CAT 2021 topper, Chirag Gupta, shared his CAT success mantra of securing 100 percentile. Read the article below to know more.
Chirag Gupta, a BS-MS student of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, has secured 100 percentile in CAT 2021 in his first CAT attempt. He loves playing chess and likes watching anime shows and movies. He hails from the pink city of India, Jaipur. Chirag shared his CAT success journey with Shiksha. Read the article below to know more.
CAT 2021 score
Overall: 100 Percentile
Sectional:
VARC: 100 percentile
DILR: 99.99 percentile
Quant - 99.99 percentile
Q: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.A: I'm very satisfied with my CAT result. Before CAT, I was expecting anything around 130-140 marks but after CAT I was expecting 160. 181 has been a very pleasant surprise for me.
Q: Was this your first CAT attempt?
Q: How much percentile is a good score in CAT exam?
The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a highly competitive entrance exam for admission to various management programs offered by top business schools in India. The percentile score in CAT exam is based on the relative performance of the test taker compared to all the other test takers.
The cutoff percentile for admission to top business schools varies from year to year and also depends on factors such as the number of candidates, difficulty level of the exam, and the number of available seats. In general, a percentile score of 90 or above is considered a good score and can help you secure admission to some of the top business schools in India. However, to increase your chances of admission to the top-tier business schools, a percentile score of 95 or above is preferred.
Q: How much percentile is a good score in the CAT exam?
Q: How is the CAT score and percentile calculated?
A: Yes, this was my first cat attempt.
Q: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
A: I started preparing in March 2021. I focused mainly on giving mock tests and analysing them. I used to work on my weaknesses by watching various CAT preparation YouTube videos on various topics.
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Q: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
A: For VARC, I read a lot in general. You can read anything you like. I read fiction mainly and even that helped me a lot.
For DILR, I focused on identifying certain types of sets and getting familiarised with them. I applied this strategy in the mock test and read every set in first five mins. I began the section by doing the easiest DI set/s, then attempted the easier sets of the LR section. It will ensure that you will always clear the sectional cutoffs.
For the Quant section, I focused on getting my basics right at the beginning of the preparations. I focused on doing only easy questions first, and later attempted the harder ones.
Q: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Q: What is sectional cutoff in CAT exam?
Sectional cut off in CAT exam refers to the section wise percentiles required by the candidate for making it to the Personal Interview round of the IIMs or other top MBA colleges. The sectional cut offs are lower than overall cut offs of any institute. To understand better, check the table below for sectional CAT cut offs for IIM Ahmedabad:
Category | VARC percentile | DILR percentile | QA percentile | Overall percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 |
NC-OBC-Transgender | 65 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
SC | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
PwD (General, NC-OBC-cum-transgender, SC) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
PwD (ST) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
For sectional cut offs of all IIMs, check this article – IIM shortlist and selection criteria
Q: How many questions should I solve to score 99 percentile in CAT exam?
Q: What is the CAT cut off for IIM Lucknow?
Q: What are the qualifying CAT cutoffs for all the IIMs?
Q: Are CAT cut offs announced along with the CAT result?
A: I didn't study from any books for CAT. I attempted various mock test series during my preparation.
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Q: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
A: No, I did not join any coaching institute. I just took mock test series from IMS and TIME. I'm not too sure about how coaching helps in CAT preparation, but attempting a good number of mock tests definitely helps in the CAT preparations.
Q: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
A: I took about 50-60 CAT mock tests, as I think that it is probably the most important aspect of CAT preparation.
Q: What was your exam day strategy?
A: My exam day strategy was just to stay calm and not think too much about the results.
Q: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
A: Be honest with yourselves during the preparation. It is important for you to not overestimate as well as underestimate your understanding of the concepts.
With over 7 years of editorial experience, Saumya has been a writer at Shiksha for over four years. With a bachelor's degree in English literature from Delhi University, she loves to write. A true Delhiite and her l... Read Full Bio
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