HOW 99 PERCENTILERS

PREPARED FOR CAT

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

CONTENT
Introduction3
How 99 Percentilers prepared for CAT? 4

CAT 2016 Topper Interview:

Mock tests are the reason
why I aced CAT, says 99.17 percentiler Sahajdeep Singh 5
Coaching not necessary but certainly helpful,
says 99.84 percentiler Konreddy Varun 8
Analyse mock tests to know loopholes in preparation,
says 99.93 percentiler Naman Singhal 11
Coaching gives preparation a systematic approach, says 98.84 percentiler
Ankit Khandelwal 14
CAT is all about self-study and aptitude,
says 99.76 percentiler Vatsalya Kumar Srivastava 18

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

INTRODUCTION

A
s students we have been always taught
to learn from experiences of other people
who have walked the path, and same goes
for this year’s CAT aspirants. To develop
a ‘How to crack CAT’ strategy, it is important to
learn and absorb from the experiences of last year
aspirants who have cracked CAT, which is the
most coveted management entrance exam. And,
who else will be the best teacher but CAT toppers
themselves!

In this E-book, Careers360 brings the preparation

strategies and approaches of CAT toppers to help
the new aspirants find their way without much trial
and error.

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

HOW 99 PERCENTILERS
PREPARED FOR CAT?
For CAT aspirants, the most pertinent and significant aspect is to develop a
preparation strategy. As a part of learning from the experiences of CAT Top-
pers, students must extract the success essence from each topper.

Smart Planning: CAT is a test to judge the candidate’s:

●● sectional knowledge
●● time management skills

The mantra to complete the exam within the stipulated time depends on
how you plan and practice for the exam. It is important to have a strategic
preparation plan to tackle the exam on the D-day itself.

The strategies shared elaborate on:

●● Self-study
●● Discipline
●● Importance of coaching centres
●● Time management
●● Mock tests and analysis
●● Sectional approach
●● Exam day strategy

This E-book brings to you interviews of CAT toppers and their preparation
strategy that helped them ace the national level entrance exam.

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

CAT 2016 TOPPER INTERVIEW:

MOCK TESTS ARE THE REASON WHY I ACED CAT,
SAYS 99.17 PERCENTILER SAHAJDEEP SINGH
Objectivity, perseverance, logic, self study and Read the full interview below:
smart preparation were the yardsticks Sahajdeep
Singh swore by while preparing for CAT 2016. Not Careers360: What was your overall and section-
only did he ace the exam but also balanced his al score in CAT 2016? Did you appear for any other
career very well with studies. His job as a financial entrance or competitive exam? If so, please share the
analyst was quite taxing, but Sahajdeep proved it score for the same.
that the right approach is the key. A B.Com Hon- Sahajdeep: My overall Percentile is 99.17 and the sec-
ors graduate from Delhi University, Sahajdeep’s tional score is as follows:
main focus was on taking as many mock tests as
possible along with section wise strategy to crack Verbal Ability and Reading 97.22,
the CAT 2016 exam. Zeroing on his weak areas Comprehension:
through constant practice along with utilizing the Data Interpretation and Logical 98.96,
time at hand optimally proved to put him in good Reasoning:
stead right at the onset. Apart from CAT, he also
Quantitative Ability: 96.85.
aced XAT with similar preparation strategy.

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

Careers360: Talking of sections here, which was the most challenging and easiest
section in the test?
Sahajdeep: The DILR probably was the most challenging section of CAT 2016 as there
were no traditional questions this time. Perhaps, in retrospect, they could be aced too, if you
have an analytical bent of mind and have practiced similar questions.

Careers360: How were your preparatory days like? Did you manage to balance
your academic/professional life and entrance preparation time well?
Sahajdeep: Having prepared for Olympiads during school, I was accustomed to the type
of questions asked in competitive exams. Hence, I decided to appear for CAT 2016 while
I was working as a financial analyst. Since my working hours were irregular and depended
heavily on the project at hand, I sometimes had to even work overtime till 12 midnight and
I only had weekends to prepare. So, I thought of studying at weekends and manage my time
effectively. But, as we know, it is easier said than done. After a long tiring week at work, I
almost had no energy or motivation to study during weekends, thus, I focused on AIMCATs
(TIME test series) to practice and understand the questions. It was always important for
me to study with a fresh state of mind, that is why I took a leave during the last two weeks
from office to study and gave my all during that time.

