CAT 2021 Topper Interview- Vaibhav Dhir, 99.45 percentiler -“Ignore the time eating questions, the game is half won"

CAT 2021 topper Vaibhav Dhir, graduate from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala scored 99.45 percentile. Vaibhav in his interview with Shiksha shares how he managed to enter the club of 99 percentilers and his preparation strategy for CAT exam. Vaibhav lives in Mumbai and currently works as Software R&D Engineer in Hewlett Packard’s electronics subsidiary – Keysight Technologies. With his score in CAT exam, he is targeting to take admission to IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow. Read the complete interview of Vaibhav Dhir below.

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

A. Thank you. I’m happy to be in a good percentile region, but not quite happy with the overall result. I performed as expected in the VARC and LRDI sections but couldn’t quite make the most out of QA. I was targeting 120. I was getting 110+ scores in the mocks consistently and I was confident of the same, but on the day, I lagged by 10 odd marks in the QA section.

Q: Was this your first CAT attempt?

A. Yes, it was my first. Probably my last too.

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

A. I started my preparation on the 17^th of June 2021. I was very confident with my verbal skills and it was confirmed when I gave a couple of mocks in the beginning. I knew from the start that LRDI would be a low-scoring region for me since I would often spend more time in it than required. Overall, my strategy was to get 50+ on VARC, 33+ on LRDI and 45+ on QA considering a two-hour exam. The major chunk of my preparation was focused on QA since it is vast and formula heavy. A week before CAT, one wall in my room was filled top to bottom in formulae cheat sheets that I would revise every single day. My strategy was just to remain consistent through the 5 odd months and not hit burnout.

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

A. Because of my extensive reading and public speaking habits since childhood, the verbal section was my score-maker. While reading the RCs, I would try and read it like any other book. As a result, I would be so engrossed in the content and the author’s intent of writing that the questions just seemed like a revision of the paragraph. It is no surprise that this can only come through years of work with the English language and there is no way to short-circuit it.

As for LRDI, my strategy was very realistic. I wouldn’t try to be a wizard, getting to the end of every problem. I focused on recognizing questions. I focused on reading the data and getting a feel of how quickly I could compute the answers. As per my plan, I had to solve 2.5-3 sets in LRDI with perfect accuracy and cross the 33-mark barrier. Anything above it would be a bonus but I wouldn’t include it in my score planning.

For QA, the strategy was to simply keep all the formulae in my head and know the attack points for as many types of questions as possible. If I could look at a question and know how to start solving it, it would get me to the end as well. During the exam, I wanted to focus only on the smallest questions first and then move to larger ones, but unfortunately, I got stuck on a few and that was how I missed out on another 10 marks at least.

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

A. None. I did buy the Arun Sharma series, but I barely practised from it after joining coaching.

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

A. I joined the last batch of Elites Grid for 2021. It was immensely helpful. The teachers speak just like older brothers and they explain the concepts very simply and tactfully. While giving mocks in November, I realized how their teaching style and changed the way I looked at questions. I mainly signed up for quant preparation but ended up learning important tips for all the sections. The assignments and sectional tests provided by EG were focused, to the point and just enough. No other source is required once you sign up with them. I’m very happy I chose them, and I think it is important to choose a coaching, especially for working individuals, so that the preparation and practice can be streamlined.

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

A. I attempted the entire AIMCAT proctored series that I had access to, which was around 13 mocks. In addition, I gave another 12-13 self-administered mocks from AIMCAT and SIMCAT combined. I found the latter to be above the CAT in difficulty level, so I stopped giving them eventually. Further, I attempted all the sets from past year papers (2018-20). So overall, I must have attempted 30+ mocks, 20 of which were given in the last month. When I couldn’t find time for a mock, I would give EG sectionals before going to bed.

In my opinion, mocks are truly the biggest weapon any aspirant has in his/her arsenal. Constant evaluation of one’s weak points, time-based solving, quantifiable results, cross-sectional questions, and a direct comparison with other serious aspirants are just some of the benefits of attempting mocks regularly. I believe the last month in every aspirant’s preparation should only be focused on mocks and their analysis.

Q: What was your exam day strategy?

A. Breathe, read, move. Anything but getting stuck. The moment I saw a single red flag in a question that told me it would take more than usual to solve it; I would just skip it. I focused on reading every single word in the question patiently, sticking to my strengths and believing in what I knew. Even during the exam, I knew that my QA section had not gone according to plan, but I did not try to mark more answers just to get more attempts. In the end, it paid off too. I made no mistake in my entire CAT exam; all the questions I attempted were correct. Marking any more in haste would’ve only reduced my score.

Q: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

A. For the prep, just maintain a steady pace. Do not go for 3 heavy days and then slack off for a week. I knew I would slack off, so I started in June, which, in my opinion, is the latest anyone who is out of touch with Quant should start if they want to give enough mocks. You can relax in the middle, but do not get into a situation where you have to think “Oh, if only I hadn’t taken that trip then, I’d have scored better”. Never get into that space.

As for the exam, keep your ego at zero. Do not get into a tussle with the questions or try to prove your brilliance when stuck. The easiest and toughest questions both carry 3 marks. Find your strategy early, plan your preparation around your strengths and just run through the paper like you’re running through a minefield. If you can ignore the time eating questions, the game is half won.

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Q: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?

A. I am only targeting IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow since I have a GMAT score of 740. If I don’t get one of these, I shall apply to ISB and some foreign schools in the upcoming intake.

Q: Tell us something about your educational background, family, hobbies, profession.

A. I belong to a Punjabi family of 4, including my parents and an elder sister. We live in Mumbai since my dad and sister work here. I’m an engineer in the ECE stream and currently work as a Software R&D Engineer in Hewlett Packard’s electronics subsidiary – Keysight Technologies. I have a pending patent for a software I developed last year. I love reading, playing the guitar, watching documentaries and working out.

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