectional cutoffs are generally manageable (80-85%ile), the overall requirement for top schools is incredibly steep. At the 99.9+ level, the difference between a seat and a waitlist often comes down to just one or two questions. Three years is more than enough time, provided you use the final year to pivot from "studying" to "performing."