Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I thought about appearing for CAT around Feb in 2025, and I came across Cracku's online course(self-paced and live lectures both), hence I took that and prepped for CAT. The course was very nice in terms of content and I used to alternate between the 3 sections every day to remove monotony. I capitalised more on Quants because I felt it is my strong suit and took the other 2 sections also in a similar fashion to balance it out. I started with theory, did daily targets given by Cracku portal and gave their mocks a bit later (after 3-4 months, from around June)
Q: How did you manage your CAT preparation along with your college studies or work commitments?
A: So, I was working in Microsoft as a software engineer throughout my prep, and the projects I was working on were very demanding, so it was genuinely very tough to balance both.
Before starting office work in the morning I used to do the daily target questions for the day to set the pace, then after lunch I used to take 15-20 mins to maybe do a question or 2, then post office when I reached home, I used to study theory via videos or articles for a while and then practice questions whenever I felt bored. Doing this everyday was a challenge for sure, but the goal is to take small steps every day and trust your consistency. There were days where the office used to take more time and on those days, I sometimes couldn’t make it work, but I compensated on the weekends for the same.
Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy. How did you prepare for VARC?
A: For VARC, I felt the reading habit is what helps the most. I used to read the articles shared by the Cracku team, and initially there was a lot of cognitive resistance because of the fact that I did not have this habit of reading but eventually it got better.
Q: How did you prepare for DILR?
A: Again solving sets was the best way, much better than theory in my opinion; I developed intuition by solving multiple sets in DILR, although I feel this was my weakest link and I could have done more practice here.
Q: How did you prepare for QA?
A: For Quants, I felt questions can be solved by someone with ample time, ofc after we are done with theory, but the meat lies in knowing the tricks to do the same thing faster. I felt Maruti Sir’s videos from Cracku really helped with this, because he used to tell how to approach which kind of problem and that was really very insightful. Also I had this formula book from Cracku, which I referred to almost on a weekly basis to revise the formulas and keep it in the conscious mind.
Q: Was there any section or area you initially found challenging? How did you overcome it?
A: I found DILR to be very tough because it is a gamble, you either get the whole set right or you don’t. In order to get over this uncertainty, I prioritised DI questions more, because you can selectively attempt and get marks which have a better ROI comparatively. Hence, I overcame this by practicing more ofc, but also by prioritizing DI questions, increasing my overall chances of a total good score, because we should play to our strengths and make the best of the paper in front of us and not look at it section wise.
Q: What role did mock tests play in your preparation? How many mocks did you attempt?
A: I feel I could have done more mock tests, because doing that makes you a seasoned person to be prepared for all kinds of papers. I used to give mock tests on a biweekly frequency on average for the last 3 months of my prep, but I wish I could have given more. I gave about 30-40 mocks during my prep (including the previous year question papers)
Q: Did you prepare on your own or join a coaching institute? What influenced your choice?
A: Joined a self-paced online course of Cracku. I wanted something self-paced with recorded content and live leaderboards, so that I could feel that I am a part of a larger cohort doing the same prep and gauge my prep regularly, and the benefit of a course is that it helps provide a direction and a structure to your prep.
Q: Which books or study materials did you refer to? How effective were they?
A: Just the Cracku content, and it was very relevant to the type of questions that came in the exam.
Q: What was your approach and mindset on the CAT exam day? How did you plan your test-taking strategy?
A: I had it in slot 2, and on the exam day, since my exam centre was far, I took a hotel very nearby to the exam centre a day before, and on the exam day, I did not open any feedback about the first slot or any reviews or predictions about the same. I wanted to go to the exam with a neutral mindset and that is what I did. I had a relaxed morning, had a good breakfast and just chilled for a while before the exam. Went in the most comfortable outfit I had to reduce any externalities and issues.
Q: Looking back, what was the most important learning from your CAT preparation journey?
A: Consistency beats everything. Even though it may sound like a cliché, if you are consistent, it will definitely lead you towards your goal.
Q: How did you manage stress and stay motivated throughout your preparation journey?
A: Friends, Family definitely did help a lot in this entire phase. I used to hit the gym or go on long drives as a stress buster sometimes. For the motivation, I feel it was more of a strong inner desire for the long term goal which led me throughout my prep.
Q: If you could change one thing about your CAT preparation, what would it be and why?
A: I would have done more mocks and PYQ’s, and I would have done it even when I started the prep, because it is more of a mindset development than a paper attempt.
Q: How did you prepare for the GD/PI/WAT rounds?
A: Reading news, following Indian and tech specific podcasts on YouTube (tech because I had a background in tech and hence could be questioned on that), then I took Btribe course for interview prep with alums specific to colleges, and did some research on the college too before entering the interview.
Q: If you have work experience, how do you think it will help during your MBA?
A: It will help in relating better to subjects like organisation behaviour, or domain specific because theory is even better understood when you have already seen practical applications.
Q: SPJIMR requires applicants to choose their preferred specialization while filling the application form. Which specialization did you choose and why? What advice would you give aspirants on deciding their specialization?
A: I chose Information Management and Analytics, because I had a tech background and wanted product/consulting roles. I feel this is the time where you can try to get a different spec also as per your interest, but you should have expertise, work ex or a proper SOP on why you want a specific domain.
Q: What motivated you to choose SPJIMR? What were your top three selection criteria?
A: The culture of the college and the administration. The NCL courses like Abhyudaya, which teach us managerial practices and also humbles us at the same time. Great Intex opportunities and of course the triple accreditation and consistent placement performances in SPJIMR since the time it was established. SPJIMR has this warm, socially conscious and wise innovation mindset engrained in every activity they do and this is something specific to only this college in India making it the single greatest choice. Also the process of admission is such that you need to have a good profile in order to get into this college, and hence you end up with the best of the best in the country.
Q: How has your experience at SPJIMR been so far? Please share some highlights.
A: It has been nothing short of awesome. I have been challenged in multiple ways where I thought I was the best. I have seen myself evolve academically, socially, personally in the last almost 4 months into a much more resilient and kind individual. I have seen such eye watering profiles of individuals who have joined this institute. I have seen the channel and network that opens up when you join SPJIMR and it is just amazing.
Q: Whom would you like to credit for your success? What role did your family and friends play?
A: My friends and family and my coaching institute. Friends and family were my go to for any problems that came my way throughout the 8-9 months of prep and they cheered me up whenever I felt low.
Q: What were some key challenges you faced during your academic journey or CAT preparation, and how did you overcome them?
A: VARC and DILR were a bit tough to get through at the start, but eventually with practice and section specific strategies I was able to overcome them.
Q: In your view, how can B-schools make the MBA admission process more applicant-friendly?
A: Having more centralised forms and a singular regulated database where all details of a candidate are stored and they can apply to colleges easily.
Q: Finally, what message or tips would you like to share with CAT 2026 aspirants?
A: Be consistent, dare to dream and never forget to manifest the best possible scenario for yourself.
