For Hrishikesh Bhattacharjee, the journey to IIM Bangalore wasn't built on extraordinary study schedules or secret preparation hacks.
It was built on self-awareness.
An incoming member of the PGP Class of 2028 at IIM Bangalore, Hrishikesh graduated in Information Science from Bangalore Institute of Technology with a CGPA of 8.97 after scoring a perfect 10 CGPA in Class 10 and 95.8% in Class 12. Before beginning his MBA journey, he spent 34 months working as a DevOps Engineer at Bosch Global Software Technologies, where he developed expertise in cloud infrastructure, automation, and software delivery.
Today, after securing a stellar 99.58 percentile in CAT and converting almost every major B-school call he received, his story offers valuable lessons for CAT aspirants across the country.
Why Did He Decide To Pursue An MBA?
While Hrishikesh enjoyed his work in technology and had built a successful career trajectory at Bosch, he realized that he wanted to move beyond purely technical problem-solving. He was increasingly curious about how business decisions were made, how organizations operated at scale, and how technology and management intersected to create impact.
An MBA represented an opportunity to broaden his perspective, learn from a diverse peer group, and develop the managerial skills required to take on larger responsibilities in the future.
How Did His CAT Preparation Journey Begin?
Unlike many aspirants who immediately jump into classes and study plans, Hrishikesh started with a blind mock test.
The objective wasn't to achieve a high score.
It was to understand himself.
That first mock provided a realistic assessment of his strengths and weaknesses across VARC, DILR, and QA. The insights gained from this exercise helped him create a personalized preparation roadmap instead of following a generic strategy.
His preparation journey eventually spanned twelve months, beginning in June 2025 and culminating with his admission to IIM Bangalore.
How Did He Approach CAT Preparation?
The initial phase of preparation focused heavily on building fundamentals.
Particular attention was given to Quantitative Aptitude, where he revised concepts, formulas, and problem-solving techniques. Alongside this, he regularly solved sectional tests and topic-wise exercises to improve both speed and accuracy.
As the months progressed, the focus gradually shifted from learning concepts to refining strategy.
Three months before CAT, full-length mocks became the centerpiece of his preparation. The objective was no longer just solving questions correctly but understanding how to maximize performance under exam conditions.
Over time, he developed a highly personalized approach to each section, identifying the question types that suited his strengths and learning when to move on from questions that weren't worth pursuing.
What Was The Most Important Lesson He Learned During Preparation?
According to Hrishikesh, self-awareness was the single most important factor behind his success.
He believes many aspirants spend significant time solving questions without truly understanding their own strengths, weaknesses, and decision-making patterns.
The ability to honestly assess oneself allowed him to allocate his preparation time effectively and continuously refine his strategy.
This self-awareness also played a crucial role during mock analysis, where he learned as much from his mistakes as from his successes.
Which Section Was The Biggest Challenge?
DILR proved to be the toughest section throughout much of his preparation journey.
Unlike Quant, where conceptual clarity often provides direction, DILR required strong set-selection skills and quick decision-making.
Initially, he struggled with choosing the right sets and often found himself spending excessive time on difficult problems.
To address this, he focused on exposure.
By solving a large number of diverse DILR sets and carefully reviewing his performance after every mock, he gradually developed the ability to assess set difficulty quickly and make better decisions under pressure.
The improvement was gradual, but by CAT day, he had developed enough confidence to effectively navigate one of the most unpredictable sections of the exam.
How Important Were Mock Tests?
If there was one aspect of preparation that had the greatest impact on his performance, it was mock tests.
Hrishikesh attempted around 30 mocks during his preparation journey through Cracku DashCAT and sectional test series.
However, he believes the real value of mocks lies in analysis rather than the score itself.
Every mock became an opportunity to understand his thought process, time management, question selection, and emotional response under pressure.
One of the biggest lessons mocks taught him was that CAT is not an examination where every question needs to be solved.
In many cases, choosing not to attempt a difficult question turned out to be a far better decision than spending valuable time trying to crack it.
These insights ultimately helped him develop a strategy that he could confidently execute on exam day.
The Result: A 99.58 Percentile And Calls From India's Top B-Schools
The year-long preparation journey culminated in an outstanding CAT performance.
Hrishikesh secured:
- 99.58 Overall Percentile
- 99.83 Percentile in VARC
- 98.26 Percentile in DILR
- 93.63 Percentile in QA
His performance earned interview calls from IIM Bangalore, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Shillong, Mumbai, Udaipur, XLRI, IIFT, MDI, SJMSoM IIT Bombay, DMS IIT Delhi, VGSoM IIT Kharagpur, and numerous other premier institutes.
How Did He Prepare For Interviews?
Hrishikesh approached interview preparation with the same structure and discipline that characterized his CAT preparation.
He researched each institute thoroughly, studied their programs, and reflected deeply on his academic and professional experiences.
Given his work experience at Bosch, he spent considerable time preparing questions related to his industry, projects, and technical expertise.
In addition, he followed current affairs and business developments closely, focusing on developing informed opinions rather than merely memorizing facts.
What Was His IIM Bangalore Interview Like?
His IIM Bangalore interview was largely conversational.
Much of the discussion revolved around his Statement of Purpose, academic choices, professional experiences, and understanding of the industry he worked in.
The panel also explored his hobbies, achievements, and business awareness.
Rather than being a stress-filled grilling session, the interview felt like an opportunity to discuss experiences he had genuinely lived and reflected upon.
Which Calls Did He Convert?
The final results season proved exceptionally rewarding.
Hrishikesh converted every major call he received except IIM Kozhikode, SJMSoM IIT Bombay, and DMS IIT Delhi.
Among multiple prestigious admission offers, he ultimately chose to join IIM Bangalore.
His Advice To Future CAT Aspirants
Looking back, Hrishikesh believes CAT is as much a test of judgment as it is of aptitude.
His advice is simple:
Know your weaknesses better than your strengths.
Analyze every mock seriously.
Stay confident without becoming overconfident.
Build a clear roadmap for preparation.
Most importantly, trust the process.
A year after beginning his preparation with a blind mock test, Hrishikesh walked into IIM Bangalore as a member of the PGP Class of 2028.
His journey serves as a reminder that success in CAT rarely comes from finding shortcuts.
More often, it comes from understanding yourself, staying consistent, and making the right decisions when they matter most.