CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Know Pallav's CAT Prep Strategy for Calls from Top IIMs, FMS, XLRI & MDI

CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Know Pallav's CAT Prep Strategy for Calls from Top IIMs, FMS, XLRI & MDI

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Abhishek
Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content
Updated on May 9, 2023 13:26 IST

Pallav Goyal, a 99.98 percentiler in CAT 2022, got calls from tier 1 MBA colleges, including IIM A, B, C, L, K, XLRI, FMS, MDI, and SPJIMR. In an interview with shiksha.com, Pallav shares his CAT preparation strategy. Read on.

CAT 2022 Topper Shares Journey

Pallav Goyal, a 99.98 Percentiler, Shares his CAT Preparation Strategy

CAT 2022 Topper Interview: IIM Bangalore released the CAT results 2022 on December 21. Pallav Goyal completed his BA in Economics degree course from Delhi University in 2021. He worked as an Ascend Trainee at ICICI Bank before appearing for the CAT exam. Since July 2022, Pallav Goyal has been in the content creation space on Youtube as well as Linkedin. In his content, he shares his CAT exam journey and his journey of converting calls from top MBA colleges with future aspirants.

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With his top-notch preparation, Pallav secured 99.98 percentile in CAT 2022. Besides CAT, Pallav also qualified XAT 2023 and IIFT 2022 with a score of  99.92 percentile and 99.83 percentile, respectively. A 99+ percentile score in CAT, XAT and IIFT got him admission calls from top MBA colleges in India, including top IIMs, FMS, MDI, XLRI and IIFT.

Q:   Which CAT exam slot is the toughest?

A:
The Common Admission Test exam is conducted in three slots. Each slot has a unique question paper, with unique questions at the Common Admission Test. The Common Admission Test examination authorities prepare the question paper keeping in mind that None of the slots is tougher or easier than another. However, it may happen that one or two questions in a particular slot are tougher. For more information, you may visit the Shiksha Common Admission Test page. (https://www.shiksha.com/mba/cat-exam). I hope this will help you.

Q:   How to prepare for CAT?

A:

Preparing for the Common Admission Test CAT can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and study plan, it is possible to succeed.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for CAT:

  1. Understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus: Start by understanding the exam pattern and syllabus of CAT thoroughly. The exam consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability.
  2. Make a Study Plan: Once you understand the exam pattern and syllabus, make a study plan that works best for you. Allocate time for each section, and include time for revision, practice tests, and solving previous year's question papers.
  3. Strengthen Your Basics: CAT is a test of your fundamental concepts in Mathematics, English and Logical Reasoning. Hence, focus on building a strong foundation by revising and practicing the basic concepts.
  4. Read and Analyze: To improve your Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, start reading newspapers, magazines, and books regularly. Analyze the content, style, and tone of the passages to gain a better understanding of the language.
  5. Practice Regularly: Practice is the key to success in CAT. Solve as many practice tests and previous year's question papers as possible to get familiar with the exam pattern and build your speed and accuracy.
  6. Time Management: CAT is a time-bound exam, and time management is crucial. Practice solving questions within the stipulated time frame to build your speed and accuracy.
  7. Join a Coaching Institute: If you find it challenging to prepare for CAT on your own, consider joining a coaching institute that offers specialised coaching for CAT. They will provide you with a structured study plan, guidance, and practice tests to help you prepare for the exam.

Remember, consistency, and dedication are key to success in CAT. Keep practicing and working hard, and you will achieve your goal.

Q:   Is the CAT syllabus difficult?

A:

Yes, the difficulty level of CAT syllabus is very high as compared to other MBA entrance exams. However, if you prepare well and follow the CAT exam pattern well, you will be able to score well. Besides having an understanding of the CAT syllabus 2025, candidates also need to be well aware of the CAT exam pattern before they start preparing for the exam. The CAT exam pattern was revised in 2021 and the number of questions were reduced from 76 to 66. The structure of CAT 2023 and CAT 2024 was the same. The syllabus is still tougher than other exams.

The most important things to keep in mind are:

  1. CAT exam mode is online
  2. Each question carries three marks 
  3. There is negative marking of minus one mark for wrong attempts

The section-wise distribution of questions and difficulty levels as per the latest CAT exam pattern are listed below:

  • Quantitative Ability (QA) - 24 questions, difficulty level - moderate to high 
  • Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) - 20 questions, difficulty level - moderate 
  • Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) - 22 questions, difficulty level - moderate. to high

In an exclusive chat with Shiksha.com, Pallav shares his CAT preparation journey which led him to convert calls from tier-1 MBA colleges. Additionally, get here tips to crack any MBA entrance exam with a good score.

