MBAUniverse.com Special: CAT & XAT Toppers, Sports Champions reveal why they chose IMT Ghaziabad

IMT Ghaziabad, a top AACSB Accredited B-School, attracts toppers from CAT, XAT, GMAT to its flagship PGDM programme. MBAUniverse.com interviewed CAT 2021 & XAT 2022 Toppers who scored high percentiles and were offered admission by IIMs, IITs, IIFT but preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad. IMT has also admitted candidates with international and national sports medal winners, students who have contributed in technical development of missiles among others. The preparation strategy shared by these toppers will help MBA aspirants to devise & improve preparation strategy for MBA entrance exams, how to decide on MBA admission

MBAUniverse.com interviewed some of such toppers studying in PGDM 2022-24 batch at IMT Ghaziabad. These indepth interviews will help our readers to know:

• How to Prepare for CAT/XAT/GMAT?
• What Preparation material should be used?
• How to Prepare for VARC, DILR, QA?
• What is the role of Mocks in Test Preparation?
• Last Minute Tips for the Exam day
• What should be the Test Taking Strategy?
• How to prepare and present yourself in GD-PI round?
• How to decide on MBA College for admission?

Before we start discussing about the MBA exams and the college decisions by these CAT & XAT toppers and now IMT Ghaziabad students, let’s first get to know them a little – who they are, where did they study, do they have work-experience and more. So here is a snapshot

Name & Home Town	CAT/XAT/GMAT (Score/Percentile)	Profile Highlights
Rajvir Singh Chhabra, Indore	CAT 2021: 98.38%ile	Civil Engineer, Guitarist, Footballer, Cricketer
Payal, Patna	CAT 2021: 97.64%ile	Music Lover, B.Com from Delhi University, Was President of Western Music Society and Debating Society
Akanksha Pareek, Jaipur	CAT 2021: 94.61 %ile XAT 2022: 98 %ile	B.Com from Rajasthan University, Jaipur;
Arunima Gaur, Delhi	GMAT: 660 Score	International Medal Winner in  25m sports pistol junior – women; Work Experience of 11 Months
Riddhi Jain, Lucknow	XAT 2022: 98 %ile	BBA from Bansthali Vidyapeeth, 12 Months Work Experience in Sales & Management
Sushant Bhat, Halligadde – District- Sirsi, Karnataka	XAT 2022: 99.23 %ile CAT 2021: 91.75 %ile	From Agriculture back ground, B.E. in Information Science, passionate Movie watcher and Cook
Varun Goyal, Aligarh	CAT 2021: 89.34 %ile	Internationally Published Researcher; Contributor in improving Technical Fixture of Brahmos Missile, B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering
Gaurav Kumar Tiwari, Bokaro Steel City	CAT 2021: 89.99 %ile	38 Months of Work Experience; selected for Rerise and innovation, Birmingham’s Tech-10 programme in 2018; was awarded 2nd position, Utilities and Energy segment at The Aeonian, 2018; B.Tech in ECE
Angad Singh, Delhi	CAT 2021: 88.91 %ile	National Level Gold Medallist in “Taekwondo”, A State Level Gold Medalist in “Roller Skating Championship”, A Covid Warrior of Delhi, An Event Coordinator, a B.Tech (CSE) from GGSIPU, Delhi
Shubhi Mittal	CAT 2021: 89.78 %ile	National Level Off-Road Race winner with AIR-1 in Cost & Overall AIR-13 at Mhindra BAJA SAI India off road race competition; DIY Craft Expert, 2 Yrs work-ex in supply chain with Gabriel India after B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering

As now that you know the CAT/XAT toppers at IMT Ghaziabad, read on for their in depth interviews with MBAUniverse.com.

Rajvir Singh Chhabra: 98.38 Percentile in CAT 2021

A guitarist, football and cricket player, Rajvir Singh Chhabra, IMT Ghaziabad student of 2022-24 batch, is a graduate in civil engineering from GSITS Indore which is also his native place. Coming from a business family, doing MBA was his obvious choice. Rajveer cracked CAT 2021 with 98.38 percentile and cracked NMAT 2021 with a scaled score of 243. He was offered admission by IMT Ghaziabad, NMIMS Mumbai, IIM Amritsar, IIM Sirmaur and other top B-schools. However, IMT Ghaziabad was his first choice as he thinks that it will make his dream come true. Rajveer is of the view that self-study is most important and no coaching centre can do that for you.

Read all about Rajveer’s preparation strategy, his strengths and weaknesses, how he overcame them and why he preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad and declined the admission offers from other top B-schools

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program?
A: During my internships, I figured that my interest towards management roles was more than my interest in the core subjects that I had studied and figured that this was the best time to make the switch by pursuing an MBA Program. Due to my interest I decided to take this career path.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: Gender & Academic Diversity play a very important role as they bring people of various backgrounds together to learn and grow. Peer to peer learning is a very important part of the MBA program and having people from different background helps in this process.

Q: What role do the Extra-curricular achievements play in admission process?
A: Extracurricular Achievements can surely enhance your profile as they show your interest apart from academics but they are not the deciding factor for your admission.

Q: Which were the MBA Entrance exams you prepared for?
A: I prepared for CAT and NMAT.

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I attended a coaching centre as I wanted the material to study from and also wanted to give mock GDs and PIs to help me get fully prepared for the admission process. But the most important part during preparation is your self-study and nothing can beat that and no coaching centre can do that for you.

Q: Did you opt for Online coaching or class room coaching?
A: I had opted for the classroom coaching but due to COVID, most of the teaching happened online. Our classes happened 3 times a week during the CAT preparation phase which I thought were adequate enough and we also had a revision module along with mock tests. Apart from that, during the GD and PI phase apart from classes, you could schedule mock PIs as and when you preferred and GDs happened during classes.

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: My preparation strategy for CAT included completing all the course as given by my coaching institute and then focusing mainly on mock tests.

Q: Was there any particular section/area that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: Although I was not weak at Quantitative Ability but was not able to score marks that I expected during my initial mock tests. The main solution to overcoming this issue was finding my problem and that I found by analysing the tests. My major weakness was time management and as soon as I found that I started working on it through sectional tests.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT?
A: My sectional Preparation strategy for VARC, DILR and Quant was:

For VARC: I prepared by solving 2 RCs and a few VA problems daily. Refining my strategy to attempt these problems was my main aim and I was able to do that with time and practice.

For DILR: DILR was my favourite section among the three and I enjoyed solving the problems. I prepared it by focusing on improving my time and on which sets to attempt out of the four given. I focused on attempting 3 out of 4 if there were 4 sets and if time remained went to the 4^th set. I prepared by giving sectional tests towards the end.

For Quant: As previously stated I focused on time management. First, I completed the questions and the topics given to me by my institute. After becoming confident that I can easily attempt at least 10 questions, I started working on which questions to attempt and how to go through the section and allot my time to different types of questions.

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: Mocks played a very major and significant part in my success. I focused completely on mocks during the final stages of my preparation in the last month before the exam. In total I gave around 25 mock tests excluding sectional tests.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day? How did you plan your test taking?
A: I had the third slot for the test. I had a good night’s sleep before the day of the exam. I did not read regarding the other slots as I didn’t want to have a bias before giving the actual exam. My strategy was to manage my time judiciously and if a section is tough not to get demotivated before the next section.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: I prepared with friends and we formed a support group motivating each other along the way. They really helped me. And, as soon as I started seeing the results of my preparation in the mock tests, I started believing in myself even more and that formed an added motivation to perform even better in the next test.

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from Social Media. How did you manage it?
A: Social media did not become a distraction for me because I kept my eyes on getting into one of the top B schools as a GEM fresher and CAT does not require a very rigorous preparation for which you have to distance yourself from social media.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation?
A: The key mistake that most aspirants make is ignoring one section of the exam or just focusing on one section during your preparation. Many colleges have sectional cut-offs and clearing these could become a problem if you are not prepared. CAT does not require a rigorous preparation but at the same time you cannot ignore it and have to give time to the preparation process.

Q: What were the key components in your final selection round?
A: The key components during the final selection round are the essay that you submit which was being conducted, as the online GD could not be conducted. The interview though still formed the major part of the marks in the final selection process.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: By reading the newspaper regularly to keep myself updated regarding all the current events. Preparing for the general HR questions. Revising about my graduation subjects. Preparing answers regarding the projects and internships I had done.

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: Some of the key questions asked to me were about myself, my internships and my interests, the specialization I had picked as my preferred specialization while filling the form, and general knowledge and current affairs.

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: My interview was conducted online. It was a very smooth experience. IMT had zoom embedded in their own website only and we were explained about the entire process beforehand. The fact that it was an online interview did not cause any disadvantage or discomfort for me in the IMT-G admission process.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: During online interviews, the interviewer cannot judge your body language and therefore your answers become all the more important. Sitting in a quiet place with a good internet connection certainly helps. The people that conduct the process are also aware of the problems the candidate might face and are very accommodating regarding that, so do not stress about online interviews.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school?
A: I had applied to all the top B schools as I wanted to have the best chances to get selected in a top B school. During admission, I chose the B school that I thought would help me the most in achieving my goals. I had a basic idea of which field I wanted to enter and which college would help not only in the short term but even after I graduated through a rich and strong alumni base.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you?
A: I had been called for the final selection round by NMIMS Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIM Rohtak, IIM Amritsar, NITIE Mumbai and the CAP participating IIMs

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: I was offered admission from NMIMS Mumbai, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Amritsar, DFS Delhi.

