An inspiration for IIM aspirants with non-engineering back ground, Nishant Gupta is a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts- Economics) from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University. He not only cracked CAT 2015 with 99.97 percentile but also converted the call to many top B-schools including IIMs and decided to join IIM Bangalore.
Post his graduation Nishant decided to have some work experience and before joining IIM Bangalore, had to his credit a 24 Months work experience at EXL Services in Business and Financial Research. Nishant belongs to Delhi and has keen interest in politics, likes Debating and listening to music.
Exam:
My exam prep strategy, experience & Advice:
For the benefit of MBA aspirants, MBAUniverse.com asked Nishant Gupta about his preparation strategy and advice to do well in MBA entrance exams. Details follow
What was your preparation strategy for CAT?
This was my first attempt at CAT. I had always planned to work for 2 years before going for MBA. I started preparing for CAT in November 2014 through coaching. However, I seriously started studying for CAT from March 2015.
My preparation involved solving all the material given by TIME, solving some sectional tests towards the end, and giving lots of mock tests as I had also joined the test series. I wrote one mock test per week from May onwards. The biggest thing which helped me was constant practice.
As I was working, I had very little time to study on my own, so I used to utilize my time on the Metro every day to work. Irrespective of whether I got a seat or whether the metro was very crowded, I used to make it a point to study Quant or DILR or Verbal. This helped me complete my syllabus and also figure out shortcuts to solve questions as I used to solve the Quant questions on the margins of the book.
How did you prepare for each section QA, VARC & DILR? What study materials and books did you use?
QUANT: I solved all text book exercises, tried to do different sectional tests and extensively analysed mock tests. This was my weakest section so I devoted most of my prep time on studying QA. I also made notes of the concepts and the good questions I found so that I can revise them before the exam.
DILR: This was a very volatile section for me in mocks, so I practiced a lot to reduce the volatility. This was the differentiating section in CAT 2015, so it was important to give due importance to this section. TIME advanced questions had a good mix of different question types. In addition, I tried to solve almost all practice tests for DILR to increase speed, identify the sets which should be attempted first, and understand different ways to solve.
VERBAL: This was my strongest section from the starting, so I didn’t focus too much on VA. I solved a few RC and VA exercises, but not too many.
Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
I was weak in Quant and I tried to maximise my QA practice to overcome this weakness which I did also. Key was to make this as strong as possible, while maximizing my score in other sections. In the final CAT, while I got 95.8 percentile in QA, I got 99.6 percentile in DILR and 99.7 percentile in VA, both of which were moderately strong for me.
How can candidates use Mock tests better? What is your advice?
Mock tests were very important for me. One strategy I used was to give the tests on weekends, and then analyse them in the night after work when I could not do new things. This helped me utilize my evenings effectively and analyse the mocks.
Did you go to offline coaching centre? What role does a coaching centre play?
I went to TIME CP centre. It was an important component in my prep
Other than CAT, which exam did you appear?
I appeared for XAT in which I got 99.934, and I appeared for IIFT in which I got 98.57 percentile
Which institutes did you apply for admission?
I had applied to IIM A, B,C,L,K,I, FMS, XLRI BM, SP Jain, IIFT, MDI.I converted IIM B,C,L,K, XLRI BM, SP Jain and MDI. I didn’t appear in interview for IIM I and FMS.
Please share your strategy for the CAT Day. What was your last-minute preparation? How did you plan your CAT test taking?
On CAT day, my strategy was to ensure maximum attempts in VA, and aim for accuracy in DILR and VA. I did not do much last minute prep, just looked at previous year CAT papers and revised quant formulae. Formulae are also important as CAT 2015 had formula based questions as well.
Which B-school you decided upon and why?
I finally decided on IIM Bangalore due to its focus on holistic development and renowned faculty. I was very confused between IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta for a long time, but in the end, assessing fit is important. I chose IIMB as I felt it was a better fit for my personality, and I am very happy with my decision.
Any message you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT.
Stay focused, stay calm, and keep on working hard even if you get low marks in some mock tests. The process is an important life lesson, even if you don’t get into a B school of your choice. So enjoy it. You would always remember the memories you make on this prep journey, and once you become successful the memories become all the more special. Finally, remember that not getting into an IIM is not the end of the world. Many successful people in this world are non-MBAs