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CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Highlights

Name of CAT Topper

Pallav Goyal

College

Hindu College, Delhi University

CAT 2022 Percentile Score

Overall

99.98

VARC

99.46

DILR

99.9

QA

99.93

CAT 2022 Topper Interview with Pallav Goyal

Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?

Pallav: I am more than satisfied with my CAT 2022 result. Although I was expecting a 99+ percentile, but CAT score isn't predictable even after one leaves the exam hall. This is primarily because VARC choices are tricky, and one cannot be sure about the correct answer. However, this is not the case with DILR and QUANTS. But on a positive note, I was expecting a really good score as the exam went fine and as expected.

Shiksha: Was this your first CAT attempt?

Pallav: No, this was not my first attempt.

Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?

Pallav: For this attempt, I started preparing from the first week of May for the exam in November.

Q:   Can I get direct admission at IIM Calcutta?

A:

No, IIM Calcutta admission to most of the courses is entrance-based. The application process of IIM Calcutta for PG courses takes place via CAT. Therefore, candidates need to visit the official website of CAT to get admission. The institute will further shortlist the candidates based on the CAT score and send emails to shortlisted candidates. Moreover, for the Executive MBA course, GMAT score is accepted and for DPM, candidates without CAT score can apply with GMAT/GRE/GATE/UGC-JRF or another accepted exam score. Read more on IIM Kolkata amission.

Q:   How can I get admission in SP Jain?

A:

SP Jain Institute of Management and Research admission is primarily entrance-based. Candidates are first required to register for the programme of their choice. Once the registration is done, the institute shortlists candidates for admission. SP Jain shortlists candidates for PGDM/ PGPM programmes based on CAT/ GMAT scores followed by a personal interview round. Besides, the final selection is based on academic background, versatility and achievements, entrance exam and PI. For FPM, admission is based on the Research Aptitude Test followed by PI.

Q:   Is CAT exam tough for an average student?

A:

CAT is a speed based test which is designed to assess a candidate's analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advance level problems.

However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.

Q:   If I am preparing for CAT, do I need to prepare separately for IIFT?

A:
Hello, Most of your task is done for IIFT if you are preparing for CAT. Difficulty level for both the exams is at par. The only difference is the General Knowledge section which can be easily covered by Reading newspapers on a daily basis. Ensure to solve mock papers for IIFT to get a look and feel of how the pattern is, what the difficulty level of the exam is. Focus on your CAT preparation and IIFT preparation will follow. Remember, do not try to put your leg into both the paper as far as preparation is concerned. Just focus on your CAT preparation. Try to complete your syllabus well before time so that you have time to agile yourself to set for IIFT also. Hard work and smart work will definitely make your way for both of the entrance exams.

Q:   Are six months enough to prepare for CAT?

A:
Usually, it is recommended to start CAT preparation about a year or nine months in advance. However, one can prepare for this exam even in six months if they put 8-10 hours daily into it. Candidates who have attempted the CAT before may not face a lot of hurdles in six-month preparation as they have a foundation in CAT preparation from previous year, but candidates who are appearing in the exam for the first time may face obstacles, mostly related to accuracy. The syllabus of CAT is vast and includes a lot of reading. One also has to spend a lot of time in practice sessions and mock tests to be able to master all types of CAT questions - easy, moderate and tough. If you are a student of engineering/technical or commerce background you will need to pay extra attention on VARC . However, you'll be able to manage the syllabus of DILR and Quantitative Aptitude with adequate practice of topics. But if you are a student from Arts background, it is advised to start CAT preparation much earlier because you will have to brush up a lot of Mathematics. Reading Comprehension is one subject that cannot be mastered by student belonging to any academic stream, if their English comprehension is not strong. To develop reading habit all CAT aspirants will have to start much earlier.

I started my preparation with some freely available resources, including basic material and videos. This helped me to gain basic knowledge of all the topics. Clearing your basics should be the primary step to clear any MBA entrance exam. 

Post the basic preparation, I started with practising different types of questions ranging from basic to advanced. Once I was done with the syllabus, I joined random Telegram and WhatsApp groups to solve all the questions that were sent. Meanwhile, I started with mocks of Big 4 institutes to know my strengths and weaknesses.

