CAT 2022 Topper Interview: "Mock Tests Are Utmost Important"; Says CAT Topper Pranav Chaturvedi

Pranav Chaturvedi got his name included in the CAT 2022 toppers list with an overall score of 99.73 percentile. From preparing for UPSC to making it to the CAT toppers list, he shared his preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants with Shiksha.

CAT Topper 2022: Pranav Chaturvedi

CAT 2022 Topper Interview: CAT 2022 result was declared two weeks earlier on December 21.  A Mechanical Engineer from IIT Dhanbad, Pranav Chaturvedi, scored 99.73 percentile in CAT 2022 exam. Pranav worked with TATA motors and had quit his job to crack CAT. He had an admission offer from IIM Indore and IIM Trichy, but he aimed to make his way to the holy trinity of IIMs. CAT 2022 topper, Pranav Chaturvedi, emphasises on the importance of taking mock tests. Shiksha got in an exclusive chat with the CAT 2022 topper, Pranav Chaturvedi to know his CAT preparation strategy, recommended books, and a few CAT preparation tips for future aspirants.

Read this complete CAT 2022 topper interview of Pranav Chaturvedi to know about his preparation strategy.

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Name and College: Pranav Chaturvedi, IIT Dhanbad   

CAT 2022 score:

Overall score: 99.73%ile

Sectional scores:

VARC - 99.41%ile

DILR - 98.40%ile

QA - 98.85%ile

CAT 2022 Topper Interview with Pranav Chaturvedi

Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? What was your expected CAT score?

Pranav: Yes, I appeared for CAT before and I expected a score between the 98-99 percentile. I had decided to touch the 99 percentile and this score was a pleasant surprise for me.

Shiksha: Was this your first CAT attempt?

Pranav: No, I had appeared for the CAT exam twice before. 

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

Pranav: I already had two sections sorted this time. I thought that the VARC section came naturally to me. I used to do well in mock tests in terms of RCs and other topics and when I was preparing for this section I didn't think that I needed much preparation. I just attempted a lot of sectional mock tests. LRDI was not my strong suit, so for that, I used to solve many sets. I used to solve approximately four sets every day. This helped, as I was able to retrieve my scores in the mock tests. Being a mechanical engineer I thought that the QA section would be easier but this was not the case. I struggled with Quant in my initial attempts. When I appeared for CAT in 2019, I scored the least in the Quant section, but last year I scored better and this year I was able to bag a good percentile. I enrolled in the Career Launcher test programme and I used to go through topic tests. I was solving the question banks provided by the coaching institute on various topics which were time-based. That gave me good stimulation for the exam day and in turn, helped me improve my scores in the Quant section. 

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

Pranav: I referred to various sources and study materials. I used to watch a lot of preparation videos on various topics on Youtube which helped me with the concepts in the QA section. The test series by Career Launcher were quite helpful too. For the LRDI section, I referred to the study material provided by TIME. Other than that I attempted an ample number of CAT mock tests. I used to solve every mock test that I could get my hands on.

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

Pranav: I think mock tests are of utmost importance. They help you gauge where you stand and help you recognise your strengths and areas of improvement. I attempted about 30 mock tests. Towards the end of my preparation, I used to attempt ten CAT mock tests each month. And in the last 15 days, I used to attempt one mock test every day. I attempted one mock test on a day before the CAT exam but I would not recommend anyone to do that. I gave a lot of sectional tests too. I understood my strengths and weaknesses and hence I used to attempt sectional tests to improve my scores. 

The situation with the mock tests is that they are designed with difficult questions and you may score really low. But, I would like to tell future aspirants that the mock tests are designed with tougher questions and the percentile you get in the mock tests are not the real reflection of the score you would get on the exam day. At the same time, do not focus on the result but focus on cracking the pattern of the exam. I was able to understand how to carry myself through the exam and how I should be approaching a particular section. For example, in QA I would solve 3-4 questions in the first ten minutes and then pace myself. And to achieve this you have to attempt a lot many mock tests and sectional tests. Mock tests are also important to understand which are the areas of improvement and how much time should you spend on a particular question on the exam day.

Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?

Pranav: The CAT exam day strategy was to get a good night's sleep a day before the exam as I had the first slot for the CAT exam. I had my dinner early and went to bed early. I reached an hour prior to the reporting time at the CAT exam centre to settle in place. Other than that, since I had appeared for mock tests I had a strategy to follow. One must have an exam-day strategy for each section. Do not give up on your exam day strategy. It might happen that the CAT exam pattern might change, the difficulty level may be high which may put everything to a toss but you are your best judge. So, be calm and navigate through the exam. For me, the strategy always remained that I need to attempt the maximum number of questions in my strongest section, VARC. For instance, I attempted 3 RCs out of four. In the LRDI section, I attempted 2-3 sets and luckily this helped me bag a good score. For QA, as I said, just pace yourself through the exam.

Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?

Pranav: The biggest takeaway from this conversation for the aspirants should be that attempt a lot of mock tests. I gave 30 mock tests but they should aim to attempt at least 40 mock tests. Do not be disheartened by the scores you get in the mock tests and look at them objectively. Be mechanical in the CAT preparation, as it may happen at times when you would not want to study but at the end of the day just focus on attempting mock tests and go through all the topics to decipher your strengths and weaknesses. In the last two months, capitalise on your strengths and this would help you achieve your target.

Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?

Pranav: Earlier I was targeting IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Bangalore. But after the CAT results, I am hoping to get calls from the holy trinity, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta

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