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: IMT Ghaziabad is the best college for the field that I wanted to enter out of the options I had. IMT Ghaziabad has great quality of education and peer to peer learning. It holds great reputation and respect in the industry. Placements are very good at IMT Ghaziabad

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school!
A: The highlights of the MBA program for me have been the fests at IMT and the late night studies with my peers at IMT.

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: Studying in an MBA program is totally different from preparing for CAT. It is a more hectic and rigorous schedule but you learn through practical knowledge. It is a totally different and life changing experience.

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: For the candidates preparing for CAT, I would say do not get demotivated during your preparation or the admission process, just focus on your goal and work hard.

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Payal: 97.64 percentile in CAT 2021

A B. Com (Hons) from Delhi University, a debater and Western Music Vocalist, Payal scored 97.64%ile in CAT 2021; 81.43%ile in XAT 2022 and 98.28%ile in SNAP in her first attempt. Daughter of a Doctor, Payal’s interest towards MBA became stronger while she was doing her B.Com (Hons) from University of Delhi. She got her early education in Patna. Payal has been a bright student with 9.8 CGPA in class 10; 89.8% marks in class 12, which she did from DPS RK Puram New Delhi and 75.09% marks in B.Com Honours that she completed from PGDAV College of Delhi University.

With her interest in debating and western vocals, Payal won multiple Western Solo Vocals competitions when she was in DU and was President of the Western Music society and a member of the debating society in her UG College.

Payal was offered admission by IMT Ghaziabad, IIM Rohtak, SCMHRD Pune, but she preferred IMT Ghaziabad due to various reasons including its well placed alumni network, highly reputed Marketing program among others. Read all about Payal’s CAT, XAT, SNAP preparation strategy, her strengths and weaknesses, how she overcame them and why she preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad and declined the admission offers from other top B-schools

Q: What were the key motivators that made you decide to pursue an MBA program?
A: Coming from a commerce background, management related subjects always piqued my interest. An internship in digital marketing further solidified my decision to pursue an MBA, with a specialization in marketing.

Q: How does the prior work experience help during an MBA Program?
A: I think pursuing an MBA is a viable option for both freshers, as well as for people with work experience. There are plenty of opportunities for people from all backgrounds, and diverse points of view definitely add to the MBA experience. Having worked in teams prior to pursuing an MBA definitely enhances learning since it allows students to connect the content to real life examples.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: Academic and gender diversity are very important for an MBA program, since the purpose is to become efficient and effective future managers who will be working with people from diverse backgrounds. Getting an exposure to people from different fields, experiences, and backgrounds helps in developing an open minded attitude and other soft skills.

Q: What role do the Extra curricular achievements like Sports, Music play in admission process?
A: Being a fresher, extra-curricular activities were a huge talking point in a lot of interviews. They showcase one’s ability to work in teams, and also provide a great example of your character. Having a wide range of interests about which one can show a respectable amount of knowledge is an impressive trait to have.

Q: Which were the MBA entrance exams you prepared for?
A: I prepared for CAT 2021

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I self-prepared for the exam, since past experiences have made me realize I learn better at my own pace, and by myself.

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I purchased a mock test series by Career Launcher. Every week, I took the mock test and then analysed it well. I increased the frequency of tests taken as CAT got closer.

Q: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: I found QA to be a challenging section. Given the fact that I only had 2 months to prepare for CAT, I chose to focus on my strengths and enhance them. For QA, I chose to brush on the topics that I already knew.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT?
A: VARC: VARC is a section that plays on my strengths, so instead of any additional preparation, I just tried to attempt as many questions as possible, and then understand why I went wrong where I did.

DILR: Similar to VARC, taking mock tests and analysing them was the most efficient way to understand the type of questions that are asked in CAT, so I did that. It also helped me recognize what questions I can easily attempt, while which ones I find tricky. This made choosing question sets in the actual exam a lot easier.

QA: Given my weak background in maths, I figured 2 months wasn’t enough time to dive into topics I struggled with, so I followed youtube playlists to study for arithmetic and number system related questions.

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: Mocks were a tremendous help in preparing for CAT. They helped me identify what mistakes I was making frequently and correct them. They also helped me identify which type of questions I solved with more accuracy, which made it easy to choose questions during CAT. I attempted 20-30 mocks in the course of 2 months before the exam.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day? How did you plan your test taking?
A: On the day of the CAT, I didn’t study for anything- I had stopped studying a day before the test. My focus was on things such as getting good sleep, eating a healthy breakfast, and keeping a clear head, so I don’t feel nervous during the test.

Q: If you took XAT exam, what was your overall preparation strategy for XAT?
A: I didn’t do any additional preparation for XAT.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: Coming from a commerce background, I had been introduced to management subjects that I really liked, so the prospect of studying more about the field was extremely appealing, and kept me motivated.

Apart from that, it is crucial to have a supportive social circle, and a few people who are willing to empathize. It is also good to be in touch with other aspirants and help each other during the preparation process.

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from Social Media. How did you manage it?
A: To be perfectly candid, I didn’t put any restrictions on my social media usage. For me personally, adding restrictions only makes the thing more tempting. I just stayed on schedule with my mocks, and giving and analysing mocks already takes up such a huge part of the day, you’re not left with a lot of time to use social media.

Apart from that, I used the “forest” app (an app designed to limit phone usage) in group sessions with friends. Doing study sessions as part of a group (despite being in different cities) helped in keeping me accountable.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation?
A: There are cases where aspirants are extremely well prepared, but panic at the time of the exam, leading to mistakes. Managing both- one’s preparation as well as their mental and physical health is important.

Q: What were the key components in final selection round?
A: After clearing the percentile requirements, the process consisted of a written ability test, followed by an interview.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: I tried to keep up with current affairs, as well as prepared for hygiene questions such as “introduce yourself” and “what are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: I was asked questions about cryptocurrency and blockchain, and about recent news relating to the two. Given my background in debating, I was also asked to showcase my skills by giving an extempore on the spot.

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, my interview was conducted online. It was a very positive experience overall- the interview panellists made me feel extremely comfortable, and I wasn’t too stressed since I had a backup device to give my interview from, as well as a backup for my internet connection.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: Ensure that there are no technical glitches- set up a video call with a family member or friend beforehand to check that your mic and camera and working properly. If possible, ensure that you have a backup for your device and your internet connection. Also, make sure you have the contact details of the college with you in case anything goes wrong during the process.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for admission?
A: The Criteria I considered included:

1. How does the college rank in terms of marketing?
2. Placement reports and batch profile
3. Student life- are there committees in the college that I would be interested in joining?

I also divided the colleges in terms of “aspirational” (low chances of getting in), “match” (reasonable chances), and “safety” (high chances) colleges.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you?
A: I was shortlisted by IIM Rohtak, SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you?
A: IMT Ghaziabad, SCMHRD, IIM Rohtak

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: Key reasons that motivated me to join IMT Ghaziabad were

1. Highly remarkable marketing program
2. Impressive list of notable alumni
3. Multiple student run bodies operating on campus

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school
A: The MBA experience is very different from my undergrad college- it is both challenging as well as rewarding. The learning I have had so far, leans heavily towards the practical side, and focuses on applicability instead of just theoretical knowledge. B-schools keep you busy and require you to wear multiple hats- balancing academics, placements, committee work, case competitions, etc. It’s a huge learning opportunity- both inside and outside the classroom.

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: The type of knowledge and content required for the CAT is very different from what is needed in an MBA program. CAT focuses on aptitude, and particular skillsets. In an MBA program, the learning is very practical and experience based- and the content to be learned is much more dynamic and vast. Moreover, the MBA experience also builds soft skills in a student.

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Primarily, mock tests, especially past years’ papers are extremely helpful. One should try to follow a learning approach that works best for them, instead of simply following what everyone else is doing. Other than that, it is important to have a good support system, and keep one’s mental and physical health in mind, in order to not panic on the final day.

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Akanksha Pareek: 98 Percentile in XAT 2022 & 94.62 Percentile in CAT 2021

The Jaipur girl, Akanksha Pareek is a B.Com from University of Rajasthan and has a keen interest in Reading and Cooking. To give herself an advantage by doing a competitive course that could teach her to be dynamic, she decided to pursue MBA and took CAT and XAT exams to explore admission opportunity in top MBA colleges. Akanksha scored 98%ile in XAT 2022 and 94.62 %ile in CAT 2021 and was offered admission by IMT Ghaziabad, IIFT Kolkata, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai but opted for IMT Ghaziabad as she was interested in joining the best B-school for marketing.  Read all about the CAT, XAT preparation strategy of Akanksha, her strengths and weaknesses, how she overcame them and why she preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad and declined the admission offers from other top B-schools

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program?
A: I have always wanted to pursue a post graduate degree that gave me real world learnings. MBA provides a comprehensive exposure to a student from the first day. My key motivators were also along similar lines. In my graduation the learnings were limited to textbooks, hence I chose MBA to give myself an advantage by doing a competitive course that teaches you to be dynamic.

Q: In your opinion, how important is prior work experience for an MBA candidate?
A: Work experience helps a person relate their learnings to the real world easily. During the time I have spent here at IMT, I have noticed that people with experience are more organized both in terms of what they want to derive from this course and what their final goals are. Finally, I feel that a program like MBA demands a certain strength of character which comes from experience.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: Academic and gender diversity help in bringing a different perspective to each conversation. Our experiences shape us and our beliefs which are key motivators in all our decisions. For me personally it helps me learn from other people’s experiences.

