CAT 2019 Topper Interview: 99.80 Percentiler Ronit Banerjea Shares His Success Story

Ronit Banerjea scored an impression 99.80 percentile in his first attempt and is expecting interview calls from all top IIMs. Check out his CAT exam journey. 

Ronit Banerjea

CAT 2019 Overall Percentile: 99.80

VARC: 98.52

DILR: 98.58

QA: 99.78

Ronit Banerjea, a Mechanical Engineering (dual degree) student at IIT Kharagpur, scored 99.80 percentile in his first CAT attempt. With an impressive academic record of 10.0 CGPA in class 10,  94.80% in class 12 and graduation CGPA of 9.07, Ronit is hoping to get interview call from the top IIMs and FMS. Shiksha spoke with Ronit on his success in CAT exam. Read on to know his preparation journey.

Q: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?

A: Just about satisfied. I performed below my expectations in each section, so perhaps a more optimal performance could have pushed my score into the 99.95%ile range. But I don't believe in crying over spilt milk, so I'll make do with what I have

Q: Was this your first CAT attempt?

A: Yes, it was. I'll graduate in the summer of 2020.

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

A: I've always had an inclination towards maths, so my journey started with joining a couple of the most prominent Facebook groups in September 2018, and going through all the questions and solutions posted by previous year's aspirants. I spent a lot of time analysing the shortcuts mentioned, and rigorously dissecting their mathematical robustness. The 2-3 months I spent re-introducing myself to mathematical concepts untouched since my JEE days were crucial to my eventual confidence and consistency in this particular section. I joined TIME in December, and began working on the material provided by them - both to practice methods understood and retained from the months prior, as well as to learn newer and more efficient approaches and enhance my speed. I was also regular with my attendance of scheduled mocks and attempting of sectional mocks, which help boost my performances in all three sections. I had an edge in VARC owing to my general comfort in the language, but a constant fear of the LRDI section ensured I was regular with my practice. Due to my constant commitment to college activities, I knew, I wouldn't have more than 2-3 hours to spare for preparation on the weekdays, so I attempted to account for that by starting my preparation more than a year in advance and being regular with my studies on a daily basis. Consistency and an adequate headstart helped me keep both of my academic pursuits under complete control.

Q: Did you have a different approach to topics you were weak in?

A: Yes, I did. DILR has always been a bit of a sore spot for me, so I used to cover the DI portions of the section first before moving on to LR topics I was more comfortable with (like arrangements and selections). I avoided any sets that appeared new, a feature that is a staple of CAT papers, and like in most cases, I benefitted from that approach. In QA, geometry was a bit of a weak point for me. So, I would keep those questions for the end and ensure I covered the other topics in the paper first before picking off the sitters in this topic.

Q: How many CAT mock tests did you attempt?

A: I attempted around 18-20 CAT mock tests from TIME and CL. Constant college commitments made it difficult to attempt as many as I would like, although the number I gave allowed me enough room to hit upon a reasonable exam strategy

Q: What was your CAT exam day strategy?

A:  VARC took me by surprise, so I had to ditch my initial plan of finishing RCs before moving onto the VA portion. I instead spent 40 minutes on the RC section and skipped the set on British Colonialism, before finishing the VA portion and coming back to that set. For DILR, I proceeded set-by-set, studying each of them and understanding which topic the set belonged to. If it fell in my wheelhouse of comfort, I'd attempt it immediately before proceeding to the next. If not, I'd skip it for later. I also made the decision to skip the novel set in the section because of the variables involved, which proved to be the right decision. For QA, I didn't have a particular strategy in mind. I was confident in this section, so I proceeded question by question unless I found any of them excessively long (found only one of that variety).

Q: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?

A: Given my academic profile, I'm hoping for calls from IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode and FMS, Delhi. IIM A and B are touch-and-go, the others seem fairly likely. I would be happy to convert any of these calls, and XLRI, Jamshedpur too!

Read More:

• IIM Shortlist: Check Dates and Process

• CAT Result Announced, Check Scorecard
• MBA admissions: Check Application dates, eligibility, cut off and fees