Careers360: Did you join any coaching institute? Is coaching necessary for the
aspirants to bag the top rank?
Sahajdeep: Yes, I took test series from TIME. They are quite useful and handy to test
oneself in a live simulated test environment with your results being compared with all other
TIME students from across India. You get a fair idea of where you stand currently and how
much is the room for improvement. However, I believe that coaching classes are not really a
necessity to bag the top rank. I have always been inclined to self-study as it makes one think
about the possible answers and thereby, eliminating certain approaches based on one’s own
logic. Spoon feeding in coaching institutes ruins one’s capability to analyze questions and
approach an answer on his/her own.

Careers360: Please share your specific section wise strategy for VARC, DILR and QA.
Sahajdeep: I had a very objective approach for the VARC section. There were 3 RCs
with 6 questions and 2 RCs with 3 questions each. So, I used to first go for RCs with 6
questions and then switch to VA. Then, in the remaining time, I used to try the rest of the
RCs questions.

The DI & LR section requires a lot of practice. Being good in both DI & LR, I did not have
any specific strategy. I just skipped the questions which seemed to involve a lot of calcula-
tions to save my time.
For QA, I first attempted all the questions I was confident about. In the remaining time, I

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

tried my hand at other questions which were time-consuming but could be solved by hit
and trial.

Careers360: How did you tackle the challenging sections and topics?
Sahajdeep: Don’t be put off by challenging sections. Time is limited hence, utilize it
optimally. Solve the easiest questions first and then go about the difficult ones. The way you
approach a question is what matters the most.

Careers360: How significant a role did the mock tests play in your success? When
did you start taking them and what was the frequency?

Sahajdeep: Mock tests are the reason I aced CAT. They helped me stay in constant
practice. I started taking TIME’s AIMCATs around June and took the tests almost every
other week.

Careers360: Where and how did you get the mock tests analyzed? How did you
modify your strategy after that?
Sahajdeep: The analysis is usually provided in AIMCATs. I looked for solutions to
the questions which were wrong or where I spent more than average time. If there was a
particular section where I performed badly, I practiced similar questions on the Internet.

Careers360: What was your time management strategy for section wise prepara-
tion vis a vis the exam day?
Sahajdeep: For RC/VA, I restricted myself to solving 3 RCs with 6 questions each within
35 minutes or maximum 40 minutes and vested the remaining time in VA. For LR/DI, I
had fixed an upper limit of 10 minutes per question and for QA, I kept a cut off time of 3
minutes per question.

Careers360: How did you utilize the features like the calculator and non-MCQs in CAT?
Sahajdeep: Operating on screen calculator is very time consuming and should be used
only when too necessary, eg. For calculating exponential functions etc. For some Non-
MCQs, if the solution seems time-consuming, and the possible answers are limited, then
you can try and take an intelligent guess and move on to other questions to save time.

Read more-
https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-2016-topper-interview-
sahajdeep-singh-99-percentile

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

CAT 2016 TOPPER INTERVIEW:

COACHING NOT NECESSARY BUT CERTAINLY HELPFUL,
SAYS 99.84 PERCENTILER KONREDDY VARUN
Konreddy Varun, a first year student of MDI Gur- Read the full interview below.
gaon, attributes his CAT result to a persistent
preparation strategy and a ‘never give up’ attitude. Careers360: What was your overall and sectional score
A BITS Pilani graduate with a degree in BE Manu- in CAT 2016? Were there any other exams you had
facturing Engineering, Konreddy had already tried appeared for? If yes, please share the score for the same.
his hand at a couple of startups, following which Konreddy: I had only appeared for CAT. The following are
he decided to pursue MBA and appeared for CAT, my sectional scores and percentiles in CAT 2016:
securing 99.84 percentile in the process. He began
his preparation four months prior to taking CAT Verbal Ability and Reading 71.53 (98.33)
2016. The first two months were dedicated to solv- Comprehension (VARC)
ing three sectional tests of 30 minutes duration
Data Interpretation and 50.15 (99.32)
each every day, while the other two months were
Logical Reasoning (DI & LR)
dedicated to writing full length mock tests every
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) 62.26 (99.71)
week. The fact that Konreddy did not join any
coaching institute and still bagged a high percentile Overall 183.94 (99.84)
is a success story in itself.