Q: What role do the Extra curricular achievements like Sports, Music play in admission process?
A: Extra-curricular activities become a differentiator in a good profile. Although securing the first round of calls is largely based on exam scores these activities are given weightage which is growing each year. Institutions now realise how these activities are important in holistic development of a perspective student and they also help in building soft skills which are essential for future managers.

Q: Which were the MBA Entrance exams you prepared for?
A: I primarily prepared for CAT, XAT and IIFT.

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I joined TIME in march because I believed that it would provide me a structure and routine.

Q: If you prepared through a coaching, did you opt for Online coaching or class room coaching?
A: I opted for offline which soon became online due to the onset of Covid. It was a great experience since it not only helped me better and challenge myself but also provided an insight into my position with respect to other fellow students. The preparatory mock tests significantly helped me keep check of my progress and goals.

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I had the motto of making advancements each week and measuring them by giving Mock tests. This I followed through out my preparation

Q: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: I focussed on DILR because I felt that this section made or broke my Mocks. So, I did the basics and focussed on doing a variety of questions.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT?
A: Apart from attending sessions by the coaching I chose; I did the basics of both DILR and Quant and post that I primarily concentrated on giving Mock tests. For VARC I only did Mocks.

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: I attempted around 30 mocks. They helped me significantly in both time management and judgement of questions to be attempted.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day? How did you plan your test taking?
A: I made sure to get a full night’s sleep the previous night and revised a few formulas I had accumulated before giving my test.

Q: If you took XAT exam, what was your overall preparation strategy for XAT?
A: I parallelly prepared for all competitive exams and timed my essays.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for XAT?
A: I think that other sections are similar to that of CAT and other preparatory exams and the preparation can be simultaneous.

Q: What was your preparation strategy for XAT Decision Making section?
A: For Decision Making, I attempted past papers strategically to give myself an idea and yet trying not to cloud my judgement by looking at solutions too closely.

Q: How did you prepare GK for XAT as it is not counted for percentile calculation?
A: GK is always a good subject to prepare for, as it never goes to waste and can be used in interviews and just building your knowledge scope. Regularly reading a business newspaper helped me score decently. 

Q: The descriptive Essay Writing has been reintroduced in XAT? How did you prepare for it?
A: Just knowing what is going around in the world through reading newspapers is enough to give yourself opinions to write an essay. Time tends to become an issue so practicing types of essays could be beneficial.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: Routine and stopping yourself from over thinking about the future. For me personally regular exercise helped me remain calm and all-around focus on the task at hand.  

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from social media. How did you manage it?
A: It was a struggle for me as well but what helped me was being conscious of my habits and holding myself accountable for how I spent my time.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation?
A: The mistakes I tried to avoid are

1. Not being consistent
2. Concentrating only on particular sections.
3. Targeting only one particular exam.

Q: What were the key components in final selection round that helped you to crack it?
A: The key components were

1. Communication skills during the interview.
2. Subject knowledge.
3. How well you present and defend yourself.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: Keeping up to date on the world affairs through newspapers, reading up on my past academics and keeping myself motivated and optimistic.

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: Interview questions usually depend on profile and also a few behavioural questions. These were few of the questions I faced that were different-

1. What do you understand by culture (not work culture)?
2. What is turkey’s foreign policy?
3. What are India’s labour laws?
4. How do you defend your past academic record?

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: My interviews were all conducted online. It was always a very well-coordinated and smooth process. Especially for IMT-G, the process was exact which prevented wait time or anxiety over the technicalities.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: In any interview setting maintaining your calm and taking time to actually evaluate the question and then answering the questions helps.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for admission?
A: Interest is key in selecting the course and the college selection comes post that. I was interested in joining a b-school for marketing so I chose IMT-G. I was also interested in Human Resource Management which is why I gave XAT.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you?
A: I was in the final selection process for XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi, IIFT Delhi and Kolkata, and IMT.

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, I was offered admission by IIFT Kolkata, GLIM Chennai.

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: Top 3 reasons to join IMT Ghaziabad are-

1. One of the best marketing colleges in India.
2. Great Alumni network
3. Faculty that is both highly qualified and experienced.

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, What have been the highlights of your MBA program so far
A: The entry into the B-School was a bash with the 3-day orientation planned by IMT-G. We got to know our peers and actually form connections that are helping us through what has come post that. The foundation term helped us acclimatize us to the rigour that is expected of us. 

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: MBA is a completely different and fast paced world.

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Just put your best foot forward, maintain your calm and align your CV to the roles you see yourself doing.

Arunima Gaur: International Sports Medal Winner; 660 Score in GMAT

A sports person of International Level, Arunima Gaur has won International Medal in 25m sports pistol junior – women at ISSF Junior World Cup Pistol Shooting held at Sydney Australia in 2018. Her other achievements include 1^st position, 25M Sports Pistol Junior Women, 12^th Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters Shooting Competition, 2019; 1^st position, 25M Sports Pistol Junior Women Team, Meeting of Shooting Hopes, 2018 and has also been placed among top three positions in 25M Sports Pistol Women, All India Inter University, 2019; Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship, 2018; National Shooting Championship, 2018 and 2019.   

Arunima scored 76%ile in GMAT with 660 scaled score. Arunima has earned 11 months of work experience at  Bifrost Studios Pvt Ltd. She decided to pursue MBA to improve her capabilities and skills. Arunima was offered admission by IMT Ghaziabad, KJ Somaiya, Great Lakes, GIM Goa, Welingkar’s, IMT Nagpur and IMT Hyderabad but she preferred IMT Ghaziabad due to its location advantage, large alumni base and well qualified and experienced faculty. Read all about the GMAT preparation strategy of Arunima Gaur, her strengths and weaknesses, how she overcame them and why she preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad 

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program? 
A: While working I realised there were some gaps in my capabilities and my skills, therefore I decided to pursue MBA

Q: In your opinion, is prior work experience important for an MBA candidate?
A: I believe prior work experience helps a person gain clarity in what s/he wants to do and is passionate about and therefore can be helpful. A candidate with prior work experience can also relate the teachings of an MBA program to real life scenarios.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: Academic and gender diversity help all the students in an MBA program to learn & gain from other’s experience and point of view.

Q: What role do the Extra-curricular achievements like Sports, Music play in admission process?
A: Extra-curricular achievements help a person gain skills like team spirit, effective intelligence, etc which others may lack. It also gives a different and broader perspective to the candidate. The candidate can showcase all these things during the interview and drive the interview as per his/her wish. Extra curricular achievements also give a person confidence which can be of utmost help during the admission process.

Q: Which were the MBA Entrance exams your prepared for?
A: I prepared for GMAT

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I attended a self paced online coaching program as to understand the tricks and techniques of the exam in a short time.

Q: If you prepared through a coaching, did you opt for Online coaching or class room coaching?
A: I opted for online coaching and it was a good experience as I could prepare anytime whether day or night and from anywhere

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: It was a struggle to stay motivated for an exam for 3-4 months continuously but I kept the end goal in mind and made sure I had adequate breaks so as to not get exhausted

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation process?
A: Sometimes candidates focus on one topic or section too much and avoid other sections, which should not be the case. Every topic and section should be practice atleast every alternate days so as to stay in touch.

Q: What were the key skills that helped in final selection round?
A: Communication skills and general knowledge

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: Prepared hygiene questions and did mock interviews. Other than that I read newspaper on a daily basis

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: My interview mostly revolved around Shooting and my achievements and why MBA

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, My interview was conducted online. It was a smooth experience.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: Make sure the frame is set right and the background is clear else use a virtual background. Also make sure there are no interruptions or disturbances around you.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for admission?
A: My key criteria were:

• Location
• Ranking
• Alumni Base
• Other people’s feedback

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you for final selection round.
A: I was shortlisted by KJ Somaiya, Great Lakes, Goa institute of management, Welingkar’s, IMT Nagpur and Hyderabad

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, I was offered admission by KJ Somaiya, Great Lakes, Goa institute of Management, Welingkar’s, IMT Nagpur and Hyderabad

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: Key Reasons to choose IMT Ghaziabad were:

• Location
• Alumni Base
• Faculty

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school.
A: Life in a B-school is always busy and fun. There’s no difference between weekdays and weekends or day night. One has to manage multiple things on a daily basis with short deadlines. One also gets an experience in managing people and meet people with diverse backgrounds through APO groups, Clubs and Committees and classes. The highlight for me has been meeting different people within the first week of joining the college and organising events on behalf of my committee

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT/GMAT? 
A: While preparing for CAT or any other exam, the purpose is good percentile and we just have one focus but in a MBA program the purpose is experiential learning through different ways while maintaining a good CGPA and we have to juggle multiple things at once and work with other people at all times

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Give your best, stay calm, prepare thoroughly and get the basics right.

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Riddhi Jain: A BBA & Fashion Consultant - 98 Percentile in XAT 2022

Coming from the Business Family of Lucknow, with both the parents engaged in business, Riddhi Jain is a graduate in Bachelors of Business Administration from Banasthali Vidyapith. She cracked XAT 2022 with 98 percentile. Riddhi has earned 12 months of work experience in sales and management out of which she worked for 7 months as a Fashion Consultant in ‘Date the Ramp’ and 5 months as a co-proprietor in Swastik Sales. She loves Swimming, Baking and Travelling. Riddhi is pursuing MBA to gain good knowledge and earn experience before she starts her own business.  Riddhi opted for IMT Ghaziabad due to its brand name, location, ROI, Alumni network and other factors.

