I come from an India where marks matter but not the efforts put in by the individual. I come from an India where the entire approach is output centric, and everyone is so stressed that when the world will see the results, they will demean the person & this is the reason why eventually many of them give up. I remember the day after CAT, when I woke up, I felt heavy because there was nothing to look forward and I knew I have not performed well in DI/ LR section. But the day is gone and there is nothing I can do now except wait for the results or maybe prepare for next year again. And what was the final output, which the world craves so much? I got into IIM Lucknow and my story is just a minuscule of such instances where I can firmly say that one exam can’t change your life but you definitely can.
What to do after your CAT exam?
There are 2 feelings after CAT, one where you know you have performed well & expect a few calls. Other, where you definitely know that you are not going to receive any call. I have listed down the next plan of action for both these situations.
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When you should start preparing for interviews?
When you are expecting good %ile and good calls, you should start preparing for interviews. CAT score is just 50% of your preparation towards entering into your dream B-School. The main game changer will be how you are going to perform in those interviews.
How to start your interview preparation?
- First most, make a mental map of your life journey, starting from your childhood, all the activities that you have done, school, college and job. This mental map should cover everything you know about you
- Next is, criticising each thing & thinking what could be the types of questions that can be asked from each area. For e.g. I belong to a business family, so in my IIM K interview, I was asked questions related to Ratan Tata & Forbes top 50 Indian CEOs
- You need to realise that everything that will be asked in your interview will be related to your life journey and what you are going to say in your intro
- Start making an Intro, the answer to the most basic question – Tell us about yourself
- Another thing to focus upon is academics. Sometimes out of 15 minutes’ interviews, 10 minutes you are just grilled upon your academics especially if you are an engineer or economics student
What to do if you know you might not be able to make the cut this time?
There is a saying, “You always have a choice”. If you feel that you will not be able to make the cut this time, there is next time. Or you can focus on other exams more. There are many exams lined up - IIFT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP etc.. These are really good colleges and can offer you a good career trajectory.
Must-Read: I Screwed Up CAT, But One Great Piece of Advice Helped Me Crack XAT, NMAT, SNAP
And if you always wanted to be at an IIM, then don’t give up on your dream because it didn’t happen this time. When there is someone pushing you against the wall, you break the wall. Next time, when you are giving the exam one more time, you will walk into the exam with more experience, confidence & self-belief. Don’t be affected by the output, maybe the scores are just tantamount to the fact that you need to put in more effort. One exam cannot be the end of your life. There are million other things that you can do, you just need to find the right place!