CAT 2014 Exam Success Mantra: Get your basics cleared CAT Topper Parijat Gaur

Add Review

MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
September 25, 2014
It is an opportunity for all the CAT 2014 aspirants to get benefitted with the experience and preparation strategy of past CAT toppers
'Get your basics cleared, diligently give as many mock tests as possible and most importantly keep your cool on the D-day' Parijat Gaur, CAT topper

MBAUniverse.com brings an exclusive opportunity for all the CAT 2014 aspirants to get benefitted with the experience and preparation strategy of past CAT toppers who not only scored high percentile but also were able to convert their call to one of the IIMs.

In the series we share with you the story of Parijat Gaur of the PGDHRM batch of 2014-16 at the Indian Institute of Management Ranchi.  Parijat, whose father is in the Indian Army has had a very eventful childhood in which he changed a total of 13 schools and eventually ended up doing his B.Tech in Computer Science from Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering, Pune.

An adventure sports lover, Parijat has taken part in many a thrilling journeys in his life. He is a Certified Solo Paraglider from an internationally recognized training institute ‘Temple Pilots’. He has even climbed to an altitude of 15,500 feet in the Himalayas as part of Rupin Pass High Altitude Trek Team 2014. He was also a part of the expedition to Chadar Trek where the team took part in the cleaning drive of Zanskar Valley, Ladakh.

Parijat has a rich work experience of 22 months in Audience Science India Pvt. Ltd as a ‘Behavioral Ad analyzer’.

In response to a few searching questions pertaining to MBA preparation that could  motivate and inspire the CAT 2014 aspirants, Parijat answers telling about the acumen and dedication required to get through forthcoming CAT 2014 and other MBA entrance exams.

MBAUni:  What was your prep strategy for CAT?

Parijat(CAT 2013 topper):Coaching is not required for the Quant section and hence I did not take it. I just cleared the basics and moved on to one good quant book and stuck to it until I got the full hang of it. Mock tests are the most important part of the preparation so I started giving as many of them as possible at least 45 days before CAT.

Skill for the VA & LR section takes the longest to cultivate. Hence I thoroughly read good quality newspaper like The Hindu on a daily basis. Also reading decent quality English novels helped me sharpen my skills for this section.

MBAUni:  What was the strategy in testing room to attempt the question from different sections- Quantitative Ability & DI, Verbal Ability & LR?

Parijat(CAT 2013 topper): I was very particular about the time spent on each question as I didn’t want to linger on a particular question for too long at the cost of not getting a chance to see other questions. In case of the Quant section I tried to choose questions on their merit and not their length because a shorter question can be deceivingly difficult to solve.

In case of the Verbal section I was very realistic in my approach and avoided implementing guess work for the questions I didn’t answer. This is a very crucial section as over-attempting can lead to disastrous consequences. Thus I tried to attempt only those questions I was sure about. Most importantly I was calm during the exam as I believed in the thought that ‘a tough paper is tough for everyone’.”

MBAUni: Which exams did you appear? How did you prepare for them ? What score did you get?

Parijat(CAT 2013 topper): I took only CAT and my score was 97.35 percentile.

MBAUni: How many GDPI did you take part in? What were your GD topics?

Parijat(CAT 2013 topper): There were 5 GDPIs I took part in. The topics were wide-ranging and diverse across all the GDPIs. The topics were ‘Smartphones: A bane or a boon?’, ‘Corporate Ethics: Friend or Company?’, ‘The National Food Security Bill is a case of resource misallocation’ and the other two were case studies based on some problems being faced by certain organizations.”

MBAUni: The institutes that offered you admissions?

Parijat(CAT 2013 topper): I had converted IIM Ranchi, IIM Shillong, IMT Ghaziabad and Great Lakes Chennai.

MBAUni: Few questions that were asked  during PI round?

Parijat (CAT 2013 topper): The questions were mostly based on the information provided in my Resume, apart from which I was asked a few questions on Current Affairs and static GK. There were certain questions which required me to tell my course of action in a particular situation. The situations were mostly based in an organizational setting. In one of the interviews I was even asked to solve a puzzle on a piece of paper.

MBAUni:  Which is the institute that you decided to take admission and why?

Parijat (CAT 2013 topper): I want to pursue a career in HR and IIM Ranchi provided me the unique opportunity as it is the only IIM with a specialized HR course. While I could have taken up HR as my specialization in any of the other colleges I converted, I wouldn’t have got the excellent research oriented faculty which is available in IIM Ranchi. Besides, studying in an IIM was my dream and considering my career objective, IIM Ranchi seemed to be the best choice among all my options.”

MBAUni: What advice and tips you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT 2014?

Parijat (CAT 2013 topper): I  have three core tips for all the aspirants. Get your basics cleared, diligently give as many mock tests as possible and most importantly keep your cool on the D-day.

MBAUni:  Your message to future MBA aspirants.

Parijat (CAT 2013 topper): One has to be absolutely clear in his head as to the purpose behind doing an MBA. Once that is settled things become a lot easier and all it takes to succeed is the perseverance and relentless dedication towards the goal.

MBAUni: Why did you want to do MBA?

Parijat (CAT 2013 topper): We are living in a challenging yet exciting time of market turbulence. Shelf life of new ideas is short and disruptive business is becoming the norm. Hence, the current market scenario requires businessmen with agile and ‘out of the box’ thinking. This is, therefore, a perfect time for a young manager to think differently and contribute significantly.


Related Links

10 Tips for CAT 2014: Namita Kapaley CAT topper shares the Mantra with Aspirant

Want to crack CAT 2014 with 99+ percentile, follow the mantra of CAT topper: Ankit Bansal

CAT Topper : Prachi Jha believes practice is only the key to crack CAT 2014

CAT 2014: pattern has changed important to take mocks, Sahithi Avirneni, a CAT Topper

Trends in CAT Exam; Still in Evolution process; impact will be on CAT 2014 test takers

Petty mistakes that create chaos in CAT 2014 Registration process; know how to get rid of

Do not miss the chance to enter IIM; CAT 2014 offers more chances this year

Speed Accuracy will be the big factor to ace CAT 2014 new exam pattern with 99+ percentile

Next 52 days of CAT 2014 Registration: What should Dr Rohit Kapoor Expect?

CAT 2014: How alarming with tricky questions will be the CAT new pattern

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more preparation tips from CAT toppers