CAT 2022 Percentiles:
Verbal 94.58, DILR 95.89, QA 98.65, OA 98.63
Q1: Tell us about your background – education
(engg/non-engg, academic record), any work-ex?
Non-engineering - BBA (8/6/7)
Q2: When did you start preparing for CAT?
I took my first attempt in 2021 with a little bit of
self-preparation and landed on 84ile. After which I decided to give it a
serious attempt.
Q3: Did you take any coaching/tuition for CAT? How was your
experience?
I was enrolled in IMS online program and It helped me in
all-round development, especially CLUB 100.
Q4: What other self-study resources did you find useful for
your preparation?
I used a few random channels and sources like Rodha, Career
launcher, 2IIM, etc.
Q5: How did you pace your CAT preparation, i.e. how did the
daily time spent on preparation change over the course of your journey?
I started my preparation early in February and wanted a
smooth prep journey. So, I planned to keep up with the course till July when my
college exams also end. And then boost my prep in Aug - Nov. During this period,
I generally studied for an average of 4-5 hours regularly. Taking it to the 7-8
in the last 15 days.
Q6: What were your strong areas/subjects, and how did you
prepare for those (time devoted, specific resources used etc.)?
Being from a non-science background, I had never been in
touch with mathematics and also joined management later. So, Tackling QA was a
challenge for me, Last year I had -1 in QA so I knew I'll have to put a lot
more effort into QA. I aimed to exhaust all the materials and also look out for
diverse questions in MBA groups.
Q7: What topics/subjects were challenging for you, and how
did you prepare for those (time devoted, specific resources used etc.)?
I was strong in VARC so regularly reading a few articles
sufficed. Especially AEON along with some RC practice.
Q8: Were there occasions (during preparation or the exam)
when you felt stressed or dejected, and how did you manage it?
To avoid last minute rush, I started prepping early and our
course was completed in August. So, it was a kind of a smooth journey but burnouts
were intermittent. Facing low marks sometimes in Mocks really took over my
nerves. But with the proper guidance, I realized the importance of ANALYSIS.
Lower percentiles even after consistent efforts can make you feel dejected but
what it really means is that we're focusing on the wrong side.
Many times, I failed to keep up with my targets in mocks or
overall prep. And for someone starting late, things can go south. But I think
FAILURE is an IMPORTANT part of SUCCESS. The benefit of starting early was that
I got to attend all events in between without getting stressed much. I made
sure that I was keeping up with the class.
Q9: Are there any good habits/lifestyle choices that helped
you succeed and you’d recommend others to follow?
I had a knack for reading articles which helped me in VARC. Also, I used
to regularly solve random QA questions from groups, especially CLUB 100 (the
perspective of Scrabbler and Parameshwar sir really helped). I got to know a
lot of tricks and new concepts.