Read all about the XAT preparation strategy of Riddhi Jain, her strengths and weaknesses, how she overcame them and why she preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad 

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program?
A: MBA was always part of the plan, as I am a BBA graduate. Key motivators to pursue MBA are  gaining knowledge and experience before I have a business of my own.

Q: In your opinion, is prior work experience important for an MBA candidate?
A: Although having prior work experience is not everything but it does give you some insight as to what role/field you like or don’t. If I talk about my case, having gained a prior experience in sales and management, I realised that I am interested in FMCG and fashion industry.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: It would help to some extent as females/non-engineers usually have low cut-off compared to males/engineers in some colleges or programs

Q: What role do the Extra curricular achievements play in admission process?
A: Extracurricular achievements are essential to show that you’re not just an academic person. It shows that the candidate has had some holistic development throughout the life prior to MBA because even companies look for people who have a life out of books despite the student having great academic record.

Q: Which were the MBA entrance exams you prepared for?
A: I prepared for CAT and XAT exams

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I did an online coaching because of the pandemic but it wasn’t of much help so I had to study on my own after some time.

Q: If you prepared through a coaching, did you opt for Online coaching or class room coaching?
A: It was an online coaching program, evening batch, 2 classes per day on weekdays and morning classes on weekends. Recordings were provided for the sessions asked. Overall experience was average because the teachers weren’t able to solve many problems due to multiple reasons.

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: Initially I started with the chapters I already had some knowledge about. Then I started targeting sections based on their weightage. Other than that. 2 days each for QA, VARC, and DILR. Sunday was mock test day and formulas revision day. Setting daily, weekly and monthly taregts also helped me stay on track.

Q: Was there any particular area that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: I was comparatively weak at QA. The solution is to practice as many questions as you can. Give multiple mocks and analyse where you are going wrong.

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: Yes, evaluating mocks helps you in your weak areas and mistakes and even to further improve in strong points.

Q: If you took XAT exam, what was your overall preparation strategy for XAT?
A: My focus for XAT was on the decision-making section because for XAT, that is a very important section. Quant and verbal sections were covered from CAT preparation.

Q: What was your preparation strategy for DM section in XAT?
A: I took a lot of mocks for this particular section and analysed each of them

Q: How seriously did you prepare for GK section in XAT? What was your strategy
A: I looked at some articles and Youtube channels to make a list of the tentative topics that could come in GK, then started targeting them one by one, daily 2-3 topics were covered.

Q: How did your prepare for  Essay Writing Test in XAT?
A: The essay section is quite unpredictable. So, I made a basic structure that could be followed in various topics. Other than that, I read about current affairs on a daily basis.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: It’s okay to distract yourself from time to time by doing things you usually like. My escape was my kittens, watching series. Studying continuously can have more negative than positive affects.

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from Social Media. How did you manage it?
A: Having a timer for each app on my phone. Exceeding the time limit would give me a warning. Self-control is essential.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during exam preparation?
A: Don’t be very hard on yourself. It is okay to not get some concepts at once, the important thing is you don’t give up. Give your best and keep tying.

Q: What were the key skills needed in final selection round?
A: Be honest with your resume. The faculty is really experienced and will definitely know when you’re lying. Be confident and comfortable despite being put under pressure.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: Being through with my resume and trying to keep as calm as possible. Practice your hygiene questions and be confident on the final day. Give your best and leave the rest!

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: My interview revolved around my introduction and the points taken from my answer. It was a stress interview but had to keep my calm. Some of the basic questions around my work experience and general HR questions were asked.

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, there were some technical glitches initially but all is well that ends well.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: Have a good connection, silent room, and don’t get overwhelmed even when there are some glitches.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for application and later for admission?
A: Brand name was a key factor. Average Salary and ROI were the other factors.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which other top B-schools Shortlisted you for final selection round.
A: I was shortlisted by XLRI also

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: Brand name, location, ROI, Batch size, Alumni network among others motivated me to choose IMT Ghaziabad.

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school.
A: MBA is a rollercoaster. The journey is full of ups and downs but surely, one of the most interesting ones you’ll have in your life. This journey demands dedication. Just be open to experiences when you come to MBA.

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT?
A: Very different for me at least. During CAT preparation, all I had to do was study but MBA includes a plethora of other things except studying, all equally important. You will learn the best time management in an MBA college. 

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Give your best, you should not have this regret that you could’ve done better. The results are not in your hand, efforts are. Carry a chocolate or something sweet on the final exam day, stay calm and all will be fine. And even if you don’t do well, remember, there are better things planned for you!

Sushant Bhat: Son of Soil Scored 99.23 Percentile in XAT 2022 & 91.75 Percentile in CAT 2021

Proving that agriculture & rural background is the backbone of country and is no hurdle in achieving great success, Sushant Bhat, from small Village - Halligadde in Sirsi district of Karnataka, cracked XAT 2022 with 99.23 %ile and CAT 2021 with 91.75 %ile. A graduate in Information Science and Engineering from BMS college of engineering,  Sushant loves watching movies and is a big fan of Mani Ratnam. He also loves cooking. During his graduation he realized that he did not want to build his career in engineering and that he was better at management, so Sushant decided to pursue MBA. Despite getting final admission offers from IMI New Delhi, IIM Jammu, FORE School of Management, New Delhi and IMT Ghaziabad, Sushant preferred IMT Ghaziabad due to multiple reasons including its large alumni network, good placements, highly qualified faculty among others

Read all about the CAT, XAT preparation strategy of Sushant, his strengths and weaknesses, how he overcame them and why he preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad and declined the admission offers from other top B-schools

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program? 
A: During my 3^rd year of engineering, I realized although I’m really interested in tech and all but I don’t build my career in this and I was more good at management so realized MBA will be good choice for me.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: Academic and gender diversity are necessary because with that  different perspectives are brought on the table which help any person to be more empathetic and sensible about the world .

Q: What role do the Extra-curricular achievements play in admission process?
A: Good achievements in any extracurricular will help you to drive your interview in that process and if the two applications are similar then the extra curricular will come into rescue.

Q: Which were the exams your prepared for?
A: I prepared for CAT, XAT, SNAP and IIFT

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: Self Prepared, I was confident that without coaching also I could discipline and score good percentile .

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: Read basics and give mock regularly, analyze and repeat the process .

Q: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: DILR was my weak area and by solving lot of problem sets, I overcame the challenge.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT?
A: VARC  - I read Arun sharma book and gave mock regularly and anlayzed the mistakes. And worked on my grammar and reading speed also .

QA - Quant was my string suite, so referred Arun Sharma for Basics and after that lot of sectional mocks .

DILR - Lots of sectional mocks (probably highest number of sectional mocks )

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success?
A: They were quintessential in my success and If I remember correctly I gave around 40+ mocks.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day? How did you plan your test taking?
A: Have a light breakfast and reach centre early. Don’t read anything on the exam day this is not JEE or NEET. Don’t let one bad section affect another.

Q: If you took XAT exam, what was your overall preparation strategy for XAT?
A: After I gave CAT, I had roughly 1month to prepare for XAT so started from next day itself. Gave lots of Decision making sectional mocks. And For Quant and VARC not much change from CAT.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for XAT?
A: For Quant and VARC strategy was similar to that of CAT since syllabus is almost same. For Decision making, I referred Arun Sharma for basic understanding and watched lots of YouTube videos and gave lots of sectional mocks.

Q: What was your preparation strategy for DM section in XAT?
A: Decision making tests, how well you perform in a certain situations (especially dilemmas), So for basics I started watching lot of YouTube videos and understood how to approach the situations and then gave mocks and analysed where did I go wrong and what did I got right .

Q: How seriously did you prepare for GK in XAT?
A: I read news paper daily and followed major news around the country and world so I did not prepare heavily for GK. But, don’t neglect it, GK plays an important role in final selection.

Q: The descriptive Essay Writing has been reintroduced in XAT? How did your prepare for it?
A: To be honest this is the one where my efforts were minimal. I have a habit of reading long essays and books so did not prepare so much by writing.

Q: Which section in XAT did you find difficult? How did you overcome and prepare for it?
A: VARC was difficult for me. By improving my grammar and analysing mocks to the molecular level I overcame it.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: I was intrinsically motivated so external motivation was not that effective or needed for me. But I would say once you make up your mind to go for an M.B.A, remember from time to time that you need to give 100% in CAT /XAT .

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from social media. How did you manage it?
A: As from starting of my preparation I used small improvement strategy. Little by little I improved concentration.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation?
A: Don’t get disheartened by low mock scores and don’t stop preparing for this. Don’t fall into what others are doing, make your own feasible strategy.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: For the PI round I watched lots of YouTube videos for a basic understanding of PI and after that, I practiced with my friends and they gave feedback and I improved on that.

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: One of the key questions asked was “Tell us about an issue you resolved in recent times and what are the learnings from that?” and they asked about my interest in movies. 

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, it was online. Overall experience was pleasant but initially, my laptop faced some technical glitches and IMT students were able to guide me properly in this stressful situation and were really helpful.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: Don’t hesitate to ask for help from the support team they will help you. And check your system and video everything prior.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for application and later for admission?
A: Key Criteria to choose the B-school included Legacy, Research culture, and Academic Diversity.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you?
A: I was shortlisted by MICA, IIM Jammu, IIM Bodhgaya, IMI Delhi, Fore school of management , TAPMI

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: I was offered admission by IIM Jammu , Fore school of management and IMI Delhi

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: Legacy, Alumni network, Good Placement and Research culture and highly qualified faculties were the key reasons to select IMT Ghaziabad.

