Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Exam On - 30 Nov '25
Avi Shrivastava became a CAT 2022 topper with 99.91%. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, he shares his CAT preparation strategy.
CAT 2022 Topper with Avi Shrivastava!
CAT 2022 Topper Interview: IIM Bangalore released CAT results on December 21, making Avi Shrivastava a CAT 2022 topper. Avi secured an overall 99.91%. He is working as a Strategic Alliances Manager at Turing. This was his third attempt at CAT, he was able to secure a 99.54% and 99.59% in his previous CAT attempts.
His hobbies include creating content on Linkedin explaining business decisions and international relations in simpler terms. In an interview with Shiksha.com, Avi shares his section-wise CAT preparation and exam day strategy to help future aspirants.
| Name of CAT Topper |
Avi Shrivastava |
|---|---|
| College |
|
| Overall |
99.91 |
| VARC |
97.52 |
| DILR |
99.57 |
| QA |
99.84 |
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? What was your expected CAT score?
Avi: Thank you. Yes, I'm quite satisfied with my result. Post the CAT, my estimate was to get atleast 110.
Shiksha: Was this your first CAT attempt?
Avi: This was my third CAT attempt.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Avi: I started preparing aggressively in June 2021. Before that, I had attempted CAT 2020, where I got 99.59 with a little preparation. Next year, although my preparation was on point, and with a successful mock season, during CAT 2021, I only managed to score 99.54. However, with my profile, the score was considered on the lower side for my targeted institute.
30 Sep '25 - 20 Nov '25
19 Nov '25 - 20 Nov '25
17 Oct '25 - 24 Nov '25
23 Oct '25 - 7 Dec '25
30 Sep '25 - 10 Dec '25
1 Aug '25 - 16 Dec '25
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25
21 Dec '25
9 Oct '25 - 9 Jan '26
The next time (CAT 2022) my strategy was to remain calm and not let the ups and downs of mock scores trouble me beyond a point. I'd practice only through the mocks since I knew how to apply the concepts. The only thing remaining was to get into the habit of applying them in the test scenario and timeframe.
Also Read:
Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
Avi: My section-wise preparation strategy for CAT 2022 was as follows:
VARC: I kept a hard target of attempting four RCs in 7-8 mins each. I was left with 3-4 minutes to attempt all VA questions once four RCs were completed. In VA, I figured odd man out and summary questions would give me the best return on time invested, so I attempted them first, then moved to para jumbles.
DILR: I glanced through all the sets of DILR to gauge the difficulty within the first two minutes. Then I prioritised the easiest set and attempted it in the first 8-10 minutes. My goal was to attempt at least two sets with complete accuracy. Attempting the third set would get me in the top percentiles. Any more than that was the cherry on the cake. I kept a hard but achievable target of 10 minutes on four-question set and 15 minutes on six-question set.
QA: The strategy in quant was to lift the pen as little as possible and try to formulate most of the strategy for each question in my head before writing anything down. This inturn increased the speed. I did not have topic-wise preferences in QA. I only decided to leave a question after reading it and deciding whether that could be done in under two minutes. If it can be done in under two minutes with accuracy, I would attempt it. Otherwise, I would move on and come back to it if time allows.
Every 10 minutes, I'd try to attempt at least five questions on a broad spectrum.
Also Read:
Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Avi: I did not use any books for my CAT preparation. I relied on mocks for preparation.
Also Read: Best Books to Prepare for CAT
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does a coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
Avi: I did not join any coaching to learn any concepts. I did take mocks from a few renowned coaching institutes.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt, and how important is a mock test series?
Avi: I attempted around 30-35 mocks. A mock test series is the single most important thing in CAT prep. The series must have a good level without being too easy or difficult. It must also have a good number of test takers (preferably 8000+) for you to gauge where you stand among the competition.
Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
Avi: My strategy was to remain as calm as possible and remind myself,
Also Read: CAT Exam Day Tips
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Avi: Low scores are part of the process. Each one of those is teaching you what not to do. Your effort should be to recognise that learning. Beyond that, no point fretting over those. Additionally, one should get a real picture of where they stand, not based on hopes or best-case scenarios, but rather the reality.
Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
Avi: I am yet to decide from which b-school I will be accepting the admission calls. As of now, I plan to convert all the interview calls I receive based on my profile.
Read More:
19 Nov '25 - 20 Nov '25 | XAT 2026 mock test 3 |
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 Exam registration |
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25 | SNAP 2025 Registration Process |
28 Nov '25 - 6 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 admit card session 1... |
28 Oct '25 - 16 Dec '25 | NMAT 2025 Admit Card Issuance |
1 Aug '25 - 16 Dec '25 | NMAT 2025 Rescheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
23 Oct '25 - 7 Dec '25 | MAT PBT Registration 2025 (Dec... |
23 Oct '25 - 15 Dec '25 | MAT CBT Registration 2025 (Dec... |
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Registration |
5 Nov '25 - 27 Dec '25 | IBSAT Slot Booking 2025 |
17 Oct '25 - 24 Nov '25 | CMAT 2026 registration and app... |
Dec '25 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration ... |
2 Sep '25 - 4 Sep '25 | MAH MBA CAP 2025: Reporting to... |
Jan '26 | Publication of TANCET notifica... |
Jan '26 | TANCET registration window |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
At GIBS, they keep the entrance exam part really simple. For PGDM or MBA, they accept almost all the common exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT. Even state-level or institute-level scores are considered.
Honestly, GIBS doesn't stress too much about “only one specific exam.” As long as you
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 6 days ago
At GIBS, the faculty-to-student ratio is around 1:15, which honestly makes learning a lot easier. Since the classes aren't overcrowded, the faculty actually get time to focus on each student.
You can easily ask your doubts, get personal guidance, and have open discussions. It feels more like a mentor
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
The online application for GIBS Business School is very well-organized and student-friendly for its MBA, PGDM, and BBA programs.
Application Procedure Step 1: Access the Admissions Portal
Go to the official website of GIBS Business School, and click on "Apply Online", which can be found under the sect
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
GIBS Business School considers the overall CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT scores for the admission of candidates in the PGDM and MBA programs. Rather than using solely high cut-offs, the entrance test scores are used to judge the aptitude of a candidate in terms of analysis, quant, and verbal f
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
GIBS Business School, Bangalore, has a strong and dynamic Placement Cell that helps in securing excellent career opportunities for the students. Every year, more than 260 reputed companies have visited the campus for recruitment, offering versatile jobs in sectors like BFSI, IT, consulting, manufact
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
Getting into the MBA programme of NIT Trichy with a 300 SC CAT rank is somewhat uncertain. As the recent data sets suggest, NIT Trichy's CAT cutoff for SC category admission stands around 65th percentile. A 300 SC rank could be borderline depending on how many SC candidates apply and the quality of
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a month ago
Candidates who did not appear for the CAT entrance exam can apply St. Xavier's College, Kolkata admissions as it is not a mandatory entrance exam. The candidates who wish to gain admissions into the MBA course of the institute have to appear for the Kolkata University entrance test for St. Xavier's
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
Contributor-Level 9