8

Careers360: Please share more about your prepara-
tion journey. How did you strike a balance between your
professional life and preparing for an entrance exam?
Konreddy: I started my preparation four months before
the exam. For the first two months, I was solving three sec-
tional tests of 30 minutes duration each every day to brush
up my basics. In the last two months, I took two mock tests
every week. In the first two months, I used to allot two to
three hours a day for preparation. In the next two months, I
took two full length mock tests on the weekends and analysed
them over the week.
Careers360: Did you join any coaching institute? Do
you think coaching is necessary for aspirants to bag the
top rank?
Konreddy: I didn’t join any classroom coaching as such.
According to me, coaching is not necessary to bag a top rank
but it certainly is useful. Apart from getting your concepts
clear by the faculty members, you also tend to meet a lot of
individuals who are aiming for a top rank. Having this kind of
a peer group around keeps you motivated and fosters a spirit
of healthy competition. Also, the instructions of coaching
institutes help a lot through the GD-PI rounds.
Careers360: Please share your specific section wise
strategy for VARC, DI & LR and QA.
Konreddy: For the VARC section, I realised that the RC
part was my strength and Verbal Reasoning, particularly
para-jumbles was my weak area. During the exam I tried
to attempt the 24 questions of RC section first. After that I
moved on to the Verbal Reasoning part.
Between DI & LR, the latter is my strong area and I attempt-
ed it first. For DI, I normally used to do the calculation
intensive sets towards the end. However, in this CAT paper,
there were hardly any DI sets that were purely calculation
intensive. Every set had a lttle bit of both – the logic part
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HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT
and the interpretation part. That is what made this section
tricky. What I did was pick a set I thought was easy based on
a cursory read, and then attempt questions from it. Don’t try
to solve all questions from a particular set. Solve the ones
you can and move on to the next set. This strategy helped me
score well in this section.
QA was my strength and I didn’t have any strategy as such.
One thing I followed was to stick to the two minute rule. If
you can’t solve a question within two minutes, move on to the
next one. Practicing a lot of questions helps for Quant in the
sense that it becomes easy to decide which question is doable
and which one is not.
Careers360: How did you tackle the sections and top-
ics which were challenging for you?
Konreddy: I was comfortable with QA and just practiced
it from the mocks. I initially faced some problems with VA.
My accuracy with RCs used to dwindle a lot. However, with
practice, it got stabilised. Para-jumbles remained a weak area
till the end and I attempted it last in the exam.
In the DILR section, the toughest part is picking the right set
based on a scan of the data given. One wrong choice of set can
have an adverse impact on your performance. Even within
the sets, if you are not able to solve all the questions, its OK.
Move on to the next set.
Careers360: Please mention the section-wise books
and study materials you referred.
Konreddy: Materials provided by the coaching institutes
usually prove to be sufficient for understanding all the req-
uisite concepts. After that, solving sectional tests help. Since
these are time-bound, they go a long way in improving your
speed. Also, with the sectional tests, you can experiment with
different strategies, something that people are apprehensive
of doing in a full-fledged mock.