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school
A: IMTG has really cool professors, it has hectic but enjoyable life, and diverse peer network who are really smart.

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: For CAT you have a somewhat fixed syllabus and you learn mostly by reading and in MBA you learn from everywhere literally everywhere.

Q: Finally, what are your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Work hard and smart don’t neglect any one of these.

Varun Goyal: Contributor to Brahmos Missile; CAT 2021 89.34 percentile

An internationally published researcher, Contributor in improving Technical fixture of India’s Brahmos Missile, Varun Goyal is a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from AMU. He has earned work experience at L&T Defense and have shouldered various responsibilities.  Varun scored 89.34 percentile in CAT 2021 and preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad to any other top B-school. He loves Reading Books, Listening Music, playing online games, Watching YouTube videos, learning new languages, Painting and other extra curricular activities in which he has won several prizes. Read all about the CAT preparation strategy of Varun, his strengths and weaknesses, how he overcame them and why he preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad 

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program? 
A: From childhood I was fascinated about how things are made, how cars are made, how different things that we see around us are made. This fascination led me to become a mechanical Engineer. While I was in the second half of my B. Tech Degree, my interest towards the businesses started to grow and I started wondering that how the businesses work and operate in the market. For that I first needed to be in business. When I worked in L&T, I gained a closer look at the industry. I wanted to know more, learn more and become more important in the industry. So decided to go for an MBA.

Q: In your opinion, is prior work experience important for an MBA candidate?
A: In my opinion, Prior work experience is must before entering into an MBA program. It’s like you have to sit in a car before learning to drive it. Learning to drive a car on YouTube without even seeing a car is similar to entering into an MBA program without any prior experience. When you join an MBA with some prior work ex. You understand the things taught in classes and books keeping in mind the real-world scenario and the learning is more result oriented and more implementable.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: Academic and Gender diversity brings in different perspectives. It brings an understanding of how other people make decisions translates to success in a professional environment. It eliminates any biases, judgment, or criticisms you may hold before coming into an MBA program.

Q: What role do the Extra curricular achievements play in admission process?
A: Extra-curricular activities help students to learn about themselves and develop and use their skills and knowledge in different contexts. Colleges have understood the need of extra curriculars and have increased its weightage in the selection processes. They don’t want people who have just been busy with books in their whole academic period. They prefer people who have explored their interests and utilized their inner knowledge, strengths and skills to achieve more in life.

Q: Which were the exams your prepared for?
A: I only prepared for the CAT exam.

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I purchased the self-study package of TIME and prepared at home. It was enough for me because I had the basic understanding of the subjects. But if someone doesn’t have the basic understanding of subjects and want to prepare from the very basic level then they must go for the offline classes or online classes whichever mode suits them.

Q: If you prepared through a coaching, did you opt for Online coaching or class room coaching
A: I prepared with the help of TIME self-study material. I got the full study package of around 20 books in hard copy delivered to my address and the same were given to me in the pdf format on the web portal. Along with the study package there were hundreds of practice test given to me on the web portal in each and every section with increasing level of difficulty. Other than these tests there were AIMCATS those were also there on the web portal. After every 4 to 5 days one AIMCAT was conducted on National level and in that you can gauge your performance because its very similar to the actual CAT exam. I would say the level of AIMCATS is set a bit above the actual exam so don’t get disheartened if you get low score in AIMCATS. Keep preparing and you scores will improve over time.

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I kept my hold over the concepts from study packages and some YouTube videos and kept attending mocks and AIMCATS. It helped me judge my preparation each day and helped me to improve from that point.

Q: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: I was weak in DILR and to overcome that I studied concepts from the study package and to avoid confusions and learn some tricks to solve DILR questions I watched YouTube videos from Elites Grid channel. With that I kept practising mocks and analysing the mocks that where did I made mistakes.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I started my preparation with DILR because I felt that I needed to work the most on it. First, I understood the concepts from the study package and kept giving small tests side by side. For VARC, I started reading books and it helped me a lot. Along with the books I kept reading Economic Times News paper daily. For QUANT, I didn’t require to put much effort because I was good at it but still I practiced all the mocks to brush up and kept revising the concepts from study package.

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: Mocks played a very crucial role in my preparation. It helped me judge my preparation and helped me move in right direction. Whenever I attended the Mocks after that I sincerely devoted at least 3 hrs for analysing the whole test. Where I did wrong, where I could have gained marks, how I could have attempted questions and where I need to improve. I attended 30 AIMCAT mocks before the exams and some 90 to 100 small individual section mocks.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day? How did you plan your test taking?
A: At the last I didn’t stress about anything, took proper sleep and just revised concepts from a revision note that I prepared beforehand. When I started the actual test, I kept calm and just kept on solving questions one by one. I didn’t panic and kept on moving section to section.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: My family motivated me a lot. They were there along with me all the time during my preparation. I also kept faith in me and kept preparing. There were times when I felt that I might not get good marks in CAT and may not get any good college but still I pushed this feeling down and kept on preparing with full efforts.

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from social media. How did you manage it?
A: I struggled with this in my college days and since then I didn’t have any Facebook account or Instagram account or snapchat or anything else. I just had WhatsApp and LinkedIn. But now when I am in IMT Ghaziabad, I have to make accounts on Facebook and Inst, but I still don’t find those platforms relevant today. So, it is better to keep yourself restricted to all that makes sense to you or all that is unavoidable in your life.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation process
A: They should not get away with mocks. Many people just keep preparing without mocks and at the D Day when they face the actual test their preparation doesn’t stands with them because they never put themselves in a situation that was similar to the actual exam. And they should not be disheartened after getting bad marks in their mocks. Mocks are for this only. They help you move your preparation into right direction. Second, they should keep making small notes of the concepts that they think they might forget after some time. It helps a lot in Quants but in VARC and DILR it is of less use.

Q: What were the key components in final selection round?
A: In the final round of selection after shortlisting, I had to write my opinion in limited words and in a limited time about a common problem. Post that I had an interview.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: For the section in which I had to write my opinion about a common problem I kept reading newspaper daily and for the interview I prepared my hygiene Question well and had confidence that I would get selected.

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: They asked me about my city, my hobbies, my favourite music, about my work ex., my research work and my future goals. 

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, my interview was conducted in online mode and I had a great experience because the interview went smooth. I was interviewed by 2 professors. First one professor asked me about some technical questions related to my B.tech and then another person asked my more like HR questions.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: Just be confident, groom well, sit in a closed silent space where nobody can disturb you. Keep a water bottle, a pen and a paper at your side. Check the Internet connectivity. It should be lag free. Keep your phone on silent mode. Sit in a room with proper lighting and before the interview start, practice a mock introduction with your PC camera on by yourself so that you can see how is it going.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for application and later for admission?
A: Some of my key criteria were Average college ranking, alumni network, Fee structure, Average placements, Location and feedback from past students of college.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you?
A: I was shortlisted for IMI Delhi, FMS-BHU, UBS Chandigarh and IIM Kashipur.

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: IMI Delhi, UBS Chandigarh and FMS BHU offered me final offer for admission.

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: IMT Ghaziabad has probably the best image in market for Marketing. People come up with one name when they talk about the best college to study Marketing in Delhi NCR. And also its Rich alumni network, average placements and its location in Delhi NCR made me go select it.

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school
A: It’s been 3 months now and if I can summarize these 3 months in one sentence, it would be- “It has been a non-stop roller coaster ride and continuing”. I am making good friends, some best friends and some acquaintances along the ride. I am facing hardships and challenges everyday but I know they are here to shape me better than before. I am enjoying the changes and heading towards the bright future.

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: Studying at MBA is very different from CAT preparation. During CAT prep. You prepare alone, your failure is yours and your success is yours. But in an MBA, you are never left alone, you are always a part of a team. You win with team and you loose with team. You cry with team and you celebrate with team. Even in exams, your individual score is just 40 percent of the total evaluation. Rest is team work, that was no where in CAT preparation.

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Be focused, don’t get distracted form social media, keep confidence in yourself, Keep giving mocks, keep making notes, Keep practicing and remove fair of failure from your heart. No failure is failure until you accept it and stop trying. World is full of opportunities, identify your strengths and weaknesses, plan to work on them, decide your goal and then just keep moving for the goal until and unless you achieve it.

Gaurav Kumar Tiwari: 38 Months of Work Experience; CAT 2021 – 89.99 Percentile

Coming from the Business & Engineers’ family of Bokaro Steel City, Gaurav Kumar Tiwari is a B Tech in E.C.E from I.E.M, Kolkata. He has earned 38 months of work experience after his graduation as  Co-founder & Director, Production and R&D, Gozero Mobility Pvt. Ltd. Apart from academics, Gaurav has keen interest in extra cuticular activities and has earned many accolades and awards. He was selected for Rerise and innovation, Birmingham’s Tech-10 programme in 2018; was awarded 2^nd position, Utilities and Energy segment at The Aeonian, 2018 earned IEM Director’s Award, student performance for entrepreneurship, 2018 among others. Gaurav scored 89. 99 percentile in CAT 2021 and has joined IMT Ghaziabad to pursue PGDM 2022-24 batch. Read his CAT Preparation strategy, how he overcame his weaknesses and cracked CAT and why he chose IMT Ghaziabad

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program?
A: Being an entrepreneur with growth in the business I understood the importance of structured approach towards any business problem. I understood that we can’t have luxury of time and resources every time to use trial and error. So I decided to understand the science behind doing the business.

