CAT 2019 Topper Interview: 99.87 percentiler, Romik Banerjee, shares his preparation strategy for CAT 2019

Romik Banerjee from Kolkata has scored an impressive score of 99.87 in CAT 2019 exam. Know his preparation strategy for CAT exam in the article below.

Romik Banerjee

Overall CAT percentile: 99.87

VARC percentile: 98.42

DILR percentile: 99.72

QA percentile: 99.65

Romik Banerjee, a final year graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, scored an impressive score of 99.87 percentile in CAT 2019 exam in his first attempt. He hails from Kolkata and did his schooling from Delhi Public School. He wishes to get an admission call from the top IIMs and FMS, Delhi. Shiksha spoke with Romik to know his CAT 2019 preparation strategy and his success mantra for CAT 2019. Read the article below to know more.

Q. Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT score? Were you expecting this score?

A. Yes, I am. I attempted CAT 2019 exam like another mock test. I was expecting a decent score but not as high.

Q. Was this your first CAT attempt?

A. Yes, this was my first attempt.

Q. When did you start preparing for CAT exam? What was your overall exam strategy?

A. I started preparation from the month of June. I went through the basics initially and then shifted to mocks. In the process, I ensured that I spent sufficient time analysing my performance and improving on my mistakes.

Q. Did you have any section-wise preparation strategy? Please share.

A. VARC: VARC is my forte as I have always been an avid reader. The intent was to increase my RC attempts and leave sufficient time for the VA section as it tends to be quite scoring. Reasoning is critical and understanding the core essence of the passage after reading once is the key to solving the questions associated.

DILR: DILR is a section that entirely depends on consistent practice. The more sets/questions you solve the more effective will be your approach since you get exposure to a variety of questions. More often than not, it tends to be the 'decider'. The usual intent was to attempt at least four to six sets depending on the difficulty level, which can be gauged at first glance. 

Quant: For Quant, being absolutely thorough with the basics is important. I identified the topics and sections which I found the toughest and spent a good amount of time on understanding the concepts. Once that was done, solving as many questions as possible was my strategy. The on-screen calculator can be used, albeit at the cost of attempts.

Q.What books did you refer to for CAT 2019?

A. I did not refer to any book per se. I found most of the study material online and also I learned a lot through mock analysis. 

Q. Did you join any coaching institute? How did a coaching institute help you in CAT preparation?

A. I did join the classroom programme for TIME and their student portal came in handy with its wide array of practice material.

Q. How important do you think mock series are?

A. The importance of mock series cannot be stressed enough. Conventionally, one goes through the concepts and then attempts the mock tests, but I started with mock tests and worked my way through. Mock analysis forms an integral part of the overall preparation strategy and if done religiously, it will surely yield good results. 

Q. What was exam day strategy?

A. To be honest, there was no specific exam day strategy. I made a conscious effort to treat CAT exam like any other mock test, without the additional baggage which brings an enormous amount of pressure along with it. Going in with a relaxed frame of mind is what paid off.

Q. Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

A. Be relentless, that's what worked for me. There will be phases wherein the thought of giving up would frequently come to your mind, but keep at it and give your best shot. A lot of dedication and practice coupled with a bit of luck is what takes you a long way.

Q. What are the IIMs/institutes that you are targeting?

A. All said and done, onto phase 2 now. I am primarily targeting the old IIMs and FMS, Delhi.

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