He Thought IIM Shillong Was His Weakest Interview. He Still Converted in the First List
Apaar Vashishtha scored 99.54 percentile in CAT, including 99.72 in DILR, 98.51 in VARC, and 95.21 in QA. He received calls from MDI, IIFT, IIM Mumbai, IIM Shillong, IISc Bengaluru, and IIM Udaipur, converting all except SPJIMR.
He is joining IIM Shillong.
Preparation built around analysis, not shortcuts
Apaar enjoyed analytical problem-solving, so Quantitative Ability and DILR came naturally to him. His work in consulting and fintech also gave him regular practice in understanding client requirements, business data, and complex information.
For VARC, he rebuilt his fundamentals from scratch. He read newspapers, essays, and long-form articles, then used mock analysis to identify recurring mistakes.
He took six or seven IMS SimCATs. These tests showed him where his decision-making was going wrong and which topics needed more attention.
His weakest section was VARC
Professional communication had trained Apaar to focus on clarity and business impact. CAT VARC, however, demanded greater precision with language, inference, and comprehension.
He adopted a beginner’s mindset, revised reading comprehension and sentence structure, and built a daily reading habit. Over time, the section became manageable.
The interview lesson he carried forward
Apaar walked out of his IIM Shillong interview believing it had been one of his weaker performances. Even so, he converted the institute in the first admission list.
For him, the experience showed that candidates are assessed on more than perfect answers. Composure, the ability to think under pressure, overall profile, and GD performance also matter.
His advice is to stay calm when an answer is unknown and to admit uncertainty rather than bluff. He is joining IIM Shillong for the 2026–28 PGP.