CAT Topper 2023 Kishan Agarwal, 99.61%iler, shares strategy to crack CAT in 4 months
Common Admission Test 2024 ( CAT )
In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, CAT 2023 topper Kishan Agarwal shares his CAT preparation journey. He also talks about cracking CAT exam with just four month of preparation. Read further to know how CAT topper 2023 Kishan Agarwal aced CAT 2023 in his honest first attempt.
CAT Topper 2023 Interview: Kishan Agarwal 99.61%iler
CAT Topper 2023 Interview: Hailing from Durgapur, West Bengal, Kishan Agarwal has scored 99.61 percentile by preparing for approximately four months. By making it into the top One percentile, CAT 2023 Topper Kishan is aiming for all the top IIMs in India. Agarwal, who is also a Chartered Accountant by profession started his CAT preparation in August this year. Agarwal says, this was his first honest attempt for the CAT Exam. While sharing his reaction to CAT Result 2023, Kishan said, "I am happy that I could make it into the top 1 percentile considering the unpredictability of the exam." After cracking CAT 2023, Kishan wants to pave his way in the management field by targeting top b-schools in India.
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In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, CAT 2023 topper Kishan Agarwal shares his CAT preparation journey with a few tips and tricks that helped him crack India’s largest management entrance exam, CAT. Read further to know how CAT topper 2023 Kishan Agarwal aced CAT 2023 with just four months of preparation. CAT 2023 result was declared on December 21. CAT 2023 exam was held on November 26.
Q: What is CAT exam pattern?
Q: What's new in CAT exam?
There has been no change in exam pattern and syllabus of the CAT exam from last year apart from the fee amount which has been increased from INR 2,400 to INR 2,500 for General category candidates and from INR 1,200 to INR 1250 for Reserved category candidates.
Another key change in the latest CAT application form is reduction in the number of test city selection from six to five. The CAT 2024 applicants can only select 5 cities for test centre allotment.
During COVID era,
- Candidates had to mention their COVID-19 vaccination status in the CAT application form.
- Eligibility criteria for CAT was extended for FCAI degree holders. Now, they are also eligible to appear for the CAT.
Q: What is the sectional time limit in CAT?
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CAT 2023 Topper Kishan Agarwal: Interview Highlights
Check out the table below to get an overview of the Kishan Agarwal CAT percentile 2023:
| CAT Sections |
CAT Percentile |
|---|---|
| Overall |
99.61 |
| 91.62 |
|
| 98.09 |
|
| 99.85 |
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Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
Kishan: I am happy that I could make it into the top 1 percentile considering the unpredictability of the exam.
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Shiksha: Was this your first attempt at CAT?
Kishan: This was my first honest attempt after preparations. Although, I wrote the paper last year to see where I am standing.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Kishan: I started preparing for CAT in August this year. At first, I tried to cover the syllabus. Then I started giving sectionals from the fag end of September. Post that, I gave full-length mocks every 2 days. My overall strategy was to find out at which sectional my strength lies. During preparation, I was super comfortable while attempting the Quants section. I devoted some extra time to it and it helped me to balance my overall score on the D-day as well. Also, after every mock, I devoted significant time on the mistakes I made and tried to find alternative solutions to questions where I was consuming significant time
Q: What is the marking scheme of CAT?
Q: Is the question type and pattern of CAT and GMAT similar?
The question type and pattern of CAT (Common Admission Test) and GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) are not similar. While both exams are used for admissions to management programs, they have different formats and question types. Here are the key differences between CAT and GMAT.
CAT:
- CAT is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
- It is a computer-based exam consisting of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
- CAT includes multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and non-MCQs (Type In The Answer) questions.
- The exam pattern may vary from year to year, but generally, CAT has a time limit for each section and a fixed number of questions in each section.
GMAT:
- GMAT is an internationally recognised exam used by business schools worldwide and in India for admission to MBA and MIM programs.
- It is a computer-adaptive test, meaning the difficulty level of questions adjusts based on the test-taker's performance on the GMAT exam.
- GMAT consists of four sections: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quantitative Reasoning (QR), and Verbal Reasoning (VR).
- The question types in GMAT include multiple-choice questions, data sufficiency, sentence correction, etc.
- The GMAT 2023 exam pattern remains consistent, with a fixed number of questions and time limits for each section.
In summary, while both CAT and GMAT are entrance exams for management programs, their question types, formats, and sections differ significantly. However, it is possible to prepare for both the exam simultaneously as both are based on a similar theme. In fact, both exams will complement each other’s preparation.
Q: What is the weightage of the DILR section in CAT?
In CAT exam, there are 20 questions in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section and the total sectional marks is 60 out of 198. In CAT 2020, there were 24 question on DILR and the sectional marks were 72. In CAT 2021 and CAT 2022, there were 20 questions and the sectional marks were 60. The 20 questions are equally divided into both Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. That means, Both Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning have 10 questions each. The questions are mostly in sets. There’s rarely any standalone question in DILR.