Q: In your opinion, is prior work experience important for an MBA candidate?
A: I feel prior experience helps to relate to what we study in this course but it is not compulsory. Taking knowledge and applying in future can be helpful to many. It all depends which approach is beneficial from whom. Today during my MBA classes, I could relate my experience. I can learn different and more effective way to understand the same problem.

Q: What role do the Extra curricular achievements like Sports play in admission process?
A: As we are moving towards to an educational system which is not only inclined to academics, extra curricular plays important role in selection process. By profile based selection, one gets rebate of 3-4 percentile depending on the extra curricular activities done by the candidate.

Q: Which were the exams your prepared for?
A: I prepared for CAT exam

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I did Self Preparation

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I followed three step strategy:

• Give test
• Analyse: analyse weaker sections or new topics
• Learn/revise

Q: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: DILR was my weak area. I tried to overcome it by practice

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT?
A: For VARC: I used GMAT books to get to the approach

For DILR: I practiced through tests and books.

For QUANT: Took tests and gone through Arun Sharma book

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: Due to lack of time I was totally dependent on mock tests. Total tests were 30+.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day? How did you plan your test taking?
A: I believe in relaxing a day before any exam. For last minute I just looked after important formulas and rules to solve the problem. For exam taking I divided my time of each section in 25:15. 25 min for easy questions and scanning the paper. 15 minutes for medium level questions.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
Ans: Remembering as to why I wanted to do MBA always motivated me to move forward.

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from Social Media. How did you manage it?
A: I have never been much active on social media so it was not a problem.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation?
A: In my opinion, one should not make following mistakes during preparation

• Getting demotivated by failures in initial tests.
• Not analyzing their test marks
• Not giving enough tests

Q: What were the key components in final selection round?
A: These were Essay writing and interview.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: By reading newspapers and by asking friends and families to take mocks interviews

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: Some of the questions were

• Introduce yourself
• Why MBA
• What you learned from work ex
• What were the bad things in the industry you worked in and how would you change it.

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, it was Online. Smooth and very relaxed interviews.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: Be yourself and be clear on why MBA and why this college. Also record yourself while practising your answers and see your facial expression and improve to be more confident and expressive through your expressions.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for application and later for admission?
A: Checked, if the B-school has every resource available to reach my goal.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you?
A: I was shortlisted by IIT-KGP (MHRM), NMIMS, MICA, IIT-Dhanbad, SIOM Nashik

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: I was offered final admission by IIT-KGP (MHRM), NMIMS, IIT-Dhanbad, SIOM Nashik apart from IMT Ghaziabad

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: Key reasons due to which I preferred IMT Ghaziabad were

1. Top marketing faculty
2. Alumni network.
3. Location of IMT-G

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: Preparing for CAT is just the trailer of the movie named MBA. Whatever one does in preparation is the entrance to the b school, after that the real grind starts.

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Work hard and work smart. You will reach the destiny.

Angad Singh: National Gold Medallist in Taekwondo, Covid Warrior-CAT 2021 88.91 percentile

A National Level Gold Medallist in “Taekwondo”, A State Level Gold Medalist in “Roller Skating Championship”, A Covid Warrior of Delhi, An Event Coordinator, Angad Singh is a B.Tech (CSE) from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Angad scored 88.91 percentile in CAT 2021 and has joined IMT Ghaziabad to pursue his PGDM.  Read all about the CAT preparation strategy of Angad, his strengths and weaknesses, how he overcame them and why he preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad 

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program? 
A: Ever since from being the Prime Minister at my School’s Council to being the Placement Lead during my B.Tech, I had always been intrigued by taking initiatives and coordinating with people. Since I wanted to build up on my skills, I decided to pursue an MBA program.

Q: In your opinion, is prior work experience important for an MBA candidate?
A: I don’t really think Work Experience is important for an MBA candidate. MBA in itself is a holistic learning experience, which teaches an individual to become cross functional across domains. Myself being a fresher too, I feel a fresh mindset without any pre-conceived information helps me look at any problems in multi-faceted way.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: Diversity in all aspects is a core building block for the development of an MBA program, because it supports a major subset of MBA, i.e., Networking. While being a decision-maker you have to incorporate views and thoughts coming from diverse backgrounds, and I think diversity in B-Schools helps you achieve this trait.

Q: What role do the Extra curricular achievements like Sports, Music play in admission process?
A: Extra Curricular Achievements add to the overall personality that you carry. Right from filling the SOP for B-Schools to sitting for GDs and Interviews, the skills that you gain through such activities aid in the process of getting you through the selection criteria. For me, the analytical skills learnt via Abacus, combined with proactiveness attained through Roller Skating and Taekwondo and also with the managerial skills acquired by organising multiple events helped be get into this journey at IMT.

Q: Which were the exams your prepared for?
A: I prepared for the CAT Exam.

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I self-prepared because my B.Tech was still going on and I had to manage my studies along with the responsibilities of Placement Committee and Literary and Managerial Society of the college.

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I saw CAT as a test of my presence of mind, combined with problem-approaching strategy to understand the mindset of the examiner behind setting up the questions. So, I brushed up my basics of Mathematics and some quick tricks, along with a basic overview of the commonly used vocabulary to be ready for all 3 sections.

Q: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: Well, I thought myself to be quite weak at DILR initially because I had a random approach to any question I encountered. But then a number of open resources available over Telegram and Youtube helped me develop a Go-To Strategy for DILR Sets and this helped me gain more score in the section.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT
A: For VARC, I went on to understand the context behind the passages rather than just having a superficial read through the text. A regular read-up of newspapers/novels helped me enhance my vocab. DILR and Quant had a lot of common approach, because it required us to think analytically along with applying the basics of mathematics. Any resource that walks you through your learnings and helps you develop a quick solution to the problem would suffice for the preparation.

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: Mocks are the confidence-building sets of the CAT preparation. Since I had a very limited time to prepare, I focused on practicing via Mocks. I attempted approximately 15 mocks, though I highly recommend to take this number to somewhere around 40, if you have sufficient time and you really want to ace the CAT Exam.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day? How did you plan your test taking?
A: I think I had no last-minute preparation. One important thing to keep in mind is not to panic at any cost. My Quant got screwed up because I panicked in the previous section which shattered my base and eventually my thought process. The plan should be initially approaching the questions which strike either the “doable” part of your preparation, and then moving on to other questions.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: Motivation comes from the dreams that you chase. For me, the dream was to get into a good B-School and eventually grab an opportunity that would help me establish myself in the industry and completely utilize my potential. So, the kind of learning and development that you get through, makes you a perfect fit for any great organization to work with.

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from Social Media. How did you manage it?
A: I think we are the ones who describe the radius of our distractions. A limited and concise usage of the social media is necessary, so as to stay updated with what’s up around us. Having said this, “Excess of everything is bad”, so I maintained a firm balance between my preparation time and a slight mixture of social media for refreshing myself through the process.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during entrance exam preparation?
A: I think focussing too much or too less on any particular topic/section should be avoided. A smart strategy can be followed, but we never know what goes behind the examiner’s mind while setting up the question paper. So, a standard and well managed approach should be maintained for all sections of the exam.

Q: What were the key components in final selection round?
A: Clarity of thought, Conciseness of the answer and a Clear osmosis of your points to the interview are some components of the final selection round. All the traits, competences and knowledge that you possess should be articulated from your side to the Interviewer Side. If the interviewer perceives you the way you want him to, that’s a bull’s eye for your final selection round.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: Since I was shortlisted at IMT through the profile-based criteria, I went through the SOP that I attached along with what have I achieved over the years. I focussed majorly on the differentiating factors of my profile, be it the academic consistence or the extra-curriculars, I had an extensive knowledge of anything and everything that could be popped out for my interview.

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview?
A: My interview started with my introduction, followed by my B.Tech Specialization and certain technical questions related to it. Post this, the focus shifted towards my Extra Curriculars and how do I leverage the benefit of being a consistent academic and sports achiever while applying for IMT. Another important question was why I opted for an MBA after B.Tech, and how can the knowledge gained through B.Tech be beneficial for me while pursuing Marketing at IMT.

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, my interview was conducted Online. The experience was great, and the entire process was very smooth. The Admissions Team at IMT kept a regular touch with me, right from sharing the interview link to helping me join the meeting room at the stipulated time. Any technical issues, small or big were addressed with utmost priority and a flexibility of interview slots was also provided to me by them.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interview?
A: I think, the initial tip is to get of technical issues, if any. This is because it creates a negative impression to the interviewer that the candidate did not cross check the things before joining in for the interview. Along with me, one should have a clear line of thought, with no pre-occupied mindset so that it allows us to think wide and inculcate as many relevant points as are needed to suffice the interviewer with our answer.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school for application and later for admission?
A: There are multiple B-School selection attributes such as the Alumni Base, Placement Reports, Clubs and Committees, Faculty Members and the accreditations it holds.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you for final selection round.
A: I had a shortlist from IMI Delhi, GIM Goa, GLIM Chennai and Fore School of Management to name a few.

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: I converted all the colleges I got shortlisted for.

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: 1. A great and widespread Alumni Base

         2. Emphasis on the Clubs and Committees Culture

         3. Sector Wise Offers and the rich pool of companies visiting for hiring

         4. Strategic location in NCR Region, thus attracting a lot of potential employers.        

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school
A: As of now, the journey has been great. It has taught me to be highly cross-functional across various domains. While being a part of the Alumni Relationship Committee in a college that has such a widespread Alumni Base, I get to network a lot. From preparing for placements, to academics along with the case-competitions and other activities, the real time crunch started to seep in.

