Aakanksha Raj, CAT 2016 99.03%iler emphasises on the importance of mock tests

Aakanksha Raj

Like numerous CAT aspirants, Aakanksha Raj too appeared for CAT 2016 with the hope of cracking the exam with an excellent percentile. Her hard work paid off when CAT results were declared. She believes that her family has been her biggest support system as they never gave up on her and always motivated her to keep working hard. Their constant support assisted her tremendously and she managed to secure 99.03%ile in CAT 2016. Here is what she had to say when she spoke to Shiksha: 

Q. Was this your first CAT attempt?

Answer: Yes, this was my first attempt at CAT. 

Q. How satisfied are you with your score?

Answer: I am quite happy as this was my first attempt and preparing for the exam alongside a job tends to be a bit difficult. Though I would be certainly happier if I had obtained a higher DILR percentile. 

Q. Tell us something about yourself.

Answer: I am working in Pune in a financial services company from the past 1.5 years. I am a B. Tech. in Electronics and Communication Engg. from VNIT Nagpur batch of 2015. I had a CGPA of 9.05. My X and XII scores are 92.3 and 94.2 respectively. While working, I developed a keen interest in the field of finance and I wanted to delve deeper into this field. I am currently working in the software domain, and wanted to get deeper insights of the business requirements. Hence, an MBA became a natural choice. 

Q. What area of specialization you intend you choose?

Answer: I intend to specialize in finance. 

Q. Tell us about your preparation strategy.

Answer: I had joined a coaching class near my place. I used to attend classes from 7 to 9 in the morning every weekday before going to office. I reserved my weekends for mock tests. I used them as a tool to gauge my weaknesses and constantly worked to improve on my deficiencies. Since DILR was my Achilles’ heel, I practiced a lot of problems from various sources. 

Q. What is the minimum time frame needed to prepare for CAT, and when did you start off with your preparations?

Answer: Actually the minimum time frame varies from person to person. It really depends on what level of preparedness you are at present. I started my preparations from Dec, 2015. 

Q. What did you do to improve your weak areas?

Answer: I kept on giving mock tests and sectional tests of the areas in which I was weak. I made sure to start from the basics, consolidate my foundational concepts first and gradually moved to higher level problems. 

Q. Is it important to join a coaching institute?

Answer: I joined a coaching centre to maintain a disciplined routine. By ourselves, we tend to procrastinate with tasks. Also, the competition from peers keeps you going. 

Q. What’s your dream institute?

Answer: Without a doubt, it is IIM Bangalore. 

Q. Tell us about your hobbies.

Answer: My hobbies include reading various genres of books right from fiction to non-fiction. I also love writing poems and watching movies. 

Q. Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

Answer: No matter how disheartening the mock scores are, never give up at any point of time. Remember, mocks are not the final exam. Also, be sure to be consistent with your preparations. Rather than studying for 6 hours at a stretch, it is advisable to study for an hour or two daily. Also, pay equal attention to all sections since there are sectional cutoffs. All the best!

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