Careers360: What is the significance of mock tests in
your success? When did you start taking mock tests and
what was the frequency?
Konreddy: Mocks help you in identifying your weak and
strong areas, which in turn help in devising a strategy that
suits you. Apart from exposing you to a wide array of ques-
tions, mocks also help you in improving your strategy and
test-taking mentality.
I started taking mocks two months before CAT. I used to
take two mocks a week and analyse them thoroughly. If there
was a certain area of weakness, I used to work on it before
attempting the next mock. I personally feel that giving 20
mocks should suffice.
Careers360: How did you get the mock tests analysed
and how did you modify your strategy after that?
Konreddy: I used to go through the solution of each and
every question irrespective of whether I answered them cor-
rectly or not. It exposes you to different ways of approaching
the same question. I used to keep a tab on my accuracy on
each topic so that I could invest some time on my weak areas
and increase the accuracy going forward.
Careers360: What was your time management strat-
egy for section-wise preparation vis-à-vis exam day?
Konreddy: As far as VA is concerned, I used to allot the
first 40 minutes for the RCs and the rest for Verbal Reason-
ing. The strategy during the preparation was to increase the
accuracy where I lagged and maintain the accuracy where I
was strong.
Read more-
https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-2016-topper-interview-
konreddy-varun-kumar-reddy-99-percentile
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HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT
In the case of DILR, I used to identify the easier LR sets first
and solve them. After the easier LR sets were done, I looked
for the easier DI sets and then went for the tougher ones.
In the case of QA, I made sure that I do not lose marks on
the easy questions and don’t waste time on the difficult
questions.
Careers360: How did you utilise features like calcula-
tor and non-MCQs in CAT?
Konreddy: Calculator use varies from person to person. I
personally feel using the onscreen calculator consumes a lot
of time. In CAT 2016, there was no set that required a lot of
calculation. As for the non-MCQs, since there is no negative
marking, even if you can’t attempt do try to solve them.
Careers360: Any other tips or suggestions that you
would like to share with aspirants?
Konreddy: CAT is not as difficult as it is made out to be.
Prepare a time-table that suits your work timings/academic
rigor and religiously follow it. Be motivated and consistent
throughout the preparation. Do not let your mock scores
have an influence over your preparation. Mocks are only
to practice a variety of problems and to devise a strategy
for the final exam. Remember the fact that the paper is the
same for everyone and do not panic in the exam. Have mock
interviews before the actual ones and improve yourself based
on the feedback.

CAT 2016 TOPPER INTERVIEW:
ANALYSE MOCK TESTS TO KNOW LOOPHOLES IN PREP-
ARATION, SAYS 99.93 PERCENTILER NAMAN SINGHAL
A former Infosys employee and now an MBA stu-
dent at the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS),
University of Delhi, Naman Singhal hails from a
business background. The decision to pursue a
full-time MBA programme did not come as a sur-
prise since Naman was already involved with his
family business and gathered nearly a year’s work
experience. Naman, who is not only a CAT top-
per but has also topped other major management
based entrance exams like XAT, IIFT and NMAT,
reveals how all this success didn’t come without
a price.
Naman did not master CAT in one go but three. He
kickstarted his CAT preparations in full swing with
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HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT
self-study and mock tests every two to three days.
According to Naman, Data Interpretation & Logical
Reasoning (DI & LR) were the toughest sections
while the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
were the easiest.
Read the full interview below:
Careers360: What was your overall and sectional
score in CAT 2016? Were there any others exam you had
appeared for? If so, please share the score for the same.
Naman: My overall CAT 2016 score was 99.93 percentile.
Following are my sectional percentile details:
●● Verbal Ability (VA): 99.84 percentile
●● Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR):
99.49 percentile

