How To Manage OMETs Alongwith CAT Without Messing Them Together?
I am Rishav Seth. I had appeared for CAT in 2023 and repeated it again in 2024, and now I will be joining NMIMS Mumbai within a few months.
I am Rishav Seth. I had appeared for CAT in 2023 and repeated it again in 2024, and now I will be joining NMIMS Mumbai within a few months.
Mock tests are the backbone of any serious CAT preparation strategy. They simulate the real exam environment, test your concepts under pressure, and, most importantly, reveal your current level of readiness. But here’s the catch: just taking mocks isn’t enough. The real magic lies in how you analyze and learn from them. If you’re spending 4-6 hours a week on mocks and ₹10,000-₹20,000 on a test series, it’s crucial that you extract every ounce of value from them.
This interview was conducted with Jeyaram R (IIM-B 2025-27), who discussed his experience of balancing CAT preparation with his job.
As soon as my Class 12 board exams ended, I dived headfirst into preparing for the Chartered Accountancy (CA) entrance exams scheduled for November. Fueled by ambition and determination, I dedicated myself to the preparation and was thrilled to clear the first level with excellent scores. Everything felt aligned, as though I was exactly where I was meant to be.
As an earnest aspirant for CAT, you must've been bombared with phrases like "take mocks," "jitne mocks doge utna achhaa hai," "it doesn't matter if your syllabus is incomplete, just give mocks & sectionals," and the countless such statements.
All of us begin our CAT preparation journey with a spark in our eyes — a dream to get into one of the top B-schools, a burning ambition to crack the CAT, and immense motivation to give it our all. The first few weeks often feel productive, even exciting. We diligently follow schedules, tick off daily goals, and visualize ourselves walking through the gates of our dream B-schools.
I have attempted the CAT twice, but before discussing my preparation plan, I want to brief you about “What exactly does cracking the CAT mean?”
At some point in time, we all must have heard some verison of this quote, "Life isn't just about aptitude but also about your attitude", and I think CAT exam is a perfect reflection of this. CAT doesn't just test our aptitude, it aso tests our attitude. It's two hours of quick decisions, unexpected questions and a clock that seems to run like Usain Bolt. You might have spent months giving mock tests, perfecting your techniques, shortcuts and formulas. But on exam day, this one little thing can make all the difference which is your ability to stay calm because a nervous mind forgets what it knows whereas a calm brain finds the answer.