How Darshan Mehta Scored 98.98%ile In CAT On His 3rd Attempt And Joined SJMSOM, IIT Bombay
Every CAT journey is different. Some are about quick success, while others are built on years of persistence, learning, and consistency. Darshan Mehta's story falls into the second category.
A Computer Engineering graduate from Dwarkadas J. Sanghvi College of Engineering, Darshan has an academic profile of 8/8/9 in Class 10, Class 12, and graduation respectively. He worked for 21 months as a Business Development Manager across his family's businesses, where he handled growth initiatives, operations, and business expansion projects. In May 2025, he left his full-time role to prepare for CAT while simultaneously working as a part-time mentor at IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd., helping students prepare for undergraduate entrance examinations. Outside academics and work, he enjoys creating social media content and playing pickleball and badminton.
In CAT 2025, Darshan scored 84.53 marks and secured 98.98 percentile, with 89.53 percentile in VARC, 99.71 percentile in DILR, and 97.55 percentile in QA. He has now joined SJMSOM, IIT Bombay.
Here's his CAT preparation journey.
CAT 2025 Score
Overall: 84.53 | 98.98 percentile
- VARC: 25.75 | 89.53 percentile
- DILR: 36.43 | 99.71 percentile
- QA: 22.35 | 97.55 percentile
"Quality Over Quantity" – Darshan's CAT Preparation Strategy
This was Darshan's third CAT attempt, and throughout his preparation, he focused on making every study session count rather than studying for long hours.
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
QA had always been Darshan's strongest section, having scored 99+ percentile in QA during his previous CAT attempt.
To maintain his edge, he focused on:
- Strengthening fundamentals.
- Solving a large number of QA sectional tests.
- Solving previous years' CAT questions.
- Attempting QA sectionals immediately after every full-length mock to build consistency.
According to him, repeated practice under exam conditions helped develop the muscle memory required to solve questions quickly.
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
DILR was the section where Darshan saw his biggest improvement.
In his first CAT attempt, he scored negative marks in DILR.
By CAT 2025, he had improved to 99.71 percentile.
Instead of solving countless sets, he focused on:
- Deeply analyzing every mock.
- Solving puzzles like Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Kakuro, and puzzles from LinkedIn and The New York Times.
- Developing the ability to identify the most score-efficient sets.
- Learning when to leave difficult sets instead of forcing solutions.
According to Darshan, DILR is often about choosing the right sets rather than solving every set.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
VARC remained Darshan's toughest section throughout his CAT journey.
To improve, he:
- Attended the complete VARC lectures twice.
- Focused on eliminating wrong options instead of immediately finding the correct answer.
- Avoided overanalyzing every question.
- Built confidence by narrowing answers down to the best possible choices.
His biggest learning was that VARC is often about improving decision-making rather than simply finding correct answers.
According To Darshan, Consistency Matters More Than Anything
If Darshan had to choose one factor behind his success, it would be consistency.
He believes preparation isn't about having a few productive days but about showing up even when motivation is low.
One lesson he learned during preparation was not to label sections too early as strengths or weaknesses. Instead, aspirants should first ensure they comfortably clear sectional cutoffs before maximizing scores in stronger areas.
He also recommends preparing B-school applications well before CAT, documenting achievements, work experience, projects, and extracurricular activities in advance so application deadlines don't interfere with exam preparation.
Mock Tests: Quality Of Analysis Over Quantity
Darshan attempted around 15–17 full-length mocks every year during his CAT preparation.
While he sometimes wished he had attempted more mocks, he believes:
"A mock that is not analyzed is a mock wasted."
His mock analysis usually took longer than writing the mock itself.
He reviewed:
- Every incorrect question.
- Every correct question to identify faster approaches.
- Video solutions for every section, especially VARC.
He also recommends aspirants start taking mocks early instead of waiting to complete the syllabus.
According to him, mock tests teach:
- Time management
- Question selection
- Composure under pressure
- Exam temperament
These skills cannot be developed through theory alone.
VARC Was His Achilles Heel
VARC remained Darshan's biggest challenge across all three attempts.
Initially, he tried almost every commonly suggested strategy:
- Reading newspapers
- Reading Aeon essays
- Reading books
- Long-form articles
However, nothing worked consistently.
Eventually, he realized that the biggest challenge wasn't VARC itself—it was his mindset.
His biggest learnings were:
- Stop searching for multiple strategies.
- Follow one mentor and one preparation approach.
- Stop fearing VARC.
- Focus on easier passages instead of attempting everything.
- Never let one bad section affect the remaining paper.
According to him, overcoming VARC was more about changing his mindset than discovering a magical strategy.
Darshan's DOs And DON'Ts For CAT Preparation
DOs
- Remember there is life beyond CAT.
- Continue pursuing hobbies.
- Read regularly.
- Maintain notes about your achievements and experiences for applications and interviews.
DON'Ts
- Don't treat CAT as the end of the world.
- Don't keep adding more resources, mocks, or study hours unnecessarily.
- Focus on doing a few things consistently and thoroughly.
His biggest learning:
"Consistency beats intensity."
How Darshan Prepared For MBA Interviews
Darshan began interview preparation by reflecting deeply on his own journey.
He prepared detailed answers around:
- Academics
- Work experience
- Achievements
- Failures
- Hobbies
- Important life decisions
He also went through interview transcripts of various B-schools to understand different interview styles.
According to him, mock interviews are one area where quantity matters. He recommends joining multiple GDPI programs and appearing for as many mock interviews as possible.
He also emphasizes that honesty matters more than knowing every answer.
Interview Calls And Converts
Interview Calls
- SPJIMR
- IIM Mumbai
- IIM Shillong
- IIFT
- MDI
- IIM Udaipur
- SJMSOM, IIT Bombay
- BITSOM
- SIBM
- SCMHRD
- IIM Nagpur
- All New and Baby IIMs
Converts
- SJMSOM, IIT Bombay
- 8 colleges from the above list
- All New and Baby IIMs
SJMSOM Interview Experience
Darshan described his SJMSOM interview as conversational and reassuring.
Having received a direct rejection from SJMSOM the previous year, he was naturally anxious before the interview.
However, the panel focused on understanding:
- His experiences
- Career decisions
- Motivations
- Aspirations
- Work experience
Although there were a few grilling questions, the overall discussion remained fair.
He also appreciated how supportive the seniors were throughout the admission process, helping candidates stay comfortable during interview day.
Looking back, Darshan believes he was given a fair opportunity to present his story.
Darshan's journey is a reminder that improvement doesn't always come from studying more. Sometimes, it comes from studying smarter, analyzing mistakes honestly, staying consistent through multiple attempts, and trusting the process.