●● Quantitative Aptitude (QA): 99.51 percentile
Apart from CAT, I also took XAT, IIFT and NMAT. I scored
99.722 percentile in XAT, 98.4 percentile in IIFT and 226
(99 percentile) in NMAT.
Careers360: Which was the most challenging and
easiest section in the test?
Naman: The overall difficulty level of CAT 2016 was a
notch higher than the previous year. I found DILR to be the
toughest of the lot. Despite it being my strongest section, I
could attempt only 18 out of 32 questions.
The easiest section for me was Verbal Ability & Reading
Comprehension. While it has been my nemesis for a long
time, I could attempt most of the questions.
Careers360: Please share your preparation journey.
How did you strike a balance between your professional
and preparation for an entrance exam?
Naman: This was my third attempt at CAT so I had expe-
rience of the exam and was well aware of my strengths and
weaknesses. I enrolled for IMS and TIME test series. My
strategy was to take as many mock tests as possible before
the main exam. By the time I took CAT 2016, I had given
around 45 mocks.
I could juggle well between my professional life and CAT
preparation and did most of my preparation during the
weekends.
Careers360: Were you a part of any coaching insti-
tute? Do you think coaching is necessary for aspirants
to bag the top rank?
Naman: I did not join any coaching classes for my prepa-
ration. Self-study and mock tests were my go-to strategy.
Coaching is definitely not the one-stop solution to score
well in an exam like CAT. It all depends on a candidate’s
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HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT
discipline, hard work and proficiency in the subjects.
Careers360: Please share your specific section-wise
strategy for VARC, DI & LR and QA.
Naman:
VARC
This was the section which let me down in my previous two
attempts. I had a meager 80.05 percentile in VA in CAT 2015.
I got a lot of inputs to read as much as I can to improve my
verbal ability score. This strategy was not working out for
me and I focused on practicing RCs. I solved RCs and para
jumbles from TIME module and Arun Sharma’s ‘Verbal
Ability and Reading Comprehension’ and could see signifi-
cant improvement in my scores.
DILR & QA
For QA, I referred to websites offering CAT preparation. I
regularly took sectional tests for the topics I wasn’t really
comfortable with and it helped me increase my speed. I
practiced DILR mainly through mock tests and sectionals.
Choosing the right set is crucial to scoring well in this section.
Careers360: Please mention section-wise books and
study materials you had referred.
Naman: VA: Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability
by Arun Sharma, TIME module
DILR: TIME sectional tests
QA: TIME module and online sources
Careers360: What is the significance of mock tests in
your success? When did you start taking mock test and
what was the frequency?
Naman: Mock tests are of utmost importance when it
comes to CAT preparation. My whole preparation revolved
around the mock tests I gave. I started taking mock tests in
July and at that time my frequency was 1 mock per week. In
September, I set a target of 50 mocks before CAT. I took a
mock every two to three days and solved a total of around 45
 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

mocks before I appeared for CAT.
Careers360: What did you focus on when getting your
mock tests analysed and how did you modify your strat-
egy after that?
Naman: I analysed my mock performances to know the
loopholes in my preparation. I realised that I am not attempt-
ing enough questions and need to increase my speed. Also, I
needed to ensure that my accuracy doesn’t get compromised.
I laid emphasis on understanding the concepts for the ques-
tions I couldn’t solve. Though I looked for an alternative
solution for the questions I could solve, I didn’t tweak my
question-solving methodology much and stuck with the
approach I was comfortable with.
these have a high probability of going wrong. I rather utilised
the time on solving MCQs.
Careers360: Any suggestion that you would like to
share with aspirants?
Naman: Following are my tips for the future CAT aspir-
ants:
●● Take as many mock tests as possible. CAT 2016 top-
per Avidipto Chakraborty took 86 mock tests!
●● Don’t get bogged down by low scores. I secured as
low as 65 percentile in a couple of mock tests.
●● Work on your weaknesses and capitalise on your
strengths.
●● Choose questions wisely. Don’t miss out on sitters.
●● Take the exam with a planned strategy

Careers360: How did you utilise the features like cal-

culator and non-MCQs in CAT?
Naman: The online calculator was handy for solving the
calculation-intensive DI & LR section but in my opinion, it
consumes a lot of time. I refrained from using the calcula-
tor for petty calculations and relied on approximations and
mental calculations to arrive at the answer.
My strategy was not to spend much time on non-MCQs as

Read more-
https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-2016-topper-interview-
naman-singhal-99-percentile

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

CAT 2016 TOPPER INTERVIEW:

COACHING GIVES PREPARATION A SYSTEMATIC
APPROACH, SAYS 98.84 PERCENTILER
ANKIT KHANDELWAL
Ankit Khandelwal quit his job to pursue his dream Read the full interview below:
of cracking CAT. When he started his preparation
for the exam, he scored quite low. But his engi- Careers360: What was your overall and sectional
neering skills and systematic approach towards score in CAT 2016? What other exams did you appear
preparing for one of the most competitive exams for, please share the score for the same.
made him a topper in the end. With 98.84 Percen- Ankit: Here are my scores:
tile, Ankit topped CAT 2016 to get admission in
MDI, Gurgaon – one of the top B-schools in India. CAT 2016 Overall 98.84 Percentile
He also scored high in other management entrance Verbal and Reading 95.20 Percentile
examinations including SNAP and IIFT. Ankit says Comprehension
that coaching and guidance from experienced
Data Interpretation & Logical 86.31 Percentile
faculties helped him immensely throughout the
Reasoning
preparation.
Quantitative Ability 98.84
SNAP 2016 98.5 Percentile
IIFT 2016 97.9 Percentile

