Hi, I’m Ashish Kumawat, a mechanical engineer from MNIT Jaipur and former Deputy Manager at ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Ltd., where I worked in critical plant utility operations with shift duties and led multiple efficiency improvement projects.
My CAT 2024 preparation wasn't traditional. I started just 15 days before the exam, didn’t join any coaching institute, solved past year papers using free resources, and focused solely on my strength — DILR. With only one mock test behind me, I scored 95.5 percentile (OBC) and converted IIM Lucknow.
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Here’s how I did it.
1. My 15-Day Prep Plan
My real CAT prep began around 15 days before the exam. Until then, I was focused on my job responsibilities in a 24×7 plant environment.
So I built a simple strategy:
- Focus on DILR, my strongest and most consistent section.
- Watch iQuanta’s YouTube videos for VARC tricks.
- Revisit basic Quant concepts via Cracku’s YouTube channel.
- Practice previous year CAT papers from a free website (can’t recall the name now) — that became my core resource.
No paid coaching. No structured schedule. Just raw focus for a short, intense period.
2. Only One Mock. No Coaching or Test Series.
I gave just one mock test — a free one from Cracku — to understand pacing and strategy.
I didn’t purchase any mock series or enroll in long-term coaching programs. Even for the GDPI phase, though I enrolled in IMS’s course, I only gave one mock interview.
Still, my real-world work experience and confidence carried me through the interviews.
3. CAT Day Strategy: Maximize Strengths, Minimize Panic
My approach on CAT day was simple:
- Score big in DILR to balance out the other sections.
- Stay calm during tough VA or QA questions.
- Skip time-consuming questions without hesitation.
This strategy worked, and I ended up with a 95.5 percentile (OBC) — strong enough to get calls from top B-schools.
4. Interview Calls and Work Experience Advantage
With over 4 years of work experience, I earned valuable marks in the composite score for many institutes:
- IIM Lucknow: Work ex weightage helped boost my shortlist score significantly.
- IIM Bangalore: Known for giving decent weightage to work experience and consistency.
- IIM Mumbai (NITIE): High weightage to work ex — worked well in my favor.
- IIFT: Strong profile + work ex aligned with operations and supply chain relevance.
- CAP IIMs: Work ex helped improve my overall profile rank among OBC candidates.
This shows that work experience, especially when relevant and backed with impact, can make a huge difference in shortlisting — even if your CAT percentile isn’t sky-high.
5. The Interview Phase: Depth, Not Drama
In my IIM Lucknow interview, the panel focused on:
- My leadership experience in shift operations
- Projects I led in plant utilities (cooling towers, chemical dosing, system optimization)
- Real-life challenges I handled during night duties
I kept it honest and practical. I didn’t try to be textbook perfect — I just shared real stories and clear reasoning.
6. Message To Aspirants: You’re Not Late
If you’re:
- A working professional struggling to find time
- Starting late
- Unable to afford expensive coaching
…remember this: You don’t need a 99+ percentile or 50 mocks.
You need clarity, consistency, and confidence in your strengths.
I did it in 15 days — so can you.
7. What I’d Do Differently
- Take a few more mocks to improve timing and stamina.
- Prepare for GDPI earlier, not after results.
- But overall, I wouldn’t change much. The journey taught me that execution matters more than planning.
Final Words
CAT prep doesn’t have to be a marathon if you run the right sprint.
IIM Lucknow was never a guarantee for me — but I made it real through a focused 15-day prep, one mock, and years of meaningful work experience.
To anyone reading this: If you feel late or underprepared, let this be proof that you’re not out — unless you quit.
