CAT 2021 Topper Interview: Know How Amitesh Scored 99.46 Percentile
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
CAT 2026 application submission
3 Aug '26 - 22 Sep '26
Amitesh Agarwal scored 99.46%-ile in CAT 2021. Check here CAT 2021 topper interview where he provides insights on his preparation strategy.
CAT 2021 score
Overall Percentile: 99.46
Sectional:
- VARC - 96.82 percentile
- DILR - 99.15 percentile
- QA - 98.70 percentile
Amitesh Agarwal appeared for CAT for the first time in 2021 and scored 99.46 percentile. With his score, he was able to get his name included in the list of CAT 2021 toppers. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Technology (Petroleum Engineering) from IIT ISM, Dhanbad. Currently, he is in the last year of his graduate degree and holds a job offer for the role of Graduate Engineer Trainee from Cairn India. He is a startup enthusiast and loves app development. We got in touch with Amitesh, CAT 2021 topper, to know about his CAT preparation strategy and tips for future aspirants.
Q: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
A: I am satisfied with my CAT result; though I was expecting a higher percentile owing to the predictions made by some of the coaching institutes.
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Q: Was this your first CAT attempt?
A: I am in the final year of Engineering, so yes, this was my first attempt at the CAT exam.
Q: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Commonly asked questions
Yes, IIM Bangalore is one of the toughest business schools to get admission to, and every year, even CAT 99+ percentilers miss out on a call from the institute. IIM Bangalore uses multiple parameters, namely academic performance as well as candidates' scores in CAT/GMAT to select candidates for the PGP programme. IIMB adopts a two-phase selection process and accordingly, these selection criteria are applied in two phases. The first phase of the process is applied to all eligible candidates who appear for CAT to determine candidates to be called for a personal interview (PI). Candidates selected for the PI process will be additionally required to take a Writing Ability Test (WAT).
Sectional cut-off in the CAT exam refers to the section-wise percentiles required by the candidate to make it to the Personal Interview round of the IIMs or other top MBA colleges. The sectional cut-offs are lower than the overall cut-offs of any institute. To understand better, check the table below for sectional CAT cut-offs for IIM Ahmedabad:
Category | VARC percentile | DILR percentile | QA percentile | Overall percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 |
NC-OBC-Transgender | 65 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
SC | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
PwD (General, NC-OBC-cum-transgender, SC) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
PwD (ST) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
For sectional cut-offs of all IIMs, check this article – IIM shortlist and selection criteria
No, one can't join IIM without CAT. Candidates seeking admission to the IIM Ahmedabad MBA course must appear for CAT. The institute sends call letter to aspirants with score equal or above qualifying cutoff for Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Students must meet both, the overall CAT cutoff percentile and the sectional cutoffs.The Institute does not release CAT cutoffs in the public domain and are exclusively accessible only via account login to candidates who have appeared for the exam.
A: I started CAT preparation towards the end of May 2021. Initially, I built my knowledge base of the subjects by covering all the videos available via the subscription from an online coaching platform. In a month or two I had completed the syllabus, post which I took mocks on a weekly basis along with practice from different coaching materials.
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Q: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
A: For LRDI I had gone through 400+ different types of sets and also practised some sets from a variety of material that was available to me. For Quant I covered the concept videos and nothing else; mathematics had been my favourite subject since school. It has always been a cakewalk for me. VARC was quite a challenge for me and I have always been worried about it. Even in the last week before CAT I was quite worried about the VARC section of the CAT. I had gone through concept videos where tricks, techniques and tips were discussed. I knew it was all about practice. I tried applying techniques to solving questions and getting acquainted with them.
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Q: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
A: I did not refer to any book. I had solved some material of a coaching institute. I had also purchased CAT mock tests online. Additionally, I had a subscription plan from an online coaching portal. Therefore, all the study material was made available via the coaching platforms and online.
Also Read: Best Books to Prepare for CAT
Q: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
A: I attempted around 15 proctored mock tests that I purchased online from a coaching platform. Mocks do help in CAT preparation. A few of the benefits I recorded were to track the improvement, know where you stand comparatively, help you manage your time, force you to focus your mind on your laptop screen for two hours, see where you are going wrong, and know how much you need to improve. Once you believe you have completed a substantial amount of the syllabus, you can start giving the mocks. You might end up performing horribly in your first few mocks, you might feel very underconfident and wish to give up, but that’s not how it works. Mocks are a way to constantly reflect where you stand and how much more hard work you need to put in. Mocks should act as a booster dose and an ignition fuel to perform better, to touch the sky.
Q: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
A: Yes, I purchased a subscription plan from an online coaching platform. I believe it's not about the coaching institute, it's about the person, the teacher, the mentor who is going to guide us throughout the journey. If you have a great mentor, an experienced one, someone who does much more than just teaching, you enjoy the journey a lot.
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Q: What was your exam day strategy?
A: I was a bit tense during the exam day as I had an interview at ONGC that very day. Being a part of the campus placement, I did not have the part in rescheduling the interview. I was feeling very sleepy as I had no sleep that past night due to stress and anxiety. I entered the exam hall, I tried keeping myself calm during the 30 minutes waiting time. I calmed myself down and started the test with full confidence in my knowledge, learning and my ability. I had decided to not answer questions unless I am sure that they are correct. I had attempted 116 marks and received a 109 with only 2 mistakes. My strategy was to attempt a question only if I knew the answer. This helped me ditch negative marking.
Q: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
A: Although my priority will be IIM Calcutta, I am eyeing to convert any of the following IIMs:
- IIM Ahmedabad
- IIM Bangalore
- IIM Calcutta
- IIM Lucknow
- IIM Kozhikode
- IIM Indore
| What After CAT Result? | |
Q: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
A: I would recommend preparing using mock tests as they help extensively. It tracks the improvement, helps in comparative analysis, help in time management, provides an exam-like environment, helps gauge strengths and weaknesses, among other benefits.
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Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance
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