Here’s the story of Keshav Kumar who at the age of 19 aced CAT’21 with a 99.95%ile and made it to IIM Calcutta! Apart from CAT, Keshav had a whopping score of 99.62%ile on the XAT and a perfect 100%ile on the IIFT exam. He is a BCOM Hons. fresher from Delhi University. Read on to know Keshav’s journey and preparation plan to make it to the finest Bschool in the country.
My CAT Story
MBA came into the picture when I started exploring options during my undergrad years. I did internships in varied fields like teaching, group leading, creative strategy, sales, business development, etc. These experiences helped me to understand that MBA as a whole suited my career aspirations and academic interests in finance and management. Hence, CAT was the way ahead for me.To take coaching for CAT 2021, I joined EduCorp in November 2020. Initially, I had started slow and got more focused as CAT approached closer. My main focus shifted towards CAT after the completion of 2nd year of my college in May. Before that, I just used to attend classes and revise basic concepts. Read: Everything You Need To Know About CAT 2022
Resources Used For Preparation
For my CAT prep, I used the study material provided to me by EduCorp. QA was my strong suit and I used to engage with fellow aspirants in solving their doubts. This helped in polishing my basics as well. Apart from this, I also resorted to WordPandit for fine-tuning the VARC section. After the completion of my syllabus, all I had to do was to take enough mocks. Mock tests were my most prized possession as they gave me a true picture of my performance. I took around 40 of them throughout my journey. After mock taking, I used to give enough time in mock analysis to learn new methods of solving questions and understanding my flaws and areas for improvement.You can start with the free Mini Mock Tests by InsideIIM, to amp up your practice.
My Learnings & Insights
My CAT journey helped me realise that the golden formula to crack this test is a combination of 3Ps i.e.Practise+Persistence+Patience. One needs to trust the process. You might score poorly on some days but what’s important is to figure out the learnings behind the poor performance.Aspirants should understand that CAT is a test of their basic concepts and to ace it, one needs to build a strong foundation.I also realised that apart from the three sections, CAT also tests the aspirants on their ability to sustain mental pressure. I did my preparation during the COVID times and that further added to my anxieties. But as a whole when I look back to that time, I’m glad that I could face all the challenges and come out stronger!Recommended For You: Crack CAT 2022 With InsideIIM's Essential Resource List
My D-Day Experience
The final day experience was very special for me. I went in with a calm mindset and nothing to lose attitude. That helped me in shoving all the worries and performing to the best of my abilities in the test. I chose to use the hit-and-trial method logically in almost half of the questions in Quants and ended up positively scoring in all of them. This made me realise that the practise I had put in during the last few months, helped me in developing a mental muscle to crack the questions smartly. I also made a conscious effort of staying focused on a particular section and not carry the experiences of one section to another. The entire journey was one of ups and downs but I’m glad that I didn’t give in to the challenges thrown at me. I chose to rise stronger against all odds! Well, as they say, CAT is just the beginning and the real test is surviving the MBA itself. I hope that the next two years at IIM Calcutta help me evolve as a person and equip me with the skills required for my career aspirations!Recommended for CAT 2022 Aspirants :
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