CAT 2017: From 96.12 to 99.67%ile, Know Bharat Santani’s journey
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
CAT 2026 application submission
3 Aug '26 - 22 Sep '26
Bharat Santani
Once the result of CAT is announced, few candidates experience the sweet taste of success while a few do not score as they had expected. Bharat Kumar Santani appeared for CAT 2016 and scored 96.12 percentile. Though his percentile was good, he could not clear the sectional cut-off of VARC, and his dream of getting into an IIM could not be fulfilled.
Not disheartened by his performance, and with the ambition of securing a seat in IIM Ahmedabad, he once again started his exam preparation. Hard work finally paid off, and Bharat cleared CAT 2017 with flying colors. This time his overall percentile was 99.67, and his sectional scores were VARC-95.93, DILR-99.41, and QA-99.31.
Bharat is an engineer and his hobbies include watching cricket and hacking. Shisha spoke to him, and he shared his preparation strategy with us. Read his exclusive interview here:
Q. How did you feel on seeing your result? Were you expecting this score?
I was excited as well as relieved after seeing my results. I was expecting around 99.5+, but I scored 99.67 percentile so I was happy that I scored somewhat close to my expectation.
Q. Was this your first CAT attempt?
No. This was my third attempt at the exam.
Q. What area of specialisation do you plan to opt for?
I have experience in IT industry of more than 3 years so I will be option for majorly Consulting or Operations.
Q. Tell us about your preparation strategy.
Mocks, Measure, Analyze and Repeat. This is what I did almost every week. Achilles heel was VARC section – this section costed me IIM calls and in turn, another year (I couldn’t clear sectional cut-off for VARC section in CAT 2016, though my overall percentile was good enough for at least new IIMs).
Q. What was your weak area (s) and what did you do to improve the same?
VARC was my week area. I devoted 50 % of time to this section preparation. I solved around 45-50 sectional tests and around 30 All India mocks.
Q. Is it important to join a coaching institute?
If your basics are strong then there is no need to join coaching. The best way is to gauge where you stand is by giving 2-3 all India mock and checking whether you can get around 90%ile or not. If you are scoring 90 percentile and above, then no need to join a coaching institute, and if not is would be good to go for coaching.
Q. What’s your dream institute?
My dream institute is IIM Ahmedabad, but due to average academics I may not be able to get that call. I believe that at the end, it’s not about the institute, but learning. Thus, I will try to convert whatever best I can.
Q. Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Try to maintain consistency in preparation and give at least 2 mocks a week.
Also Read:
 CAT scores are used for admission to 20 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. |
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Check: CAT Correction Window 2026
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