Some of the top MBA entrance exams carrying a high weightage of Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning questions are MAH CET, ATMA, CAT, CMAT, XAT IIFT, to name a few.
Q: Does CAT have negative marking?
Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
Kishan:
For VARC, I watched a lot of videos on various topics like- How to attempt RC, para jumble, Odd One Out, Summary, and Para Completion. At first, I was not able to attempt the complete VARC section during my mocks. So I used certain permutations and came up with a strategy to solve 3 most comfortable sets of RC first. Then move to Verbal and finally move to the 4th RC.
In DILR, I used the strategy to pick 1 out of the 4 sets and solve it completely. This will help in clearing the sectional cut-off. This also gives a mental peace as this section is the most unpredictable one in the entire paper. Then I tried solving the other sets based on my comfort zone.
In Quants tried to stick to building my concepts and revising entire quant syllabi every day from October onwards. Also, I developed tricks gradually while solving multiple questions.
Also Read: CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Mock Tests are game changers, says Dixit Agarwal, 99.55%iler
Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Kishan: I didn't refer to any book for VARC and LRDI. I bought Arun Sharma and solved LOD-1 & 2 level questions for Quants.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
Kishan: I gave around 30+ full-length mocks and multiple sectionals before attempting the actual CAT. Sectionals were very helpful before giving full-length CAT Mocks. A mock test helps to find your weak areas and also provides insight on important formulas that you might have missed during your preparations.
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
Kishan: I took mock test series from several institutes.
Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
Kishan: The most important strategy that I followed was not to get nervous. This is an unpredictable exam. If any section has come tough, it will be difficult for the majority of the candidates. So, I maintained my calm and focussed more on accuracy.
Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
Kishan: I am targeting all of the top IIMs- A,B,C,L,K,I such as IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore
Shiksha: Tell us something about your educational background, family and hobbies.
Kishan: I am a Chartered Accountant by profession and an alumnus of St Xavier's College, Kolkata. I hail from Durgapur, West Bengal. I belong to a business family and my hobbies are reading, traveling, and teaching
Also Read: CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Know how Parul Garg cracked CAT with 99.93%
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Kishan: I have started my channel "Fin Tube" wherein I have started uploading lectures on Quantitative Aptitude including my detailed notes and practice questions for each topic in Quants. I am confident that MBA aspirants can largely benefit from the same. You can find the link to the channel here-https://youtube.com/@Fin-Tube?si=i91yZXFqGUquIlfF
CAT 2023 Topper Scorecard
CAT Topper 2023 Scorecard
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During CDAC C-CAT counselling process, the candidates will be allotted as per their obtained rank, preferences, category and seat availability. It is important for the candidates to select the correct order of preferences for allotment. The authorities will prepare the allotment list carefully after
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No. The authorities will not allow fresh choice filling for the second round of CDAC C-CAT counselling. Candidates will have to make their selection during the first round of CDAC C-CAT counselling. No changes can be done once the choices are submitted. Fresh choice filling can be done only during t
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Yes. The authorities will conduct CDAC C-CAT counselling process online. All eligible candidates will have to register and fill out their choices at the official website. The authorities will announce the CDAC C-CAT seat allotment result online. Allotment of seats will be done based on the candidate
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CDAC C-CAT 2025 counselling process has commenced. Eligible and qualified candidates will be able to fill out their choices for the first and second round of CDAC C-CAT 2025 counselling until January 29, 2025. The selection of choices has to be done in the order of preference. CDAC C-CAT 2025 seat
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CDAC C-CAT result is released online. To check the result of CDAC C-CAT result, the candidates will have to follow the given steps.
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CDAC C-CAT 2025 result has been announced. Candidates can now check the scores online through the CDAC C-CAT result 2025 online at cdac.in. No other mode has been used to announce the result of CDAC C-CAT 2025. To access the result of CDAC C-CAT 2025, the candidates will have to log in using the req
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Yes, you can get a scholarship at Chandigarh University based on your CAT scores. The university offers scholarships to MBA students who perform well in national-level entrance exams like CAT. If your CAT score is 80% or above, you can receive a 50% scholarship on your semester fee. Scores between 7
Contributor-Level 10
CAT is a computer based test which is conducted in three shifts. The CAT is conducted for two hours in which candidates have to solve 68 questions.
These 68 questions are divided into three sections Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension VARC Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning DILR and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The VARC section has 24 questions, the DILR section has 28 questions and QA section has 22 question. Each question carries 3 marks for correct entry and -1 for incorrect entry. There is no negative marking for unanswered question. A unique aspect of CAT is the sectional time limit. Each section has a time limit of 40 minutes (53.20 minutes for PwD candidates).
Candidates have to complete the section within the time limit as the moment the onscreen timer shows 0 minutes left, the screen will automatically move to the next section. There is no option to go back to older questions. Also, candidates have to follow the question paper chronology. They have to first solve the VARC section, then the DILR section and then the QA section.