CAT 2018 Topper Interview- The result of the most anticipated MBA entrance exam is out! CAT 2018 Result was announced on January 5, 2019 at around 9:30 am. The CAT 2018 result came out much earlier, as the official time was 1pm. IIM CAT has finally announced the CAT 2018 result, and as per the overall percentile scores, we have the list of CAT 2018 toppers.
In this exclusive interview with Jagranjosh, Kushaagr Panwar shares his preparation strategy and how he overcame obstacles in the CAT 2018 exam.
Jagran Josh: Congratulations on being in the 1% of the CAT aspirants! What are your overall and sectional scores in CAT 2018?
Kushaagr: Thanks a lot.
My overall CAT Percentile is 99.56
And Sectionals are (VA/ DI-LR/QA) 99.69/98.76/97.3
Jagran Josh:When did you start your CAT 2018 Preparation? What is the ideal time required to complete the CAT syllabus before the exam?
Kushaagr: I started my preparation in July. I think minimum 6 months are required to get a decent percentile.
Jagran Josh: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT 2018?
Kushaagr: I was good at DI-LR and VARC . I was average in Quants. I was enrolled with LearnQuest on Facebook. I just attended their classes and assignments. I was also giving mocks simultaneously of Career Launcher and TIME. For VA-RC, I didn't need to prepare much. I have been reading books since long and that eventually helped. Some practice in the form of mocks was enough for DILR and VARC.
JagranJosh: Was there any particular section/area that you were weak at? How did you overcome this challenge? What strategies did you adopt to master that section?
Kushaagr:As I told above, my quants was weak. I had the basics in place but I was falling short of the mark. With the help of Nikhil Sir of Learnquest and 40+ mocks that I gave, I was able to strategise better. Although my quants score in CAT doesn't reflect that as Exam pressure got to me.
JagranJosh: Please share your section-wise preparation strategy for QA, DILR and VARC.
Kushaagr: I did not do anything specific for VARC and DILR except the mocks from Career Launcher and TIME. For quants, I had to take online classes, assignments and sectionals. Quants took a lot of my time during the prep.
JagranJosh: Were you a part of any coaching institute? Do you think coaching is necessary to ace CAT?
Kushaagr: I was enrolled in online coaching called 'LearnQuest' for Quants. The coachings are definitely not necessary but they do help you in streamlining your preparation.
JagranJosh: Any particular book or study material that helped you gain an edge over other candidates?
Kushaagr: I didn't use any books or material. Mocks and sectionals were enough to get a good grip on the subjects.
JagranJosh: What role did Mocks play in your success? How many mocks did you attempt before the exam?
Kushaagr: I think Time Mocks had good Verbal. And CL mocks had good DI-LR sets. Unfortunately no mock was close to CAT. From my experience, Mocks just make you sit for three hours. You can't predict anything more from them. CAT is a very unpredictable exam. I attempted around 40 Mocks
JagranJosh: Please share your exam-day strategy for the CAT 2018. What was your last-minute preparation? How did you plan your CAT test taking?
Kushaagr: I was chilled out in the last week leading up to CAT. I didn't take any mock and just concentrated on getting enough sleep and rest. I went out a couple of times and also saw a movie 2 days before CAT. I did revise some formulas 1 day before CAT. My strategy was to not waste any time during the exam. I tried to minimise the dicey attempts to gain an edge in accuracy.
JagranJosh: Do you think academic background plays an important role in CAT Prep and Why?
Kushaagr: Yes, they play a big role in selection. If you see the criteria of any college, almost all of them give heavy weight to Acads. It's really difficult to crack any good B-school with below average acads.
JagranJosh: Which institutes have you applied to admission and why did you opt for them particularly?
Kushaagr: I have applied to all IIMs and FMS. I also applied to XLRI but that's a different exam.
JagranJosh: How are you preparing for GD – PI and WAT rounds of the selection process?
Kushaagr: I have not started preparing for GDPI yet since XAT was left. I have been reading about current issues though.
JagranJosh: What is your message for CAT aspirants? One crucial piece of advice that you would like them to follow and wish you had known.
Kushaagr: First and foremost thing mock scores don't really mean anything. They are just an indicator. So believe in yourself and keep working hard.
I would also suggest in Quants, please don't mug up any formula because, in the exam, the basic concepts are going to help you. In Verbal, Read and Read. Practice is the Mantra for DILR
JagranJosh: What is your dream career choice after completing your MBA?
Kushaagr: My dream career choice would be Strategy Consulting after MBA.
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