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 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

Careers360: What was the most challenging and easiest section in the test?
Ankit: The most challenging section for me was DI, as the sets were bit tricky and time-
consuming and selecting the sets was the key point. Being an engineer, I found QA to be
on the easier side and managed to score well by selecting questions and prioritising them.
CAT has recently reduced the toughness level for QA section to balance the level for non-
engineering students. So, it’s easy to score good marks in this section.

Careers360: Please share your preparation journey.

Ankit: I started preparing for CAT around August after quitting my job. So, my only focus
at that time was CAT. The first thing I did when I started preparing was taking mock tests.
I scored just 52 per cent with score as low as 67. This was an eye opener for me. I knew I
had to make a strategy for the next six months to get admission in one of the top B-schools.
I focused on my strength which was QA and tried to solve as many questions. I also used
to give 30-minute mock test for every topic so that I won’t make silly mistakes and can
complete the test on time with decent accuracy. I normally studied five to six hours daily
and dividing these hours into smaller task, focusing on all sections equally. I used to score
around 80 per cent in the starting with VA percentile on the lower side, but analysing the
mock test and learning new fundas to solve problems improved my score and in the D-day,
I aced it.

Careers360: Were you a part of any coaching institute? Do you think coaching is
necessary for aspirants to bag the top rank?
Ankit: Yes, I joined Alchemist coaching in Delhi. There, I was guided by one of the best
faculties who helped me in realising my weaknesses and strengths especially in Verbal Abil-
ity. It helped me improve my mock test scores. So, I believe coaching in today’s scenario is
important because you can have a systematic approach towards your preparation.

Careers360: Please share your specific section wise strategy for VARC, DI & LR
and QA.
Ankit: My first score in VA mock test was around 40 Percent. I consulted this with my
faculty and he guided me to spend at least one hour on one paragraph. Earlier, I used to read
a paragraph in three to four minutes and in the end wasn’t able to understand the nuances of
it. My purpose was not to understand the meaning of every word or sentences but to under-
stand what the author actually wanted to convey through the passage. This strategy helped
me to solve questions with accuracy, slowly and steadily, I increased my reading speed and
was able to solve the questions easily on time.

For DI/LR, I solved as many sets as possible available on the internet. This cleared my

15
 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

basics and gave me an idea about the question being asked in the exam. Time was never the
constraint in the starting of preparation. Accuracy was my aim while solving the sets. Test
series of IMS really helped in sailing this section.

There is no shortcut for QA. You have to first improve your basics by not just learning the
concepts but also solving hundreds of questions and I did exactly the same. After learning
the basics of any topic, I solved around 50 questions and developed a holistic understand-
ing of those topics. For QA, there is a misconception that non-MCQs are tough to solve, but
these are questions which are extremely easy and one should always attempt.

Careers360: How did you tackle the challenging sections and topics?
Ankit: I tried doing the challenging section again and again until I was able to solve the
questions in the mock tests. I did practice from IMS 500 book, online questions, and other
material. I didn’t leave any topic because you never know which question can change your
entire score.

Careers360: Mention section wise books and study materials you had referred.
Ankit: Although, I mostly used my coaching materials and IMS questions available on its
portal. But, you can refer the books mentioned here to brush up your concepts.
Word power made easy by Normal Lewis
Quantitative aptitude by Arun Sharma

Careers360: What is the significance of mock test in your success? When did you
start taking mock test and what was the frequency?
Ankit: Taking mock tests are like facing the reality. It’s must to give mock tests for a CAT
aspirant. I have learned how to improve my scores by eliminating silly mistakes and select-
ing questions to optimise my performance by saving time. Managing to do only half of the
questions accurately will fetch you 99 percent. So, for increasing accuracy and managing
time, mock should be attempted once a week and after doing it, one should thoroughly
analyse the whole mock test and write down the mistakes made. Also, note new types of
question which you find in the mock test. The main significance of taking mock is to make
new mistakes and never to repeat the previous ones. This really helped me in CAT.

Careers360: How did you get the mock tests analysed and how did you modify your
strategy after that?
Ankit: Mock analysis is the key to success. I always used to give around six to eight hours
for a three-hour test. Mock analysis should not be done only for the questions which were
not attempted or were wrong, but also for the ones which were right, because it’s also very
important to learn how to do that question with a better approach which can save time and

16
 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

that saved time can be utilised for the tough or tricky questions.

Careers360: What was your time management strategy for section wise prepara-
tion vis-a-vis exam day?
Ankit: My main focus while solving the VA section was on Reading Comprehension
because I knew that it is the most important part of this section. I chose the comprehension
based on my familiarity with the topic and solved it one by one. On an average, I attempted
around 20 questions with accuracy being varied in every mock. But in the end, by practising
more and more, I managed to get around 90 per cent accuracy in the final exam.

DI/LR - Get hold of all type of sets and questions so that no set surprises you in the exam.
With this strategy, I used to solve many questions and gave numerous mock tests which
helped me in the CAT.

QA was my forte but trying to find a new approach for certain types of questions helped me
saving time and increase efficiency which led to increase in the overall score.

Careers360: How did you utilise the features like calculator and non-MCQs in
CAT?
Ankit: Calculator is not much required in QA sections, but it might come handy in LRDI
section. I mostly did mental calculation because I feel the CAT calculator to be not that
user-friendly. So, I didn’t waste my time by using it in more than two to three questions.

MCQ in VA - I normally avoid because its very time consuming and also have very less
accuracy but in QA and LRDI, I attempted them because the level of non-MCQs in these
sections are quite easy.

Careers360: Any suggestion that you would like to share with aspirants?
Ankit: If you haven’t started preparing for CAT yet, you can still do it by following the
above guidelines. You can easily get the desired percentile if you study and practice every
day. You will face many problems in the beginning but if you break those problems into
smaller parts and start working on them, then no dream is too big. Last but not the least,
good luck to CAT 2017 aspirants.

Read more-
https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-2016-topper-interview-
ankit-khandelwal-98-percentile

17
 HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT

CAT 2016 TOPPER INTERVIEW:

CAT IS ALL ABOUT SELF-STUDY AND APTITUDE, SAYS
99.76 PERCENTILER VATSALYA KUMAR SRIVASTAVA

A Chemical Engineer and M.Tech (Physics) by Read the full interview below:
qualification, Vatsalya Kumar is on his way to
experience an untrodden path that began with Careers360: What was your overall and sectional
topping the most popular exam- CAT. A current score in CAT 2016? Any other exam you had appeared
PGPM student at MDI, Vatsalya recalls his prepa- for, please share the score for the same.
ration strategy and how he came about to excel Vatsalya: Below you can check my overall and sectional
the management exam in mere few months time. score:
According to Vatsalya, his strengths lay in DILR
section and weakness in the VARC section. The CAT 2016: Overall 99.76 || VARC 98.68
99.76 percentiler commenced his preparation in || DILR 99.38 || QA 99.05
August and made sure to take about 2 mock tests Other Exams: XAT 93.52 || IIFT 98.6 ||
on an average per day. He also took help of study NMAT 214 || SNAP 99.93 ||
materials provided by various coaching institutes CMAT 99.87 || TISS 85/100
that helped him gain speed and understand the
exam pattern.

