He Took a Drop, Faced Failures and Started CAT Prep After Work. Prathamesh Bhanuse Still Reached IIM Mumbai
Prathamesh Bhanuse did not begin CAT preparation with a perfect plan or a long list of achievements.
He came from a small village in Nagpur, moved to Mumbai for better opportunities, took a drop to prepare for banking and UPSC exams, and faced a series of failures before joining a startup as a data engineer.
He then started preparing for CAT alongside his job.
The preparation was built around a simple question: what could he do consistently after a full day of work? His answer was to give every section regular attention, use weekends for mock analysis, and build familiarity with the question types that had troubled him before.
That approach helped him score 94.67 percentile overall in CAT, including 98.02 percentile in Quantitative Aptitude. He converted IIM Mumbai and SCMHRD, and chose IIM Mumbai.
Why Consistency Mattered More Than Long Study Sessions
Prathamesh had already built a strong base during his preparation for banking examinations. His CAT plan therefore focused on practice and revision rather than spending most of his time learning concepts from scratch.
On working days, he devoted around 40 minutes to each section. That time could include revising notes, solving questions, or taking a sectional test.
Weekends were reserved for full-length mocks and detailed analysis. During the final stage of preparation, he shifted almost entirely to mocks and revising the mistakes he had already recorded.
His CAT preparation was not built around occasional eight-hour study sessions. It depended on returning to the work every day, even when the available time was limited.
Even one LRDI set or one RC would make you feel confident.
The LRDI Problem He Managed Through Familiarity
LRDI remained Prathamesh's weakest area. He did not try to eliminate the weakness completely. Instead, he tried to improve his chances of choosing the right set by becoming familiar with as many formats as possible.
He practised set theory, games and tournaments, arrangements, and other recurring types. For each type, he solved at least five sets, and often more.
The goal was to recognise the structure of a set quickly. A familiar format made it easier to decide whether the set was worth attempting and which approach might work.
This helped him build confidence without pretending that every LRDI set would become easy.
How He Used Sectionals and Mocks
Prathamesh attempted around 15 sectionals for each section and 20 full-length mock tests. He used Cracku, IMS, and MBA Litmus for his mock preparation.
The sectionals helped him work on individual weaknesses. Full-length tests showed him whether his section-wise preparation worked when all three sections had to be managed in one sitting.
The most useful part came after the test. He reviewed the mistakes, returned to the relevant concepts, and adjusted his attempt strategy before the next mock.
His Advice for Candidates Preparing Alongside Work
Prathamesh believes consistency becomes especially important when preparation has to fit around a job or other responsibilities.
Completing the syllabus matters, particularly in Quantitative Aptitude. He also recommends practising without a timer before moving to timed tests, asking a mentor for feedback, and taking mocks even when the syllabus is not completely finished.
He advises candidates against replacing practice with YouTube videos or postponing mocks until they feel fully ready.
The point of a mock is to reveal what still needs attention.
Preparing for Interviews Through Four Areas
For the interview stage, Prathamesh enrolled with Btribe and focused on four areas: his graduation subjects, HR questions, current affairs, and domain knowledge across marketing, HR, and finance.
He took eight mock personal interviews and participated in five group discussions. These sessions helped him identify the parts of his profile that needed clearer explanations.
His interview calls included IIFT, IIM Mumbai, IIM Udaipur, the JAP IIMs, the lower IIMs, SIBM Pune, and SCMHRD. He converted IIM Mumbai and SCMHRD.
Why IIM Mumbai Became His Choice
Prathamesh describes his IIM Mumbai interview as a relaxed conversation. The panel asked about his personality, artificial intelligence, current affairs, and his graduation background.
The discussion allowed him to connect his previous academic and professional experiences with the questions being asked, rather than reciting prepared answers.
That interaction became part of his decision to join IIM Mumbai.
The Bigger Lesson from His CAT Journey
Prathamesh's CAT result came after a route that included a drop year, exam failures, a career change, and preparation after work.
His strategy was practical. He kept all three sections in rotation, used weekends for analysis, turned LRDI practice into a familiarity exercise, and kept showing up even when he had limited time.