MBAUniverse.com has brought a round of CAT 2014 toppers’ success stories for the benefit of CAT 2015 aspirants. In the series we present the success story of Kartik Raj Rewar who scored 99.93 percentile in CAT 2014 and has taken admission at IIM Ahmedabad.
Currently enrolled in the PGP programme 2015-17 at IIM Ahmedabad, Kartik Raj Rewar is a student with multiple interests. Kartik apart from being a passionate reader loves Cryptic Quizzing and likes to see Movies.
Kartik is a B Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay and has passed out in 2015. Accordingly he is a fresher who has joined IIM Ahmedabad and has broken the myth that candidates with work experience get easier access to IIM Ahmedabad. Kartik’s school education was from CBSE Board and happened in Jaipur, his native city. Kartik, although not a 100% marks getter scored 95.6% in class 10 and 89.4% in class 12.
Kartik scored a whopping 99.93 percentile in CAT 2014.Sharing with MBAUniverse.com Kartik highlights his experiences in preparation for CAT 2014 and gives very clear ‘success mantra’ to the CAT 2015 aspirants
MBAUniverse.com: What was your preparation strategy?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper):I started a year before CAT 2014 and had got myself acquainted with the CAT format. But then in August 2014, the CAT pattern changed and there I learnt something - Be prepared for surprises in CAT. My preparation mostly revolved around self-study of the books and a lot of mocks.
Important piece of advice and do’s and don’ts that CAT 2015 aspirants might find useful are:
Do's:
1. Solve a lot of mocks without break and then spend time analyzing them. You get better with every practice test that you take.
2. While attempting the paper, do not go with a pre-decided number of questions. You never know what the difficulty level of the paper might be.
3. After a few experiments, learn to finalize on the order of sections that you will be attempting. Since there is no sectional time limit, it is very important to know when to give up on a question/section.
Dont's:
1. While preparing, do not get bogged down by a very complex. Remember that CAT only tests Class 10 level maths. The IIMs want managers with analytical abilities who can think on their feet; they do not want nuclear scientists.
2. Do not get jubilant or melancholic when you perform awesomely or badly in your mocks. The mocks are a learning experience. And in my experience, you learn more when your performance is not so good.
3. Don't try to study in a haphazard manner. Structure a daily/weekly schedule and commit yourself in a disciplined manner to it, you will thank yourselves later.
MBAUniverse.com: What was your strategy in testing room to attempt the questions from different sections: Quantitative Ability & DI, Verbal Ability & LR?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): I had built this strategy over 3 months. My order was Quant, Easy/short DI, LR, Grammar, RC, Complex/Lengthy DI. I also learnt to move on and not spend more than 3 minutes on a question. On an average, I attempted 93 questions out of 100 (Accuracy wasn't very impressive).
My interface with CAT 2014 was on Nov 22, 2014 in afternoon session. During my exam, I attempted the questions in the default order. By 90 minutes, I was done with the first section barring two Data Interpretation sets. Then I switched to section 2 and attempted the LRs first. LRs were supposed to be my strengths but somehow I couldn't solve 2 LRs. Solved English section in 30 minutes and came back to solve a DI set and an LR set in the last 20 minutes. I attempted 84 questions out of 100.
MBAUniverse.com: Which all exams did you write? How did you prepare for them? What score did you get?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): I appeared only for CAT 2014. The preparation process consisted of studying modules/books (self-study) and giving/analysing a lot of mocks. I got 99.93 percentile in CAT 2014.
MBAUniverse.com: How many GDPI did you take part in? What were your GD/WAT topics?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): I took part in the GDPI processes of IIM-A, IIM-B, IIM-C and IIM-L. The GD/WAT topics for my interviews were as follows
IIM-A: 2012 being a golden year for Bollywood movies
IIM-B: Something related to Financial Inclusion
IIM-C: Give suggestions to improve the quality of public schools in India
IIM-L: Relevance of art in modern times
MBAUniverse.com: Few questions that were asked to you during PI round?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): I was mostly questioned on books, current affairs, Chemical Engineering(my engineering stream) and other hobbies. In IIM-B, I was asked the "Why MBA" question. IIM-C interview was a stress interview and I was glad to make it.
MBAUniverse.com:The institutes that offered you admission?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): I was offered admission by IIM Ahmedabad; IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow.
MBAUniverse.com: Which is the institute that you have decided to take admission and why?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): I joined IIM Ahmedabad as it is ‘Numero Uno’ (Number 1 B school of India) and is also closer to my home.
MBAUniverse.com: What advice and tips you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT 2015?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): To be brief on this advisory, my advice and tips are
1. Be ready for surprises.
2. Do not skip studying simple concepts.
3. Try to improve your reading habits. These will be helpful in the RCs and later also during your MBA.
4. Avoid wasting time in asking questions like, "My profile is ABC. What minimum score is required to get admission into XYZ?” Trust me nobody knows the answer. The admission criterion for every college is different and it changes every 1-2 years. It is wise to invest that time in preparing for CAT 2015 or relaxing without tension.
5. Sweat it out but do not burn out.
6. Take a lot of mocks. Take them seriously. But do not take the percentiles (high/low) that you score in those mocks very seriously. Just laugh them off.
7. Try to balance your sectional scores. Focus more on your weaker sections/topics during the first half of your CAT preparation. During the second-half, try to refine your strong subjects/topics.
MBAUniverse.com: Your message to future MBA aspirants.
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): Once you decide that you want to bell the CAT 2015, do not have any second thoughts. Self-belief is very important. IIMs are an interesting place to be in. But also remember that CAT 2015 is not the end of the world. Work super-hard towards achieving your CAT 2015 goals but in a corner of your mind remember that an exam will NOT make or break your life.
MBAUniverse.com: Why did you want to do MBA?
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): I wanted to do an MBA so that I could have a holistic view of the corporate world and also a broader scope in terms of career options. I was curious and wanted to learn and this curiosity was also the motivation during my CAT preparation.
MBAUniverse.com:Thanks Kartik for sharing such a valuable guidance for CAT 2015 aspirants
Kartik (CAT 2014 topper): Thanks for bearing with me.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more success mantra stories and CAT 2015 preparation tips from toppers
