CAT 2017 exam preparation tips by IIML student & CAT topper Rachit ‘Don’t worry about wrong answers’

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
November 4, 2017
IIM Lucknow student of PGP 2017-19 batch Rachit Gupta was a working professional before he cracked CAT and joined IIML. He is an inspiration for CAT 2017 aspirants as despite having very little time to study he opted for self-preparation. With his dedicated study schedule, he scored 99.83 percentile in CAT 2016 and got his dream IIM, the IIM Lucknow.
IIM Lucknow CAT topper Rachit
“The key is not to be bogged down by lot of incorrect answers in the initial phase” CAT topper and IIM Lucknow student Rachit Gupta

IIM Lucknow student of PGP 2017-19 batch Rachit Gupta was a working professional before he cracked CAT and joined IIML. He is an inspiration for CAT 2017 aspirants as despite having very little time to study he opted for self-preparation. With his dedicated study schedule, he scored 99.83 percentile in CAT 2016 and got his dream IIM, the IIM Lucknow. 

With hardly a month left for CAT 2017 exam date which is on November 26, 2017, Rachit advises the CAT 2017 aspirants not to worry if they are getting wrong answers initially. However to overcome the weakness in VARC, it is very important to improve their reading speed.

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IIM Lucknow is one of top 4 IIMs in the country and is one of the dream MBA destinations for the CAT 2017 aspirants due to the learning experience, career opportunities offered at this top B-school.

Rachit Gupta, one of the CAT toppers in 2016 scored 99.83 percentile in CAT and did not appear in any other MBA entrance exam. Rachit preferred to join IIM Lucknow as this was the best option that he had.

Rachit comes from a modest family of Delhi. Rachit scored 90.4% marks in class 10; 88.3% marks in class 12. He completed his B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Roorkee in 2014 and gained 3 years work experience in 3 different companies. His last company before he joined IIM Lucknow was in Banking sector.

For the benefit of CAT 2017 aspirants, MBAUniverse.com has brought a round of CAT toppers’ success stories alongwith their success mantra that led them to crack CAT with high percentile. In the series we present the success story and CAT 2017 preparation tips shared by Rachit Gupta, student of PGP 2017-19 batch at IIM Lucknow and a CAT topper.

MBAUniverse.com: What was your preparation strategy for CAT 2016?
Rachit (CAT topper): My overall preparation strategy was to practice as much as possible. Though I didn’t join the coaching centre because of the non-availability of the good coaching centres near my work place, I believe taking an offline coaching is a great idea and it definitely maximizes the chances of getting a good score. But I took course material from TIME and my strategy was to emphasize more on my weakness which was the Verbal section.

So, I practiced a lot of questions (RCs) from the course books. Another important source of practice was mock tests which not only prepare you for the D-Day but also instils confidence once you start getting decent scores. It also helps you monitor your performance on the regular basis. So my strategy was to practice as much as possible and give mocks seriously.

MBAUniverse.com: How did you prepare for each section in CAT exam – VARC, DILR & QA? What study materials and books did you use?
Rachit (CAT topper): I used TIME material. While for RCs, I tried attempting all the different types of questions, for quant, I focussed more on geometry as I considered it to be my weakness. For LR/DI, I again practiced questions of each type and emphasized more on wherever I was “not so confident”.

MBAUniverse.com: Was there any particular CAT exam section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
Rachit (CAT topper): I was very weak at the verbal section. The key reason was the slow reading speed. So I practiced a lot of RCs from the material (I purchased TIME material). Eventually, my reading speed improved and I also started getting more correct answers. The key is not to be bogged down by lot of incorrect answers in the initial phase.

MBAUniverse.com: How can candidates use Mock tests better in CAT 2017 exam? What is your advice?
Rachit (CAT topper): Mock tests are very important in my opinion. Candidate should try and appear for at least 4 to 6 mock tests in the last month as it really helps boost the confidence. For each mock test, the candidates should try and simulate the exam day as if it is their final CAT exam.

MBAUniverse.com: Did you go to offline coaching centre? What role does a coaching centre play?
Rachit (CAT topper): I didn’t go for the offline coaching. But I believe more than brushing up the concepts, coaching centre helps ensure students are practising questions regularly which in my opinion is the key to success.