Also Read:

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Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.

Pallav: Here is the detailed plan of what I did:-

VARC - This is one of the dreadiest sections for a lot of candidates due to the variability of difficulty level and the section involves a lot of analysis and judgments, unlike the other two sections. This was a pain for me as despite being good at writing and understanding English, I was not able to get good marks in this section. For months, I had a single-digit score in this section and it took me numerous hours to be in the 25-35 mark range. My confidence and belief in myself helped me improve in VARC. I was sure that my understanding skills are quite good and the only thing I had to understand is how to choose the right option. I added 3-4 RCs to my daily study plan. Gradually, I analysed the pattern in the questions. My approach relied upon "Eliminate the wrongs, whatever is left will be the right choice." In this section, the question practice is far more important than just reading and it helps you to get accustomed to the question pattern.

DILR - Troublesome thing while preparing for this section was the numerous variances in the questions. While planning to prepare for the DILR section, I knew my weakness beforehand, I wanted to overcome it, I was trying and failing repeatedly. I had a conversation with 10+ mentors, and all suggested different approaches, and I tried all, but still lacked consistency in scores. After much brainstorming, I finally decided that this is a section where I need the right temperament and strategic gameplay. While selecting a set, I decided not to act on my gut feeling. I practised as many sets as possible and derived a strategy to choose the set first and then leave it if I am unable to get to the conclusion within a stipulated time.

QA - Quantitative Aptitude was the easiest section for me. It did not take much of my effort to excel in this section. However, having adequate knowledge is not enough at times. One has to be familiar with the type of questions in this section. Thus, taking enough mocks and practising CAT previous year’s question papers helps you to reduce the time taken for each question. This helps to devote enough time to difficult questions. Irrespective of your fears for Mathematics, I would recommend practising more and more to ace Quants.

Also Read:

VARC preparation tips and tricks

DILR preparation tips and tricks

QA preparation tips and tricks

Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?

Pallav: Instead of books I used the mocks and made a detailed analysis of each of them. If you are a fresher, you can study the basics of quants from the study material issued by any coaching institute. For VARC, nothing really works except the practice, for DILR go for some basic videos and then start with the CAT level sets.

Also Read: Best Books for CAT Preparation

Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does a coaching institute help in CAT preparation?   

Pallav: For this attempt I relied heavily on the mentorship from friends and mentors, as I feel temperament and control on your nerves are equally important in CAT. The exam itself tests your pressure-handling abilities along with your knowledge in specific subjects. Coaching really helps if chosen wisely, few benefits are curated material, structured approach, video solutions and video explanations.

But if you choose the wrong coaching institute, you would end up losing your efforts, time and a full year.

Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?

Pallav: I attempted around 120 full-length mocks. Nearly 120 mocks could seem a big number for a single attempt, but I found practising mocks challenging and later started loving to challenge myself. Practising mocks gave me immense learning. CAT mock test series holds utmost importance in the life of a CAT aspirant, it becomes a part of your daily exercise. If you have poor preparation, exercising mocks can lead towards healthy CAT preparation.

Shiksha: What was your CAT exam day strategy?

Pallav: While taking mocks, I planned my exam day strategy. For all three sections, I followed a different approach, as mentioned below:

VARC: I planned 28 minutes for all 4 passages without being picky and attempting the questions in the given serial. The remaining 12 minutes in VARC were left for VA. 

DILR: I planned the first 4-6 minutes to check the questions, select the right sets, and make a mindset to answer the questions. The rest of the time in DILR was left to attempt the sets starting with the easier sets and then proceeding to difficult ones. 

QA: Since it was my strength, I chose to pick the questions where I had the most confidence, and then proceed to the questions where I would have to think.

Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

Pallav: Stop falling for youtube videos, and stop analysing your profile. While the CAT preparation, one must only focus on preparing rather than thinking about their overall profile. The harsh reality is that most aspirants do not want to have the pain of continuous study. If you are aiming big, you have to fight with a lot bigger strength.

Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?

Pallav: While preparing for the CAT exam, similar to most of the test takers, I had a target to convert calls from IIM-A, IIM-B, and IIM-C. Based on my performance in MBA entrance exams, I got calls from the tier-1 MBA colleges, including

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About the Author
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Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content

With a creative soul, Abhishek is inclined towards anything in the creative space be it drawing, painting, craft, or writing. He has been working in the ed-tech industry since he started his career. Besides creative... Read Full Bio