MBAUniverse.com is continuously publishing success stories of CAT Toppers to guide CAT 2014 aspirants in their preparation for CAT 2014 exam. In this fifth article of CAT Topper 2013 series we present the success story of Aayush Agarwal, a Chartered Accountant engaged in a full time job.
Aayush scored 95.1%ile in CAT, 94.6%ile in XAT, 99.3%ile in SNAP, 51.5 marks in IIFT, and 206 marks in NMAT. Inspite of being a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary and engaged in full time job, he made it a point to take out at least 2 hours on a daily basis for his CAT preparation.
The institutes that have offered him admission are IIFT, IIM Shillong, XIM B and Symbiosis, while he is waitlisted in SPJIMR and MDI.
MBAUniverse.com will introduce a CAT Topper 2013 every week on MBAUniverse.com Forum where CAT 2014 aspirants can directly ask questions with CAT Toppers 2013.
To chat directly with CAT Topper Aayush Agarwal for tips on CAT 2014 preparation, Click here
Q.1. What was your prep strategy?
I am a Chartered Accountant engaged in a full time job. Despite my rigorous schedule, I made it a point to take out at least 2 hours on a daily basis for my CAT preparation. CAT is a test where performance is relative. I being from a commerce background, realized that I am at a slight disadvantage in quants. I made up for it by sharpening my skills in DI and LR. Practice is the key in those two areas. In VA and RC, vocabulary plays a big part. To improve my vocabulary I referred to ‘Word power made easy’ by Norman Lewis which was of immense help.
Q.2. What was the strategy in testing room to attempt the question from different sections: Quantitative Ability & DI, Verbal Ability & LR?
On testing day, I made it a point to be as accurate as possible leaving out random guesses.
In Section 1, I did not waste much time on any particular question and moved on to next question whenever I would get stuck. I attempted all the questions of DI since it was my strong area. In QA, if you are not sure of solving a question by conventional methods, try unconventional ones like working with the options.
In Section 2, I attempted 2 RCs out of 3. I attempted all the questions from LR, since I enjoy solving them and again an area of strength for me. In VA questions, I did not select an option, unless I am very sure. Read More.
Q.3. Which exams did you appear? How did you prepare for them? What score did you get?
I appeared for CAT, XAT, SNAP, IIFT and NMAT. I scored 95.1%ile in CAT, 94.6%ile in XAT, 99.3%ile in SNAP, 51.5 marks in IIFT, and 206 marks in NMAT
General Awareness section plays a crucial role in exams like IIFT, SNAP and XAT. Hence, a stellar performance in GA is the key. Ideally, one should inculcate a habit of reading newspapers (if possible, read the business ones like ET, Mint, etc). Reading newspaper and referring to static GK handbook helped me in GA section.
Also, these exams throw up certain questions which are different in pattern from CAT like input output and inference questions. Practice these relevant questions beforehand so that you are not in for a surprise in the exam hall. Read More.
Q.4. How many GDPI did you take part in?
I took part in WAT GD PI process of IIFT, SPJIMR, MDI, IIM Shillong, XIM B and Symbiosis colleges.
Q.5. The institutes that offered you admission
I converted my calls from IIFT, IIM Shillong, XIM B and Symbiosis, while being waitlisted in SPJIMR and MDI.
Q.6. Which is the institute that you have decided to take admission and why?
For me the confusion was between IIFT Delhi and IIM Shillong. I decided to take admission in IIFT considering the following factors
a) A 51 year old legacy which IIFT, Delhi possesses
b) Location advantage of being in Delhi NCR
c) Bigger alumni base and better scope for Industry interaction
d) Advantage of having MBA degree over PGDM
Q.7. What advice and tips you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT 2014/IIFT 2014?
My advice to candidates preparing for MBA entrance exams in 2014 will be:
a). For candidates who feel that they are weak in QA section, focus on arithmetic, maintain accuracy, try to improve your score in logic driven sections like DI and LR. Also, try to work with options. You can solve at least 3-4 questions by using unconventional methods.
b) For candidates who feel that they are weak in verbal, there is no alternative to reading and practice. While solving RC, read the question very carefully and then select an answer. If you have spare time left in second section, resist the urge to make random guesses in un-attempted questions.
c) Analyzing mocks are more important than your textbooks. Avoid repeating the same mistakes. Also take note of the method to solve questions which you left un-attempted.
d) Last but not the least; take a cool mind with you on the exam day. Have a good night’s sleep and be confident that nothing is beyond your limits. Read more.
Q.8. Your message to future MBA aspirants.
Start reading from today itself. The more you read, the better your chances are. Read across various domains and not just your area of interest.
Also, If possible, go for work experience after graduation and before joining an MBA college. This will help you sort out your priorities, give you valuable corporate exposure beforehand and you would be in a better position to assess why you want to do your MBA. Read more.
Q.9. Why did you want to do MBA?
Being a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary having 3 years of experience post qualification, I felt a need to leverage my career and move from traditional areas like auditing and accountancy to more finance driven roles. An MBA certification is a prerequisite for most niche roles and you would be better equipped to take on the managerial challenges. Besides this, it offers an incentive of living a full time campus life which many commerce graduates miss out on. Read more.
If you want to talk directly to CAT 2013 Toppers to get right advice and suggestions for CAT 2014 preparation, Click Here:
http://www.mbauniverse.com/forums/forum/meet-the-past-cat-toppers-know-how-to-score-99-percentile
CAT Topper 2013 Sneha Mittal shares her success story to Crack CAT 2014 exam
CAT Topper 2013: How Anubhav achieved 99.73 Percentile in CAT exam?
CAT Topper 2013: How Ishika from Kolkata made it to the top B-school with her CAT score
CAT Topper: How an Undergraduate scored 99 percentile in CAT exam, you can do it too
MBAUniverse.com offers a comprehensive preparation package coupled with over 200 online interactive classes with Top CAT experts including from IIMs for CAT 2014 preparation. Visit the link below for more information and new batch schedules: http://www.mbauniverse.com/cat_preparation_online.html
If you have any complains about B- schools, write here: Register your Complain about B-schools
Are you the interested? Click below to know more:
Apply to MBA Colleges with your CAT/XAT/CMAT/MAT Scores for Admission 2014, Click below:
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more news and updates on CAT Topper 2013
