CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Dashika Bansal, 99.57%iler shares tips and strategy to crack CAT
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In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Dashika Bansal shares her preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Dashika Bansal.
CAT 2022 Topper Interview
CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Dashika Bansal, a BCom graduate from MCM DAV College, Chandigarh scored 99.57 percentile in CAT 2022. IIM Bangalore declared CAT result two weeks earlier than usual, i.e. on December 21. Common Admission Test exam was held on November 27. Dashika is aiming for the top IIMs FMS, IITs, other reputed management institutions. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Dashika Bansal shares her preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Dashika Bansal.
Also Read:
- CAT 2022 score
- Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
- Shiksha: Was this your first attempt at CAT?
- Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
- Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
- Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
- Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
- Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
- Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
- Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
- Shiksha: Tell us something about your educational background, family and hobbies.
- Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
CAT 2022 score
Overall Percentile: 99.57
Sectional:
- VARC – 99.55
- DILR – 89.56
- QA –99.42
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
Dashika: Yes, I am very satisfied with my result. I was hoping for 99 percentile or above.
Shiksha: Was this your first attempt at CAT?
Dashika: No, it was my 2nd attempt.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Dashika: I started preparing in January 2022. Just working even little by little consistently every day and not taking too much pressure helped.
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Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
Dashika: For VARC, reading some articles/newspaper and solve at least 2 Reading passages in everyday works. For DILR and Quantitative ability, I attempted sectional tests everyday for the last 2 months. It helped in revising different concepts every day.
Commonly asked questions
In CAT 2025, the following changes were seen:
- The fee amount increased from INR 2,500 to INR 2,600 for General category candidates and from INR 1,250 to INR 1300 for Reserved category candidates.
- In DILR section, number of questions increased from 20 to 22.
- Total marks of CAT DILR section increased from 60 to 66.
- Total marks of CAT exam increased from 198 to 204.
- Candidates can select five cities instead of six.
In CAT exam, each candidate gets 120 minutes to solve the paper. There are three sections in CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. For each section 40 minutes are allotted as sectional time limit. For PwD candidates, the sectional time limit is 53.20 minutes per section. Candidates have to complete each section within the given time limit. Since the CAT is an online mode exam, the test screen will move from first section to the next section automatically as soon as the time limit gets over. Thus candidates have to be mindful of the on-screen timer and pre-decide the number of questions to solve in each section. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT has 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section has 22 questions and Quantitative Aptitude section has 22 questions. It is not mandatory to solve all the questions in CAT so candidates can devise a strategy to use 40 minutes per section as per their strength and weakness.
CAT has 68 questions. Each question carries three marks. There is negative marking of minus one for incorrect attempts. There is no deduction of marks for unanswered questions. Total marks in 204.
In CAT exam, there are 20 questions in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section and the total sectional marks is 60 out of 198. In CAT 2020, there were 24 question on DILR and the sectional marks were 72. In CAT 2021 and CAT 2022, there were 20 questions and the sectional marks were 60. The 20 questions are equally divided into both Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. That means, Both Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning have 10 questions each. The questions are mostly in sets. There’s rarely any standalone question in DILR.
Some of the top MBA entrance exams carrying a high weightage of Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning questions are MAH CET, ATMA, CAT, CMAT, XAT IIFT, to name a few.
Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Dashika: I just solved the books provided by my coaching institute. They were very thorough and enough for the preparation.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
Dashika: I attempted approximately 55-60 mocks that’s 2 test series including past year papers.
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I think attempting mocks regularly is the most helpful part of the prep as you get to experience the exam and be aware of your flaws and you work on them consistently.
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
Dashika: Yes, I joined EduCorp consultancy, Chandigarh for my preparation. I think it is very beneficial as one gets proper guidance as to what to prepare. At EduCorp , we got personal attention in planning out what to do and how to do it. So it made this journey a lot more planned and easier.
Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
Dashika: My exam day strategy was just as my teachers suggested, it was to be calm and patient and not getting worried even if some secton doesn’t go as planned.
Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
Dashika: I am targeting all the IIMs, FMS, IITs and some other colleges. The journey of getting in one is still pending and i am hoping to get in one of these.
Commonly asked questions
Shiksha: Tell us something about your educational background, family and hobbies.
Dashika: I graduated from MCM DAV College, Chandigarh with my Bachelor of Commerce in July 2022. Before that, I studied in boarding school (VDJS, Hisar) which was an amazing experience. Coming to my family, I am born and brought up in a joint family which includes my parents, 1 sibling, grandparents, uncle and extended family. Living in a joint family really has taught me to be patient and considerate towards everyone I think.
Apart from reading books, I really like to explore new places. I have tried to cover at least some of the serene places from India like Kashmir, Andaman, Goa and I hope I will get more exposure in the coming future. And of course, being from this generation I like to spend some of my free time on Netflix and series.
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Dashika: If you are determined and working consistently, nothing can stop you. Some say luck matters, no hard feelings but working hard and smart is the most important factor.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 22 hours ago
For CAT Data Interpretation preparation, candidates can refer to Arun Sharma's books for CAT DILR. His books cover this topic comprehensively.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 22 hours ago
Yes, Data Interpretation is important for CAT as it makes up for 50 percent of the DILR sections, which carries a weightage of 66 marks.
E
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 22 hours ago
There are usually 8-10 questions on Data Interpretation in CAT. The questions are in sets of 4 or 5.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
Practise previous-year CAT questions, mock tests, and vocabulary books such as Word Power Made Easy. Reading editorials and quality articles can also help.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes. It improves grammar, vocabulary, context-based understanding, and sentence interpretation, which are useful for VARC preparation.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
CAT does not have a fixed number of Sentence Completion questions. Direct questions on this topic are uncommon.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Aspirants should attempt CAT DILR practise questions as timed mock exercises without checking the answers, and solutions. Candidates must go through answers and solutions after completing each set.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No. These are original practice questions curated from past-paper reasoning structures, not guaranteed exam questions.
V
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, ISBR Business School give scholarship based on the CAT score. Below given is the scholarship criteria and percentage of tuition fee waiver given by the ISBR Business School based on the CAT score.
| Examination | Scholarship Criteria | Category | Quantum of Scholarship | Nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | 90 percentile or above | Merit / Industry Sponsored | 100% Full Ride | 5 Nos. |
| 85 percentile or above | 50% Waiver in Tuition Fee | 20 Nos. | ||
| 80 percentile or above | 25% | 25 Nos. |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
To prepare for CAT Arithmetic section, refer to Class 9 and 10 NCERT Math books. These books will help you recap fundamental concepts and formulae. For advance level questions, refer Arum Sharma and Nishit Sinha books recommended for CAT quantitative aptitude preparation.
A
Contributor-Level 7
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