18

Careers360: Please share your preparation journey.
How did you strike a balance between your academic
life/professional and preparation for an entrance exam?
Vatsalya: I started off my preparation in August. Since this
was my first attempt, I was not very confident of cracking
CAT this way, though I joined quite a few test series for the
preparation. My focus was on self-study rather than joining
coaching classes. By September end, I was not serious about
my preparation, but after that, I realised that I needed to start
taking mocks. I attempted on an average two mocks per day
in the last month, varying for different exams. I realised it is
more important to get hang of the pattern rather than waiting
for the D-Day.
Careers360: Were you a part of any coaching insti-
tute? Do you think coaching is necessary for aspirants
to bag the top rank?
Vatsalya: I took study material from T.I.M.E. I had also
joined test series of T.I.M.E., Career Launcher and Bulls Eye.
Apart from that, I took mocks on Cracku, Oliveboard and
IMS depending on which exam I am preparing for.
Personally, I feel CAT is all about self-study and aptitude. No
coaching institute can instill aptitude in your brain through
the study material and the mocks from these institutes were
of great quality and helped prepare for the worst. It is impor-
tant not to be over-confident. Also if you are not nervous, you
are not well prepared, so nervousness is normal.
Careers360: Please share your specific section wise
strategy for VARC, DI & LR and QA.
Vatsalya: VARC usually was the trickiest for me, especially
RC probably because I followed a flawed strategy for solving
RC questions and went for accuracy rather than quantity.
(A tip for the aspirants: Choose between accuracy/quality
and quantity beforehand and follow this throughout your
preparation)
19
HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT
DILR was always my favourite section and I usually started
with DI first and then LR. My theory behind this was that
doing mental calculations is easier since normally in an exam
situation, aspirants have a brain-freeze moment if they go for
LR first. LR can sometimes be solved by intuition if the time
is less. It is important to keep an eye on the details given in a
DILR question.
QA was a hot-n-cold section for me always. QA is difficult to
master since the range of questions is so varied that you can’t
keep track of time sometimes. I made it a point to attempt
all non-TITA questions first since some QA questions can
be solved backwards using options. QA strategy differs from
person-to-person but it is important to concentrate on accu-
racy in QA rather than quantity.
Careers360: How did you tackle the challenging sec-
tions and topics?
Vatsalya: For RC, I did a lot of practice from online sourc-
es, I changed my strategy to first browsing at questions, then
reading the comprehension and then answering the ques-
tions. Change in strategy did somehow help me ultimately.
In QA, Number system and P&C were two topics I usually
used to avoid. It is important you work on your strong points
in QA and if you are not comfortable with a topic it’s better to
leave it unless CAT throws up a sitter from one of these top-
ics. Mental maths is helpful here but unlike DILR intuition
rarely works in QA.
Careers360: What is the significance of mock test in
your success? When did you start taking mock test and
what was the frequency?
Vatsalya: Taking and analysing mocks comprised almost
80 percent of my preparation. It may not be possible that you
remember all the formulae during an exam so it’s important
to have enough practice. I attended all the Pan- India Open

mocks conducted by top coaching institutes. I started giving
mocks in August and increased the frequency to around 8-10
mocks (not only CAT) per week from October.
Also whenever solving questions at the back of the chapter,
try answering them in a quiz format rather than looking for
answers every time you solve one.
Careers360: How did you get the mock tests analysed
and how did you modify your strategy after that?
Vatsalya: In the first few mocks, I gave up on analysing the
mocks and thus suffered. But later on, I analysed each and
every mock for at least 60 minutes. This helped me under-
stand the pattern of my mistakes and my weak points. Also,
it helped me crack RC in CAT.
Careers360: How did you utilise the features like cal-
culator and non-MCQs in CAT?
Vatsalya: Make it a point to attempt all non-MCQs in CAT.
It increases your attempts in the actual exam, and since they
are non-negative, you are not in two minds while solving.
And finally good luck to
CAT 2017 Aspirants!
Read more-
https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-2016-topper-interview-
vatsalya-kumar-srivastava-99-percentile
20
HOW 99 PERCENTILERS PREPARED FOR CAT
Use of on-screen calculators must be practiced in advance.
There might be a case in actual exam where you get a poor
system or a faulty keyboard to work on. So even while giving
mocks, do use the on-screen calculator rather than in-hand
ones.
Careers360: Any suggestion that you would like to
share with aspirants?
Vatsalya: If you are first-timer at CAT, do take all the
exams. You don’t have previous baggage and thus it is impor-
tant to attempt all kind of exams so you have a wide range
of choice.
If you are a repeater, it is important to understand that the
problem is not in your preparation, it’s in the exam strategy.
In the end, I would say that keeping aside all your prepara-
tion and self-study, you do need a bit of luck on the D-day.
Finally, I would like to wish good luck to every CAT 2017
aspirants.