MBAUniverse.com: Other than CAT, which exam did you appear?
Rachit (CAT topper): No, I didn’t appear for any other exam.

MBAUniverse.com:  Which institutes did you apply for admission?  
Rachit (CAT topper):  I applied for IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta & Lucknow.

MBAUniverse.com:  Please share your strategy for the CAT Day. What was your last-minute preparation? How did you plan your CAT test taking?
Rachit (CAT topper): In my opinion, one needs to be completely relaxed on CAT day. If the exam location is far away (let’s say more than 30 km), I would prefer going there a day in advance and stay in a hotel. Physical exertion can definitely impact your exam big time. Apart from that, one needs to relax before the exam. There is not really anything specific one can prepare for at the last minute in case of CAT.

Also, lot of times, when one section goes wrong, people have this tendency to get worried and screw up the entire exam. I think candidates who have appeared for mock tests are at advantage here because they’d have already faced a similar situation earlier.

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

WAT topic:

  1. Should foreign universities be allowed to open their campus in India.
  2. Something regarding religious sentiments and basic rights (refer Jallikattu)

Several PI questions asked catered to:

  1. Educational background (Its must to know about what you studied in your undergrad)
  2. Current Affairs (particularly those catering to your state, your field and hot national issues)
  3. Work-ex
  4. HR Questions (Long-term/ short-term goals, why MBA, why switches in jobs (if any)

MBAUniverse.com:  Which B-school you decided upon and why? 
Rachit (CAT topper):  I finally took up IIM Lucknow as it was the best admit I had.

Read also:

MBA/PGDM Admissions 2018 Open - Important Dates
For your benefit, MBAUniverse.com has listed important MBA/PGDM Admission Application Deadlines. Check now: 

XLRI – XAT 2018
Application to XAT is open till November 30 without late fee and till December 15 with late fee

MDI Gurgaon
Application for PGPM 2018-20 at MDI Gurgaon is open till November 24, 2017

IMI New Delhi
Application for PGDM 2018-20 at IMI New Delhi is open till December 4, 2017

IMT Ghaziabad
Application for PGDM 2018-20 at IMT Ghaziabad is open till November 24, 2017

XIM Bhubaneshwar
Application for MBA 2018-20 at XIM Bhubaneswar is open till December 8, 2017

SCMHRD, Pune – SNAP 2017
SNAP 2017 registration is open till November 24, 2017

Great Lakes Chennai and Gurgaon
The application for 2 years PGDM 2018-20 is open till Feb 25, 2018

KJ SIMSR Mumbai
Application for PGDM 2018-20 at K J Somaiya is open till January 31, 2018

GIM Goa
Application for PGDM 2018-20 at GIM Goa is open till January 3, 2018

LIBA Chennai
Online Application for PGDM 2018-20 at LIBA is open till January 31, 2018 at a cost of Rs.1500/-

IBSAT 2017
Application to IBSAT 2017 is open till December 12, 2017

CIMP Patna
Application for PGDM 2018-20 at CIMP is open till March 2nd week, 2018

SDMIMD Mysore
Online & offline Application for PGDM 2018-20 at SDMIMD is open till February 28, 2018 with application fee of Rs.1250/-

SOIL Gurgaon
Application for PGP 2018-19 at SOIL is open till February 25, 2018

SIBM Hyderabad – SNAP 2017
To apply to SIBM Hyderabad, apply to SNAP 2017 on Dec 17 and also apply to SIBM-H in the SNAP Form

SIBM Bengaluru
To apply to SIBM Bengaluru, apply to SNAP 2017 on Dec 17 and also apply to SIBM-B in the SNAP Form

 

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CAT Previous Year Question Papers, Answer With Solution:
CAT 2008    |    CAT 2007    |    CAT 2006    |    CAT 2005   |    CAT 2004

Section 1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

CAT 2017: Quiz 1

CAT 2017: Quiz 2

Section 2: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

CAT 2017: Quiz 1

CAT 2017: Quiz 2

Section 3: Quantitative Ability

CAT 2017: Quiz 1

CAT 2017: Quiz 2