CAT 2019 Topper Interview: 99.99%iler Rahul Manglik says Vedic Maths helped him perform well in Quant

Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )

shadow

CAT 2026 application

To be notified

Updated on Jan 8, 2020 17:13 IST
Rahul Manglik from IIT Bombay scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2019 with only four months of preparation. Hailing from Delhi, Rahul has keen interest in sports and he has been playing basketball, table tennis and skating since his school days.

99.99 percentiler Rahul Manglik practiced Vedic Maths and attempted more than 50 mock tests to prepare for CAT 2019. Read the exam strategy he adopted to crack the test in his first attempt.

Overall CAT 2019 Percentile: 99.99

VARC Percentile: 98.97

DILR Percentile: 99.98

Quant Percentile: 99.97

Rahul Manglik from IIT Bombay scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2019 with only four months of preparation. Hailing from Delhi, Rahul has a passion for sports and he has been playing basketball, table tennis and skating since his school days.

Explore colleges based on CAT

Ahmedabad
#1 NIRF
₹27.50 L
Bangalore
#2 NIRF
₹26.00 L
Pune
₹13.39 L
Kozhikode
#3 NIRF
₹14.00 L

Want better recommendations?

There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
Delhi
#4 NIRF
₹12.00 L
Indore
₹12.50 L
Lucknow
#5 NIRF
₹12.60 L
Gurgaon
₹86.00 K
Mumbai
#6 NIRF
₹14.00 L
Kolkata
#7 NIRF
₹27.00 L
Confused about which college or exam to opt for?assitentRcpRhsImage
  • Chat with our counselor
  • Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
View allCollections

He is a member of an in-house racing club of IIT Bombay, where members work on creating electric racing cars that can compete internationally. He has also represented the racing club of IIT Bombay in the Formula Student in Silverstone, UK.

Staying updated about the latest educational events is just a click away
Enter Mobile Number

Shiksha spoke with Rahul to know how he managed to score 99.99 percentile in CAT in his first attempt with only four months of preparation. He shared his preparation strategy that helped him crack CAT 2019 successfully and make it to the toppers list. Read below.
Also Read: Check the List of CAT 2019 Toppers Here!

Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates

ATMA 2026 (May)

3 May '26

MU BAAT 2026 Round 5 Registrat...

3 May '26

VITBEE 2026

3 May '26

AP ICET 2026 Admit Card

15 Apr '26 - 2 May '26

JET 2026 PG - Online PI

2 May '26

TGICET Registration (With Late...

2 May '26 - 3 May '26

MAH MBA ...

2 May '26 - 4 May '26

Check live updates

KMAT Kerala 2026 Registration ...

5 May '26

Last Date for Karnataka PGCET ...

6 May '26

KMAT 2026 registrations

15 May '26

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

A: Thank You. Yes, I am very happy with the result. After calculating the score, I was expecting a good percentile but 99.99 was a pleasant surprise.

Also Read: CAT 2019 Syllabus

Q: Was this your first CAT attempt?

A: Yes, this was the first time I took the CAT exam.

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

A: I started preparing in August, after my internship. The syllabus can be completed in a month but what is important is to practice continuously.

Also Read: CAT 2019 Analysis

Q: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.

A: Initially, I used to take a lot of time in solving Reading Comprehension (RC) questions. Then I started reading the questions first before reading the paragraph in depth. This helped me increase speed and accuracy in RC. For Quant, I needed to increase my speed and hence did Vedic Maths and for DI, I just solved a lot of questions.

Also Read: CAT 2019 Cut Off

Q: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?

A: I went through the books provided by TIME. My major boost in marks was due to Vedic Maths and regular analysis of mocks.

Also Read: CAT Preparation Strategy

Check CAT cut offs and predict calls from IIMs and all non-IIMs accepting CAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all CAT accepting colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict CAT Admission Calls

Q: Did you join any coaching institute? How does coaching institute help in CAT preparation?      

 A: I had joined TIME coaching classes and Career Launcher mock tests. However, I did not attend many classes and rather focused on self-study. My sister guided me through the process. I do not think coaching classes are necessary if one has the discipline for self-study on a regular basis.