But this entire world that we enter into as B-School Students, teaches us to be ready for any ad hoc situation that we might need to handle with utmost priority. I have started to develop skills and attributes that have never been a part of my personality. So, it feels like a blessing to be here.

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: CAT is like the first cell that develops to initiate the process of reciprocation known as MBA. While CAT prepares you across 3 sections, MBA makes you ready for a multi-faceted growth curve that awaits our professional cycle. You learn and unlearn in a continuous loop while studying in an MBA Program, and I think this helps us develop across various stages of life.

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: My tip is to believe in yourself, and in the preparation you’re doing. There’s always a room for a traveller who wants to seek it, even through the jungles. Nothing is too tough for anybody, rather it’s all about the kind of approach that you carry towards the problem posed in front of you. And if you crack the right path to it, you’re almost half-way the journey you’re seeking for yourself.

So, all the very best and my best wishes to all the aspirants.

Shubhi Mittal: DIY Craft Expert, Mahindra BAJA SAI Racer; CAT 2021 – 89.78 %ile

AIR-1 in Cost & Overall AIR-13 at Mahindra BAJA SAE India, a National Level Off-Road Race Competition, Shubhi Mittal is a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from YMCA University. Coming from a business family of Faridabad, Shubhi has earned 2 years of work experience in Supply Chain at Gabriel India Ltd. With keen interest in Do it Yourself (DIY) Crafts and travelling, Shubhi scored 89.78 percentile in CAT 2021 and preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad instead of any other management institute. Read all about the CAT preparation strategy of Shubhi, her strengths and weaknesses, how she overcame them and why she preferred to join IMT Ghaziabad 

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an MBA program? 
A: I decided to pursue MBA because I wanted to gain a holistic knowledge of all the domains like Marketing, Finance, Operations and HR which are required to become a successful manager in the industry. My experiences during my BAJA competition and at Gabriel ignited my interest in how businesses function and how they strategize their key departments for long term success. Personally for me, the key motivators were to get into a top B-school where I can get the required exposure and ample opportunities to transform myself into a better manager and a leader.

Q: Is prior work experience important for an MBA candidate?
A: In my opinion, prior work experience helps in bringing clarity where you want to take your career. One can from day 1 start working for that goal and chart out their path. Also, I observed that having prior work experience often helps in understanding classroom learning in a better way compared to our peers as we can relate the teachings from our work experience. Sometimes, it also helps in giving you the good talking points in your interviews if one hasn’t done much in their extra-curriculars in undergraduate. And yes, B-Schools do give bonus points to work ex people which gives an edge in getting the cut there.

Q: How do the Academic & Gender Diversity help in MBA Program?
A: At IMT ,we have the crowd from all academic disciplines. You just name it and you will find people from that background. Be it Geology honors, Hotel management, Psychology honors, Engineers or people from commerce background, we all learn from each other. Diversity helps in bringing more different perspectives onto the table which is necessary to keep into mind while you come to the conclusion. And it helps in building creativity and this is where innovations come into the play. Also, MBA is a journey to your corporate career. Doing assignments and projects with the diverse group of people today actually helps you in managing diverse teams in the future.

Q: What role do the Extra-curricular achievements like Sports, Music play in admission process?
A: Extra-Curriculars help in building personality by equipping oneself with the required skills, personal qualities, and different experiences. These experiences one realizes or not invariably help us in dealing with different problems we encounter, be it in MBA or in personal/professional life thereby improving our productivity. They also, build our thought process and our approach to them for bringing a new outlook to the table. B-schools know this and therefore give due importance to it while admitting students.

Q: Which were the exams you prepared for?
A: I prepared for CAT. I also gave Other Management Entrance Exams (OMETs) and didn’t prepare separately for them. My CAT preparation helped me in acing them off.

Q: Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: I joined a crash course of TIME to be acquainted with the different tips and tricks to solve problems. Also, I enrolled into the test series of IMS.

Q: Did you opt for Online coaching or class room coaching? Please share details
A: I opted for the Online Classroom Coaching- Crash course of TIME,  as it helped in reducing the traveling time that I could use for more practice. I joined in mid-July and the syllabus was completed by October.

Q: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?
A: I divided my preparation into two phases- completing basics first from the coaching modules and different books. Then going through sectional tests and mocks in the second phase. Although I used to give mocks while doing basics as well, the frequency was very less. I aimed to complete my syllabus till mid- September. While I was doing basics, I made sure to give a 2-hour mock test every week and do its analysis. Also, I used to attempt the sectional tests of all the topics I used to complete. This exposed me to different question sets and most importantly build my speed in solving the questions.

Giving tests from time to time is very important as it builds your habit of sitting in the test environment and solving questions under the pressure. Believe me, the pressure during D-day will be huge and many people screw up their exam despite knowing the approach to solving a set of questions because they panic and are unable to control their temperament.

When I completed my syllabus, I increased the frequency of giving mocks with 2 mocks each week and increased it to 3-4 mocks every week in November. Also, I focused to revise the questions which I couldn’t solve on the first attempt and had to check their solutions thereafter. I revised questions from my mocks and the modules I had solved.

Also, I maintained an excel sheet, where I used to jot down the test date, number of right and wrong questions in the test, accuracy, and score, and most importantly my strength and weakness in each test. I used to give paramount focus on test analysis and implementation. In my opinion, doing effective analysis and implementing your lessons from that analysis into practice is the toughest part of the preparation. The key lies here is to get out of your comfort zone.

Q: Was there any particular section that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge?
A: I was very weak in the VARC section. For me, despite giving 100 odd sectional tests, my scores were not improving. I was reading newspapers and articles from various sites like Aeon regularly and still wasn’t able to mark a significant improvement. Therefore, I sought the help of my friends and teachers and asked them to do the analysis of my mocks so that identification can be done where the actual problem lies and I can work on it. It worked for me where I found that the main problem was comprehension and identifying the relevant paragraph for the question. Although improvements took time to happen, they finally started happening. For VA, my strengths were Para summary questions and I used to attempt them first. In the mocks, I didn’t used to spend time on the questions which were from my weak areas. Just used to skim it and in case I found them doable in the first reading I would attempt or else skip it.

Q: Please share your sectional preparation strategy for CAT? 
A: VARC- There are no such formulae for VARC. Only reading, summarising, and practicing are the key here. For me, I used to ensure reading newspaper daily and their editorials. This also helped in preparing for GK simultaneously for OMETs where there is a section for GK and also for the interviews. For better comprehension, I used to write a summary of the article I read. This built my concentration and helped me in realizing the important points where I should focus while reading. Writing a summary will also help in solving parasummary questions. Apart from that, I sometimes used to read essays from websites- New York Times, The Guardian and Aeon on different topics like philosophy, Arts, and Science in order to expose myself of the different terminologies and writing styles so that when I encounter any RC in exam, I have some familiarity. Initially while solving RCs, I used to doze off many times. But building familiarity eventually helped me to overcome it and then many times I used to find RCs actually very interesting. I practiced RCs from TIME Module (basic+advanced), completed all my foundation and intermediate tests, and partially advance tests.

I also practiced from RC100 book. I used to maintain excel and if any pattern arose, like finding a topic weak, I used to read articles and solve RCs of it.

For VA, I again completed all the foundation, intermediate tests and apart from it, solved handouts by TIME. I found Youtube videos by Krishna Sripada to be very helpful in solving questions of VA. Sir has mentioned ample tricks which made the work easy for me. I also made sure to solve 10-15 critical reasoning questions daily which helped a lot in solving both RCs and VA questions.

LRDI- For LRDI, I solved the basic & advance module of TIME and their handouts thoroughly. This built my foundation. Then I solved the intermediate and advance sectional tests from TIME and hovered through foundation tests of those topics which I found difficult like Games & Tournaments, Maxima & minima, etc. I also ensured to solve previous year CAT papers because this is where you can find the best quality of LRDI sets. I solved the last 10 years' papers and this really built my confidence in LRDI section and helped in strategising how to attempt and solve the paper. After this, my main focus was to revise those sets which I couldn’t solve in the first go and had to look for a solution. My analysis strategy here was to first skim the section, and write those sets’ Question numbers in my sheet which I think are doable. I used to categorize question paper into three parts- Easy, Medium, and Difficult and would map the question sets accordingly.

Attempt them in order and if I was not able to find the melting point in the first 5-6 minutes, I would leave that set and move on. This is the catch here as few questions look easy at first glance and while attempting you find them tough. The key here is to put aside your ego and do not spend more than 10-11 minutes per set. And 10-11 minutes should also be spent only when you are able to find a headway in the first 5 minutes. Sometimes, people spend a lot of time on 1 set, due to which they are not able to attempt easy questions in the paucity of time and score less. I used to ensure to atleast give a try to all the questions.

Quant- For Quant, which was my forte, I solved the basic module by TIME and all their intermediate-level tests. And practiced questions on those topics where I scored least in the mocks. I also ensured to revise the questions which I couldn’t solve timely form both the module, sectional tests and mocks.

Q: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
A: Mocks played a very important role in my CAT preparation. They made me realize my strengths and weakness and helped me strategize where I can level up my play. I gave around 35 mocks that included mocks of both IMS and TIME. My advice to aspirants is- don’t just give only mocks. Analyze them and revise the questions timely. Because questions in the mocks are well curated by experts designed to be close to the actual exams and gives you an actual picture of where you stand. I always used to ensure to give my mocks in the test setting and in the time slot when my actual CAT will be conducted in order to maximize my brain activity during that time. After the mock, I used to solve those questions which I couldn’t attempt, in a timed manner and the ones  I did wrong. Always ensure to do questions in a time-bound manner as it helps in building pace and habit of solving questions under time pressure.

