CAT topper & IIM Indore student Priya Sahni shares Success Mantra “Enhance your analytical skills”

CAT 2017 aspirants get the inspiration from the past CAT toppers and stand benefitted with the success mantra shared by last year CAT toppers who not only cracked the exam with high percentile but also converted the call to one of the top IIMs. One of such inspiration is Priya Sahni who with 96 percentile in CAT 2016 converted her call to IIM Indore.

Priya had a work experience of 8 months to her credit before joining IIM Indore. She balanced her work place requirements during her CAT preparation. Priya preferred self preparation instead of joining any coaching institute to prepare for CAT exam.

MBAUniverse.com has brought a round of CAT toppers’ success stories alongwith their success mantra that led them to crack CAT with high percentile. We present the success story with CAT 2017 preparation tips shared by Priya Sahni, a student of PGP 2017-19 batch at IIM Indore.

Read CAT success mantra from more toppers:

• CAT 2017 Success mantra from IIM Ahmedabad student Akhil “I preferred self preparation”
• FMS Delhi: CAT topper Atul Goyal shares Success Mantra “2 months are not less to score 99 percentile”
• CAT 2017: Does it take many attempts to join club 99? No, say CAT toppers - Check your prep plan

The success mantra by CAT 2016 toppers is more important for the CAT 2017 aspirants as the CAT 2017 exam pattern and CAT exam syllabus remain more or less similar to last year exam.

Priya belongs to Kanpur, one of the 5 KAVAL towns of Uttar Pradesh. She comes from a modest and educated family. Priya’s father is an accountant, mother a home maker and sister is Company Secretary (CS). Priya is a B.Tech in Electronics (ECE) and is fond of listening music.

In view of Priya, it is important to devote more time to the section in which you are weak. This will take you out of dilemma and will strengthen your preparation. A role model for working professionals preparing for CAT 2017, Priya not only cracked CAT with her smart and intelligent preparation, but got into her dream B-school, despite having limited time to study after working hours,

MBAUniverse.com:What was your preparation strategy for CAT 2016?
Priya (CAT topper): CAT is a qualitative exam and not a quantitative exam. CAT tests your aptitude so it is very important to be very thorough with the concepts and enhance your analytical skills. Every person is good at one section and has another section as a weakness. It is very important to identify both of them and plan your strategy accordingly.

MBAUniverse.com: How did you prepare for each section QA, VARC & DILR? What study materials and books did you use?
Priya (CAT topper): For VARC section, the most important part is the maximum time that you can devote to reading. Read a lot. Apart from this practice at least 5 RC’s in a week and analyse them after solving them. Try to find out why your answers went wrong. Do the RC’s in a strict time frame.

DILR gets better the more you practice. Try to solve one set every day and never leave any set unsolved no matter how much time it may take.

For Quant also practice is the key. Try to be clear with the concepts. Try to come up with your own shortcuts and logics. I referred to Arun Sharma for my preparation

MBAUniverse.com: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
Priya (CAT topper): I was weak at English. I devoted approximately 40 % of my preparation time just to English. I read in all my free time. Devote more time to the section you are weak at.

MBAUniverse.com: How can candidates use Mock tests better? What is your advice?
Priya (CAT topper): I feel that just taking a mock test is not enough. Go for a thorough analysis. I gave 3 hours for the mock test and almost the same amount of time for its analysis. Analyse each question that you did wrong or left. Try to find out which questions were easy and you couldn’t do. Try to improve on those questions.

MBAUniverse.com: Did you go to offline coaching centre? What role does a coaching centre play?
Priya (CAT topper): No, I didn’t go to any coaching centre.

MBAUniverse.com: Other than CAT, which exam did you appear?
Priya (CAT topper):  None

MBAUniverse.com:  Which institutes did you apply for admission?  
Priya (CAT topper): I applied to all IIMs

MBAUniverse.com:  Please share your strategy for the CAT Day. What was your last-minute preparation? How did you plan your CAT test taking?
Priya (CAT topper): CAT is not a theoretical exam for which you need to do any last minute preparation. Do not study anything for at least 24 hours before the exam. Just chill before the last day and go for the exam

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

WAT topic:  Demonetisation

PI Questions: 
Name, academic details
Why MBA
Current affairs
Questions related to graduation subjects.

MBAUniverse.com:  Which B-school you decided upon and why? 
Priya (CAT topper):  I was able to convert IIM Indore which was my best call. So it was an obvious choice.

MBAUniverse.com:  Any message you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT 2017.
Priya (CAT topper): It is very important to identify your strengths and weakness and plan your strategy accordingly. Have clarity on the concepts. Never forget to analyse your answers in Mocks. Devote more time to your weak section.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more success mantra stories and CAT 2017 preparation tips from toppers

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