CAT 2016: Roadmap to your preparation timeline must; CAT topper & DMS IIT student Akhil shares success mantra

Preparation journey to CAT 2016 will remain unorganized and haphazard if the proper roadmap to schedule the preparation time line overall and sectionwise is not designed well in time, suggests Akhil Para CAT 2015 topper with 99.01 percentile who preferred to take admission in Department of management Studies (DMS)-IIT Delhi instead of IIMs and NITIE.

Sharing his preparation experience and strategy to take CAT, Akhil is of the view that nothing is impossible and CAT can be cracked with high score if the preparation strategy is well planned. He advises the CAT 2016 aspirants to remain focused and give everything they have to prepare for CAT 2016.

For the benefit of CAT 2016 aspirants, MBAUniverse.com has brought a round of CAT toppers success stories alongwith their success mantra that led them to crack CAT with high percentile. In the series we present the success story and CAT 2016 preparation tips shared by Akhil Para, student of DMS-IIT Delhi and CAT topper with 99.01 percentile.

Akhil belongs to Kurnool in the state of Andhra Pradesh. He is a B.Tech with 9.01 CGPA. Akhil is a fresher and did not get any bonus marks for work experience in final selection round at DMS-IIT Delhi, yet made his way to coveted MBA 2016-18 batch. He has good academic record with 89% marks in class 10 and 93.3% marks in class 12. Apart from CAT, Akhil did not appear in any other exam.

Akhil has lot of interest in Playing cricket, chess and solving puzzles. He believes that his self motivation is his source of inspiration.

MBAUniverse.com: What was your preparation strategy for CAT 2015?
Akhil (CAT topper): Before starting the preparation, I had designed a clear roadmap as to how I will schedule my preparation in terms of timeline and how much time to dedicate for each section. I was very consistent in taking the mock tests which aided me to analyze my strengths and weaknesses. I refined my schedule to concentrate more on my weaknesses.

MBAUniverse.com: How did you prepare for each section QA, VARC & DILR?
Akhil (CAT topper): Being good at Maths, I didnt emphasize much on preparation strategy for QA and DILR, but I would solve all the problems which I felt were tough in the mock exams.
For VARC, I read lot of articles, comprehensions and newspapers on regular basis to boost my reading and comprehending capabilities. To enhance my vocabulary, I read lot of power words and unfamiliar words.

MBAUniverse.com: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
Akhil (CAT topper): The section I was relatively weak at was Verbal. I had trouble understanding the context of a passage which included unfamiliar or high frequency words. To overcome this, in the last 3 months before exams, I made sure to learn at least 10 new words every day, that helped a lot in improving my performance in verbal.

MBAUniverse.com: How can candidates use Mock tests better? What is your advice?
Akhil (CAT topper): First the candidates should understand the mock tests are only a practice test to understand your areas of weakness. So once the mock test is done, try to go through the answers of every question even if you got the answers right, because there is a probability of figuring out a better solution that can save time for such type of questions.

My advice for candidates who use mock test is that instead of getting demotivated or demoralized due to low scores in mocks, look at the trend whether there is an increase in the score over a period of time. Also, one should understand that these tests do not always reflect the main exam.

MBAUniverse.com: Did you go to offline coaching centre? What role does a coaching centre play?
Akhil (CAT topper): Yes, I did go for an offline coaching centre but in my view these institutes/coaching centre will not make an impact on the final result. The result will only depend on the self- preparation of the candidate for the exam.

MBAUniverse.com: Other than CAT, which exam did you appear?
Akhil (CAT topper): Other than CAT I didnt appear for any other exams.

MBAUniverse.com: Please share your strategy for the CAT Day. What was your last-minute preparation? How did you plan your CAT test taking?
Akhil (CAT topper): On the day of CAT, I tried to stay as calm as possible and I dont believe in last-minute preparations. During CAT exam in each section I tried to answer the questions which I felt easy and I was sure about getting an answer, based on the time left I prioritized the questions which I can solve faster. I didnt plan on attempting all the questions, I only planned on getting the questions I attempted, to be right.

MBAUniverse.com: Which institutes did you apply for admission?
Akhil (CAT topper): The institutes that I applied for admission are IIM Shillong, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and NITIE

MBAUniverse.com: Please share your GD/WAT topics & PI questions at different institutes and the ones who offered you admission?
Akhil (CAT topper): The GD topics were mostly abstract, some of my GD topics are Success is fluke and failure is inevitable, Artists and Technology etc.Being a fresher the PI questions were mostly about self introduction, Why MBA; Explain your final year project; Questions on the current affairs and there were few questions related to my department (ECE). Some of the interviews were stress interviews that were a test of holding the nerves.

MBAUniverse.com: Which B-school you decided upon and why?
Akhil (CAT topper): I got admissions letters from IIT Delhi and the newer IIMs. I chose IIT Delhi to pursue my MBA due to fact that it is on Growth Trajectory. My decision was influenced by its pedagogy, course curriculum, overall profile of the batch and a good faculty, alumni network and great ROI.

MBAUniverse.com: Any message you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT 2016.
Akhil (CAT topper): The change of pattern since CAT 2015 has opened a lot more opportunities for the candidates who are good at all three sections. Be focused from today itself and give everything you have to prepare for CAT 2016.
Also keep yourself aware of the happenings in the country. GDs and PIs are based on your spontaneity and awareness. A smart mind is what the panel looks for and such attributes can be developed over a period of time. So dont get too tensed about GDs and PIs.

I would also like to add that while preparing for success, be prepared for the failure also. Even if the worst happens and if you are not able to crack these exams, diagnose the areas that you lacked and appear again in coming years. One exam cannot decide your fate or destiny.