We bring to you an interview with Shilpa Mondal, pursuing MBA in Finance from Xavier Institute of Management and Research. This interview will be helpful especially for the CET Aspirants appearing for the Exam in March 2016.
Tell us about your educational background. Why did you decide of pursuing MBA? Your CET score (percentile) and year?
I am a B.Com (Banking & Insurance) graduate from K. C College, Mumbai, 2013 batch. After my graduation, I joined M.Com in Accountancy at H.R College, Mumbai. But I felt that I needed a degree which would help me enter the corporate world and make a mark there while M.Com is a course which would be more helpful if I wanted to become an academician. Hence, while pursuing M.Com, I prepared for MAH-MMS/MBA-CET 2014.
This was my first attempt and my score was 94.03 percentile.
When and how did you start planning your time and strategies for the exam on the whole?
I started preparing for the entrance test around 10 months prior to the exam. I think, that is a reasonable amount of time to prepare for MBA entrance tests. My strategy was to learn all the concepts in first 3 months and after that try to improve on speed and accuracy with practice. Time is the most crucial factor in CET because there are too many questions and quite less time to attempt them. Hence, time management is a skill one should master to ace CET.
Have you appeared for other entrance exams? If not why did you plan to give CET?
I appeared for only CMAT apart from CET. CMAT and CET are completely different from each other with respect to the strategy required to crack each of them. CMAT requires more concentration on accuracy and less focus on time management compared to CET. I was clear that I wanted to pursue MBA in my hometown .i.e. Mumbai only, hence, I always focussed on strategy to perform well in CET particularly.
Do you think being a fresher helped you in remembering the concepts better while preparing for the exam (as you are in regular touch with studies)
Yes, I never lost with studies since I was preparing for it simultaneously with M.Com studies and that too, right after my graduation. As a fresher, I have till now only experienced the life of a student, so studying for entrance tests and giving exams feels like routine.
Did you follow any particular method of learning for individual areas? Was it always about working on the strengths more than focussing on the weakness or vice-versa?
I did self study for two hours every day. I would touch two different subjects each day like Quant and Verbal on a day and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation on the next day. I concentrated more on working on my weaknesses since each section is important to do well. One should practice those subjects which one finds challenging every day to improve oneself and overcome the fear of it. Regarding subjects which one feels that one can manage easily, one should practice on alternate days and should not completely ignore them since time management plays an important role in your performance as I mentioned earlier.
Which section, according to you, is a decider in the CET?
I think Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation are quite time consuming to solve and could be a game changer. Hence, accordingly, allot time to each section to be able to attempt maximum number of questions with highest accuracy.
Did your previous educational background aid you in any section of the test-prep?
No, I don't think my previous education background helped me in cracking CET. This exam has something in store for everyone irrespective of their previous educational background as it focuses on core basics. With dedication and regular practice, one can do well in this exams.
Finally, any other advice that you wish to share with the aspirants?
Focus on your basic funda's, get your concepts right and practice regularly. Whenever you practice, keep an eye on time. Every week, try to solve more questions in lesser time than before. Please don't ignore your weaker areas and work on them. Leverage on your strengths and make sure that you attempt a good number of questions in your favourite sections. Practice mock tests on regular basis before taking the actual exams. Take the exam with a calm mind and self-confidence.
All the best to all MBA aspirants!