CAT 2015 topper Shounak Chakraborty scored a perfect 100, but plans to continue with job

CAT 2015 topper Shounak Chakraborty

Cracking CAT exam successfully is the dream of every MBA aspirant. Shounak Chakraborty, a final year electronics student at IIT-Kharagpur made this dream come true by scoring a perfect 100 in the CAT 2015 exam.

CAT 2015 results out!

However, even though Shounak scored 100 percentile in the exam, he plans to continue with the job he has already bagged. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, he reveals his future plans. This is what he had to say:

Q. Congratulations

A. Thank you so much.

CAT 2015: Know topper profiles 

Q. How did you feel on seeing your result?

A. Very honestly, I had no such expectations, in fact, I had no expectations at all. Last year though I had scored 99.95%, this year’s score came as a shock to me. I was surprised.

Q. Tell us something about yourself.

A. I am a final year B.Tech student at IIT-Kharagpur. My specialization is in electronics.

Q. What is your area of specialization?

A. I have still not decided about it. In fact, I might not be joining any institute, but would prefer to continue with the job that I have already bagged. I have been placed as an Analyst in Capital One.

Understand the shortlisting criteria of all IIMs

Q. Was this your first CAT attempt?

A. No, this was my second attempt. Last year I appeared for CAT exam for the first time, and I scored 99.95 percentile.

Q. Tell us about your preparation strategy.

A. This might not sound true, but I did not prepare for the exam at all. It was a general strategy that I followed. I have an interest in Maths, so I used to practice questions, and I love reading novels and journals so I used to read whenever I got time, and in no time I was well prepared for the exam.

Q. What is the minimum time frame needed to prepare for CAT?

A. I think practicing for 2 hours daily for 2 months is good enough time frame to crack CAT.

Q. How early did you start preparing for the exam?

A. Well, honestly, this year I did not prepare at all for the exams, but if I recall my last year’s preparation, I was more focused and serious, and I started preparing for the exam in July – this was as soon as I filled my form.

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

A. I was weak in Reading Comprehension. What I did was that I read as many articles and journals as I could. This helped me increase my reading speed, and certainly worked in my favor.

Q. Is it important to join a coaching institute?

A. Joining or not joining a coaching institute is more of a personal choice. As long as the student can keep himself/herself motivated and possess a competitive spirit, there is nothing wrong in preparing even without joining a coaching institute. Coaching institutes majorly contribute in keeping the students in rhythm. 

Q. What’s your dream institute?

A. Well, as said earlier, most probably I will not be joining an institute, rather I will focus on my job. But, if I think of joining an institute, IIM- Ahmedabad will be my preference. Since the policy of deferred admissions that has been introduced by IIM-A seems attractive, I might opt for the same. 

Q. Any other placement offers that you have in hand?

A. No, I do not have any other placement offers in hand as of now. I will be continuing as an Analyst in Capital One. 

Q. Tell us about your family.

A. My father is working in Airports Authority of India and my mother is a Maths teacher. 

Q. Tell us about your hobbies.

A. I love reading. I spend most of my time in reading novels and journals. Earlier I also used to play basketball. 

Q. Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

A. I did not prepare for this year’s exam, so as of now I have nothing in mind (smiles).

Read more:

Know past years' WAT/GD topics at top B-Schools

CAT 2015: GD/WAT topics to expect this year

CAT 2015 results are out! CAT scores are used for admission to 19 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and various other top B-Schools. Are you eligible for the IIMs? To know more, click on the image beside.