CAT 2023 Topper Shreemant Singi shares tips & hacks to score above 99 percentile in MBA entrance exam

Common Admission Test 2024 ( CAT )

4 mins read2.3K Views13K Comments
Anum
Anum Ansari
Assistant Manager – Content
Updated on Dec 22, 2023 09:38 IST

CAT 2023 Topper, Shreemant Singi with 99.28 percentile shares his preparation strategy and important tips to crack India's biggest MBA entrance exam, CAT. Read further to know more about his CAT preparation journey and post-result career plans.

CAT 2023 Topper Interview: 99.28%iler

CAT 2023 Topper Interview: With a 99.28 percentile, Shreemant Singi is one of the above 99 percentilers of CAT 2023. Hailing from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Singi has completed his BTech in electronics and telecommunications from SGSITS, Indore. After cracking CAT 2023, Shreemant is aiming to pave his way in the management field by targeting top b-schools in India such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and more. In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, CAT 2023 topper Shreemant Singi shares the CAT preparation strategy along with a few tips and tricks that helped him crack India’s largest management entrance exam, CAT. Read further to know more about CAT 2023 topper Shreemant Singi.

Explore colleges based on CAT

Ahmedabad
#1 NIRF
₹12 L - 25 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
Bangalore
#2 NIRF
₹12.5 L - 24.5 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
Kolkata
#5 NIRF
NA
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
Kozhikode
#3 NIRF
₹20.5 L - 22.5 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges

Want better recommendations?

There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
Delhi
#4 NIRF
₹12 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
Lucknow
#7 NIRF
₹7.6 L - 12.6 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
Mumbai
#6 NIRF
₹14 L
Ranked in the top 10 by NIRF
Indore
#8 NIRF
₹17.25 L - 20 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
Gurgaon
#11 NIRF
₹8.25 L - 26 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
Rohtak
#12 NIRF
₹17.9 L
In Top 10 %ile by Average Salary of MBA Colleges
View allCollections

Also Read:

CAT 2023 result was declared on December 21. CAT 2023 exam was held on November 26. 

Also Read: CAT Topper 2023 Anmol Gupta, 99.47%iles talks about how to ace CAT with Self Study

CAT 2023 Topper Shreemant Singi: Interview Highlights

Check out the table below to get an overview of the Shreemant Singi CAT percentile 2023:

Q:   How much percentile is a good score in CAT exam?

A:

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?

A:
The Common Admission Test CAT is a national-level management entrance examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to various postgraduate management programs in India. The CAT score is measured in terms of percentile, which indicates the percentage of candidates who scored less than the candidate in the exam. Since CAT is a highly competitive exam, a good score percentile is dependent on various factors such as the number of candidates who appeared for the exam, the difficulty level of the exam, and the admission criteria of the participating institutes. However, in general, a percentile score of 90 or above is considered to be a good score in the CAT exam. With a percentile score of 90 or above, candidates can expect to receive calls for interviews from some of the top management institutes in the country. However, it's important to note that the admission process for management institutes is holistic and takes into account various factors such as academic performance, work experience, extracurricular activities, and the candidate's overall profile. Therefore, a good percentile score is just one of the many factors that are considered during the admission process.

Q:   How is the CAT score and percentile calculated?

A:
Just like any percentile score is calculated. A percentile represents the rank of a candidate in an examination, relative to the rest of the candidates who appeared for the same examination in the same time frame. If there is an exam where 1000 people appeared, including yourself, and you ranked 75th, then there were effectively 925 test-takers who were ranked below you (because they scored lesser marks than you did). In this case, your percentile score will be (925/1000)x100 = 92.5 %ile In CAT, the percentile is calculated up to three decimal places and rounded off. So, people scoring 100%ile have actually scored a percentile of 99.995 and above and similarly, people scoring 99.99 percentile are those who have scored a percentile greater than 99.985, but less than 99.995 percentile. I hope it helps.

CAT Sections

CAT Percentile

Overall

99.28

VARC

93.91 

DILR

98.09

QA

99.61 

Also Read:

Also Read: CAT Topper 2023 Anmol Gupta, 99.47%iles talks about how to ace CAT with Self-study

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

Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates

ATMA registration 2025 (Feb)

24 Dec '24

CMAT 2025 registration and app...

14 Nov '24 - 25 Dec '24

IBSAT 2024 Result

27 Dec '24

TISSNET 2024 Mock Test

28 Dec '24

NMAT 2024 Result Declaration

5 Nov '24 - 31 Dec '24

XAT

LIVE
IRMASAT 2025 Last Date of Appl...

8 Jan '25

SNAP 2024 result announcement

8 Jan '25

MICAT (II) registration process

25 Nov '24 - 11 Jan '25

UPESMET 2025 Registrations

14 Oct '24 - 21 Jan '25

Shreemant: Yes, I am satisfied with my result. I was expecting more, but a slight fluctuation in the VARC section lowered my score. But yeah, overall, I am satisfied.

Shiksha: Was this your first attempt at CAT?

