CAT 2015 topper Prateek Bajpai prepared from North Africa sans coaching

Securing a perfecting 100 percentile in CAT 2015 exam is no easy feat. Indore-based Pratik Bajpai not only managed to score this perfect 100 but also did it without any coaching. "My CAT exam went well, but wasn't expecting a perfect 100," laughs the 24-year-old.

A Civil engineer from NIT Trichy, Bajpai started working with Shapoorji Pallonji group after graduation. Six months into his job, he was transferred to Algeria, a country in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast.

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"I would work for 12 hours a day, six days a week. After working from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm, I'd come home and devote another two to three hours to CAT preparation. I started preparing for CAT around May 20, 2015. Two weeks before CAT 2015, I came home and started taking mock tests," says Bajpai. He religiously prepared for CAT exam for about seven months.

Mathematics is one of his favourite subjects. "My father loves maths. As a kid we'd get together and solve puzzles with him just for fun. I like maths and therefore when I started preparing for CAT 2015, it came very naturally to me," he recalls. "My father works with the Indian Railways, my mother is a housewife and my younger sister is a Chartered Accountant with LIC," he adds.

Bajpai had cracked IIT-JEE but decided to join NIT Trichy.

For Bajpai, life is not only about studies. He's a national-level table tennis player and a tech enthusiast. He used to write a smartphone blog. "Till date I have advised more than 1500 people on what kind of phones to buy."

Like most MBA aspirants, Bajpai's dream institute is IIM Ahmedabad. "I realised that post-graduation is extremely important for a bright future. Right now, I am focusing on GD-PI preparation," he says.

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Future plans:

"People say MBA degree changes your life. I want to find out if it's true or not," says Bajpai. "WHen I was in NIT Trichy, I met some fabulous human beings. I learnt a lot from them. I hope my learning continues. I also love to train people -- coach them on interviews, GD, placements and so on. I like guiding and training people. I like to help them figure out what they are good at. Most people I know are clueless about what they want to doing life. I want to help them find a definitive path in life and help them know themselves, he adds.

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Tips for CAT 2016 aspirants:

"Six months of dedicated preparation is more than enough for a candidate. Of course luck is an important factor too. Candidates who have strong grasp of basics, three months of preparation is good enough," says Bajpai.

• Always set a time limit for each section in the exam paper
• Revise the QA formulas
• In case there is a topic that you might have missed, leave it. Do not start anything new now
• Do not panic in case there is a change in the test pattern. Remember that this change is for everyone, not just you
• It is extremely important to deliver a balanced performance across all 3 sections
• Lastly, keep calm – this will help you in performing to your full potential

His CAT 2015 score card reads: