CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Know how Navneet Mangal crack CAT with 99.31%ile
In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Navneet Mangal shares his preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Navneet Mangal.
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CAT Topper Interview: Navneet Mangal, a Mechanical Engineering graduate cracked India's biggest MBA entrance exam, CAT 2022 with a 99.31 percentile. Navneet also has a 3-year working experience at Godrej & Boyce. This was Navneet's second attempt at CAT and for MBA admission, he is aiming at some top IIMs such as IIM-A, IIM-B, IIM-C, etc. keeping FMS, SP Jain and IIT Bombay as his backup. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Navneet Mangal shares his preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Navneet Mangal.
IIM Bangalore declared CAT 2022 result two weeks earlier than usual, i.e. on December 21. CAT 2022 exam was held on November 27.
CAT 2022 score
Overall Percentile: 99.31
Sectional:
- VARC – 96.91
- DILR – 99.06
- QA – 97.60
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
Navneet: I was always expecting to get above 99 during my prep but the exam was a bit more difficult than my expectations, and I wasn't that happy with my performance on exam day. I'm quite satisfied with the percentile though.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Shiksha: Was this your first attempt at CAT?
Navneet: This was my 2nd serious attempt at CAT, previously I gave CAT in 2018 and scored around 95%le.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Navneet: I started in June, so almost 6 months. As for the prep strategy, I just wanted to finish the syllabus as quickly as possible and then give as many mocks as I could. I opine that the exam basically wants to test how well you can pick your battles and optimize rather than how much you know.
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?
Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
Navneet: Both VARC and LRDI call for habit based prep, so solving RCs and LRDI sets on a daily basis is a must. I've always been good in VARC, so I put in extra effort in LRDI section. Even if was busy all day due to some reason I'd make time to solve at least 2 sets. And since CAT has upped the LRDI section difficulty in the past few years, it does call for extra efforts. Prep for QA is the easiest, just solve as many questions as you can. Personally, I did the breadth first approach, wherein you do atleast the basics of each topic and dive into the advanced level for your strength. I've noticed a few questions in QA where multiple concepts were involved so doing the basics of every concept is important.
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Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Navneet: I joined EduCorp-Chandigarh for my prep and their material was more than sufficient. In addition to that doing the previous year exams is probably the most important.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
Navneet: I probably did more than 40 mocks and mocks are second only to the previous year's exams in your prep. So even if you've not finished your syllabus, just give mocks.
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
Navneet: Yes. I joined EduCorp-Chandigarh in June. Mostly for learning in a structured form, and they biggest support during the ups and downs of my prep. Confidence is very important to give your best in the exam.
Q: What to do after JEE Main session 2 result?
Candidates preparing for IITs are only required to appear for the JEE Advanced entrance exam after qualifying JEE Main. Students who who secure above the 98th percentile in JEE Main 2024 Session 2 should start preparing for JEE Advanced 2025 immediately. Those who score between 95th and 98th percentile should focus on improving their JEE Main score by taking multiple mock tests and practicing previous year's question papers. By analysing their strengths and weaknesses, candidates can identify their areas of proficiency and topics where they need improvement. If they can achieve full marks in their practice sessions, they can start preparing for JEE Advanced. However, if they cannot score full marks, it is recommended that they appear for multiple mock test series for more practice.
Q: Is it hard to get a seat in IIM Bangalore?
Yes, IIM Bangalore is one of the toughest business schools to get admission to, and every year, even CAT 99+ percentilers miss out on a call from the institute. IIM Bangalore uses multiple parameters, namely academic performance as well as candidates' scores in CAT/GMAT to select candidates for the PGP programme. IIMB adopts a two-phase selection process and accordingly, these selection criteria are applied in two phases. The first phase of the process is applied to all eligible candidates who appear for CAT to determine candidates to be called for a personal interview (PI). Candidates selected for the PI process will be additionally required to take a Writing Ability Test (WAT).
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: Can I join IIM without CAT?
No, one can't join IIM without CAT. Candidates seeking admission to the IIM Ahmedabad MBA course must appear for CAT and secure 90 percentile. The Institute considers Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds for final admission to IIM Ahmedabad along with CAT results. Students must meet both, the overall CAT cutoff percentile and the sectional cutoffs.The Institute does not release CAT cutoffs in the public domain and are exclusively accessible only via account login to candidates who have appeared for the exam.
Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
Navneet: Mostly just to remember my best mock and not to carry over any bad performance into the next section.
Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
Navneet: IIM BLACI (IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore), , Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research and IIT Bombay - Indian Institute of Technology as my backup.
Shiksha: Tell us something about your educational background, family and hobbies.
Navneet: I have done mechanical engineering and then worked for 3 yrs at Godrej & Boyce. My father works in HR at an MNC, my mother is a teacher and my sister is a journalist.
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Navneet: Just do your personal best, don't let the exam overwhelm you and if you have done your best accept the results.
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