Also Read: CAT 2019 Mock Test

Q: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?

A: CAT Mock tests were very important to help me gauge how much I knew and what I needed to focus on. I attempted one mock every day in the last month of preparation. In total, I have attempted 50+ mock tests.

Q: What was your exam day strategy?

A: I was relaxed on the final CAT day. I made sure to eat enough, revise the important formulae and go with an open mind.

Also Read: CAT 2019 Answer Key

Q: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

A: Play your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Regular practice and a lot of mocks can help achieve your goals.

Also Read: CAT 2019 Counselling

Q: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?

A: I have applied for top IIMs and XLRI, based on MBA college rankings and feedback from my sister's friends who are alums of these colleges.

Candidate Names

Overall CAT 2019 Percentile

Interviews

Rishi Mittal

100

Click here to read the full interview

Somansh Chordia

100

Click here to read the full interview

Lakshya Kumar

99.99

Click here to read the full interview

Satwik Rao Kollur

99.99

Click here to read the full interview

Kislay Jha

99.96

Click here to read the full interview

Karan Goyal

99.95

Click here to read the full interview

Ahsaas Sharma

99.93

Click here to read the full interview

Ankit Desai

99.91

Click here to read the full interview

Romik Banerjee

99.87

Click here to read the full interview

Srishti Banzal

99.86

Click here to read the full interview

Ronit Banerjee

99.80

Click here to read the full interview

Avinash Singh

99.48

Click here to read the full interview

Nihal Singh

99.31

Click here to read the full interview

Karal Maheshwari

99.03

Click here to read the full interview

Rishabh Dwivedi

98.96

Click here to read the full interview

Debarshi Chandra

100

Available soon

Rahul Gupta

100

Available soon

Shubham Pandia

99.99

Available soon

Abhiraj Hinge

99.90

Available soon

Manisha Barnwal

99.89

Available soon

Aaryan Saurpria

99.89

Available soon

Deb Singhdeo

99.89

Available soon

Sahil Singhla

99.88

Available soon

Aman Srivastav

99.88

Available soon

Sameer Ahmad

99.88

Available soon

Mihir Dharap

99.85

Available soon

Ananaya

99.82

Available soon

Muktesh Singh Anand

99.79

Available soon

Abhishek

99.79

Available soon

Sujit Ramagiri

99.79

Available soon

Vineet Jain

99.77

Available soon

Preetam Kumar

99.76

Available soon

Rushi Awasthi

99.73

Available soon

Akhil Bhutada

99.73

Available soon

Bitanesh Bhatacharya

99.66

Available soon

Parth Goswami

99.66

Available soon

Devesh Bansal

99.65

Available soon

Shubham Aryan

99.62

Available soon

Mannat Kaur

99.61

Available soon

Yash Jain

99.57

Available soon

Satwik

99.56

Available soon

Monisha Goyal

99.51

Available soon

Shubham Sharma

99.5

Available soon

Kartik Gupta

99.5

Available soon

Raghav Rathore

99.49

Available soon

Yash Dave

99.43

Available soon

Suman Gande

99.43

Available soon

Shobhit Datta

99.40

Available soon

Vaibhav Gupta

99.38

Available soon

Tejas Nagpal

99.37

Available soon

Gaurav Gupta

99.27

Available soon

Risab Agnihotri

99.25

Available soon

Shefali Kolekar

99.1

Available soon

Sukumar Chaudhary

99.03

Available soon

Dhruv Dua

99

Available soon

Arshia Sethi

99

Available soon

Harsha Surapeni

99

Available soon

Harsh Patel

99

Available soon

Ankur Agarwal

99

Available soon

Shivansh Agarwal

99

Available soon

Palak Aneja

99

Available soon

Read More:

Check cut offs of top MBA entrance exams and predict calls from IIMs and other Top MBA Colleges. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and eligibility of all MBA Colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict IIM & Non IIM Calls
Videos you may like
About the Author
This is a collection of news and articles on various topics ranging from course selection to college selection tips, exam preparation strategy to course comparison and more. The topics are from various streams inclu Read Full Bio
Download Important Dates for MBA/PGDM Exams

News & Updates

Latest NewsPopular News

Explore Other Exams

Jul '26

XAT 2027 registration dates

Sep '26

XAT 2027 mock test

Aug '26

SNAP 2026 Registration Process

28 Nov '26

SNAP 2026 admit card session 1...

