CAT Topper Interview 2022: Know how Akshit Agrawal cracked CAT with 99.91%ile without coaching
In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Akshit Agrawal shares his preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Akshit Agrawal.
CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Akshit Agrawal, a final year B Com Honours student from Ramjas College, DU, cracked India’s biggest MBA entrance exam, CAT 2022 with a 99.91 percentile. Akshit is aiming for the top IIMs such as IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore along with FMS Delhi. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Akshit Agrawal shares his preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Akshit Agrawal.
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: 111.36 (99.91 percentile)
Sectional:
- VARC – 42.49 (99.48 percentile)
- DILR – 35.04 (99.74 percentile)
- QA – 33.83 (99.11 percentile)
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
Akshit: Thanks a lot and yes, I am very content and happy with my score. My target percentile from the day I got to know about CAT was 99.5 because it sort of guarantees calls from all the top colleges. Any score above that would have made me very happy.
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Akshit: Yes, it was my first attempt since I am in the final year of my graduation.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Akshit: I started a bit late which was February 2022, this was because I had already done a lot of my preliminary preparation during other competitive exams such as IPMAT. I feel that this previous experience and preparation really aided me in my CAT prep. Throughout my prep, I focused on the quality of my study time over its quantity.
Q: Which CAT exam slot is the toughest?
Q: How to prepare for CAT?
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
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:
- CAT exam mode is online
- Each question carries three marks
- 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
Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
Akshit: DILR and VARC have always been my strong suits, so a bit of further prep for CAT level questions was all that I needed in this year. I covered this through sectional tests and Arun Sharma LOD 2. Aeon essays made sure that I had something to read on a daily basis.
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Quants was where I struggled a bit. These questions weren’t merely about the underlying mathematical concepts but about the ability to think through them in a short span of time. A few YouTube channels turned out to be the holy grail for me when it came to QA.
Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Akshit: I referred to Arun Sharma LOD 1 and 2 for both QA and DILR.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
Akshit: I sat for a mock test at the start of my preparation to understand where I stood. That one paper really helped me understand what my strengths and weaknesses were and what areas I needed to focus on. Apart from that, I appeared for 4-5 more mocks in the remaining months. I felt that the papers weren’t helping me the way I needed them to and therefore I kept the number of mocks to a minimum.
Q: Is CAT exam tough for an average student?
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: 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: Are six months enough to prepare for CAT?
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.
Q: What is the CAT score required for IIM Calcutta?
The table given below mentions IIM Calcutta sectional and overall cutoff 2024 across all sections and categories:
| Category | Section - 1 (VARC) | Section – II (DILR) | Section – III (QA) | Overall Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPEN | ≥80 | ≥80 | ≥75 | ≥85 |
| EWS | ≥70 | ≥65 | ≥65 | ≥75 |
| NC-OBC | ≥70 | ≥65 | ≥65 | ≥75 |
| SC | ≥65 | ≥60 | ≥60 | ≥70 |
| ST | ≥55 | ≥55 | ≥55 | ≥65 |
| PwD | ≥45 | ≥45 | ≥45 | ≥55 |
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
Akshit: No, I did not join a coaching institute. I felt that the key contribution of such institutes is that they ensure consistency, if I could ensure that for myself on my own, an institute wasn’t needed.
Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
Akshit: My exam day strategy started with reaching the center well before time to ensure I got comfortable in the environment. Once the test started, I focused on maximizing my attempts in the first 2 sections and then going for the Arithmetic and Algebra questions in QA as those were my stronger suits.
Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
Akshit: I am aiming for IIM BLACK (IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore) and Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.
Shiksha: Tell us something about your educational background, family and hobbies.
Akshit: I have been born and brought up in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and did my entire schooling from DPS Varanasi. Right now I am in the last semester of my BCom Honours from Ramjas College, DU. My dad is a business owner and my mother is a homemaker. In my free time, I like engaging with puzzles whether it be Rubik’s cubes, crosswords or Sudoku.
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Akshit: One thing that I felt was crucial was the first mock I gave, it really helped me gauge my standing and plan my strategy moving forward. I feel that the way one analyses that first mock test can be the make-or-break step in their preparation.
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