Key points
- ThinkCAT's mocks match CAT's difficulty because they are CAT papers; Rodha designs its mocks to be harder than CAT.
- ThinkCAT's mocks are completely free; Rodha's come inside courses from ₹13,999.
- If you're in a Rodha batch, use ThinkCAT's real papers to read your Rodha scores in real-CAT terms.
Rodha and ThinkCAT both come up when aspirants look for a CAT mock in the TCS iON interface. They answer in opposite ways. Rodha writes its own mocks and makes them harder than the real exam. ThinkCAT uses the real exam: every full mock is an actual CAT paper, on a screen built like the one you'll see on 29 November.
The two approaches in one table
| ThinkCAT | Rodha | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-length mocks | 19 actual CAT papers, 2018–2025 | 30 RCMs (Rodha CAT Mocks) |
| Difficulty | CAT's own, by definition | Designed to run 10–15% harder than CAT, per Rodha's blog |
| How you get them | All 19 are free full mocks | Inside paid CAT 2026 courses |
| Price | Mocks free; ₹999 one-time for Pro practice bank | Booster with mocks ₹13,999; crash course ₹19,999; batches up to ₹24,999 |
| Free mock | All 19 papers, no account needed to start | 1 mock, free account required |
| Sectional practice | 30 timed sprints, 3,400+ topic practice questions (with Pro pass) | 105 sectionals, inside the same courses |
| Screen | Built like TCS iON: section locks, five-state palette, Save & Next, TITA keypad, CAT calculator | Described by Rodha as mirroring TCS iON |
Why a real-paper score beats a harder mock
Rodha's blog says its mocks are "deliberately designed to run 10-15% harder than the actual CAT exam". That stretches you, but it blurs your score: 38 on a mock built to be harder could mean 45 or 55 on CAT, and that gap changes how many questions you should attempt per section.
A ThinkCAT mock has no gap. It's a CAT paper, so your score is a CAT score. If you're in a Rodha batch, take one ThinkCAT paper in the same week as a Rodha mock, compare section by section, and you'll know how to read every Rodha score that follows. The realism check sets out the steps.
ThinkCAT's real papers on an exam-style screen
ThinkCAT's 19 full mocks are 2018 Slot 1, 2019 Slot 1, 2020 Slots 1 and 2, and all three slots of 2021 to 2025. The screen works like the exam's: VARC, then DILR, then QA, each locked after 40 minutes; the five-state palette; answers that count only after Save & Next; an on-screen TITA keypad; and a calculator that works left to right, as CAT's does.
After each mock, the scorecard shows your score, accuracy, attempts, section-wise breakdown and predicted percentile, with every question's step-by-step solution. Then practise what it exposed: 30 timed 40-minute sectional sprints, 3,400+ topic practice questions, and the past papers by paper and topic, for example CAT 2024 Slot 3 QA or DILR arrangements.
Mocks without paying for a course
Rodha's mocks come with its courses: the R9 crash course (₹19,999), the Boosters with mocks (₹13,999) and the all-in-one batches (up to ₹24,999). Its Hinglish Booster Batch 2 (₹7,999) states that full-length and sectional tests are not included.
On ThinkCAT, all 19 real CAT papers are completely free to take as full timed mocks, with no course required. A one-time ₹999 Pro pass opens 30 sectional sprints and the 3,400+ practice bank. If you want mocks, you don't need to buy an expensive course to get them.
If you're already in a Rodha batch
- Keep your Rodha schedule as your main programme.
- Every second week, take one real CAT paper on ThinkCAT in the same week as a Rodha mock. All 19 papers are free to take.
- Note the gap per section and use it to read your Rodha scores.
- In November, switch to the 2024 and 2025 papers, the closest to CAT 2026's format.
- Between mocks, use ThinkCAT's sectional sprints on whichever section the real-paper comparison shows is lagging, so your Rodha classes and your ThinkCAT practice pull in the same direction.
Setting your attempt targets on real papers
The most useful decision a mock helps you make is how many questions to attempt in each section. On a harder-than-CAT mock, that number comes out too low, because every question feels tougher than it will on the day. On a real CAT paper it comes out right.
Take two or three ThinkCAT papers from the same format, 2021 to 2023 or 2024 and 2025, and note for each section how many you attempted, how many were right and how long the last few took. A pattern appears quickly: in QA you may find accuracy holds at 15 attempts and falls at 18; in DILR, that three sets attempted carefully beat four attempted in a rush. Those numbers become your exam-day plan, and the attempts guide helps you set them.
Then use ThinkCAT's 40-minute sectional sprints to rehearse each plan under time, one section at a time, before the next full paper.
Learning concepts without a course
Rodha sells mocks inside courses because courses carry the teaching. ThinkCAT carries the teaching in its practice bank: 3,400+ topic questions arranged by concept across QA, DILR and VARC, each with a worked solution, linked to the real CAT questions on the same concept. You learn the method on practice questions, test it on CAT's own questions, then time it in a 40-minute sectional sprint, without paying for a full course to get there.
Start with a real CAT paper
Take ThinkCAT's free CAT 2024 Slot 1 this week, then read the mock plateau guide before your next mock.
Take a free full-length CAT mock
Three 40-minute sections with the same timer, palette and marking as the real exam.
Frequently asked questions
Is ThinkCAT better than Rodha for mocks?
Yes, for calibrating to the real exam. ThinkCAT's mocks are actual CAT papers on a CAT-style screen, completely free for all 19 papers, with optional sectional sprints and topic practice in a ₹999 pass. Rodha's mocks are designed to be harder than CAT and come inside courses from ₹13,999.
Are harder mocks better preparation?
They stretch you, but they make your score a poor guide to your CAT score. A real CAT paper on ThinkCAT shows exactly where you stand, and tells you how to read any harder mock.
Can I use ThinkCAT alongside a Rodha course?
Yes. Take one real CAT paper on ThinkCAT in the same week as a Rodha mock and compare section by section; the gap tells you how to read every Rodha score that follows.
Sources
Written and checked by Team ThinkCAT. Question counts come from ThinkCAT’s bank of real CAT papers; exam rules and admission criteria are taken from the official sources listed on each page. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].