Shreemant: No, this was my second attempt. Scored 98.20%ile last year.

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

Shreemant: I started my preparation six months before the exam. I started focusing on all three sections, giving more time to the VARC section as it was my weaker point. But it took around six months of dedicated preparation to get this score.

Q:   What is sectional cutoff in CAT exam?

A:

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?

A:
It is tough to give an accurate number as an answer to this questions are the number of questions have been changing in CAT in the last three years. Moreover, percentile also depends on the difficulty level of the exams and the number of test takers in a particular year. However, one can say that it is safe to solve at least 2/3rd of the total questions in each section of the CAT. So, if CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section has 24 questions, candidate must attempt 16-18 questions correctly. If the CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning has 20 questions, the candidate must solve about 12-14 questions correctly. If the CAT Quantitative Aptitude section has 22 questions then candidates must solve about 14-15 questions correctly. For further understanding you can check detailed analysis here: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/how-many-questions-to-attempt-in-cat-to-score-99-percentile-blogId-19639.

Q:   What is the CAT cut off for IIM Lucknow?

A:
The CAT cut offs for IIM Lucknow is usually around 97-99 percentile. The two courses - PGP Agri-Business Management (ABM) and PGP Sustainable Management (some) are extremely popular among MBA aspirants who wish to make a career in these areas. The institute also offers PGP programme. The qualifying CAT cut off for IIM Lucknow's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 90 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST and PwD candidates, it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Lucknow PGP course. General category: 85 VARC 85 DILR 85 Quantitative Aptitude 90 (Overall) NC-OBC category: 77 VARC 77 DILR 77 Quantitative Aptitude 82 (Overall) EWS category: 77 VARC 77 DILR 77 Quantitative Aptitude 82 (Overall) SC category: 55 VARC 55 DILR 55 Quantitative Aptitude 70 (Overall) ST category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall) PwD category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall) Click here for detailed IIM Lucknow admission and selection criteria: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/iim-lucknow-shortlist-admission-criteria-blogId-18509.

Q:   What are the qualifying CAT cutoffs for all the IIMs?

A:
Qualifying CAT cut off percentiles of Iims for Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview PI for the batch of 2023-25 are listed below. Candidates who MET the qualifying CAT cut off, were eligible for What-PI round. These qualifying CAT cut offs are for General Category. The cut offs for Reserved category students are lower: 1. IIM Ahmedabad: 85 percentile 2. IIM Bangalore: 85 percentile 3. IIM Calcutta: 85 percentile 4. IIM Lucknow: 90 percentile 5. IIM Kozhikode: 85 percentile 6. IIM Indore: 90 percentile 7. IIM Udaipur: 93 percentile 8. IIM Shillong: 75 percentile 9. IIM Trichy: 93 percentile 10. IIM Visakhapatnam: 80 percentile 11. IIM Rohtak: 95 percentile 12. IIM Nagpur: 85 percentile 13. IIM Jammu: 93 percentile 14. IIM Ranchi: 90 percentile 15. IIM Sirmaur: 92 percentile 16. IIM Bodhgaya: 93 percentile 17. IIM Sambalpur: 93 percentile 18. IIM Kashipur: 94 percentile 19. IIM Raipur: 93 percentile 20. IIM Amritsar: 90 percentile For complete details of IIM selection and admission process read this article: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/iim-shortlist-selection-admission-criteria-blogId-18787.

Q:   Are CAT cut offs announced along with the CAT result?

A:
CAT cut offs are not announced along with the CAT result. The cut offs also not released publicaly. They are known after a few days of result announcement when the IIMs and other colleges start their shortlisting process. The IIMs will open shortlist window basis the CAT cut offs two to three days after the result announcement. The CAT percentile of candidates shortlisted for Written Ability Test (What), Group Discussion GD and Personal Interview, PI can be considered the cut off for that IIM. For example, if a candidate with CAT percentile of 99 belonging from General category is selected for the What/GD-PI of IIM Calcutta, then the CAT cut off for IIM Calcutta is 99 percentile. Only those candidates who will make it to the What/GD-PI round of IIMs will get to know the cut offs.

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

Shreemant: In the VARC section, I usually attempted all 4 RCS within 28 minutes and rest time for VA. And for DILR, I used to scan the sets first and then choose which to attempt. For QA right from the beginning, I started with questions that did not take much time and came back with the ones that took more time.

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

Shreemant: The material provided by Supergrads by Toprankers was enough for me to do the complete preparation. Their section-wise theory was to the point and helped me revise quickly before the exam. The practice questions discussed in class, the assignments, practice sheets and SuperCATs (full-length test series), were highly exam-oriented and contributed greatly to my preparation.

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

Shreemant: CAT Mocks are very important as they help you strategize how to attempt and make the most of the time. I attempted around 25 full-length mocks and 70-80 sectionals.

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

Shreemant: Yes, I joined Supergrads by Toprankers. It helped me immensely to prepare and strategize how to prepare for the exam. Every class was extremely well-structured and interactive. From preparation to revision, short tricks and study techniques, everything I learned in the classroom has helped me achieve this score. I must mention, the key takeaways at the end of each class were extremely helpful as well!

Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?

Shreemant: The same strategy that I had used throughout my entire preparation. Never change what you did in mocks, as it would surely degrade your marks. So, implement what you have prepared for throughout the preparation.

Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?

Shreemant: I am targeting old IIMs (IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta) and FMS, SPJIMR, MDI GURGAON, etc.

Shiksha: Tell us something about your educational background, family and hobbies.

Shreemant: I am an electronics and telecommunications engineer from SGSITS, Indore. In my family, I have my father, who is a businessman and my two elder sisters who are married and working in the corporate world and my mother is a homemaker.

Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

Shreemant: Have faith in yourself. Never lose hope throughout the preparation. And practice how your mentors guide you.

CAT 2023 Topper Scorecard 

CAT 2023 Topper Scorecard

Read More:

About the Author
author-image
Anum Ansari
Assistant Manager – Content

"Writing is not about accurate grammar, it's about the honest thoughts you put in it". Having a versatile writing style, Anum loves to express her views and opinion on different topics such as education, entertainme... Read Full Bio

Download Important Dates for MBA/PGDM Exams

News & Updates

Latest NewsPopular News

Explore Other Exams

5 Jan '25

XAT 2025 Exam

Jan '25

XAT 2025 response sheet releas...

8 Jan '25

SNAP 2024 result announcement

21 Dec '24

SNAP 2024 session 3

5 Nov '24 -

31 Dec '24

NMAT 2024 Result Declaration

6 Nov '24 -

17 Dec '24

NMAT 2024 Retake Registration

17 Oct '24 -

5 Dec '24

IIFT 2025 registration and app...

24 Dec '24 -

2 Mar '25

MAT 2024 Registration Process ...

24 Dec '24 -

9 Mar '25

MAT 2024 Registration Process ...

4 Nov '24 -

29 Dec '24

IBSAT 2024 Exam Slot Booking

Dec '24

IBSAT 2024 Result

14 Nov '24 -

25 Dec '24

CMAT 2025 registration and app...

26 Dec '24 -

27 Dec '24

CMAT 2025 form correction

Jan '25

MAH CET 20245 registration pro...

Mar '25

MAH MBA CET 2025

Jan '25

TANCET Registration Dates

Feb '25

TANCET Admit Card Download

Jan '25

IRMASAT 2025 Last Date of Appl...

Feb '25

IRMASAT Personal Interviews

The list of exams are recommended based on what other exams do the students in your area show interest in
qna

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered Yesterday

The expected CAT/XAT percentile for GLIM G is about 80+

33204197
pradeep kumar

Scholar-Level 18

Answered 2 days ago

IILM University helps MBA Specialization studentss stay update with the latest developed reesources. they offer industry visit and seminor in your specialisation by the expert in related field . althrough faculty incourage the student to develope there skills . The university have the good connectio

...more

A

Abhishek Singh

Beginner-Level 3

Answered 3 days ago

With a 70 percentile in CAT and 58% in graduation, admission to BITS Pilani for MBA may be difficult, as they typically have high cut-offs and look for strong academic performance. BITS Pilani usually requires a higher CAT score (above 90 percentile) and a solid academic record. However, it's worth

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

The CAT result date for SIES College of Management Studies typically follows the official CAT result release date, which is usually in the first week of January. Once the results are out, SIES College will shortlist candidates based on their CAT scores for further rounds like Group Discussion (GD) a

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

With a 50-60 percentile in CAT, top IIMs may be out of reach, but there are still several good options for you. Consider institutes like IMS Noida, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indira Institute of Management, and ITM Business School. Other options include BIMTECH, UPES, and Lovely Professional

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

With a 68 percentile in CAT, getting into one of the new IIMs (like IIM Kashipur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Trichy, etc.) could be challenging, even under the OBC category. While new IIMs generally have slightly lower cut-offs compared to the older ones, they still maintain high academic and professional stan

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

With a CAT percentile of 44.28, getting into top-tier B-schools may be tough, but there are still good options available. You can consider institutes like IMS Noida, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Amity Business School, ITM Navi Mumbai, and LPU Punjab. Other options include Welingkar Institute, B

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

With a 98.07 percentile in CAT, you're in a strong position for calls from top B-schools in India. Based on your profile (Gen CAT, Non-Eng Male, 22 months work experience, 84% in Xth, and 91% in XII), you can expect calls from prestigious institutes like:

  1. IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Luckn

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

With an 87 percentile in CAT, you have some good B-school options in India. Consider institutes like IILM University (New Delhi, Gurgaon), which offers a strong MBA programme with industry exposure, or Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar, known for its solid curriculum and placements.

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

Yes, IILM University offers opportunities for MBA students, including those with a single specialization, to showcase their work at various events like conferences and seminars. These platforms allow students to present their research and projects to industry professionals and academicians. The univ

...more

R

Rupesh Katariya

Contributor-Level 10