Q: Please share your strategy for the CAT Exam Day. What was your last-minute preparation?
A: When only a week was left for the exam, I just focussed on revising key formulae of Quant, and short notes I made during my VARC preparation and revising questions of different topics from mocks that I had attempted earlier. I reduced my mocks frequency during that week and gave mocks only alternate days on my exam slot time.

For CAT exam day, I ensured to take ample amount of sleep and rest. In order to ensure I am perfectly fine during the test day, I started taking care of my health more seriously. I stopped eating junk food in order to avoid any stomach infection and took measures not to catch a cold. In short, I took care of the very small things which I thought could be a distraction during my exam. To fire up my neurons, I did small reading and solved one LRDI set before the exam. Although, I will not suggest this strategy because it might create undue pressure if you are not able to solve that set. But for me, it was essential to warm up before the exam just like any sportsperson does before the actual game.

Q: Apart from CAT and XAT, share preparation strategy for any other exam that you took?
A: I also gave exams like SNAP, NMAT, and XGMT. I scored 96 percentile in SNAP, 226 marks in NMAT, and 99.3 percentile in XGMT. For these exams, I specifically practiced the Analytical and Logical Reasoning questions like Input Output, Number & Letter series, Clocks, and Calendar, deduction questions, brushed up on grammar concepts from TIME module, and gave mocks as many as I could because the key to crack these exams is speed, if your concepts are clear. For GK, I went through the compendium provided by IMS which I found to be very helpful as they were very succinct.

Q: How did you remain Motivated through your preparation journey?
A: There were many times when despite practicing everything on my plate, my marks were stagnant in the mocks and I was not able to mark any improvement. Sometimes, marks even dipped. This demotivated me a lot during that time. In order to boost my morale and confidence, I used to talk to my friends who were either preparing or had cleared CAT last year, teachers and counsellors by coaching institutes which I could find randomly on the internet and implemented their advice and suggestions. Sometimes, when I used to feel the burnout after solving lots of questions, I used to take a break and watched other aspirants' videos on Youtube and that really motivated me to perform and keep my hunger alive to solve more and more questions.

Q: A lot of MBA aspirants struggle with distractions from Social Media. How did you manage it?
A: I had installed Quality time app on my mobile phone which used to track the time I have spent on each and every app daily. I made sure not to spend more than 1 hour on my mobile phone each day. I had put the alert on my mobile that whenever I would exceed the set time limit, my phone would alert me in every 5 minutes. I switched off my notifications from WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram so that the notifications do not distract me while I am solving the questions. Although I will not suggest this in case you can manage, I stopped posting on the social media handles and even limited myself from talking to friends over calls and meeting them till my CAT exam.

Q: What are the key mistakes that aspirants should avoid during the exam preparation?
A: The key mistakes one should avoid during exam preparation should be:

1. Reading newspapers just a few days before the exam. If you are thinking to prepare for GK after your mocks then it will not work GK is not a one day thing and should be worked in bits and pieces regularly.
2. Do not overload yourself just with solving questions and no analysis. Ideally, the strategy should be Concepts→ Testing→ Repeat. One should first prepare the concepts and then put those learnings to test. Analyze what went wrong and right and keep a note of them. Revise those concepts and practice those types of questions where you lagged and repeat the process.
3. Do not try to attempt the complete paper in CAT. Toppers score around 50% marks. That means if you are able to solve even 50% of the paper correctly you can score 99 percentile. So, the trick here is to identify easy and medium questions and maximize your attempt and accuracy there.

Q: What were the key components in final selection round?
A: In the final selection round, after the interview shortlist was out, there was a critical and analytical writing test and post that an interview was conducted.

Q: How did you prepare for the final selection round?
A: For the Critical and Analytical writing test, we were given a topic where we had to write 500 words on it. My newspaper reading and the reading on contemporary topics, and watching youtube videos on current affairs helped me in keeping abreast of the happenings around the world. For the interview, I prepared answers to the commonly asked hygiene questions, about my work experience, and the current trends in it, and prepared a repository of questions that could be asked anything under the sky about my profile. I also went through the marketing dossiers and supply chain dossiers since these were the fields under which my profile was built around and I was sure a few technical questions could be asked from it. I also brushed up my academics as it had been 3 years since I graduated and went through commonly asked concepts and prepared 2 favourite subjects thoroughly. Also, I read about my city and state, all the current happenings and what are they famous for, who are the ministers and little history about it.

I also went through IMT’s and my undergrad college website thoroughly and read about their major events, their highlights, and their notable alumni.

Q: Please share some of the key questions asked in the Personal Interview.
A: Below is the transcript of my IMT’s interview:

1. Tell us something about your graduation. (I mentioned my field of graduation, major highlights- how I built an All-Terrain vehicle for the National competition BAJA and the role I played in team and the ranks secured in the competition)
2. Do you feel that this technology is on the decline that is being promoted at competition levels? (They asked about the vehicle technology)
3. Many companies are a part of these competitions. Why are they part of it? (This question was asked to me as I said I was marketing head of my team and they were testing my critical thinking here)
4. What are your hobbies? (I mentioned DIY crafts)
5. What are DIY crafts?
6. Do you think money can be made out of DIY Crafts?
7. Do you have any startup ideas?
8. Do you know anything about startup funding?
9. Tell us something about your company in a minute, its policies, and what you liked over there.
10. What is your CAT percentile?
11. Do you have any questions for us?

Q: Was your Interview conducted Online? How was your experience?
A: Yes, my interview was conducted online. It was a seamless experience. Adcom people were there to help out in case any problem occurs and they were really friendly and helpful to address our queries and solved them patiently. The process was very structured and systematic.

Q: Please share Tips for doing well in Online Interviews.
A: Following tips would be helpful

1. For Online Interviews, only change is the environment. Therefore, ensure that your system camera, microphone and headphones are working properly and there is ample lighting in your room.
2. Give your interview in a silent and peaceful place where there is no noise and distraction for you. You can lock your room from inside and inform your family members while you are sitting for the process to not disturb you or talk to you.
3. Keep your mobile phone in silent mode and keep it handy in case any problem occurs while giving the process or as a backup for your internet connectivity.
4. Keep your identity verification card, water bottle, pen, and paper with you always during the process. You never know when the panel can ask for your ID verification.
5.  Always, look at the camera while you are talking to the panel.

And for your interview preparation, just be thorough with whatever you have done in your college and work experience and you will sail off. Prepare your basic HR questions in advance and you may practice them speaking and recording them to see how you speak and improvise. These basic answers will help you to build other answers as well on the spot while giving an interview.

Q: What were your key criteria while selecting a B-school?
A: Key criteria while selecting B-school for me were:

1. After giving mocks, I had some idea about the band of my CAT percentile I could score in my D-day after discussing it with my friends and teachers. Therefore, I researched on the internet about the B-schools which offer admission in that CAT percentile band and applied for them. Also, I knew my profile was good, so I applied for those B-schools as well which offered admission calls on the basis of profile cum score basis.
2. I also considered the factors like fees, location, placements, the brand name of the institution, and the various B-school rankings given on different websites for my reference.
3. For me the B-school legacy, its strong alumni base, and the opportunities available in the B-school for their students mattered a lot and were major criteria while finalizing B-school for admission.

Q: Apart from IMT Ghaziabad, which were the other top B-schools that Shortlisted you?
A: I had calls from IIM Kozhikode, SP Jain, XIMB, NMIMS and IIM Kashipur (For their Analytics program), IIM Nagpur, IIM Amritsar, IIM Vizag, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Jammu, IMI Delhi, Great Lakes Chennai, TAPMI, GIM, and BITSoM.

Q: Which all top B-schools offered Final Admission to you, apart from IMT Ghaziabad.
A: I was offered admission by XIMB, NMIMS and IIM Kashipur (For their Analytics program), IIM Nagpur, IIM Amritsar, IIM Vizag, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Jammu, IMI Delhi, Great Lakes Chennai, TAPMI, GIM, and BITSoM.

Q: What motivated you to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools?
A: Key factors which motivated me to choose IMT Ghaziabad over other B-schools were:

1. Brand name and well recognition in the market. It has 40 years of legacy.
2. Opportunities available for students like case competitions, and placements. IMT Ghaziabad is eligible for many key case competitions in India.
3. Large alumni base of 12000+ and the strategic location of the B-school.
4. Highly knowledgeable faculty and diversity of peers.

Q: Now that you are in a top B-school, tell us your impressions of Life in a B-school
A: Life in a B-School is quite fast-paced and hectic. One has ample opportunities available and you just need to effectively use them for your benefit. They are in so much abundance that you will always find a shortage of time to be a part of all these opportunities and one needs to prioritize. learn multi-task and time management in order to make use of most of them.

Q: How is studying in an MBA program different from preparing for CAT? 
A: CAT is just a starting and an aptitude exam. The real grind starts in the MBA program. You will deal with real business problems and how to solve them.  You will learn how to work in a team, how to get the work done from others, how to effectively give business presentations, pitch your ideas, and all the key skills and knowledge required to sail off your corporate career.

Q: Finally, what is your message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT and other exams?
A: Do smart work and work hard for your dreams.  It is just a start. Never give up, as persistence and perseverance is the key to the success. Stay calm as CAT is the game of how well you manage your temperament during your exam.

Hope this article will help you in preparing well for your MBA entrance exam, overcoming your weak areas, devising test taking strategy, taking decision on MBA admission to your dream B-School and more.

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