XAT 2017: Success Mantra by topper Disha Gupta "Attempt the easy questions first"

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
January 2, 2016
XAT 2017 aspirants still have 10 days to groom fine their preparation with the last minute tips shared by XAT topper Disha Gupta who scored 97.26 percentile
My strategy was to attempt first the questions which are easy so that the situation to panic doesnt come Disha Gupta, XAT topper

XAT 2017 test takers still have 10 days to get guidance and last minute tips from the last year toppers. One of the XAT toppers with 97.26 percentile Disha Gupta not only cracked XAT 2016 with high percentile, but also scored high percentile of 98.83 in CAT 2015 and 210 in NMAT. Despite being offered admission by other top rated B-schools accepting NMAT and XAT exam scores, Disha opted for IIM Ranchi as she considers it the B-school the best among new IIMs.

Disha Gupta believes that you should attempt the easy questions first to build confidence during the exam. Disha advises to go for more practice to succeed in XAT 2017 than getting glued to reading theory only, since high score in all the 3 sections is equally important.

For the benefit of XAT 2017 aspirants, MBAUniverse.com has brought a round of XAT toppers’ success stories alongwith their success mantra that led them to crack XAT with high percentile. In the series we present the success story and XAT 2017 preparation tips shared by Disha Gupta, XAT topper.

Disha Gupta hails from the small town Obra, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh. She has good academic record to her credit with 84.43% marks in class 10; 80.40% in class 12 and 73.32% in her graduation in Mechanical Engineering.

Disha has a keen interest in calligraphy, reading novels, watching cricket and playing badminton. Her source of inspiration that led to her success is her father and Chanda Kochhar , MD & CEO, ICICI Bank.

Apart from XAT 2016, Disha appeared in CAT 2015, IIFT 2015 and NMAT by GMAC and attended the PI round for top B-schools including IIMs and IIFT.

MBAUniverse.com:What was your preparation strategy for XAT 2016?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): I devoted sufficient time to prepare for all the sections of  XAT and did not just focus on one, and to achieve this goal I solved lots of questions daily because to crack XAT you need to practise more and not just read the theory.

MBAUniverse.com: How did you prepare for each section QADI, VALA & DM? What study materials and books did you use?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): I was good at QA section, and didn't have to work that hard for it but VA was always my focus because to excel in English one needs a lot of practice and reading. As English was my weak point, I worked harder to improve it reading a lot, and finally was able to bring it at par with my QA scores. For practicing DM, DI and LR questions I solved many sets and puzzles
 
MBAUniverse.com: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): Yes, I was weak in VA section as compared to QA, DI, DM and LR. I improved my VA scores by reading. I used to read a lot, as was suggested by my teachers.

MBAUniverse.com: How can candidates use Mock tests better? What is your advice?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): Mock tests are the way to crack XAT. Before sitting for actual XAT exam, I feel one should have attempted at least 15-20 full length Mock tests. By taking full length tests, one gets to know one’s strengths and weaknesses. And by analysing the attempted mocks, the student gets better idea as to which question he/she should attempt first, so that the score could be maximized by maximizing the attempts.
 
MBAUniverse.com: Did you go to offline coaching centre? What role does a coaching centre play?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper):  Yes, I went to IMS, Lucknow. A coaching centre plays an important part as there are experienced people who could help us in analysing our mock tests, and tell us better approach to solve a question. Also coaching centres play a great role after our B-school calls, as we have a group of students who can meet and prepare for group discussions and PIs.
 
MBAUniverse.com: Other than XAT, which exam did you appear?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper):  I appeared for CAT, NMAT and IIFT

MBAUniverse.com:  Which institutes did you apply for admission?  

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): I applied for all the top B-schools including IIMs and IIFT Delhi

MBAUniverse.com:  Please share your strategy for the XAT Day. What was your last-minute preparation? How did you plan your XAT test taking?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): My strategy was not to panic. I was determined that even if I was not able to do a single question in first 10 minutes, I should not panic and try to maximize my attempts in next 50 minutes. But just by saying that I should not panic, it would not happen, for you not to panic and remain calm at that point of time, you should have a previous experience. That means, attempt as many mocks as you can, and in some of them you will definitely come across such situations and that will be the times when you will learn how not to panic even in that situation.

Also, my strategy was to attempt first the questions which are easy so that the situation to panic doesn't come.

MBAUniverse.com: Please share your GD/WAT topics & PI questions at different institutes and the ones who offered you admission?

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): I attended PI rounds for IIFT, IIMs and NMIMS and the recalled topics and questions are also shared below-

GD Topics:

  • Smart cities in India: Reality or Dream
  • A case based GD on inclusion of Tribals in our system.

WAT topics

  • Is Drop in prices of oil, good for world economy?
  • Socialism or Capitalism

PI Questions:

  • Tell us something about yourself.
  • Questions about Badminton and Cricket.
  • Why the B-school (IIFT).
  • Questions about mechanical engineering as I am a mechanical engineer.
  • Which IIM would I chose if I get selected?
  • What do I like to do in spare time?
  • What all activities have I done in my college?
  • In which field would I like to specialize?
  • What is my dream company?
  • What is my short term and long term goal?
  • Questions about my hobbies

MBAUniverse.com:  Which B-school you decided upon and why? 

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): I decided upon the IIM Ranchi instead of other top B-schools who offered me admission. I found IIM Ranchi as the best performing college among the new IIMs.

MBAUniverse.com:  Any message you would like to share with the candidates preparing for XAT 2017.

Disha Gupta (XAT topper): Work honestly, and you will definitely succeed

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Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more success mantra stories and XAT 2017 preparation tips from toppers