Back in 2023 I began my CAT journey. I had given it everything. Six months of grueling 4 AM alarms, endless mock tests and sacrificed weekends. I followed every strategy, solved every PYQ and even gave up on the Diwali celebrations. I deserved a 99 percentile after all of this. But it seems like life had other plans.
I remember the day vividly. The results for the CAT Exam were out. I remember looking at the screen flashing 84 percentile. The number burned into my screen and then into my soul. My heart sank. I had poured every ounce of effort into this exam and in return, it spat back a score that felt like a hard slap on the face.
"Maybe I’m just not cut out for this," I thought, tearing off my study notes and timetable in frustration.
For weeks, I avoided my coaching group. My family members tiptoed around me, afraid to ask about my plans. I had done everything right - so why did I fail?
Then, one night, as I was attending a YouTube session, I came across a quote. "Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo." Something snapped inside me. I wasn’t going to let one exam define me. Not like this.
I realized that 84 wasn’t bad luck - it was bad strategy. My VA was shaky, my DILR speed was pathetic. I took 87 mock tests (yes, I counted) and analyzed each one of them - sometimes for 8 hours. Every time doubt crept in, I’d remember that 84. And I’d grind harder.
CAT 2023 results day: 96.77%ile! I cried. Finally, redemption! Then reality hit. No IIM calls. None.
Why? That damn LRDI sectional cutoff. I'd focused so much on overall score that I neglected the sectional cutoffs. "Maybe top B-schools aren't for people like me," I thought, staring at empty call lists. But then... I had nothing left to lose.
With nothing left to lose, I went all-in on OMETs: SNAP, NMAT and XAT. I studied without breaks like my life depended on it - and it paid off. I scored 98.9%ile in SNAP, 251 in NMAT and 99.79%ile in XAT - with all sectionals clear.
But the hardest battle was yet to begin - the interviews. I got calls from SIBM, NMIMS, MDI Gurgaon, IIFT Delhi and other top b-schools. But the call I most longed for was XLRI. The wait for the XLRI Interview was long, but it finally came. When they asked about my CAT journey, I didn't hide the truth: "I failed twice. First with 84, then with 96.77. But failure taught me more than success ever could."
The panel smirked when I mentioned my past CAT score. "What makes you think you belong here?"
I smiled. "Because I’ve already fought my worst battle - against myself."
Fast forward to May 12, 2025 - my birthday. I was in Mumbai with a very dear friend when the XLRI admission email arrived. HRM program. Jamshedpur. The best birthday gift ever.
I didn't jump. Didn't scream. Just smiled. Thank you, 84. Thank you, failed LRDI. You brought me here.
To all the aspirants reading this: Your lowest score is just the first draft of your story. Best of luck :)