Aug '26

NMAT 2026 Registration Window

Aug '26

NMAT 2026 Scheduling Window

17 Oct '24 -

5 Dec '24

IIFT 2025 registration and app...

1 Apr '26 -

25 May '26

MAT May 2026 Registration PBT

1 Apr '26 -

8 Jun '26

MAT May 2026 Registration CBT

Jul '26

IBSAT 2026 Registration

Dec '26

IBSAT 2026 Exam Date

Oct '26

CMAT 2027 registration and app...

Jan '27

CMAT 2027 exam

2 May '26 -

4 May '26

MAH MBA CET 2026 (1st Attempt)...

9 May '26

MAH MBA CET 2026 (2nd Attempt)

9 May '26

TANCET exam date for MBA & MCA

28 May '26

Release of TANCET provisional ...

Mar '25

IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno...

Feb '25

IRMASAT Personal Interviews

The list of exams are recommended based on what other exams do the students in your area show interest in
qna

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered 2 days ago

Yes, students can get admission in Shri Vaishnav Institute of Management & Science MBA without CAT. That is because the institute accepts CMAT scores instead. Admissions to the programme are through CMAT + counselling basis. CAT is not required.

U

Upasana Harsha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

No, CAT exam is not strictly required to take admission in MBA at Babu Banarsi Das Institute of Technology. Candidates may submit scores from CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, or GMAT for MBA admissions.

R

Raj Priya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 days ago

Yes, according to the GITAM School of Management MBA cutoff 2025 via the CAT entrance examination, you could get into this institute if you belong to the General AI category. 

The aforementioned category had an estimated qualifying percentile of 70 in 2025. Admission for this category candidates may

...Read more

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 5 days ago

The Global Institute of Business Studies delivers consistent training for aspiring business professionals to prepare them for interviews and the workplace via a number of organized programs and other forms of practical experience. 

A CPMP (Finishing School) prepares students with the following:

  •  Resum

...Read more

M

Mohammed Maqsood

Beginner-Level 4

Answered 5 days ago

Yes, admissions in MBA at AIM-Assam are possible without CAT. The institute accepts other exams like CMAT/MAT/XAT and ATMA. Students can appear for entrance and fill the application form on official website. The university selects students on the basis of merit. Selected students have to appear for

...Read more

B

Bipasha Jha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 6 days ago

Business schools with campus in Bangalore GIBS Bangalore accepts a wide range of entrance exams for its AICTE-approved PGDM programme (MBA equivalent), prioritizing accessibility for diverse candidates over elite CAT toppers alone. This flexible policy suits your MAT 522 score, enabling shortlisting

...Read more

G

Guna

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

KMAT, and Karnataka PGCET are the accepted entrance examinations at Jyoti Nivas College. Students who wish to get admissions must clear all the entrance examinations for admissions. 

L

Liyansha Jain

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

The Global Institute of Business Studies has set a moderate cut-off for its CAT exam, far lower than those of the premier IIMs.

Expected CAT Cutoffs

  • Minimum Requirement - Approximately 60 Percentile
  • Safe Range - Approximately 60 to 65 Percentiles
  • Good Chance of Admission - Approximately 65 to 70 or grea

...Read more

M

Mohammed Maqsood

Beginner-Level 4

Answered a week ago

GIBS Business School situated in Bangalore acknowledges CAT, MAT, and XAT as authorized admission tests for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Approved Admission Exams

  •  CAT (Common Admission Test)
  •  MAT (Management Aptitude Test)
  •  XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)

Additionally to these Three Tests, GI

...Read more

M

Mohammed Maqsood

Beginner-Level 4

Answered a week ago

Jaipuria Institute of Management can get admission in PGDM programme without CAT scores. CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission. However, aspirants with MAT, XAT or CMAT scores can also get admission in PGDM provided they also meet the eligibility criteria.

N

Nishtha Shukla

Guide-Level 15