For the benefit of CAT 2014 aspirants, MBAUniverse.com is bringing a round of CAT Topper 2013 success stories. In this third article in CAT Topper 2013 series we present the success story of Ishika Ray, a CAT Topper who scored a percentile of 92.17 in CAT 2013 exam. Her sectional scores were: QA-91.87 and VALR-88.72 .
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 Ishika Ray for tips on CAT 2014 preparation, Click here
Q.1. What was the CAT 2013 prep strategy
My decision to take CAT 2013 was quite late(almost end of April 2013).Moreover, this was my first attempt in CAT and with no idea about what CAT actually is I thought of joining a coaching center and finally took admission in IMS Kolkata for a classroom course. I am a working professional so managing classes was a difficult task, but I made sure that I never missed lectures on any single topic.
Secondly, everyday no matter how difficult my day was at office, I took out 2 hours for self study, either early in the morning or late at night. One important strategy I followed was never leaving out any topic. One should at least go through the basics. This is because CAT is an unpredictable exam, it can sometimes surprise you with very easy questions from 'not so popular topics'.
Another thing, never wait to finish your syllabus to take mock tests.CAT has a huge syllabus. It is only through solving questions that one gets to form a comprehensive idea about the different topics from where questions can come.
Lastly I took almost 50+ mock tests. Mock tests are very important as they help you to understand your strengths, weaknesses and most importantly help you in time management.
Q.2. What was the strategy in testing room to attempt the question from different sections: Quantitative Ability & DI, Verbal Ability & LR?
I took 50+ mock tests. IMS mock tests were already available to me. Besides I took free mock tests from various other sources. DI, arithmetic and modern maths was my strength so I tried attempting these questions first. I never spent more than 2 mins in any question; If I found difficulty in solving a particular question, I marked it and came back to it later. VA was my weakness and my only strength in this section was RC and LR.I always tried solving 3 RC's in the first 15 mins and then moved on to LR. Rest questions were mere luck! Mostly I had to skip.
Accuracy was my strategy in the test room. If I had even 1% doubt with any answer, I skipped it. I attempted only 13 maths questions in QA in CAT 2013 and was confident that all were correct. With only 13 correct questions and no negatives my QA percentile was above 90.
I was advised by my teacher to follow a simple rule-solve, mark, skip. As soon as you see a question take any one of the three actions: solve it-if you are confident, mark it-if you think you can solve but need some time to work on it, skip-when you know that this cannot be solved by you. This strategy really worked for me! Read More....
Q.3. Apart from CAT which exams did you appear?
CAT was the only exam I took.
Q.4. How many GDPI did you take part in
I attended each and every GD/PI session arranged by my coaching. Also, I regularly followed MBAUniverse for current topics and the Hindu newspaper for latest news and opinions. Read More..
To chat directly with CAT Topper Ishika Ray for tips on CAT 2014 preparation, Click here
Q.5. The institutes that offered you admission
My CAT score was not so high and I was almost determined to take over another time. It was then that my teachers at IMS suggested me to fill up forms for IMT Ghaziabad (which I had already filled prior to CAT) and IMI Delhi. I was selected in their GD/PI and converted both. Read More....
Q.6. Which is the institute that you have decided to take admission and why?
I chose IMT-G over IMI-Delhi due to IMT's brand value. Also, I have a certain interest in marketing and IMT Ghaziabad's marketing is one of the best in the country.
Q.7 What advice and tips you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT 2014?
It is never too late so do not panic. Also, if you do not get a satisfactory score, then do not lose hope and give up. Instead, learn from your mistakes and start afresh. I know of people who took CAT at least 5 to 6 times, some to score 98+ percentile and others just to clear their GD/PI (There are many aspiring MBA candidates who have extraordinary scores but struggle with the GD/PI section). These people never surrendered, rather kept trying until they managed to get into one of the top 10 institutes. Hats off to their dedication and perseverance! Read more..
Q.8 Your message to CAT 2014 aspirants.
Don't follow someone else's strategy. Each of us has different strengths and weaknesses and hence our strategy should be planned accordingly. All the best to CAT 2014 aspirants!!!
To chat directly with CAT Topper Ishika Ray for tips on CAT 2014 preparation, Click here
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
Also Read:
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?
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