You just received your CAT score. Or maybe you are still waiting for results but expecting a decent percentile. Either way, one question is consuming your mind: When should I actually start preparing for GDPI?
If you are like most aspirants, you have probably scrolled through Reddit, asked in Telegram groups, and received wildly conflicting advice. Some say start immediately after CAT. Others say wait for call letters. Someone mentions they converted IIM Bangalore with just two weeks of preparation. Another claims you need three months minimum.
The confusion is real. And the stakes could not be higher. GDPI carries 30 to 40 percent weightage in final selection at most top B-schools. A candidate with a 99.5 percentile has been rejected. A candidate with 95 percentile has converted IIM Ahmedabad. The difference often comes down to interview performance.
This guide gives you the exact timeline that high-converting candidates follow. Not theory. Not vague advice. A week-by-week breakdown of what to do, when to do it, and how many hours to invest.
The GDPI Timeline Reality Check
Before we dive into the schedule, let me address the elephant in the room: there is no single "right" time to start GDPI preparation. But there is definitely a wrong time, and that is the week before your interview.
Here is what the data actually shows about successful candidates:
Candidates who start immediately after CAT (December):
- Have 8 to 12 weeks of preparation time before interviews begin
- Can build knowledge and practice skills systematically
- Experience less stress because they are not cramming
- Convert at higher rates across multiple B-school calls
Candidates who wait for call letters (late January):
- Have 4 to 6 weeks at most
- Must prioritize ruthlessly, often sacrificing depth
- Experience higher anxiety and rushed preparation
- Still convert, but with more stress and inconsistency
Candidates who start after XAT (mid-January):
- Fall somewhere in between
- This is actually the sweet spot for many working professionals
- Enough time to prepare properly if used strategically
The bottom line: starting earlier gives you options. Starting later forces compromises. But both can work if you follow the right approach.
Phase 1: Foundation Building (Weeks 1-2)
When: Immediately after CAT (first two weeks of December)
Daily Time Commitment: 1.5 to 2 hours
For Working Professionals: 1 hour on weekdays, 2 to 3 hours on weekends
This phase is about laying the groundwork. You are not practicing mock interviews yet. You are building the raw material that will fuel your interviews later.
Week 1: Self-Analysis and Profile Documentation
Write down every significant experience from your life. Not just the impressive ones. Everything that shaped who you are:
- Academic journey: Why did you choose your field? What fascinated you? What disappointed you?
- Work experience: Not job descriptions, but actual stories. Problems you solved. Conflicts you navigated. Failures you learned from.
- Extracurriculars: Leadership roles. Team experiences. Skills developed outside academics.
- Personal background: Family influences. Hometown perspectives. Cultural context.
This is not about what sounds impressive. It is about what is authentically yours. IIM panels have heard thousands of rehearsed answers. They are looking for genuine stories only you can tell.
Week 2: Current Affairs Foundation
Daily Routine (30-45 minutes):
Morning: Read one quality newspaper or its digital edition. The Hindu Business Line, Mint, or Economic Times work well. Do not read everything. Focus on economy, business, technology, social issues, and international affairs.
Evening: Spend 15 minutes connecting what you read to broader themes. How does this news affect business? What are the implications?
Phase 2: Skill Development (Weeks 3-4)
When: Mid to late December
Daily Time Commitment: 2 to 2.5 hours
Now you start building the actual skills tested in GDPI.
Week 3: Communication and Articulation
Pick any topic from your current affairs reading. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Speak about the topic out loud as if explaining to someone. Record yourself.
Listen to the recording. Notice filler words, incomplete sentences, circular arguments, pace and clarity. This exercise feels awkward. Do it anyway. The candidates who convert are the ones who pushed through the discomfort.
Week 4: Mock Interview Introduction
Now you start practicing with others. AI interview tools like Rehearsal solve the availability problem. Your peers have their own schedules. AI is available at 6 AM or midnight.
Use AI mocks for:
- High-volume practice (daily sessions without scheduling hassles)
- Unpredictable questions (no repetition fatigue)
- Objective feedback on filler words, answer length, confidence
- Stress inoculation before human mocks
This week, aim for 5 to 7 mock interview sessions. The goal is getting comfortable with the format, not perfection.
Phase 3: Intensive Preparation (Weeks 5-6)
When: Late December to early January
Daily Time Commitment: 2.5 to 3 hours
This is where preparation intensifies. You should now have calls or at least strong predictions of where you will interview.
For each B-school you expect calls from, prepare a specific "Why This School" answer. This cannot be generic. Panel members have heard "excellent faculty and placements" thousands of times. Your answer must be specific.
Phase 4: Peak Performance (Weeks 7-8)
When: January, after XAT, before interviews begin
Daily Time Commitment: 3 to 4 hours
This is the final push. Everything comes together now.
Mock Interview Volume Target:
By the end of this week, you should have completed at least 12 to 15 full mock interviews across your preparation. Research consistently shows that candidates who complete 15+ practice interviews convert at significantly higher rates.
The Optimal Time Split: Knowledge vs. Practice
Weeks 1-2: Knowledge Building: 80%, Practice: 20%
Weeks 3-4: Knowledge Building: 50%, Practice: 50%
Weeks 5-6: Knowledge Building: 30%, Practice: 70%
Weeks 7-8: Knowledge Building: 20%, Practice: 80%
The mistake most candidates make is inverting this. They spend early weeks thinking about practicing and late weeks frantically building knowledge. This is backwards.
The Last-Minute Preparation Reality
What if you are reading this with only 2 to 3 weeks before your interview?
First, do not panic. Candidates have converted IIM Ahmedabad with two weeks of preparation. It is not ideal, but it is possible.
What to Never Sacrifice:
- Self-analysis (you must know your own story)
- Mock interview practice (this is non-negotiable)
- School-specific "Why MBA here" preparation
- Adequate sleep before interviews
Final Thoughts
Every candidate wants a magic formula. Do X for Y days and you will convert.
The truth is simpler and harder: consistent daily effort over 6 to 8 weeks beats any shortcut.
Start today. Not tomorrow. Not after results. Not after XAT. Today.
---
Ready to Start Your GDPI Preparation?
Rehearsal provides unlimited AI-powered mock interviews designed specifically for IIM and top B-school interviews. Practice anytime, get detailed feedback, and track your improvement over weeks of preparation.